Description
Delight in these Mini Apple Pies featuring a buttery sugar cookie crust, tender caramel-infused Granny Smith apple filling, and a crunchy pecan streusel topping. Finished with an optional rich caramel drizzle, these individual pies are perfect for a cozy dessert or special occasion treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Crust
- 1 16 oz. pkg. Pillsbury refrigerated sugar cookie dough
Filling
- 3 1/2 cups peeled and chopped (1/2-1”) Granny Smith apples (4–5 apples)
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons white sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 6 soft caramels (like Kraft)
Streusel
- 1/3 cup pecans
- 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/3 cup flour
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into pieces
Caramel Drizzle (Optional)
- 10 soft caramels
- 1 1/2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Prepare Crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 12-cup muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray with flour or grease and flour the pan. Slice the cookie dough into 12 even pieces and press each slice into the bottom and up the sides of each muffin cup. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove from the oven.
- Cook Filling: While crust bakes, melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add chopped apples, brown sugar, white sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, salt, ground ginger, and nutmeg. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes until apples start to soften.
- Add Caramels to Filling: Stir in the 6 soft caramels and continue cooking until caramels are completely melted and apples are tender, around 3 more minutes. Remove from heat.
- Make Streusel: While apples cook, add pecans, flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon to a food processor and pulse until pecans are mostly chopped. Add cold butter pieces on top and pulse until the mixture resembles small pebbles. Alternatively, combine ingredients in a bowl and cut in butter by hand.
- Assemble Pies: Using a slotted spoon, remove the apple filling and evenly divide about 1 ½ tablespoons into each cookie crust. Press the crust down gently with the back of a spoon if it has puffed. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of streusel on top of each pie and gently press it into the filling. Then top evenly with remaining streusel, leaving it loose on top.
- Bake Pies: Bake for an additional 7 minutes or until crust and streusel are golden brown. Remove from oven and cool completely in the muffin tin before removing to prevent falling apart. Run a sharp knife along the edges before gently removing each mini pie.
- Prepare Caramel Drizzle (Optional): In a microwave-safe dish, combine 10 soft caramels, heavy cream, and salt. Microwave for 1 ½ minutes and whisk until smooth. If needed, microwave an additional 30 seconds and whisk again until fully melted and smooth.
- Serve: Drizzle caramel sauce over the cooled mini apple pies just before serving to avoid soggy streusel. Warm pies briefly in the microwave if you prefer them warm.
Notes
- Make sure pies cool completely before removing from the muffin tin to keep them intact.
- If you don’t have a food processor, you can make streusel by cutting cold butter into the dry ingredients using a fork or pastry blender.
- The caramel drizzle is optional but adds a rich sweetness; add just before serving for best texture.
- Use Granny Smith apples for their tartness and firmness to hold up well in baking.
- You can substitute pecans with walnuts or omit nuts for a nut-free version.
- Pressing the crust dough down after the first bake prevents puffing and keeps pie shape intact.
- Refrigerate any leftover pies and warm slightly before serving if desired.
