Thanksgiving Hand Pie Recipe
Savour the essence of fall with this Thanksgiving hand pie recipe. Individual pockets of apple pie goodness, a holiday delight in every bite.
Thanksgiving hand pies are an easy way to make individual desserts for your holiday feast! They also make great little treats for your fall dessert board or classroom party.
Why not get the kids involved? Little hands will love helping to cut out the shapes and taste test the apple pie filling.
Too busy to make this right away? Pin it for later! Pin this post to your favorite board on Pinterest and it will be there when you’re ready!
My little brother is a huge fan of pie, any kind of pie! So whenever we host a family gathering or turkey dinner, I try to have a pie or two on hand for dessert.
Be sure to check out these Halloween “hand” pies, Jack Skellington pies or mummy mini pies too!
Looking for a complete guide to creating the perfect Thanksgiving feast? Find a carefully curated collection of our time-tested, family-favorite recipes inside the pages of this eBook!
I love to make every holiday special and these hand pies are a great way to do that. Without too much extra effort, its easy to make individual apple pies for your Thanksgiving table.
Or make these mini pies ahead of time, freeze them, and then put one into the kids school lunch as a special treat. Let’s get started!
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Supplies
Begin by stocking the kitchen with a few of my favorite baking supplies!
- Baking sheets
- Parchment paper
- Rolling pin
- Mixing bowls
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Cookie cutters
- Pastry brush
- Wire cooling rack
Ingredients
Here are a few of the simple ingredients that you will need to get started with this easy fall recipe.
- All purpose flour – this is my go-to flour choice for most recipes.
- Granulated sugar – for a hint of sweetness.
- Butter – gives the crust a flaky texture.
- Apple pie filling – store bought or homemade.
- Eggs – we love farm fresh whenever possible.
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl combine flour and sugar.
2. Mix in butter with a pastry blender or fork, it will look crumbly.
3. Add water one tablespoon at a time and mix until the dough comes together.
Note: a food processor or stand mixer may be used to mix the dough as well.
4. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
5. Cut the apples in the pie filling into small cubes.
6. Place the pie dough on a lightly floured surface and use a rolling pin to flatten to an 1/8” thick.
7. Cut out shapes with a cookie cutter.
Notes: you can re-roll any leftover pastry dough to get more hand pies.
8. Cut hearts into the center of half of the leaves & acorns.
Note: if you don’t have a tiny heart shaped cookie cutter you can also cut slits with a sharp knife.
9. Drop a tablespoon of filling into the center of each full cut out leaving the edges clean.
10. Place a cut out shape overtop and press the edges together with your fingers.
11. Crimp edges with a fork.
12. In a small bowl, whisk egg.
13. Brush the tops of each hand pie with egg wash using a pasty brush.
14. Place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
15. Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes until the crust is golden brown.
Tips and tricks
- Pie dough may be stored in the fridge for 2 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Store-bought pie crust works in a pinch and is a great way to save time making these.
- Once the baked pies have cooled completely, they can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container, for up to 5 days. They can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
- When fresh fruit is abundant, we like to make our own pie filling. Check out my homemade apple pie filling recipe.
Hand pie variations
- Any flavor of pie filling can be used or even jam. Strawberry, cherry or pumpkin pie would all be delicious.
- You could also try making these with store-bought puff pastry instead of homemade pie crust.
- Use a pizza cutter to quickly cut the dough into squares or rectangles, instead of leaves. Or use a circle cutter to make a dough discs, fill and fold into a half-moon shape before cutting a small slit or two into the top with a sharp knife.
- Whip up a simple icing by mixing powdered sugar, water, and a splash of vanilla extract together in a small bowl. Add a drizzle to the top of each hand pie.
Looking for a savory hand pie?
- Make leftover turkey hand pies with that leftover Thanksgiving turkey!
- Take leftover ingredients like sweet potatoes, roast turkey and cranberry sauce to create a turkey mixture.
- Fill each pie with a tablespoon of filling and serve with leftover gravy for a delicious next day meal.
Got more Thanksgiving leftovers? Check out these 20+ Thanksgiving Leftover Recipes for more ideas!
If you love this Thanksgiving hand pie recipe, please give it a five star review and help me share it on Facebook or Pinterest.
Recipe Card
Thanksgiving Hand Pies
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 1 cup cold salted butter cut into cubes
- 5-6 Tbsp cold water
- 1/2 cup apple pie filling minced
- 1 egg whisked
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl combine flour and sugar.
- Mix in butter with a whisk or fork, it will look crumbly.
- Add water one tablespoon at a time and mix until the dough comes together.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Cut the apples in the pie filling into small cubes.
- Place the pie dough on a lightly floured surface and use a rolling pin to flatten to an 1/8” thick.
- Cut out shapes with a cookie cutter.
- Cut hearts into the center of half of the leaves & acorns.
- Drop a tablespoon of filling into the center of each full cut out leaving the edges clean.
- Place a cut out shape overtop and press the edges together with your fingers.
- Crimp edges with a fork.
- In a small bowl, whisk egg.
- Brush the tops of each hand pie with egg wash using a pasty brush.
- Place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
- Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes until the crust is golden brown.
Video
Nutrition
