Easy Dairy Free Mini Apple Pies are individual, single-serve, homemade apple pies. They are simple to make, and…delicious!
One would think that it is difficult to make an apple pie of any size. I mean, it looks like it would be. However, Easy Dairy Free Mini Apple Pies are just that – really easy.
Peeling the apples is the hardest part of the whole recipe, but I use an apple peeler, so it takes no time and all!
Just prepare the apple filling, pour into mini pie tins, lay a circle of pie dough over the top, and cut a few evenly placed small cuts on the top for air to escape, and you’re done!
Want to add a little more design? Get some pie crust cookie cutters or molds and decorate the edges of the mini pie. What to be more creative and impressive? Create a mini lattice on top!
Want to make a full-size really easy apple pie? Try: Easy Dairy Free Apple Pie
Love apples? Try these: Easy Dairy Free Apple Fritters
Like the taste of spice in the pie, but don’t love cooked apples? Interested in something unusual? Try: Easy Mock Apple Pie !
Want the delicious taste of apple pie in other baked goods? Just add Easy Apple Pie Spice!
Did you know that apples have health benefits? Well, they do!
If I can bake, anyone can
I am the type who hates paying more for something than I feel it’s worth and and loathe paying a lot for something I can bake at home.
So, paying a lot of money for a cake similar to one I can bake on my own just doesn’t work for me.
My problem was that I couldn’t really make a layer cake. I could make one in a 9″ x 13″ pan, but not one that could be used for a birthday or celebration.
For years, I tried, failed, and gave up. Then again, tried, failed and gave up.
It normally wasn’t the taste that was the problem, it was other things such as density or lopsidedness.
One day, I decided that no matter what, I would learn to make a decent looking cake (I wasn’t even aiming for good-looking, just decent).
One day, my daughter Elissa came into the kitchen during one of my “I will learn to do this” phases and stopped.
“You are NOT really measuring oil in the palm of your hand!”
I wasn’t sure what the problem was. I couldn’t be bothered to stop what I was doing to get the measuring spoons and I certainly know what a tablespoon of oil should look like…
“You can’t bake the way you cook,” she informed me (I often cook by “it looks right” or “it tastes right”, not by directions – which I often find people make unnecessarily complicated).
Finally, I decided OK, I am going to follow directions. I will measure properly and that will be it. So, I did.
The cake came out tasting really good, but it was really heavy.
I complained to Elissa.
“I followed the directions and even measured and look at it!”
We decided that she would try the recipe to see what was wrong (she is great at following exact measurements and was tired of my complaining).
I read the instructions to her (off a very highly reviewed recipe) and was very gratified when it came out heavy for her too. Ha!
She insisted we go over the instructions again and she also wanted to see the original recipe. I gladly showed her.
“You doubled the recipe,” she accused me. “Why?”
“Because I wanted a higher cake.”
“That is NOT considered following directions. The recipe is for two pans and you put double in each pan, so it couldn’t rise.”
Oh. I took back my “ha” and never did that again.
After a while, I finally gave in. Now, I follow directions, measure properly, and use the proper tools.
Not surprising, everything I bake comes out as it should (of course…as long as I don’t forget to remove from the oven…!).
Baking Pantry Essentials
I never know when someone in my family is going to want a dessert at home, to bring to a friend’s house or need for an event, so I like to make sure I can bake anything with very short notice. To that end, I keep a variety of supplies and ingredients in the house that will allow me to do just that.
I can’t tell you how many times I was glad to have whatever I needed within reach for the last minute visitor or for when one of my kids went to a friend or had a school event without much prior notice.
I have slowly collected things over the years as I needed them (or if I found a good sale) and like to keep more than one of the smaller items, in case I don’t want to wash dishes in the middle of baking.
My basic “equipment” includes:
- a stand mixer, which I use mostly for dough and, sometimes whipping
- a hand mixer (for things that aren’t dough and I don’t want to mix manually)
- a small scale
- different sizes and shapes of baking pans, including loaf pans
- mixing bowls (or just large bowls – I have plastic, glass, and metal)
- cookie sheets
- pie dishes
- dry measuring cups
- liquid measuring cups
- whisks
- rubber spatulas (really good for when you don’t want to leave anything in the bowl)
- rolling pins
- a baking mat for rolling out dough
- baking strips
- a good supply of baking (or parchment) paper (also round for layer cakes)
I can certainly get by without a lot of the above, but it makes baking so much simpler when I just have whatever I need at my fingertips.
In addition to the equipment, there are the baking ingredients that I try to keep in the house at all times:
- flour
- white granulated sugar
- brown sugar (light/dark – I usually keep dark)
- confectioners sugar(powdered sugar)
- salt
- baking powder
- baking soda
- cocoa powder
- ground cinnamon
- ground nutmeg
- ground ginger
- ground cloves
- baking chocolate
- chocolate chips
- instant dry yeast
- vanilla and/or vanilla sugar
- cooking oil/cooking spray
- margarine or butter
- eggs
- honey
- instant coffee
- various extracts (real or imitation)
I also make sure that I have the following on hand to be able to make a variety of fillings, frostings, and toppings:
- whipping cream
- powdered pudding mix
- powdered sugar
- a good chocolate spread
Then, there is the following to make last-minute quick desserts:
- packaged pie dough or ready-made pie crusts
- puff pastry dough
Lastly, it’s not a bad idea to keep fun toppings, such as chopped walnuts, raisins, and the oh-so-important container of sprinkles.
Easy Dairy Free Mini Apple Pies
Homemade individual apple pies.
Ingredients
- 8 medium green Granny Smith (tart) apples, peeled and sliced thin
- 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup flour
- *2 teaspoons brown sugar (optional)
- *2 teaspoons vanilla extract or flavoring (optional)
- pie dough or puff pastry dough that is approximately 1/8 inch thick and enough to cover a little beyond the diameter of all mini pie tins.
- 8 miniature pie tins (or more or less depending on size)
Instructions
- Place sliced apple pieces in a large bowl.
- Add sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, flour, and salt (and brown sugar or vanilla).
- Mix well.
- Pour mixture equally into mini pie tins, so that they are heaping with the apple mixture (the mixture will reduce to approximately 1/3 the height while baking)..
- Cover with circles of dough that are larger than the top of the mini pie tins.
- Cut slits into the top to let the air escape.
- Place in oven that has been preheated to 350°F.
- Bake for approximately 30 - 40 minutes or until top is a light golden brown.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 679Total Fat: 32gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 18gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 659mgCarbohydrates: 96gFiber: 4gSugar: 36gProtein: 5g