Apple Pie Cookies (aka: 4-Bite Apple Pies)

Loaded with flavorful homemade apple pie filling, Apple Pie Cookies are the perfect fall sweet treat. They're like eating a mini 4-bite apple pie! Whip up a tasty batch for tailgating, game day nibbling, after school snacking, or toss them in lunchboxes as an extra special treat. 

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One of my favorite fall activities is going apple picking. While we don't do it every year, fall apple picking has always been a fairly regular activity for our family.

Now a-days, we head for a day trip to the North Carolina mountains to get our stash of fresh apples.  But as a kid? -- Apple picking meant just a quick little pop through the woods from our house to the local apple orchard.

And admittedly on occasion, us kids would make a quick little sneak attack on one of the back apple trees to grab a snack, running a mad dash back into the woods to enjoy it so we wouldn't get caught.  Thankfully, I never got caught -- but I do remember hearing the orchard farmer yell at my brother a time or two!

Over the years, I've decided these adorable little Apple Pie Cookies are a fantastic way to enjoy some of our apple picking haul.

Filled with a chunky homemade apple pie filling and made in hand-held size, Apple Pie Cookies are like eating a 4-bite mini apple pie. And believe me, that's an enjoyable experience, indeed.

Keep in mind the crust-to-filling ratio on these mini pies is higher than for a traditional apple pie. So, for all you crust lovers out there, here's an apple pie that's got an added bonus for you!

Filled with a chunky homemade apple pie filling and made in hand-held size, Apple Pie Cookies are like eating a 4-bite mini apple pie.

What's to Love About This Recipe?

• Homemade apple pie filling - These 4-bite beauties are filled with a chunky homemade apple pie filling spiced just right with a little ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.
• Hand-held size - No forks are needed to enjoy these apple pies! Enjoying an Apple Pie Cookie is like eating a 4-bite mini apple pie, with hold-in-your-hand convenience.
• Perfect fall treat - Despite their tiny size, Apple Pie Cookies deliver up big apple pie flavor that makes them a perfect sweet treat for fall.
• Versatile - Whip up a tasty batch of Apple Pie Cookies for tailgating, game day nibbling, after school snacking, or toss them in lunchboxes as an extra special treat.

Apple Pie Cookie Ingredients:

Fortunately, it doesn't take a ton of ingredients to make a batch of Apple Pie Cookies.

For the homemade apple pie filling, you'll need:

• Fresh apples - The star of the show! You'll need about 2 ½ cups of peeled chopped fresh apples to prepare the filling. Choose your favorite apple, or a combination of a couple of varieties. Personally, I prefer McIntosh or Granny Smith best.

• Butter - Used to coat the pan for cooking the apples to keep them from sticking, and brings a bit of richness to the filling's flavor.

• Water - Help create the syrupy character of the apple filling.

• Granulated + brown sugar - The filling's sweeteners. Using a little bit of brown sugar, rather than simply granulated sugar on its own, brings a little depth of flavor to the finished filling.
• Cornstarch - Thickens the apple filling as it cooks.

• Ground cinnamon + ground nutmeg + ground cloves - The traditional combination of apple pie spices that creates that apple pie flavor we know and love!

• Salt - Enhances the flavors in the filling.

For assembling the Apple Pie Cookies, you'll need:

• Pie crust for a two-crust pie - Use store-bought prepared pie crust or your favorite homemade recipe. I use store-bought crust for ease.

• An egg + water - To create an egg wash for brushing on the cookies before baking. This is an important ingredient for developing the pie-like look of these cookies. Since these "mini pies" won't be in the oven for as long as a full-size pie, they don't develop a nicely browned crust without the egg wash.

• Sanding sugar - For sprinkling on top of the cookies before baking. While this ingredient is optional, it adds a nice look and little bit of crunch to the finished baked cookies. Regular granulated sugar can be substituted instead.

Whip up a tasty batch of Apple Pie Cookies for tailgating, game day nibbling, after school snacking, or toss them in lunchboxes as an extra special treat.

How to Make Apple Pie Cookies:

Making a batch of Apple Pie Cookies is pretty much just like assembling an apple pie -- only smaller.

Start by preparing a chunky apple pie filling on the stove top. In a saucepan, combine and gently simmer some chopped apples, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, cornstarch, and a bit of water. It'll only take about 10 minutes of simmering until the filling is nicely thickened.

Next, cut rounds from prepared pie crust. You can use store-bought pie crust or use your favorite homemade recipe. -- I always use store-bought prepared crust for ease.

Put some of the pie crust rounds on a baking sheet and place a dollop of apple filling in the middle of the rounds.

Top each filled round with another pie crust round. To help seal the dough rounds and get them to adhere well to each other, brush the edges of the bottom rounds with a little bit of water before placing on the top round.

Then, crimp the edges of the dough rounds with the tines of a fork to seal the cookies.

Once sealed, brush each pie cookie with egg wash, being sure to get some egg wash over the entire surface of the cookie -- even the crimped edges.

The egg wash is an important step for developing the pie-like look of these cookies. Since these "mini pies" won't be in the oven for as long as a full-size pie, they don't develop a nicely browned crust without the egg wash.  

Once baked, the egg wash gives the cookies a nice golden brown color.

Finally, cut small slits in the top crust of each cookie.

The slits allow steam to escape from the inside of the cookies as they bake, just like slits do for a regular-sized pie. They also add a little touch of decoration to the cookies, making them look extra adorable.

Pop the cookies in the oven and bake them up, and in about 15 to 20 minutes you'll have warm hand-held 4-bite apple pies!

Loaded with a simple homemade apple pie filling, these tasty little cookies are the perfect fall sweet treat. Whip up a batch for tailgating, game day nibbling, after school snacking, or toss them in  the kids' lunchboxes as an extra special treat.

Check out these other tasty little-bite dessert recipes:

• Cherry Pie Cookies
• Blueberry Pie Cookies
• Mini Cherry Cheesecakes
• Crescent Pecan Pie Squares
• Kentucky Bourbon Balls
• Lemon Curd Tartlets
• Orange-Coconut Balls
• Nutella Strawberry Cheesecake Bites
• Strawberry Cheesecake Strawberry Bites
• More dessert recipes

Thank you for stopping by The Kitchen is My Playground.  We'd love to have you back soon!

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Cookies & Bars

Yield: about 12-15 cookies

Author: Tracey | The Kitchen is My Playground

Apple Pie Cookies (aka: 4-Bite Apple Pies)

Loaded with flavorful homemade apple pie filling, Apple Pie Cookies are the perfect fall sweet treat. They're like eating a mini 4-bite apple pie! Whip up a tasty batch for tailgating, game day nibbling, after school snacking, or toss them in lunchboxes as an extra special treat.

prep time: 40 Mcook time: 20 Mtotal time: 60 M

ingredients:

For the Filling:

• 1 T. butter
• 2 ½ c. peeled chopped apples
• 1/4 c. water
• 3 T. granulated sugar
• 2 T. brown sugar
• 1 ½ tsp. cornstarch
• 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• pinch of ground nutmeg
• pinch of ground cloves

For Assembly:

• Pie crust for a two-crust pie, store-bought or use your favorite homemade recipe
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 tsp. water
• sanding sugar or granulated sugar for sprinkling on top (optional)

instructions:

How to cook Apple Pie Cookies (aka: 4-Bite Apple Pies)

For the Filling:

1. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. 
2. Add chopped apples, water, sugar, brown sugar, cornstarch, ground cinnamon, salt, ground nutmeg, and ground cloves. Stir to combine.
3. Gently simmer over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, or until apples are tender and "saucy" but still have some tender chunky pieces. Set aside to cool slightly.

For Assembly:

1. Roll out the pie crust on a lightly floured surface until about 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick. Use a 2 1/2 to 3-inch round cookie cutter or biscuit cutter to cut out as many rounds as possible from the dough (you'll need two rounds for each cookie).
2. Transfer half of the rounds to a baking sheet and brush the edges with a tiny bit of water (this helps seal the rounds).
3. Place about 2 measuring teaspoons of apple filling in the center of each round (do not over-fill). Top each with one of the remaining rounds. Press the edges to seal each pie cookie, and then use a fork to crimp the edges.
4. Prepare an egg wash by lightly beating together the egg and 1/4 teaspoon of water.
5. Brush each pie cookie with egg wash, being sure to get some egg wash over the entire surface of the cookie. (Since these mini pies won't be in the oven for as long as a full-size pie, they don't develop a nicely browned crust without the egg wash. The egg wash gives them a nice golden brown color.)
6. Sprinkle the tops with a pinch of sanding sugar or granulated sugar, if using. Use a small knife to cut slits in the top of each pie cookie.

To Bake:

1. Bake at 350℉ for about 15 to 20 minutes, until crust is golden brown. Remove to a wire rack to cool.
2. These are delicious warm or cold, and freeze very well.

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