These delectable mini apple pies with caramel are perfect for fall or any season! Warm flaky crust filled with gooey caramel and apples is insanely good. You just need 11 ingredients to make this recipe.
I will explain to you how to make muffin tin apple pies in this blog post. Plus, I will provide you photos and video to use as a guide.
If you love this recipe, you should see my apple pecan bars too!
Why this recipe works
- Apples and caramel go together beautifully.
- The crust is flaky and delicious.
- You only need 11 ingredients.
- Everyone raves about how scrumptious they are.
Photo instructions
In a food processor, add the flour, salt, sugar, and butter. Then pulse until it forms into a coarse texture. Next, add one tablespoon of water at a time and pulse. Continue adding water and pulsing until the dough starts to clump, then stop.
Note: Don't worry if you don't have a food processor, you can use a pastry cutter or two forks instead. If you go this route, you will need to mix the flour, sugar, and salt into a large mixing bowl. Add in butter and continue cutting it in until you end up what looks like coarse meal with pea-sized pieces of butter. Add a little bit of water and mix until it begins to clump.
Carefully, form the dough into a 1 -1.5-inch thick disc. Be sure not to knead it. Tightly cover the dough and refrigerate for 1 hour all the way up to 2 days.
Roll out the dough on a surface that has been lightly floured. You will want it to be a .25 inch/.5 cm thick circle. Using a cup or cutter, cut 4-inch circle pieces.
Add the mini crusts to a 12 muffin tin pan. Carefully press them into the bottom and sides of the pan. Then freeze them for 30 minutes.
Combine the cut apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour in a large bowl, then set aside.
When you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Next, remove the crust from the freezer and fill them with the apple filling. Use a slotted spoon and take special care not to add any liquid to the crusts. Discard any excess liquid.
Bake them for 23-25 minutes. It's done when the crust is baked all the way. Remove them from the oven and set aside.
Microwave soft caramel candies and whipping cream until it's smooth and melted. This will take 1-2 minutes. You will want to stir it every 20 seconds to make sure it doesn't burn.
After the caramel topping is melted, spoon it on top of the mini pies equally. Allow them to cool down then serve as it is or with a heaping of your favorite ice cream.
Top tips
- Don't skip freezing the pie crust; this is an important step and ensures it stays in shape and turns out flaky and delicious.
- Do not add too much or too little water when making the crust. Just add enough water until it becomes clumpy.
- Discard all the excess liquid from the filling that the crust doesn't end up soggy.
Substitutions
Gluten-free
You can use gluten-free flour when you make this recipe. Substitute 1:1 ratio of your favorite gluten-free flour. I prefer Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free Flour. You will need to follow the recipe as written.
Apples
You can substitute other fruits instead of apples when making this recipe. Use the same amount of fruit as what the recipe calls for (1.2 pounds). Here are a few substitute ideas to try:
- peaches
- pears
- plums
- blueberries
Heavy whipping cream
If you find out that you don't have any whipping cream on hand, don't worry! Just substitute with milk 1:1.
FAQ's
What kind of apples is the best for this recipe?
You can really use any kind of apples you want to for this recipe. Granny Smith is a popular variety because they are tart and full of flavor. If you prefer a sweeter apple go for Gala or Honey Crisp. Try a variety to see what you like best and go from there.
How do you know when they are done?
You will know that they are done when the crust is golden brown. It should be hard and not doughy anymore. Also, the filling should be able to be pierced with a fork, and it should slide right in and out. The fruit needs to be soft but not mushy.
Storage
They will last in the fridge for 1 day, as long as they are stored in an airtight container. They will go bad even faster if you leave them on the counter. Plus, they taste fantastic when they are cold as well.
Freezing
I recommend flash freezing them, then placing the pies inside of a freezer-safe container. You can wrap each in plastic wrap to give them added protection. They will last 1 month in the freezer. To thaw, place in the fridge overnight.
Related recipes
Can't get enough of apple desserts? Then try our apple cake, apple bread, or apple pecan bars.
Recipe
Mini Apple Caramel Pies
Ingredients
Crust
- 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 4-6 tbsp water
Filling
- 1.2 lbs apples, peeled and cut into little pieces
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 3/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 12 soft caramel candies - like Kraft or Werther's
- 1 tbsp heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- Make the crust in a food processor: Place flour, sugar, salt, and butter in a food processor and pulse 4-5 times until coarse meal forms. Add one tablespoon water at the time and pulse 1-2 times after every tablespoon. Stop adding water and pulsing when the dough starts to clump.
- If you don't have a food processor, then make the crust with a pastry cutter or two forks instead: In this case mix together flour, sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Then add butter and cut it into the mixture until it resembles coarse meal with pea-sized butter flakes. Then add water little by little until the texture starts to clump.
- Form crust into a 1 - 1.5-inch thick disc without kneading. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 2 days.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough disc into a 0.25 inches / 0.5 cm thick circle. Cut the rolled pie crust with a 4-inches wide drink cup or cutter. Transfer to a 12 muffin pan and press the crust into the bottom and the sides of the muffin pan. Freeze for 30 minutes.
- In a large bowl, combine apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour and set aside.
- Preheat oven to 375°F / 190°C.
- Remove the crust from the freezer and spoon the apples with a slotted spoon equally into the chilled crust without any liquid. Bake for about 23-25 minutes until the pie crust is baked through. Remove from the oven and set aside.
- Meanwhile, microwave caramels and heavy whipping cream until melted for about 1-2 minutes. Stir every 20 seconds to combine. Spoon into the baked pie cups equally. Let them cool down before serving. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 day. Freeze for up to 1 month.
Video
Notes
- Don't skip freezing the crust; this is an important step and ensures it stays in shape and turns out flaky and delicious.
- Do not add too much or too little water when making the crust. Just add enough water until it becomes clumpy.
- Discard all the excess liquid from the filling that the crust doesn't end up soggy.
Gluten-free You can use gluten-free flour when you make this recipe. Substitute 1:1 ratio of your favorite gluten-free flour. I prefer Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free Flour. You will need to follow the recipe as written.
Apples You can really use any kind of apples you want to for this recipe. Granny Smith is a popular variety because they are tart and full of flavor. If you prefer a sweeter apple go for Gala or Honey Crisp. Try a variety to see what you like best and go from there. You can also substitute other fruits instead of apples when making this recipe. Use the same amount of fruit as what the recipe calls for (1.2 pounds). Here are a few substitute ideas to try:
- peaches
- pears
- plums
- blueberries
Heavy whipping cream If you find out that you don't have any whipping cream on hand, don't worry! Just substitute with milk 1:1.
I love the combo of apples and caramel! These look absolutely AMAZING!
Thank you so much, Tracy! Caramel and apples are also one of my favorite combos.