Golden and Flaky Fried Apple Hand Pies
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These hand pies are made with a quick, no-yeast homemade dough, filled with apple pie filling, and fried until golden brown. Perfectly crisp on the outside, warm and gooey inside!
What Makes Fried Apple Hand Pies Unique
Fried pies are a Southern classic, and once you’ve had one warm out of the fryer, you’ll understand why. The crust is made from scratch with simple pantry staples, and it’s not fussy like a traditional pie crust. You don’t need yeast, and you don’t have to blind bake anything; just mix, chill, roll, and fry!
Plus, since we’re using canned apple pie filling (chopped up small), you get all the flavor of homemade Apple Pie without peeling and cooking down apples. A dash of cinnamon stirred into the apple mixture gives it a little extra spice, and the cinnamon sugar coating at the end makes each bite just heavenly.
These fried pies are perfect if you’ve ever stood in front of the oven waiting for a whole pie to bake and wished there was a faster way. You’ll be biting into warm, golden brown hand pies in about an hour!
We all know ice cream goes great with fried desserts, but did you know that you can get the best of both worlds with our No Fry Fried Ice Cream recipe??
What You’ll Need
- Dough
- All-purpose flour
- Granulated sugar
- Salt
- Cold unsalted butter, cubed
- Ice-cold water
- Apple pie filling (chopped into small pieces)
- Ground cinnamon
- Oil for frying (vegetable or canola)
- Optional Coating/Glaze
- Cinnamon Sugar
Step-by-Step: How to Make Fried Apple Hand Pies
Step 1: Make the Dough
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt until combined.
Add the cold, cubed butter. Using a pastry cutter, fork, or even your fingertips, cut the butter into the flour mixture until it looks like coarse crumbs with pea-sized bits of butter still visible. (These little butter pockets are what make the dough flaky!)
Drizzle in the ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, gently mixing with a fork or spatula until the dough just starts to come together. Be careful not to overwork it; you want the dough to be soft but not sticky.
Gather the dough into a ball, flatten slightly into a disk, then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to let the butter firm up.
Step 2: Assemble the Hand Pies
On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled dough out to about ⅛-inch thick. If the dough feels too firm at first, let it rest on the counter for 5 minutes to soften slightly.
Cut the dough into 5-inch circles. (If you don’t have a cutter that size, use the rim of a small bowl as a guide and cut around it with a sharp knife.)
In a small bowl, mix together the chopped apple pie filling and cinnamon. Place 1–2 spoonfuls of the mixture in the center of each dough circle, leaving a little border around the edges.
Fold the dough over the filling to create a half-moon shape. Press the edges firmly with a fork to seal, making sure no filling leaks out. For extra insurance, you can dip your finger in water and lightly moisten the bottom edge before sealing.
Step 3: Fry the Pies
Pour 2–3 inches of oil into a heavy-bottomed pot or deep skillet and heat it over medium heat until it reaches 350°F. (Use a kitchen thermometer to keep the oil at the right frying point.)
Carefully lower 2–3 pies into the hot oil at a time, being careful not to overcrowd the pot. Fry for about 2–3 minutes per side, or until the crust is golden brown and crisp.
Use a slotted spoon to transfer the pies to a paper towel-lined plate or wire rack to drain excess oil.
Finish
While the pies are still warm, toss them in a mixture of cinnamon and sugar for a sweet coating, or drizzle with a simple glaze if you prefer.
Serve warm on their own, or make it extra indulgent with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side.
How to Serve Fried Apple Hand Pies
You can’t go wrong with a fried pie warm from the skillet, but there are a few ways to make them extra special:
- With ice cream: A scoop of vanilla or butter pecan on the side makes them taste like fairground food in the best way. You can even go a step further and make your own No Churn Ice Cream!
- As a grab-and-go dessert: These pies pack up beautifully for picnics, school lunches, or road trips.
- Holiday platters: Add them to a dessert tray at Thanksgiving or Christmas instead of a big pie. Folks will love grabbing their own little portion.
Ingredients
- Dough
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup 2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cubed
- ½ cup ice-cold water more if needed
- 1 21 oz can apple pie filling (chopped into small pieces)
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- Oil for frying vegetable or canola
- Optional Coating/Glaze
- Cinnamon Sugar: ½ cup sugar + 1 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
Make the Dough
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt.
- Cut in the cold butter with a pastry cutter or fork until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Add ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing just until the dough comes together.
- Shape the dough into a ball, flatten slightly, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Assemble the Hand Pies
- On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled dough to about ⅛-inch thickness.
- Cut into 5-inch circles. (Tip: If you don’t have a 5-inch cookie cutter, use a bowl of a similar size and cut around it with a knife.)
- In a small bowl, stir the apple pie filling with cinnamon. Place 1–2 spoonfuls of filling in the center of each dough circle.
- Fold the dough over the filling to form a half-moon shape. Press the edges firmly with a fork to seal.
Fry the Pies
- Heat 2–3 inches of oil in a heavy pot to 350°F.
- Fry the pies in batches for 2–3 minutes per side, until golden brown.
- Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil.
Finish
- While warm, toss pies in cinnamon sugar.
