Golden and Flaky Fried Apple Hand Pies
These fried apple hand pies are the best of both worlds: crispy, golden crust on the outside and warm, gooey apple filling on the inside. They’re easy to make with a simple homemade dough and a can of apple pie filling, then finished with a sweet cinnamon sugar coating.
Servings: 12 Hand Pies
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.