Delicious homemade caramelized apple hand pies are easy to make. These fried apple pies are flaky, sweet, and have the perfect hint of cinnamon and nutmeg. Hot and tasty just like the original fried apple pies from McDonald's.
3mediumgranny smith or golden delicious applespeel, core, and diced small
2TBpacked brown sugar
¼Csugar
¼teaspooncinnamon
⅛tsp nutmeg
½teaspooncornstarch
1teaspoonlemon juice
1pkgPillsbury Refrigerated Pie Crusts(14 oz - 2 crusts to unroll)
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Instructions
Bring the pie crust to room temperature. Place on the counter as you do the next few steps.
Peel, core, and dice the apples into very small pieces.
In a medium-sized skillet, melt butter on medium heat. Add apples and stir. Cook for about 5 minutes.
Turn down to low. Add sugars, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Stir and cook on low to cook through and caramelize. Cook about another 8 minutes. The apples will be fully cooked but not fall apart. Turn off the heat and add the cornstarch and lemon. Stir to combine completely. Let cool while you do the next steps.
Start heating up the deep fryer. (If you do not have a deep fryer - see the note above about how to fry on the stovetop.)
Unroll the store-bought pie crusts. On a lightly floured cutting board and using a rolling pin, roll the pie crust to ⅛" thick. With a round cookie cutter (or drinking glass if needed) cut out 4-inch circles. You should get 5-6 per pie crust depending on how you space them out.
Place about 1-½ tablespoons filling on one half of each circle. Moisten pastry edges with water. Fold pastry to cover the filling and press edges with a fork to seal. (see photo above for reference)
Once the deep fryer is at about 370-380°, you can begin frying. Deep fry 3 at a time for about 3-4 minutes each. You may need to flip them halfway during the cooking time to ensure both sides are cooked evenly. They will be just golden and crispy. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate and let cool before eating. CAUTION FILLING WILL BE HOT!
These hand pies are great just as they are. Reminds us of the old original fried McDonald's apple pie. You can also serve with ice cream or simply top with powdered sugar.