An easy mini apple pie recipe in your muffin tin. With a simple sugar cookie crust, a quick homemade apple filling, and a drizzle of caramel, and a buttery streusel topping.
In a small bowl, mix the butter, cinnamon, flour and brown sugar together with a pastry blender or by hand. Store in fridge or freezer until ready to use.
Make Apple Pie Filling
Preheat oven to 350°F (175° C), and spray a standard cupcake/muffin tin with cooking spray. Do not use paper liners because they will stick. If using silicone liners, spray well.
Make quick apple pie filling; in a small sauce pan, melt the butter and add the apples, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Cook for about 3 minutes over medium heat until apples are tender. Remove apples to cool slightly.
Make the Sugar Cookie Crust
In a mixing bowl, cream (mix well) the butter and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Add the flour and salt and mix until just combined. Set aside.Note: If the dough is super soft and sticky, add 1-2 tablespoons additional flour, but don't overmix. Then press into sprayed muffin tins and refrigerate or freeze for 10 minutes before proceeding with the recipe.
Assemble the Mini Caramel Apple Pies
Spoon 2 tablespoons of cookie dough into muffin tins, spreading with the back of spoon, slightly up the sides of the muffin tin. Then add 1-2 heaping teaspoons of apple pie filling.
Drizzle 1-2 teaspoons of caramel on the apples, then sprinkle the top with streusel crumble topping.
Place mini apple pies in the preheated oven and bake for 14-16 minutes or until tops are slightly golden brown.
Cool for 15 minutes in the cupcake pan. Use a butter knife to loosen the edges before removing and then a spoon to ease them onto a plate. Serve warm, and enjoy with ice cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce!
Notes
If peeling and slicing your apples ahead of time, squeeze a little fresh lemon juice and toss to coat to keep them from turning brown. Make removal easy by generously spraying the pan with baking spray, avoiding paper liners. During testing, things stuck to paper liners. Silicone cupcake liners might work better. Variations & SubstitutionsGluten-Free Mini Apple Pie Recipe | Swap the all-purpose flour for a cup-for-cup gluten-free flour (I like this one). Feel free to use almond flour or oat flour too.Salted Caramel Apple Pies | Add a pinch of kosher salt to the topping mixture, then sprinkle the tops of the pies with flaky sea salt after drizzling with the caramel when you’re ready to serve. You can also buy a salted caramel sauce.Lattice Crusted Mini Apple Pie | Make 1 ½ x sugar cookie dough, roll out the dough, slice strips of cookie dough, then weave, creating a lattice on the top of the mini pies. Mini Apple Pies with Flaky Classic Crust | Use store-bought pie crust (or homemade pie crust) instead of the sugar cookie crust for a more traditional take on the muffin tin apple pies. Roll out the flaky pie crust on a lightly floured surface, use a round cookie cutter, and press into muffin tins. Storage TipsMini apple pies can be kept at room temperature in an airtight container or covered in plastic wrap for 2-3 days.Refrigerate | First, allow the leftover apple pies to cool completely, then store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.How to Freeze Mini Apple Pies | Place the cooled pies on a tray or cookie sheet, freezing 1-2 hours. Then remove them from the freezer and move them to a freezer-safe bag or container to store. Before serving, let the pies thaw overnight in the fridge.Reheating Mini Pies | Once thawed, the pies can be warmed up in the microwave for 30 seconds or set at 325° (165° C) for about 10 minutes.