Mini Apple Pies

Mini Apple Pies are easy homemade individual apple pies baked in a mini muffin tin with a buttery cream cheese crust and a cinnamon apple walnut filling. These bite-size apple pie bites are perfect for Thanksgiving dessert, holiday parties, or serving warm with caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream for mini apple pie à la mode.

Everything is cuter when it’s MINI. These Mini Apple Pies are little bite-size desserts with a buttery, almost cookie-like cream cheese crust and a sweet cinnamon apple filling loaded with crunchy walnuts. They’re kind of a cross between apple pie, pecan pie, and little tassie cookies.

I originally made these mini muffin tin apple pies for Thanksgiving, but they’re great for fall parties, Christmas, potlucks, showers, dessert buffets, and just about any time you’re craving homemade apple pie without making one big pie.

And because they’re individual apple pies, there’s no slicing or serving. Grab one and GO. Although you may want to grab two. Or three.

The homemade crust is made from scratch with cream cheese and butter, so it’s tender, rich, and almost cookie-like. The filling combines brown sugar, eggs, butter, vanilla, cinnamon, finely chopped apples, and walnuts.

Serve these little apple pies plain or turn them into mini apple pie à la mode with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce. SO good!

What I Love About This Recipe

• They’re perfectly portioned individual apple pies. These miniature pies bake right in a mini muffin tin, so there’s no cutting a full-size pie into neat slices while everyone waits. Each little pie has its own homemade crust and plenty of cinnamon apple filling. They’re especially convenient for Thanksgiving, holiday parties, potlucks, and dessert buffets where people want to try a little bit of everything.
• The homemade crust is SO good. Instead of traditional pie crust, these mini apple pies have an easy cream cheese crust made with butter, sugar, salt, and flour. It bakes up rich and tender with an almost cookie-like texture. That sturdy little crust also makes these apple pie bites easy to pick up and eat.
• The filling is more than just apples. Brown sugar, eggs, melted butter, vanilla, cinnamon, apples, and walnuts create a rich filling that’s a little reminiscent of pecan pie. The finely chopped apples add classic homemade apple pie flavor while the walnuts bring plenty of crunch. It’s a fun twist on traditional American apple pie.
• They’re great for making ahead. The crust dough can be made a day ahead, and the baked pies can be stored or frozen. That makes these mini apple pies especially handy around Thanksgiving and other holidays when the kitchen is BUSY. You can get some of the dessert prep out of the way before the big day.
• You can dress them up or keep them simple. Serve the pies as-is for an easy bite-size dessert or add whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, caramel sauce, and extra walnuts. You can even swap cinnamon for apple pie spice or use pears instead of apples. Lots of possibilities!

Equipment You May Need

• Mini Muffin Pan – You’ll need a 24-cup mini muffin tin for these miniature apple pies. Mini muffin pans can vary slightly in size, so your filling amount may vary a little.
• Electric Mixer – Makes it quick and easy to beat the softened cream cheese and butter together for the homemade crust.
• Large Mixing Bowls – You’ll need bowls for preparing both the cream cheese crust and apple pie filling.
• Sharp Knife – Helpful for peeling, coring, and finely chopping the apples and for loosening the baked pies from the pan if necessary.
• Cutting Board – Gives you plenty of space to prep the apples and walnuts.
• Wooden Spoon or Pastry Tool – The handle of a wooden spoon or a small pastry-forming tool can help press the crust evenly into the mini muffin cups.
• Wire Cooling Rack – Allows air to circulate around the pies as they finish cooling.
• Kitchen Scale – Optional, but helpful if you want to divide the crust dough evenly among all 24 mini muffin cups.

Mini Apple Pies Ingredients

Crust

• Cream Cheese – You’ll need 3 ounces softened to room temperature. Soft cream cheese blends smoothly with the butter and helps create the rich, tender crust.
• Unsalted Butter – Make sure the 1/2 cup butter is also softened to room temperature. If the cream cheese or butter is too cold, you can end up with lumps in the dough.
• Granulated Sugar – Just 1 tablespoon adds a little sweetness to the homemade pie crust.
• Salt – A small amount balances the sweetness.
• All-Purpose Flour – One cup forms the structure of this easy cream cheese crust.

Filling

• Brown Sugar – Gives the apple pie filling plenty of rich sweetness and a slight caramel flavor.
• Eggs – Two large eggs help bind the filling and give it that pecan pie-like texture.
• Butter – You’ll need 2 tablespoons, melted and cooled.
• Vanilla Extract – Adds warm flavor that pairs perfectly with apples and cinnamon.
• Ground Cinnamon – Classic apple pie seasoning! You can substitute apple pie spice if you’d like a more complex blend of warm spices.
• Salt – Helps balance all the sweet flavors.
• Walnuts – One cup of finely chopped walnuts adds lots of crunch. Finely chopping them is important because these pies are SMALL.
• Apples – You’ll need 1 cup of cored, peeled, and finely chopped apples. I used Granny Smith apples, but another good baking apple can work too.

How to Make Mini Apple Pies

Step One: Make the Cream Cheese Crust
Place the cream cheese in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer for just a few seconds until smooth. Beat in the 1/2 cup softened butter until smooth, then beat in the granulated sugar and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Beat in the flour.

Step Two: Chill the Dough
Cover the dough and refrigerate for about 20-30 minutes or until chilled. You want the dough cold enough to work with, but not rock hard.

Step Three: Form the Mini Pie Crusts
Divide the dough between 24 cups of a lightly greased mini muffin pan. Using your fingers, a pastry tool, or the handle of a wooden spoon, spread the dough up the sides of each cup to form a thin crust. Place the pan back in the refrigerator while you prepare the filling.

Step Four: Preheat the Oven
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Step Five: Make the Apple Pie Filling
In a large mixing bowl, mix together the brown sugar, eggs, melted butter, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt until well combined. Stir in the finely chopped walnuts and apple.

Step Six: Fill the Mini Pies
Remove the crusts from the refrigerator and spoon the filling into each cup over the crust.

Step Seven: Bake and Cool
Bake the pies at 350 degrees F for about 25-30 minutes or until golden brown around the edges. Cool about 5-10 minutes, then run a sharp knife around the edges of the crust to remove if necessary. Cool the pies slightly on a wire cooling rack before serving.

(Full printable recipe card with full details is at bottom of post.)

Mini Apple Pie Variations

These pies are loaded with apples and walnuts, but there are plenty of ways to use them as inspiration for other mini desserts.

Apple Pie Spice: Substitute apple pie spice for the cinnamon or try out other spices or spice mixes.

Pear Mini Pies: Substitute pears for the apples.

Pecan Apple Pies: Pecans are a natural match for the brown sugar apple filling. Or use your favorite nut.

Caramel Apple Pies: Drizzle the finished pies with caramel sauce just before serving.

Cranberry Apple Pies: Cranberry and apple are a classic holiday combination. A cranberry variation could be especially fun for Thanksgiving or Christmas.

Apple Pie à la Mode: Warm the mini pies and top with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce.

Dutch Apple Pie Inspired: Love Dutch apple pie? You could experiment with a crumb topping or crumble on top, although this recipe has not been tested with one.

Serving Suggestions

• Apple Pie à la Mode: Serve a warm Mini Apple Pie with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream for an individual version of classic apple pie à la mode.
• With Caramel Sauce: Drizzle caramel or cajeta over the warm pies for a caramel apple-inspired dessert.
• With Whipped Cream: Add a little whipped cream just before serving for an easy finishing touch.
• With Extra Walnuts: Sprinkle finely chopped walnuts over whipped cream or ice cream for extra crunch.
• For Thanksgiving: Arrange the miniature pies on a platter for an easy grab-and-go Thanksgiving dessert.
• For Holiday Parties: Their small size makes them perfect for dessert tables where guests want to sample several sweets.
• With Coffee: Serve the little pies with hot coffee for an easy fall dessert.
• Plain: They’re plenty delicious all by themselves. No toppings required!

Quick Tips for Best Results

• Soften the cream cheese and butter. Both should be at room temperature before making the crust. Cold ingredients can leave lumps in the dough.
• Don’t skip chilling the dough. The crust is soft, so chilling it for 20-30 minutes makes it much easier to work with.
• Don’t chill it until it’s rock hard. You still need to press the dough into the muffin cups.
• Make the dough ahead if needed. The crust dough can be made a day ahead, but let it soften slightly before trying to form the crusts.
• Lightly grease the mini muffin pan. This helps the baked pies release more easily.
• Divide the dough as evenly as possible. A kitchen scale can help, but eyeballing it is perfectly fine.
• Don’t worry about perfect crusts. The cream cheese dough is forgiving.
• Remember that mini muffin pans vary. Your crust thickness and amount of leftover filling can vary depending on your pan.
• Finely chop the apples. Large pieces are difficult to fit into these small individual pies.
• Finely chop the walnuts too. You want plenty of filling in each little crust.
• Use a good baking apple. Granny Smith works well and provides a nice tart contrast to the sweet filling.
• Try apple pie spice. It’s an easy substitution for the ground cinnamon.
• Fill the crusts fairly close to the top. The filling will puff slightly as it bakes.
• Watch for golden edges. The pies are done when the crust is golden brown around the edges, and the filling is slightly puffed.
• Let them cool before removing. Give the pies about 5-10 minutes in the pan so they’re easier to handle.
• Use a sharp knife if needed. Carefully run it around the edge of the crust to help release any pies that are sticking.
• Serve them warm or room temperature. Both are delicious.
• Freeze extras. They’re handy to have around for last-minute guests or dessert emergencies. Yes, dessert emergencies are a thing.

Mini Apple Pies FAQ

How should I store Mini Apple Pies?
Store the baked pies in a covered container at room temperature for about 2-3 days. If your home is particularly warm or you’d like to keep the pies longer, refrigerate them. Refrigerated pies should last about 4-5 days, although the texture can change slightly.

Can I freeze Mini Apple Pies?
Yes. Place the cooled pies in a single layer in a resealable freezer bag. For longer storage, wrap each pie individually in aluminum foil before placing it in the bag or freezer-safe container. They can last about 3-6 months if well wrapped.

How long will Mini Apple Pies last?
Plan on about 2-3 days covered at room temperature or approximately 4-5 days refrigerated. For longer storage, freeze them. As always, use your best judgment based on how the pies have been stored.

Substitutions?
You can replace the cinnamon with apple pie spice, or substitute pears for the apples. You could also experiment with other baking apples, although Granny Smith is what I used.

Can I use low-fat ingredients?
You could experiment with lower-fat cream cheese, but I haven’t tested it in this particular crust. Because the cream cheese and butter are important to the texture of the homemade crust, substitutions may change the results.

What else can I add to this recipe?
Caramel sauce, whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, and extra walnuts are easy toppings that don’t require changing the recipe. Pecans could inspire another variation, and cranberry could be fun with apple for a holiday twist. If you’re craving a Dutch apple pie flavor, you could also experiment with a crumb topping.

Can I make this vegan/vegetarian/low carb/gluten-free?
Here are some ideas, but I can’t guarantee results. Always check specific ingredient brands and dietary requirements.

Vegan – This recipe contains cream cheese, butter, and eggs, so a vegan version would require several significant substitutions that haven’t been tested.

Vegetarian – The recipe is vegetarian as written.

Low-Carb – The crust contains all-purpose flour and sugar, and the filling contains brown sugar. You could try sugar substitutes.

Gluten-Free – You could experiment with a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend designed for baking.

Other Recipes You May Enjoy

• Peach Crumb Bars – Easy homemade dessert bars with sweet peaches and a buttery crumb topping. Great for parties, potlucks, and summer gatherings.
• Maple Apple Milkshake – A creamy maple apple milkshake that’s a fun way to enjoy fall apple flavors.
• Easy Cherry Dump Cake – A super simple fruit dessert that’s perfect when you need something sweet without a lot of work.
• Mini Fruit Cocktail Trifles – Cute individual desserts with layers of deliciousness. Great for holidays and parties when you want easy single-serving treats.
• Caramel Apple Ice Cream Bars – A sweet caramel apple dessert that’s perfect when you’re craving apple pie flavors with a cool and creamy twist.

Hope you enjoy these delicious Mini Apple Pies!