These handheld mini apple pies have an easy gluten free pie crust stuffed with softened cinnamon apples and drizzled in a diary free caramel sauce. They're a heathy version of the classic and make the cutest sweet treat to serve for any occasion! Made vegan too!
This Mini Dairy free Caramel Apple Pies recipe is sponsored by King Arthur. As always, all thoughts are my own. Thank you so much for supporting brands that make The Fit Peach possible!
We're a big fan of mini treats here at The Fit Peach! We have Mini Dairy free Pumpkin Pies, Mini Gluten free Key Lime Pie Tarts, Mini Caramel Tarts, and Mini Strawberry Pop Tarts.
Miniature versions of treats are just so darn cute and these dairy free apple pies live up to the hype!
Recipe characteristics
- Made gluten free, dairy free, and vegan
- Easy to use pie dough
- Has soft and sweet fresh apples inside
- Made with less sugar than traditional apple pie
- A healthy version of the classic
- Kid approved
Ingredients and Notes
- Gluten free flour - King Arthur's Measure for Measure Gluten Free Flour is perfect for making pie dough. It's a blend of a few different types of gluten free flours and has a great taste. I also use it in my mini pumpkin pies.
- Cold water - This is used to make the pie dough. Make sure it's chilled. I like to throw a few ice cubes into my cup of water beforehand.
- Maple syrup - Used in the pie dough to sweet it just a little. Substitute with agave or honey if needed.
- Vegan butter - Make sure it's cold and cut into small pieces. Use regular butter if not dairy free or vegan.
- Coconut sugar - Provides some added sweetness to the apple filling. Substitute with granulated sugar or light brown sugar if needed.
- Cane sugar - This is optional but I like to sprinkle this over the pies before baking. You can also use coconut sugar or maple sugar.
- Caramel sauce - Both of these are used in the caramel sauce. This is a similar caramel to the one used in my vegan snicker bars. I also have a dairy free caramel sauce that is a little more involved and makes a bigger batch of caramel.
- Nut butter - I prefer to use cashew butter as it doesn't have as strong of a nut flavor. Use sunflower butter if nut free.
- Coconut cream - This is the cream at the top of a can of full fat coconut milk.
Step by step directions
These mini apple pies are easier to make than a standard pie. You will need a pastry cutter or food processor for the dough, a pot for the apples, and a round cookie cutter to cut out the circles for the pies.
Step 1 : Sautée the apples
Place the diced apples into a pot with the vegan butter, coconut sugar, and spices. Heat over medium heat to soften the apples. There will be some excess juices. Stir occasionally to prevent burning.
Set the pot aside to cool down while you prepare the pie dogh.
Step 2 : Make the pie dough
Place the gluten free flour and cold butter chunks in a food processor. Pulse a few times to break up the butter but don't over mix.
Turn the food processor on and pour in the cold water and maple syrup. A large ball of dough should begin to form after a few seconds.
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.
Step 3 : Assemble the pies
Roll out the dough on a piece of parchment paper to about ¼ inch in thickness. Use a 3 inch cookie cutter or biscuit cutter to cut circles out of the dough. Yo can also use the top of a jar to cut out the circles.
Place 8 of the circles on a separate baking sheet, these will be the bottoms of the pies. Continue rolling out the scrapes of dough until you have another 8 circles (total of 16 circles).
Spoon 2 tablespoons of the apple mixture into the center of the circles on the baking pan. Leave some room around the edges.
Cut a small X in the middle of the other 8 circles. Place those on top of the apples and gently press the edges into the bottom of the pie. It's okay if some juices spill out.
Use a fork to seal the edges of the mini pies. Don't press the fork all the way through the pie dough, just enough to seal the top pie dough to the bottom.
Brush with additional melted vegan butter or egg wash if not vegan and sprinkle with coarse cane sugar if desired.
Step 4 : Prepare the caramel
Place the coconut cream, maple syrup, and nut butter in a skillet or pan and heat over medium heat. Stir continuously to prevent burning. The mixture will thicken up as it heats and the maple syrup will dissolve into the coconut cream.
This is just enough caramel to drizzle over 8 mini pies but feel free to double or triple if you want more.
Drizzle over the mini pies when ready to serve.
How to serve
Allow the pies to cool down slightly before serving with the caramel sauce. This will prevent the caramel from melting and making a mess.
I like to serve alongside a scoop of vanilla ice cream too which really hits the spot!
How to store
Place the mini apple pies in an airtight container. They will keep for up to 4 days out on the counter or a week in the fridge.
When ready to enjoy, warm them up in the microwave for 10 seconds to soften the crust.
Frequently asked questions
Traditional apple pie uses butter. If you want to make it dairy free swap with a vegan butter or palm shortening or coconut oil.
You will want to soften the apples before using them in a pie. It takes a while to soften an apple in the oven so my the time they are soft the pie crust will be over baked.
King Arthur Measure for Measure Gluten free Flour is the best for pies. It has a soft texture that's easy to work with and has a great taste.
Fore more apple recipes, check out my:
PS : If you make this recipe, be sure to leave a star review and comment below! Also be sure to follow along with me on Instagram and Pinterest to stay up to date on all tasty recipes here at The Fit Peach!
Mini Dairy free Caramel Apple Pies
Ingredients
For the dough
- 1 cup King Arthur Measure for Measure Gluten free Flour
- 6 Tbsp butter - cold and cut into ½ inch pieces (sub vegan butter if needed)
- 2 Tbsp maple syrup
- 3 Tbsp cold water
- 1 egg - for egg wash, optional
- 2 Tbsp coarse cane sugar - optional
For the filling
- 2 small apples - diced (approx 1 ½ cups)
- 1 Tbsp butter - sub vegan butter if needed
- 2 Tbsp coconut sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- ¼ tsp cloves
For the caramel
- 1 Tbsp coconut cream - this is the cream at the top of a can of coconut milk
- 1 Tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp almond butter - sub sunflower butter to make nut free
Instructions
- Add the diced apples to a pot along with the butter, coconut sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Heat on the stove over medium heat until soft (this will take about 10 minutes). Set aside to cool down.
- In a food processor, pulse the King Arthur Measure for Measure Gluten free Flour and the cold butter pieces a few times until the butter is broken up slightly. There should still be little clumps of butter in the mixture. Add the maple syrup and cold water to the processor while it's running. Mix until a large ball of dough forms.
- Wrap up the dough in plastic wrap and place in the fridge to chill for 20 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Take the dough out of the fridge and roll out on a piece of parchment paper to ¼ inch in thickness. Use a 3 inch circular cookie cutter or biscuit cutter to slice circles in the dough. Place 8 circles on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper for easy clean up. Roll out the scrapes of dough and repeat until you have another 8 circles. Set those circles aside.
- Spoon 2 tablespoons of the apple mixture in the center of the circles on the baking sheet. It's okay if there is extra liquid. Slice an X into the middle of each of the reserved 8 circular pieces of dough then place over top of the apples. Use a fork to seal the edges around the mini pie.
- Brush each mini pie with egg wash and sprinkle coarse cane sugar over top (optional). Bake in the oven for 20 - 24 minutes until the edges are golden brown.
- While the mini pies are cooling down, prepare the caramel. Add the coconut cream, maple syrup, and almond butter to a skillet and heat over medium heat until it begins to simmer. Stir continuously to prevent burning. As it cools down slightly it will thicken up.
- Drizzle the caramel sauce over each pie and enjoy!
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