This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, read my disclosure policy.

These Mini Apple Pies are bite sized apple pies with crumb topping – they’re so easy to make from scratch and so good. With a buttery crust, perfectly cooked apples, and crumble topping, they’re the perfect apple pie recipe.

stack of mini pies on blue plate

I love making mini food because they’re easier to serve (no messy cutting) and they’re easier to eat (bite size!) Plus, if there are a few small dessert options people feel like they can eat a little bit of each one.

There is one recipe that I’ve made more times than I can count: Crumb Apple Pie. That pie is my thing; my specialty. It’s the pie that everyone expects at holidays (especially my husband). That pie is the reason I started blogging! I took that recipe and turned it into MINI apple pies – one of the best easy desserts ever!

Top-down view of baking ingredients for Apple Slab Pie on a white surface, featuring a bag of Granny Smith apples, cubed butter, flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt.

How to make Mini Apple Pies

  1. Pie Crust – You can make my homemade pie crust recipe or use a refrigerated pack of two. I tend to go semi-homemade because it’s easier! Just don’t use a frozen crust since we need to cut small pieces for the mini muffin pans.
  2. Apples – I love using Granny Smith apples but you can use your favorite apple (just not red apples; they’ll get mushy.)
  3. Butter – for the crumble topping. You can dice it or shred it for easier combining.
  4. Flour – Just regular all-purpose flour. Be sure to measure it correctly!
  5. Instead of lining a 9-inch pie plate with a pie crust, instead I cut them into small circles to fill a mini muffin pan. Grease your muffin pans and press the crust into them. Re-roll the crust as needed on a lightly floured surface.
  6. The secret to my apple pie is to pre-cook the apples: I boil my apples in a little water before adding them to the pie crust. They continue baking in the oven and turn out soft and not crunchy.

Click to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions and below the recipe card for process shots.

Best Pans for Mini Pies

You can make mini apple pies in mini muffin pans or regular size muffin/cupcake pans.

To fit a mini muffin pan, you’ll need a round cookie cutter (or a glass or mason jar lid) that is about 2 1/2-inches in diameter.

For a regular size muffin pan, I use a cutter that is about 5-inches across (or a large plastic tumbler).

stack of mini pies on blue plate with one missing a bite

SAVE THIS RECIPE

We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!

Making Apple Pies Ahead

  • Make the pies up to 24 hours ahead and store in the fridge in an airtight container.
  • Freeze cooled pies up to 2 months (place paper towels between layers to absorb condensation when thawing).

Dorothy’s Expert Tips

  • I’ve seen lattice top and double crust mini pies all over the internet but I prefer a crumble topping. The crumble topping is much easier to sprinkle on top the pies making this a foolproof easy recipe you can make in no time at all.
  • You can also make or buy extra crust and cut double the rounds to make a two crust mini pie. Simply lay the second crust on top of the apples instead of the crumble.
  • I always use Granny Smith apples when I’m making apple pie. The tart apple stands up to cooking and it pairs nicely with the sugary crumbly topping. Can you use Gala apples or another similar apple? Yes, but you may want to reduce the amount of sugar you sprinkle on top the apples before adding the topping.
stack of mini pies on blue plate

Mini Apple Pies Recipe

5 from 5 votes
Make an easy mini apple pie with a crumble topping instead of a full size apple pie! Easier to serve, easier to eat, mini apple pies are the same as my favorite apple pie recipe in bite size form!

Recipe Video

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Yield 36 pies
Serving Size 1 pie
Save RecipeRate RecipePrint Recipe

Ingredients
 

For the pie:

  • 2 recipes all butter pie crust or use a refrigerated pack of 2 pie crusts, readymade
  • 5 medium Granny Smith Apples
  • ¼ cup (50g) sugar
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon

For the crumb

  • ½ cup (100g) sugar
  • 1 cup (124g) flour
  • 8 tablespoons (113g) butter slightly softened

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray 3 mini muffin tins (36 total cavities) with cooking spray, preferably the kind with flour. Otherwise, grease them with butter or shortening.
  • Unroll your pie crusts and use a 2.5” circle cutter to cut rounds of crust. A cookie cutter is perfect, but a glass or a jar lid will work too. Press one crust into the bottom of each muffin tin cavity. With re-rolling your dough, you will get about 36. Chill until filling is ready.
  • Peel and slice apples to a small dice. Place one inch of water in the bottom of a pot. Add apples and cook, stirring occasionally, approximately 3-5 minutes after water boils. You want the apples semi-opaque but not mushy.
  • Stir 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Set aside.
  • While apples are cooking, add the crumb ingredients to a large bowl. Using a fork or pastry cutter, cut the ingredients together until they form coarse crumbs, about the size of a pea.
  • Drain apples very well and divide among crusts, about 1 tablespoon each. Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon of the cinnamon sugar mixture over the apples in each pie. Add your crumb mixture evenly on top of each, about 1 tablespoon per mini pie. Place muffin tins on a cookie sheet to avoid mess in the oven.
  • Bake for about 12 minutes, until the edges of the crust are browned. Cool at least 10 minutes in pan and remove carefully using a knife to help you lift out each pie.
Save this recipe!
Get this recipe emailed to you – plus get all recipes sent straight to your email!

Recipe Notes

If you want, you can use a regular size muffin tin and get about 12 pies from two crusts.

Recipe Nutrition

Serving: 1pie | Calories: 65kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 7mg | Sodium: 23mg | Potassium: 31mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 91IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 3mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutritional information not guaranteed to be accurate
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Author Dorothy Kern

Did you try this recipe? Click the stars to rate the recipe below

how to make mini apple pies 4 photos
  1. Be sure to peel and dice the apples small. Cook the apples in a bit of water just until they slightly soften.
  2. Line your mini muffin pans with crust circles.
  3. Make your crumble topping using a pastry cutter.
  4. Fill your pie crusts with a bit of apples and crumble.

Other pie recipes to make into mini pies:

You can easily make a mini apple pie from my favorite pie recipe! A crumble topping is the perfect way to finish off these bite sized pies.

Dorothy Kern

Welcome to Crazy for Crust, where I share recipes that are sometimes crazy, often with a crust, and always served with a slice of life.

Learn More About Me
5 from 5 votes (3 ratings without comment)

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




42 Comments

  1. Made the mini crumble apple pie and served to my card club
    I used regular muffin size and also canned apple pie filling.
    All members loved the idea of pie, no utensils!
    Will be making this many more times. Thank you!

    Reply

    1. Let them cool then freeze in an airtight container. Let thaw, then if you want to warm them you can place in a 200°F oven for a little bit.

      Reply

  4. This recipe turned out AMAZING! Just a personal preference, and maybe because of my oven, but I left them in for 15-17 minutes to brown the crust a little longer. At 12 they were definitely cooked, but not crunchy enough for my preferences. However, I will admit that I have an electric oven with no oven thermometer so the temperature inside might be inaccurate! Thanks so much for sharing this recipe, it’s definitely going in my book.

    Reply