Salted Caramel Apple Sourdough Hand Pies

These salted caramel apple sourdough hand pies are the most heavenly snack or treat! Perfectly buttery and flaky sourdough pastry, filled with a homemade apple pie filling. It is everything you could want and more!

Anyone else remember those hand held apple pies that McDonalds used to sell!? That is what these hand pies remind me of only better! Those hand pies are so nostalgic and I wanted to create a wholesome version made at home.

To make these apple sourdough hand pies is quite simple. You start by making the pastry which can be made with or without sourdough. Then you roll it thin and cut it into whatever shape you like. Pile on a buttery spiced homemade apple pie filling then bake them until golden perfection. Once they are baked, if you want to make them extra special, drizzle them with some caramel and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt. I am telling you, they are DREAMY!

What I love about these little hand pies is that you can make a double or even triple batch and store them in the freezer. This way you have quick grab n go snacks or treats for your family that you can feel good about feeding them. You can switch up the filling if you like too, but in my opinion you can’t beat a gooey apple pie filling.

Tips for Making Apple Sourdough Hand Pies

1. Make sure all of your ingredients are cold when making the pastry. This includes the butter and the sourdough starter or discard. Keeping the dough cold, will prevent the butter from melting and help give you those flaky layers.
2. When rolling out the dough, you have to give it a bit of elbow grease. Because you want to use the dough when it is cold, it can be a bit hard when you start rolling it. Just keep going and it will get easier!
3. For filling the hand pies, you want to make sure you add enough filling so that you can taste it, but not too much that they burst open. I like to pile the filling in the centre then leave a couple cm edge around them without filling so I can get a nice clean crimp around the edges. This will ensure they stay help together nicely.

Apple Sourdough Hand Pie Ingredients

Flour– All purpose flour is all you need for these.

Butter– You can use salted or unsalted. Whichever you prefer.

Sourdough Starter– As mentioned above you can also make this dough without sourdough!! If you are using sourdough, you can use sourdough discard or sourdough starter.

Sugar– Just a touch of granulated sugar goes into the pastry.

Lemon Juice– You want a touch of acid in the pastry. You can use fresh squeezed lemon juice or white vinegar.

Apples– Use any kind of apples you like. I prefer a more firm variety like ambrosia or pink lady.

Spices– Cinnamon and nutmeg give you the perfect classic apple pie flavor.

Brown Sugar- I use a touch of brown sugar in the filling for a bit of sweetness and a deeper flavor.

Cornstarch– This helps thicken the apple pie filling so it gives you a perfect gooey texture.

Toppings– These pies are delicious as is, but you can add caramel drizzle and flaky sea salt for that salted caramel flavor.

The Steps

1. Start by stirring together the flour, sugar and salt in a medium sized bowl.
2. Then add in the grated butter, and stir until you have a nice crumble mixture and all the butter is coated in flour.
3. Next, pour in the sourdough discard and the lemon juice. (if you aren’t using discard, add the extra flour first, then the lemon juice and water)
4. Stir the mixture until it starts to form a crumbly dough. Then dump it onto a clean counter. Using your hands, gently incorporate all the flour by kneading the dough. You just want to knead it together until all the flour is incorporated and the dough is mostly smooth.
5. Press the dough into a round disk, then wrap it in plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for at least an hour or for up to 2 days.
6. While the dough chills, make the apple filling. Add the apples, brown sugar, butter and spices to a small pot over medium heat. Cook until the apples are tender about 5-10 minutes.
7. Then, add in the cornstarch mixture, stir and cook for another minute, just until it starts to thicken.
8. Remove the filling from the stove, and place in the refrigerator or freezer to cool.
9. When you are ready to bake the pop tarts, remove the dough from the fridge, unwrap it and place on a floured counter.
10. Flour the top of the dough, then roll it out until it is about 1/8 inch thick.
11. Using any shape cookie cutting you like, cut the dough into as many pieces as you can. Any remaining dough, can be kneaded back together, and rolled back out to cut more shapes.

1. Lay half of your cut out pastry shapes onto a baking sheet lined with parchment.
2. Then, take the 1 egg mixed with 1 tbsp of milk, and lightly brush all around the edges of each shaped with a pastry brush.
3. Take a small spoonful of the cooled filling and place it in the center of each piece of pastry you brushed with egg.
4. Finally, place the other half of the pastry cut outs on top of the pieces with the filling.
5. Gently press down around the edges. Use a fork, to go around all the edges and crimp the dough together.

1. Place the pan of pop tarts in your fridge or freezer to chill while you preheat your oven to 350F.
2. Once it’s preheated, grab the pop tarts from the fridge and brush the top of each one with more of the egg mixture.
3. Bake the pop tarts for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
4. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before drizzling with caramel and a sprinkle of flaky salt. Enjoy

If you give this recipe a try, leave a comment or a recipe review below!

Looking for more treats to bake?

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https://cmbarndominium.com/how-to-make-healthier-oat-fudge-bars/

https://cmbarndominium.com/the-best-brown-butter-sourdough-banana-bread/