Vegan Apple Hand Pies (Apple Pie Pockets)
Autumn has arrived, bringing with it the anticipation and activity of apple-picking season! I love the comfortingly familiar fall weather with its magical moments of flaming red and orange foliage, subtle golden sunshine, and cool, crisp winds. You can almost feel the fantastic softness of flannel against your skin and the slightly sweet, smokey scent of a woodland fire.
This autumn, instead of apple pie, try these mini vegan hand pies to celebrate the bounty of fall. These delightful desserts have the appearance of pulled purses, bursting with apple walnut goodness and sweet cinnamon character!
They’re made with a dairy-free and eggless puff pastry like Pepperidge Farm sheet. You’ll pinch the dough together to create these cute apple pie pockets packed with a mixture of chopped apples, crunchy walnuts, punchy pomegranate juice, silky cinnamon, and agave nectar.
Puff pastry is super versatile and incredibly easy to use and it always looks good no matter what you do with it. If you thaw it ahead of time, you can have these fruit-filled pockets ready within 30 minutes. Each pastry sheet makes 6 puffs, so you get a full dozen warm and tasty treats from one package of puff pastry. Test out your baking brilliance by forming into other sensational shapes as well!
What Is a Hand Pie?
A hand pie is a portable pastry that encapsulates a delectable filling, typically made of fruits like apple, though hand pies can also have savory fillings.
When it comes to these apple hand pies, also referred to as apple pie pockets or apple turnovers, the pastry is folded in such a way as to encapsulate the apple pie filling into a convenient, hand-held version of a traditional pie.
Star Ingredients
Puffed Pastry – A staple for decadent baking! This light, delicate, and flaky pastry is mainly made up of many, many layers of beautiful baking dough. Puffed pastry possesses only three ingredients—flour, butter, and salt. You can create the most delightful desserts with this ingredient with very little effort and a LOT of pizzazz! It’s fairly easy to find plant-based puffed pastry, as many brands use vegetable oils and are “accidentally” vegan!
Red Apples – Sweet, slightly soft, and the single most important ingredient of the bunch. If you have the opportunity to pick your own apples from an orchard, these pretty apple pie pockets will have loads more flavor! It’s up to you whether to keep the apple peel on or not, but consider that the peel holds the most nutrients. Don’t have red apples? Not to worry. You can use any variety of apple you’d like!
Walnuts – Also called the “brainy” nut, walnuts are rich in antioxidants and omega 3s. Powerfully packed with copper, folate, phosphorus, vitamin B6, manganese and vitamin E, the wonderful walnut not only adds a great deal of nutrition to the dish, but also a slightly bitter, but buttery flavor and crucial crunchy texture to balance out the softness of the sweet apples. Eating a small serving of walnuts each day has been linked in helping with heart health, brainpower, and cancer prevention.
Pomegranate Juice – A slightly sour, slightly sweet sensation for the mouth! Pomegranate juice adds a beautiful jewel-like hue to this delectable dessert and also a distinctive note that pairs perfectly with the apples. The pleasantly piquant pomegranate is also full of vitamin C, vitamin E, folate, potassium, and vitamin K.
Cinnamon – The most warming and wonderful of all spices! The addition of cinnamon, though not sweet in itself, creates a sensation of sweetness in the mouth because of its lack of tartness. Slightly woody and aromatic, this spice has always been the perfect complement to the fresh flavor of apples. This lingering and lovely spice (which is actually the bark of a tree) is also high in calcium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, potassium, and vitamin A.
Lemon Juice – A fresh and zesty compliment to the luscious fruit filling. Before enjoying, add a squeeze of lemon to the top of the apple pie pockets, which will brighten and enhance the flavors in this dessert.
Tips And Tricks
- Crispy Crust Trick: To achieve a crispy crust, brush the tops of the hand pies with the vegan butter or coconut oil before baking.
- Vegan Apple Turnovers: To make your hand pies look more like turnovers, simply fold the puff pastry in half over the filling to form a triangular shape.
- Sweetener Choices: Adjust the sweetener to your preference. You can use maple syrup, coconut sugar, or regular granulated sugar instead of the agave syrup if needed.
Serving Suggestions
- Start with a super generous scoop of your favorite non-dairy ice cream and then add tantalizing and tasty toppings such as shredded chocolate, a tablespoon of finely chopped toasted nuts, or even a delicious dollop of creamy coconut whipped cream.
- You can even serve these vegan apple hand pies right out of the fridge along with slices of creamy cheddar cheese and a few savory, salty olives. Miyokos and Violife make some perfect, plant-based cheddars. Yum!
- Create your own homemade Apple Pie Pockets “nice” cream by substituting leftover, chopped up apple pastry pieces for the add-ins at the end. My mouth is watering just thinking about it!
- Concoct a comforting “faux” bread pudding by adding one leftover hand pie to a bowl and slowly pour in warm, rich oat (or soy) milk over the top. Sprinkle with extra cinnamon, additional nuts (crushed pistachios, slivered almonds, or rich macadamias), and even some dense dried fruit, like delectable dates, flavorful figs, or cheerful chewy raisins.
Simple Storing
Any vegan hand pies that are not promptly devoured can be stored in a sealed glass container in the refrigerator for a few days. When ready to be eaten, these amazing apple pie pockets can be placed on a parchment-lined baking sheet and reheated at 400 degrees for a few minutes. Just keep a careful eye on them so that they gently bubble, but do not burn.
More Vegan Pie Recipes to Try
- Crepes with Vegan Chocolate Hazelnut Spread
- Homemade Chunky Applesauce
- Vegan Blueberry Cobbler
- Mini Vegan Fruit Tarts
- Best Vegan Apple Pie
- Vegan Cinnamon Rolls
If you try these Vegan Apple Hand Pies, let us know what you think by leaving a comment and rating below! Be sure to follow along on Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook for even more vegan recipe inspiration.
Vegan Apple Hand Pie Pastries
Ingredients
Pastries
- 1 package puff pastry, vegan
- 2 tablespoons non-dairy butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 heaping tablespoon granulated sugar
Apple Filling
- 2 medium apples, any variety, finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1½ tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon butter, plant-based
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ tablespoon cornstarch, and two tablespoons of water
- ½ cup walnuts, chopped, optional
Instructions
- Thaw puff pastry for about 45 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- On a floured surface, roll out the thawed puff pastry dough and cut each sheet into 9 even squares.
- In a saucepan over medium heat, add the butter and cinnamon. Once melted, add the apples, sugar, and water. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
- In a small ramekin, add the cornstarch and two tablespoons of water, and stir until completely dissolved. Add this to the saucepan, bring to a simmer, and stir the apple filling until thickened to an apple pie consistency (as shown in the video).
- Place a spoonful of the apple mixture in the center of each pastry square. Gather the corners of the pastry dough and pull them together, squishing and twisting the dough (and even folding over the tip) to make sure it stays closed while baking.
- In a ramekin, mix together cinnamon and sugar.
- Brush with the melted butter and sprinkle generously with a cinnamon and sugar mixture.
- Place on a lined cookie sheet and bake until fully golden brown—about 10-15 minutes.
Nutrition
We want to thank our amazing recipe testers Anne Sparks & Nicole Benson for helping us perfect this recipe!
You may also like...
Enter to Win Our Monthly Giveaway!
New winner evert month! Drop your name below for a chance to win hundreds of dollars of vegan prizes from our brand partners. You’ll also receive our weekly e-newsletter with plant-based recipes galore!
Leave a Comment
Wow! I love these! Puff pastries are a secret weakness for me lol When will I have the time to test out these amazing recipes.
What a great pick-me-up snack! Love it!
My favorite dessert for fall! I go crazy for anything with warm apples and a pastry crust. I love how easy this recipe is and also how pretty they are once baked. Great for tea time!
I’m a lover of all apple-based desserts! These purses are so easy to make, I can whip up a cozy dessert in a jiffy 🙂
I can’t believe how easy these are to make!!! I need to plant an apple tree so I can make them all apple season long 🙂
These are so beautiful and amazing to eat! I absolutely love apples in dessert form 🙂