Mini Apple Pies with Cinnamon Streusel Topping

Miniature versions of food always bring the smiles, and these Mini Apple Pies with Cinnamon Streusel Topping are no exception. They weren’t always mini. In fact, we have been making this very recipe in our family for 4 generations. It came over with my great-grandmother from Austria, and the crust is everything.

An untraditional pie crust

It’s not your typical flaky pie crust. Now, to be clear, I love a flaky pie crust. But the crust in this apple pie is more like a cookie dough, made with oil instead of the traditional butter. It’s moist and rustic and oh so delicious. It also comes with the added bonus of getting to make little sugar cookies out of the scraps.

So why did I shrink our family pie down? Because most pies are only pretty until you cut into them. After the first cut, they tend to look like a hot mess with its guts spilling out. Enter these mini apple pies. Super pretty, single serving, easy to serve and easy to clean up. I just love how they look on a holiday dessert table. These mini pies aren’t supposed to look perfect, so you can be relaxed about putting them together. And you can skip the fancy crimped crust – just crumble some buttery streusel on top and you’re all set. The only special equipment you’ll need is a jumbo muffin pan.

Serving tips for these Mini Apple Pies with Cinnamon Streusel Topping

A last note about the cinnamon to sugar ratio – this is just a guideline. I am notorious for over-cinnamoning this pie. I can literally hear my mother’s voice in my head every year when I make this pie, “Don’t put too much cinnamon this year!” I’m not sorry, and you shouldn’t be either – do what you will with the ratio and feel free to cinnamon to your heart’s content!

Of course, apple pies, mini or otherwise, should never be served without a cool scoop of ice cream. Vanilla is perfect, but do yourself a favor and try to find cinnamon ice cream at your local store. I use a cookie scoop to create the perfect mini ice cream scoop to go on top of these mini apple pies. The whole thing is simply too cute for words. I hope you’ll love them on your holiday table as much as we do. Enjoy!

Mini Apple Pies with Cinnamon Streusel Topping

Sweet, cinnamony apples in a cookie-like crust topped with a buttery crumble

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Prep Time 45 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 45 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 10

Ingredients

  

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The Pies

• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 5 apples winesap, fuji, gala, macintosh
• 1 cup sugar + 2 tbsp. cinnamon mixture for sprinkling

The Topping

• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 stick cold, unsalted butter
• pinch of salt

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. With the mixer running on low speed, slowly add eggs, oil, vanilla and orange juice. Mix until combined. Dump dough out onto a well-floured surface, form into a disc, wrap tightly and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile – Peel, core and cut apples into cubes. Combine with cinnamon-sugar mixture in a large bowl and let soak.
• In a small bowl, combine all streusel ingredients except for butter and whisk to combine. Using a fork, pastry blender or your fingers, work in the butter cubes until the mixture is crumbly.
• After dough has chilled, unwrap and place on well-floured surface. Roll out to about 1/4 inch thickness and cut circles approximately 7 inches in diameter (I use a cereal bowl as a stencil). Spray muffin pans with nonstick cooking spray and sprinkle flour in each opening. Place dough rounds in each opening and press the bottom and sides down gently. Let some dough hang over and trim the rest. Don’t worry about making it pretty, it’s supposed to be rustic! Fill each mini pie with apples and sprinkle streusel on top.
• Bake 45-60 minutes, until crust is golden.

Keyword dessert, holiday, pie

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