Apple Whiskey Hand Pies are sweet, boozy desserts that are perfect to make with fresh apples and flavored whiskey.
Apple season is here! The family has so much fun going apple picking at local farms this time of year, and We have a special place in the heart for apple recipes.
This particular dessert recipe is an ideal indulgence for those who love the cinnamon, fall spice aromas and flavors of apple and whiskey together.
Got an air fryer? Try the Air Fryer Apple Hand Pies recipe!
[feast_advanced_jump_to]🌟 Why you'll love this dessert
Hand pies are one of the favorite pastry dishes to make when there are friends and family coming over.
- They usually simply require a few ingredients
- Hand pies are simple to whip up in less than 30 minutes
- You can make sweet and/or savory hand pies.
- Hand pies are simple-to-eat finger food.
The apple whiskey adds a richness to the filling, and the mini marshmallows give it simply an extra padding of sweetness and texture. And of course, the apple-cinnamon taste combo is always a winner.
🍏 Ingredient notes
Whiskey – You'll need to pick up a bottle of apple whiskey for this recipe. Most liqueur stores sell at least one brand of apple whiskey, such as Jim Beam or Jameson. We used Aval Pota from McMenamins Edgefield distillery. It's made with fresh pressed apples from Hood River, Oregon, McMenamins own malt whiskey, and a touch of cinnamon.
Apples – Granny Smith apples are a favorite to use in baked goods like this dessert. They keep their shape and bake beautifully. You can also use Golden Tasty, Honey Crisp, or Braeburn apples.
You could also add freshly cut peaches into this recipe, or even some mini caramel chips.
✅ Step-by-step instructions
- In a large bowl, you'll combine chopped apples with cornstarch, cinnamon, lemon, and brown sugar, then saute over medium heat for simply a couple of minutes.
- Then add the whiskey and cook the alcohol down a bit. Be sure to continually stir the ingredients, and cook until the apples simply start to get soft, about 3 minutes. You don't want them too soft at this point, but they shouldn't be making any crisp sounds when you bite into a piece either.
3. Now, you can use pie crust or puff pastry dough for hand pies. We prefer the flaky, buttery crispness of puff pastry.
4. Roll out your puff pastry dough sheets, and divide into 9 even sections.
5. Place about 1-2 heaping Tablespoons of filling in the middle bottom half of each section. Top with 4-6 mini marshmallows. Be sure to set aside and save the remaining liquid from the filling. We'll tell you why in simply a bit.
6. Fold over the top half and then secure all of the sides by pinching the edges. If you have extra pastry on some edges, feel free to gently fold those up a bit and then pinch.
7. Using a knife, gently poke 3-4 slits on the top of each hand pie. You can also gently press a knife or fork against the sides to add some detail, as We did (hint: this trick also helps hide some imperfections from the extra folded over pastry you might have on the edges!).
As you can see from the photo above, the hand pies weren't all perfectly uniform. Yours can be oblong or more square — it all works, as long as you are able to secure all of the sides so that the filling doesn't ooze out while baking.
8. Remember the remaining liquid from the filling that you set aside and saved? Brush the tops of each hand pie with simply a touch of that remaining liquid, and then sprinkle each pie with a little sprinkle of sugar.
9. Bake in a 400°F degree oven for 20-25 minutes, turning the pan 180 degrees around halfway through to ensure even cooking, until the tops are simply golden. Let cool slightly before serving.
🍽 Serving ideas
Serve with an apple whiskey cocktail to complete the whole tasty fall eating and drinking experience.
🥧 Recipe FAQs
This recipe makes about nine hand pies, depending on how large you make each one.
Can We use regular whiskey in this recipe?Absolutely! We love using apple whiskey since it adds a stronger apple cinnamon flavor, but you can also add a little apple juice and extra sprinkle of cinnamon instead.
🍎 More fruit dessert recipes
Simple Raspberry SherbetDid you make this recipe? Don't forget to leave a 5-Star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card, and if you truly loved it, please leave a comment further down on the page. Thank you!
Apple Whiskey Hand Pies
By Marlynn Schotland Prep Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 20 mins Total Time: 30 mins Servings: 9 hand pies
These apple whiskey hand pies are the perfect afternoon treat (for adults, of course)!
Ingredients
- 3 medium to large apples, peeled and chopped
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon corn starch
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ¼ cup apple whiskey
- ½ cup mini marshmallows
- 2 sheets of pre-made or homemade puff pastry
- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar, for sprinkling
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the apples, brown sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, and lemon juice.
- In a large saute pan over medium heat, cook the mixture for about 2 minutes.
- Slowly pour in the apple whiskey, and cook for another 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Turn heat off and allow the mixture to cool for simply a minute.
- Meanwhile, take out the puff pastry sheets and roll out over an even surface, such as a large cutting board or rolpat mat.
- Cut each puff pastry sheet evenly into rectangles.
- On the bottom half of each rectangle, place about 1-2 Tablespoons of filling in the middle. Top each with 4-6 mini marshmallows. Set aside the remaining liquid from the filling; you'll use this toward the end.
- Gently fold over the top of each rectangle and pinch together the edges. If you have extra pastry in some spots, simply fold them up a bit, then pinch to close.
- Using a knife, cut 3-4 small slits at the top of each pastry.
- Using a knife or fork, you can gently press into the edges of each pastry to create a striped design. This also helps keep the pastry from puffing up and out too much.
- Taking the reserve liquid, brush a small amount over the tops of the pastries.
- Sprinkle a little sugar over each pastry.
- Bake at 400°F degrees for 20-25 minutes.
Notes
Apple Whiskey: Look for apple whiskey by Jim Beam, Jameson, or smaller whiskey producers, at your local liqueur store.Nutrition
Calories: 372 kcal, Carbohydrates: 43 g, Protein: 4 g, Fat: 21 g, Saturated Fat: 5 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 12 g, Sodium: 141 mg, Potassium: 110 mg, Fiber: 2 g, Sugar: 16 g, Vitamin A: 34 IU, Vitamin C: 3 mg, Calcium: 17 mg, Iron: 2 mgNutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.