Mini Apple Pie
Just 1 apple, plenty of spice, and all the cozy vibes. Save this recipe for your next weeknight bake!
There’s nothing quite like the smell of apple pie wafting through the kitchen — it’s cozy, nostalgic, and instantly makes a house feel like home. This small-batch version keeps things approachable, using just about one tart apple for the filling, so you don’t need to haul out a bushel to get that classic flavor. A quick pre-bake of the apples ensures they’re tender and perfectly spiced before they ever hit the crust, so every bite comes out juicy and well balanced. Finished with a buttery lattice top, a sprinkle of coarse sugar, and plenty of golden crunch, this pie delivers all the charm of a holiday centerpiece in a size and method you’ll actually want to make on a weeknight.
Keep everything cold: Butter, water, and even the bowl — this makes for a flakier crust.
Pre-bake the filling: Softens the apples slightly so they don’t shrink and leave gaps once baked.
Freeze before baking: If the dough warmed up while weaving the lattice, a quick 10–15 minutes in the freezer helps prevent shrinkage.
Oven rotation: Halfway through, rotate the pie 180° for even browning.
Apples matter: Tart apples like Granny Smith, Braeburn, or Honeycrisp balance the sweetness best.
Mini Pie Dough (for a 4-inch tart)
3 Tbsp butter
25 g (about 1 Tbsp + 2 tsp) ice water
½ tsp vinegar
½ tsp sugar
Pinch of salt
½ cup flour
Instructions
Cut the butter into cubes and place it in the freezer to chill.
Stir the vinegar, sugar, and salt into the ice water until dissolved, then keep in the freezer until cold.
Put the flour into a chilled mixing bowl.
Remove the butter from the freezer and cut it into the flour with a pastry cutter, your fingers, or a food processor, until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Break up any larger pieces so the butter chunks are no bigger than peas.
Slowly drizzle in the cold vinegar-water mixture, tossing the dough at first, then pressing it together with your hands until it just holds together.
Form into a disk, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Lightly butter a 4-inch tart tin. You may have extra dough for a lattice or possibly another small crust.
Roll the dough out on a floured surface and fit it into the tin.
Trim the edges so the dough just brushes the counter beneath the tin.
Gather the scraps, press into a small disk, wrap, and save for later.
Chill both the tart shell and the scrap dough for at least 30 minutes before baking.
Apple Pie Filling & Assembly
½ lb tart apples (washed, cored, thinly sliced) = 1-2 medium apples
Squeeze of lemon juice
½ Tbsp all-purpose flour
3 Tbsp sugar
½ tsp pumpkin pie spice (or a mix of cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and a pinch of salt)
Freshly grated lemon zest
½ Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1 homemade pie crust (see below)
Heavy cream, for brushing
Coarse sugar, for sprinkling
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
Toss the sliced apples with a squeeze of lemon juice to keep them from browning.
In a small bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and spices. Add to the apples and stir to coat.
Mix in the lemon zest and melted butter, tossing until the apples are evenly covered.
Transfer the apples to a small baking dish and bake for about 10 minutes, until just barely fork-tender.
Remove from the oven, toss again in their juices, and let cool completely.
Increase oven temperature to 400°F (200°C).
Spoon the cooled apple filling into the prepared, chilled pie crust.
Arrange strips of dough on top to create a lattice.
Trim any excess dough and roll the bottom crust up and over the edges of the lattice to form a rope-like border resting on the rim of the pie plate.
Flute the edge by pressing between two knuckles on