With lots of warm spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, you will love our Mini Apple Tart Recipe. These mini apple pie tarts are made right in a muffin tin and perfect for any Fall get together - or just because! Plus they're super kid friendly and a nice twist on our Southern Apple Pie Recipe.
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Our mini apple pie tarts are an adorable and delicious dessert that would look beautiful on your Thanksgiving table.
Get the kids in the kitchen this fall to make your own mini apple pies. Kids of all ages can use these little pie crust cutters to make the shapes for the top of the tart. Then, let them brush the tops with the egg wash using the pastry brush. These are great tasks for hand-eye coordination for your little ones. For older kids, this recipe is great for practicing using the vegetable peeler or even knife skills depending on how old your children are now.
Trust me when I say that you're going to want to try this little yummy apple pies!
Ingredients
This is meant to be a brief overview of the mini apple pies recipe. For step-by-step instructions and a full printable recipe card with ingredients, please scroll down to the teal box below.
This recipe for mini apple pie tarts will make about 18 tarts.
- Apples: You'll need just under 3 lbs of chopped apples or about 9-10 medium-sized apples. For best results, I recommend crisp apples. See the FAQ below for more details.
- All-Purpose Flour: This might just be the only baking recipe where you don't need to level off the flour!
- Brown Sugar and Granulated Sugar—Together, white sugar and brown sugar add sweetness to the tarts and help create the gooey sauce.
- Store Bought or Homemade Apple Pie Spice: See the FAQ below for more information on the individual spices needed if you don't have a blend.
- Butter: I like salted butter for this recipe.
- Egg: An egg wash (beaten egg with about a teaspoon of water) helps pastry dough cook to a beautiful golden brown.
- Refrigerated Pie Crust: Any kind of store-bought refrigerated pie crust will work. I suggest only taking out one at a time to work with so the dough doesn't get too warm.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some questions (and answers!) readers often ask about mini apple pie tarts.
First things first, start with fresh apples just as you would for apple crisp or classic apple pie. After all, these are just like an apple pie, just in mini form.
My favorite apples for eating or baking are Pink Lady or Honeycrisp apples because I love the crispness of them. They can hold up during baking and don't become mushy like McIntosh apples.
Some of the other best apples for baking: Jonagold, Cortland, Braeburn, and Fuji. However, several readers have told me that they prefer Granny Smith apples.
If you do not have your own Apple Pie Spice , or a store-bought spice mix you can use the following:
➡️ 2 teaspoons of cinnamon
➡️ ½ teaspoon of nutmeg
➡️ ½ teaspoon allspice
➡️ ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
Do not cook the apples first or you'll end up with applesauce, basically. For this recipe, you'll be putting fresh raw apples into the pie crust.
Cooking spray is probably the easiest way to grease a muffin pan, but it's not necessarily the best way. I find that melted butter applied with a pastry brush, or wadded up paper towel works very well at keeping muffins, pie crust and anything else you baking in a muffin tin from sticking.
Serving Suggestions
Whether you serve these just like this, dusted with powdered sugar, topped with a dollop of store-bought or homemade whipped cream, or alongside a scoop of vanilla ice cream, everyone is going to love these muffin tin apple pies! It would also be delicious with a caramel drizzle on top. They would also taste great with a drizzle of homemade caramel sauce.
Ang's Tips
I use store-bought pie dough because I love shortcuts! However, homemade pie crust will work also. The exact amount of pie dough you will use will vary by the design(s) you choose to put on top of the tarts.
While these are mini apple pie tarts, be sure to use a regular size muffin tin and not a mini muffin pan.
Variations
We recommend that you try our mini apple pie tarts for the first time just as it is written for the best results, because that is how the recipe has been tested.
However, the next time you make it, you might consider one of these different ways of making this great recipe.
- You can make this recipe using other fruits, such as peaches, pears, and nectarines, or you can combine apples with another fruit.
- Instead of using pie crust dough for the top of the mini tarts, make a streusel topping in a small bowl with flour, oats, brown sugar, and butter until it becomes coarse crumbs.
- Mix a handful of dried cranberries, cherries, raisins, or even chopped walnuts into the apple mixture.
Storage
To Store: These mini apple tarts keep beautifully in the fridge for about a week and were the perfect little additions for everyone's lunches this week. Be sure to refrigerate them in an airtight container. (These are my favorite containers.)
To Reheat: If you'd like to serve these warm, pop 2 on a plate in the microwave for about 45-seconds. You can also add more time, if necessary.
To Freeze: Start by placing the completely cooled apple tarts onto a baking sheet. Flash freeze them for 1 hour. Remove the mini desserts from the freezer and wrap each one in plastic wrap. Then, take all of the tarts and place them into a labeled freezer bag. I find that these are best thawed and eaten within 1 month.
To Thaw: Remove the tarts from the freezer and unwrap them. Place them into an airtight container and allow them to thaw overnight in the fridge.
😋 Similar Recipes
If you like these yummy mini apple pie tarts, you might also like to try Mom's Apple Pie. Here are a few other recipes you might like:
- Chocolate Strawberry Hand Pies - these are decadent and delicious for Valentine's Day.
- Banana Cream Pie - The silkiest pie you'll ever taste.
- Apple Blackberry Crumble - If you love apples, this crumble is for you!
And if you're looking for an amazing make-ahead Fall dessert, try our Pumpkin Cream Cheese Cake Balls.
Next time, try one of these delicious apple recipes:
Related: 55+ Delicious Fall Apple Recipes
Not ready to make these yummy apple pie tarts yet?
When you do make it, please come back and comment and leave me a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below!
Mini Apple Tart Recipe
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Ingredients
- 8-½ cups chopped apples
- ½ cup all-purpose flour heaping (don't level off)
- 1-½ cup white sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar packed
- 3-¼ teaspoons Apple Pie Spice
- 6 teaspoons butter cut in into pieces
- egg
- 1 tablespoon water or milk
- 3-4 individual pieces refrigerated pie crust
Instructions
- Peel, core and cut the apples into a small dice.(Optional step, toss the apples with a little bit of lemon juice to prevent browning.)8-½ cups chopped apples
- In a large bowl, mix the apples with the flour, sugars, and spices.½ cup all-purpose flour, 1-½ cup white sugar, ½ cup brown sugar, 3-¼ teaspoons Apple Pie Spice
- Toss to coat and set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 400-degrees, and grease the muffin tin. Set aside and prepare the dough.
- On a floured surface, roll out your dough just slightly, take care not to make it too thin. Using a 3.5-inch cookie cutter, the ring of a mason jar lid or a glass, cut circles for the bottom crust.
- Then, gently push the circles of dough into each of the wells in the muffin tin.3-4 individual pieces refrigerated pie crust
- Next, spoon the apple pie filling into each of the muffin cups.
- After that, dot each tart with a ½ teaspoon of butter.6 teaspoons butter
- You can top these little tarts however you like - I used the remaining dough to cut some some Fall cookie cutters to decorate the top of my tarts.
- Make the egg wash by beating 1 egg with 1 tablespoon of water or milk.egg, 1 tablespoon water
- Brush the top of the dough decorations with the egg wash.
- Bake the pie tarts in the oven for 18-22 minute, depending on your oven, until they are golden brown.
- Let them cool in the pan for a few minutes, before carefully removing them from the tins and allow them to cool on a cooling rack.
Equipment
- muffin tins
- pie crust cutters (optional)
Video
Nutrition
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You'll also love our magic bars, cherry pie filling bars, and oatmeal fig bars.
Jody says
These little tarts were so simple, and boy were they tasty.