Single Serve Apple Pie
This single serve apple pie is perfect for just one person. It has that classic buttery pie crust, sweet apple filling, and beautiful lattice crust. It’s everything you would get in your regular apple pie, just in mini form!
Why you will love this single serve apple pie
- The size. It is so cute and miniature. Sometimes, if you’re like me, you just crave apple pie but don’t want to bake the whole darn thing in a 9 inch pie pan. This single serve version is the perfect alternative.
- The apple filling. Is there anything better than apple pie filling? Mixed with cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves, the apple filling has a killer flavor.
- The pie crust. The flakiest of all flaky pie crusts. Adapted from my tried and true pie crust recipe, this mini pie crust is just as flaky, tender, and delicious. Definitely check out The Best Pie Crust Recipe blog post for step by step instructions on how to nail pie dough.
Key ingredients
- All purpose flour: all purpose flour is the flour of choice for the pie crust, it leaves us with the best crumb.
- Fats: unsalted butter and vegetable shortening are the fats in the pie crust that give us those flaky layers. The butter adds flavor and flakes while the shortening allows the pie crust to stay malleable, which is important with a lattice pie crust.
- Granulated sugar: white sugar is the sugar of choice to sweeten both the pie dough and the apple filling.
- Apples: because this is a single serve apple pie, we only need ONE apple, so choose wisely. I think a sweeter apple works best in this case – I like honeycrisp or pink lady apples.
- Spices: a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves is used to really give you that warmth and fall flavor.
Steps
- Make the pie dough. Make sure to read The Best Pie Crust Recipe blog post to see step by step instructions on how to nail pie dough. Once the dough is finished, chill for at least two hours.
- Make the apple filling. Slice your apple into 1/8 – 1/4 inch slices. Toss with the granulated sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, all purpose flour, and lemon juice. Set aside.
- Assemble. Roll one disc of pie dough into a 6 inch circle and lay inside your tart pan. Add the apple filling and set aside in the fridge.
- Make the lattice crust. Remove the second disc of pie dough from the fridge and roll it into a 6 inch circle. Cut the dough into 1/2 inch strips, placing them on top of the apple filling, weaving them under and over each other. See below for details on how to make a lattice crust.
- Bake. Lightly whisk an egg and brush it on the pie crust. Sprinkle with turbinado sugar if desired. Bake for 33-35 minutes at 375F.
- Let cool. Let the pie cool in the pan for 30 minutes. Top with ice cream and enjoy!
How to make a lattice crust
Lattice crusts look intimidating but they are so easy to make and require little effort. Simply put, they are just cutting the dough in strips and weaving them under and over one another. But let’s break it down.
1. Roll the second disc of pie dough into a 6 inch circle.
Most pie dough recipes, like this one, make enough pie dough so you can have a bottom crust and a top crust. While the bottom crust is in the fridge staying cold, roll the top crust into a 6 inch circle.
2. Cut the dough into 1/2 inch strips.
Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut the rolled out circle into 1/2 inch strips. You only need six but you will likely have more, so you can discard the rest.
3. Weave the strips under and over one another.
Take three of the cut pie strips and lay them vertically on top of the apple pie filling.
Lift the two outside vertical strips so they are basically falling off of the pie, and place another strip down horizontally, onto your one middle vertical strip.
Unfold the outside vertical strips so they are now on top of your one horizontal strip. Lift up the middle vertical strip, and lay another strip down horizontally across your two outside vertical strips.
Fold the middle strip back down. Repeat this with the remaining strip. If the strips have a lot of excess around the edges, feel free to trim them. Pinch the strips into the bottom pie crust.
FAQ
Why isn’t my pie crust flaky?
An un-flaky pie crust is due to the fat in the pie crust melting before it goes into the oven. The pockets of cold butter and vegetable shortening melt in the oven, creating steam and thus making those flaky layers. If the fats are too warm when they go into the oven, those flaky layers will not form.
Definitely check out my best pie crust recipe blog post for all my tips and tricks on pie dough!
I don’t have a tart pan, what else can I bake this in?
While I suggest making this in a 4 inch tart pan, some other options that could possibly work are ramekins, a muffin tin, or a 4 inch springform pan. While I have never tried it, those seem like the best options.
You can also make this into a galette – which is basically a freeform pie baked on a baking sheet, so no tart pan is required.
Other recipes you may like
Single Serve Apple Pie
Ingredients
Pie Crust
- 2/3 cup (83 grams) all purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons (43 grams) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 1 tablespoon (13 grams) vegetable shortening, cold
- 2 tablespoons (30 mL) ice water
Apple Filling
- 1 small-medium sized (80 grams) apple*, sliced, I like to use either honeycrisp or pink lady, but anything really works!
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 pinch ground nutmeg
- 1 pinch ground cloves
- 1 tablespoon all purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Egg Wash
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- turbinado sugar, optional
Equipment
Instructions
Pie Crust
- In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar and salt.
- Using a pastry cutter or your hands, cut the cold butter and cold vegetable shortening into the flour mixture until the butter and shortening are fully incorporated into the flour and no larger chunks remain.
- Measure out 2 tablespoons (30 mL) of water, add ice and stir it around so it becomes ice cold. Remeasure 2 tablespoons (30 mL) since some of the ice melted into the water. Start with two teaspoons of ice water and drizzle it on top of the dough. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to mix the water into the dough. Continue to do this, teaspoon by teaspoon, until the dough just comes together. You may not need to use all of the water.
- Fold the dough into itself until it forms a ball. Divide the dough into two equal parts and flatten them slightly into discs. Wrap each with cling wrap and place them in the fridge to chill for at least two hours but up to two days.
- To make the dough in a food processor: pulse together the flour, sugar and salt until combined. Add the cold cubed butter and cold chunks of vegetable shortening and pulse until evenly incorporated into the dough and no large chunks remain. Add two teaspoons of ice water to the food processor and pulse until combined. Continue to add ice water teaspoon by teaspoon and pulse until the dough comes together. Turn the dough out of the food processor onto a floured surface and roll it into a ball. Separate the dough into two portions, cover, and refrigerate for two hours. Proceed with the recipe the same way as you would if making by hand!
Apple Filling
- While the dough is chilling, make the apple filling. Peel and slice the apple into 1/8-1/4 inch slices. Place them inside a bowl with the granulated sugar, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground cloves, all purpose flour and lemon juice. Toss together until all the ingredients are evenly distributed and the apples are evenly coated.
- After the dough has chilled for at least two hours, place one disc on a lightly floured surface, while leaving the other disc in the fridge. Preheat your oven to 375F so it heats up while rolling out the dough.
- Using a rolling pin, gently roll out the dough, beginning in the center and rolling out in every direction, turning the dough as you go. Roll it into a 6 inch circle and place it evenly inside your tart pan. Pinch the edges of the pie dough around your knuckle to give the pie crust that fluted look. Trim the edges if necessary.
- Add your apple pie filling and place the tart pan in the fridge so the fats in your pie dough get cold again while you make the lattice crust.
Lattice Crust
- Remove the second disc of dough from the fridge and place on a lightly floured surface. Roll it out into a 6 inch circle.
- Cut the pie dough, using a pizza cutter or a sharp knife into 1/2 inch strips – you need 6 of them, but you will likely have more. You can discard the extra. Lay 3 strips vertically on top of the apple filling.
- Fold up the two outside strips so they're almost falling off the pie, and lay one of the three unused strips across horizontally. Unfold the two vertical strips so they are now on top of your one horizontal strip.
- After that, fold up the middle vertical strip, and lay another strip down horizontally.
- Repeat this process with the remaining strips, weaving them under and over each other. If the strips have a lot of excess around the edges, feel free to trim them. Pinch the edges of the strips into the bottom pie crust.
Bake
- Make the egg wash. Lightly whisk an egg and brush it onto the pie crust using a pastry brush or your finger – this will make it nice and shiny. Top with turbinado sugar if desired.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes until the filling has bubbled and the crust is golden brown. If you notice the pie crust getting dark too quickly, place a piece of tin foil on top of the crust. Remove from the oven and let cool completely in the pan for at least 30 minutes.
- Remove from the pan, top with vanilla ice cream and enjoy!
Notes
- The 80 grams of apple refers to apple slices, not the whole apple.
Tried this recipe? Make sure to rate and review and tag @sturbridgebakery on Instagram!
Can you freeze this apple pie? If so, at what stage?
You can wrap and freeze the pie dough for up to three months. I don’t recommend freezing an already baked pie.