These apple hand pies made with store bought puff pastry (called Apfeltaschen) are so easy and simple! The flaky, buttery pastry and warm spiced apples go perfectly together. And the whole recipe comes together in under an hour with less than 10 ingredients! They're like hand-held mini apple pies that you can eat on the go!
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These apple hand pies are called “Apfeltaschen” in German, which translates to apple bags or apple pockets. They're also called apple turnovers or apple pasties.
They taste great for breakfast with coffee or tea. Or you can serve them for dessert with vanilla ice cream or caramel sauce.
This German recipe was inspired by my other baked apple recipes including authentic apple strudel, German apple pie from scratch, baked apples, fancy apple frangipane tart, and apple crisp. For more hand pies, try my pumpkin pasties (inspired by Harry Potter, of course). 😉
Growing up in Germany, we often enjoyed pastries that were coated in a generous sprinkle of coarse sugar like demerara sugar. The coarse sugar is optional on these Apfeltaschen, but it adds a really nice crunchy texture & extra sweet flavor.
Best of all, these easy apple hand pies with puff pastry require just 8 simple ingredients! And they come together in under one hour!
Plus you don't need to pre-cook the apple filling. By peeling the apples and chopping them into small pieces, they become really soft and juicy as they bake.
Ingredients and Notes
- Puff pastry - I recommend buying frozen puff pastry dough from the store and letting it thaw in the fridge overnight.
- Apples - I recommend using Honeycrisp, Gala, Jonagold, or Granny Smith apples.
- Lemon juice - Freshly squeezed lemon juice tastes better than bottled lemon juice, if you can get ahold of a fresh lemon.
- Granulated sugar - Sweetens the filling; you could substitute brown sugar.
- Ground cinnamon and nutmeg - Add an essential warm, spiced flavor that tastes great with baked apples. You could add other spices like ground cloves, allspice, and cardamom.
- Egg - Whisking a whole egg with a little water creates an egg wash that turns the puff pastry shiny and extra crispy as it bakes.
Best Apples for Baking
The best apples to use in apple pockets are ones that will soften in the oven, but won't become mushy like applesauce. Varieties such as Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Gala, Fuji, Pink Lady, and Jonagold are some of the best to bake with.
What to do it my puff pastry becomes sticky?
If your puff pastry becomes sticky, place it the in the fridge for 15 minutes to cool down. If puff pastry dough becomes too warm, it’ll be sticky and really difficult to work with.
Once you try a puff pastry recipe, you'll be in love! It's so easy to bake delicious, flaky treats with! For more puff pastry recipes, try puff pastry chocolate twists and homemade cruffins.
How to Make this Recipe
Below is the process to make this recipe. For the full step-by-step directions and ingredient quantities, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
1. Peel the apples, chop them into small pieces, and discard the cores.
2. Mix the chopped apples, lemon juice, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
3. Roll out the two sheets of thawed puff pastry dough on a floured work surface until they’re about 30 cm x 30 cm.
5. Divide the apples between the 8 squares. Brush egg wash onto all four edges of each square.
7. Cut two small slits in the top of each triangle. Arrange them on a lined baking sheet. Brush the remaining egg wash on top.
4. Cut each sheet of puff pastry dough into 4 squares (so you have 8 total).Trim off any uneven edges.
6. Fold each pastry square into a triangle. Use the prongs of a fork to press the seams together.
8. Sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake for 16 to 20 minutes at 400°F, until they’re puffed up and golden brown on the tops and sides.
Carissa's Kitchen Tip
The egg wash is essential to get the puff pastry dough to stick together. During one recipe test, I tried forming the triangles without egg wash, and the dough didn't stick together. This can cause the filling to ooze out as it bakes.
Recipe Tips
- Puff Pastry: Most store bought puff pastry comes frozen. Allow it to thaw overnight in the fridge so it's pliable but still cold.
- Apples: Make sure you peel and cut your apples into small pieces so they become soft in the oven.
- Apple Pockets: Use the prongs of a fork to gently press the puff pastry together along the edges. This prevents any of the filling from spilling out as it bakes.
- Steam Vents: Use a knife to cut a few small slits in the top of each Apfeltaschen. This allows steam to escape as they bake.
Variations
- You could use canned or homemade apple pie filling instead of fresh apples.
- You could make puff pastry from scratch, but buying it frozen from the store saves a lot of time.
- Instead of puff pastry, you can use store bought pie dough or my homemade pie crust recipe.
- If you have phyllo dough, you can make mini apple strudel.
- For additional sweet flavor, brush apricot jam on your baked Apfeltaschen for a shiny glaze. Or dust powdered sugar on top.
- Instead of triangles, use a large round cookie cutter to make circular hand pies.
Storage
Baked apple hand pies taste best hot and fresh from the oven! Overtime the moisture in the apple filling can make the inside of the puff pastry turn soggy.
- Room Temperature: Apfeltaschen are best stored at room temperature. Wrap each one individually in plastic wrap, or store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Fridge: I don't recommend storing baked apple pockets in the fridge, since they can become soft and soggy.
- Reheat: I usually eat my leftover hand pies at room temperature, but you can also reheat them in the oven to keep the puff pastry crispy.
Wrap a puff pastry hand pie in aluminum foil and place it in a cold oven. Turn the oven on to 375°F. Keep the hand pie in the oven for 10 minutes after the oven finishes preheating. Unwrap it and serve!
Related Recipes
Looking for more delicious pie recipes like this? Try these:
Apple Hand Pies with Puff Pastry (Apfeltaschen)
Equipment
- Baking Sheet
- measuring cups and spoons
- mixing bowls
- Large Spoon or Spatula
- Rolling Pin
- Pastry Brush
Ingredients
- 1 package puff pastry (17.3 ounces) (store bought frozen puff pastry, thawed in the fridge overnight)
- 1 pound apples (I recommend using Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Gala, or Jonagold)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice (from about half a medium lemon)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)
- 1 egg
- all purpose flour (for dusting)
- 1 tablespoon coarse sugar (such as demerara or turbinado sugar) (optional, for sprinkling on top)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.Make sure your puff pastry is thawed in the fridge.
- Peel the apples, chop them into small pieces, and discard the cores.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the chopped apples, lemon juice, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.
- On a lightly floured surface, use a rolling pin to roll out the two sheets of thawed, cold puff pastry dough until they’re each roughly 30 cm x 30 cm. Press any seams or cracks in the dough together.
- Cut each sheet of puff pastry dough into 4 squares (so you have 8 total). You can trim off any uneven edges too.
- In a small bowl, whisk the egg with one teaspoon of water to make an egg wash. Set aside.
- Divide the apple filling between the 8 squares, placing about ⅓ cup in the center of each puff pastry square.
- Use a pastry brush to brush a little egg wash onto all four edges of each square of dough. Fold each square into a triangle by meeting the corners together.
- Use the prongs of a fork to gently press the seams together (so the filling doesn't ooze out). Use a sharp knife to cut three small slits in the top of each triangle (to allow steam to escape).
- Arrange the triangles spread out on your prepared baking sheet.Brush the remaining egg wash onto the top of each pastry triangle.Optional: Sprinkle coarse sugar on each pastry triangle.
- Bake for 16 to 20 minutes, until they’re puffed up and golden brown on the tops and sides.Allow them to cool for a few minutes, then enjoy!!
Notes
- Puff Pastry: Most store bought puff pastry comes frozen. Allow it to thaw overnight in the fridge so it's pliable but still cold.
- Apples: Make sure you peel and cut your apples into small pieces so they become soft in the oven.
- Steam Vents: Use a knife to cut a few small slits in the top of each Apfeltaschen. This allows steam to escape as they bake.
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Storage: Apfeltaschen are best when they're hot and fresh from the oven. To store leftovers, allow them to cool then wrap each one individually in plastic wrap, or store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
I don't recommend storing baked apple pockets in the fridge, since they can become soft and soggy.
shkalen
Thank you for sharing this recipe
Rolf
Just like grandmas…!
Carissa Erzen
Aww, that warms my heart to read!