Hello cute little Dutch Apple Pie Cookies! These are the perfect little three bite apple pie -slash- cookie. They have a circle of pie crust on the bottom, then a layer of finely diced cinnamon apple filling, with the most delicious, sweet, buttery crumb topping.
They are made in a standard size muffin tin. I say cookie instead of mini pie because of the ratio of crust to filling to crumb topping. The filling is thin and subtle, just adding a nice tart flavor to complement the sweetness of the crumb topping.
When these were sitting on my kitchen countertop, I lost all self control. I had to bring some to my sweet neighbors so I would stop eating them all!
These are really much easier to make than a traditional apple pie, and more fun too! I took a couple of shortcuts – first, I used a refrigerated pie crust. When I don’t make my own pie crust, Marie Callender’s is my favorite by far, and it comes in a package with two rolls (look near the refrigerated biscuits). You will just need one roll for this recipe, and you can freeze the other one for later use.
I also enlisted the help of an apple peeler, which makes peeling, coring, and slicing the apples so easy! It literally takes about 15 seconds per apple to get the job done, and my boys think this is the greatest invention ever!
If you enjoy making any kind of apple dessert, this is an inexpensive tool to add to your kitchen that will make your life so much easier.
These would be a lovely dessert to serve on Thanksgiving, maybe for those who only have a tiny bit of room left for dessert after the big feast. You can make them the day before and check dessert off your list in advance.
PrintDutch Apple Pie Cookies
The perfect little three bite dessert with a flakey pie crust, cinnamon apple filling, and a sweet buttery crumb topping!
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: 2 1/2 dozen 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 roll of refrigerated pie dough (I used Marie Callender’s)
- 5 small Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and diced finely
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
For the Streusel Topping
- 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 2/3 cup brown sugar
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2/3 cups old fashioned oats
- pinch of salt
- 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons (14 tablespoons total) butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray the wells of a standard size muffin tin with nonstick spray. Roll out dough onto a lightly floured surface, and cut out circles about 2 inches in diameter. Gather and re-roll unused dough and cut additional circles. I used the rim of a small plastic cup. Place the circles in the bottom of each muffin well.
- Add the apples, sugar, cinnamon, lemon juice, and cornstarch to a medium saucepan. Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally for about 5-10 minutes until the apples have softened slightly and the juices begin to thicken. Remove from heat.
- Add about one tablespoon of the apple filling on top of each circle of pie dough.
- In a medium bowl, mix flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, oats, and salt. Add melted butter and mix until well incorporated.
- Add a heaping tablespoon of the streusel topping to each muffin well, and gently pat it down over the apples.
- Bake for 17-19 minutes. **Allow the apple pie cookies to cool in the muffin tin for at least 10-15 minutes before removing.** I like to use a dull knife to gently remove them from the tin. Cool on a wire rack.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Cookie
- Calories: 177
- Sugar: 12g
- Sodium: 80mg
- Fat: 7.6g
- Saturated Fat: 4.2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2.7g
- Trans Fat: 0.2g
- Carbohydrates: 26g
- Fiber: 1.3g
- Protein: 1.6g
- Cholesterol: 14mg
Disclaimer: the links in this post for the apple peeler are Amazon affiliate links.
Yummy! All you need is french vanilla ice cream to go with it. 🙂
Good idea!
Just subscribed to your website and am very amazed with the easy recipes that I have seen so far ,
Haven’t gone through all the pages but I am sure that there are more goodies.
Thankyou
Helen
Thank you so much Helen!
Will definitely try this… Can you substitute apple pie filling for the fresh apples?
I made these! OMG! These were heaven! Easy to make! And wonderful thank you for sharing your recipe!
Thank you Terri!
Oh mymgod, i cant even see the recipe, nothing but a bunch of pop up ads. I understand some ads but atleast post the info ppl look for
What browser are you using?
No ads on my iPad.
I just tried these out with the thought that I would bring them for Thanksgiving. Disaster. I need to put each one in a dessert dish. They completely fell apart. 😖 What did I do wrong?
I’m sorry to hear that. Wish I could be more helpful, but I’m really not sure what went wrong.
I made these using puff pastry crust and they were amazing. I was concerned that they might fall apart, so I cut 3″ circles using the lid to a mazon jar, and place the circles in cupcake pans, pushing the edges up the sides about 1/4″ inch. They came out perfectly.
I’m so glad they worked out well for you Nancy. Thank you for your comment!
Yes I made mine a bit larger so the crust made a little cup for the apples. Turned out perfect!
They are better the second day – stay together more
Mine did the same thing. Not sure if maybe it was the apples I used. Had some apples given to me, not sure what kind they were. They were similar to MacIntosh in tenture. But thought I would try. They taste good but had to put them into cupcake paper. Had some papers that were smashed so just used them,
Seems like the apples maybe had too much juice. Will try again and use Granny Smith.
Also, the streusel topping was way too much. I even made more due to making my own dough and had more left. But all in all they were tasty.
Not complaining though.
I just made these with Granny Smith apples and mine are falling apart too. Think the cruses may need to be prebaked before adding the filling. I’ll see how they are tomorrow. Good thing they still taste good even if the can’t really be “shared” with others.
I agree way too much crumb topping I thought this while making it . This needs to be adjusted. I will use what I have left on another pie it won’t go to waste.
Try adding an extra tablespoon or 2 to the streusel mix so that it become more “dough” like and press them down firmly.
I had the exact same problem and that’s what I did to solve it!
You added what to the streusel mix?
Sorry Susan, I’m not sure I understand your question. You don’t add anything to the streusel mixture once it’s made- you just put 1 tablespoon of it on top of the apple filling in each muffin well.
Same thing happened to me. This recipe is a complete waste of time, you’d be better of just making a whole pie instead of this mess
I made them, trial and error..the key is not putting too much of the apple filling in, and it’s important to pat down after assembled and I had to bake the full 19 minutes maybe 1 or 2 more and be patient “ let them cool”
I am wondering though if I can make the filling and topping ahead and just bake a few hours before serving…I like the top and bottom crisp…
They tend to soften up the next day
Hi my name is Karen and I live in Australia do you know what our equivalent of corn starch is please.
Hi Karen, great question! I looked up some alternatives that might be more accessible to you in Australia, and most people said they use cornflour, tapioca starch or arrowroot. You just need a little something to help thicken up the apple juices as they cook. Hope this is helpful and that you enjoy the cookies!
I made these tonight and I’m definitely making them again! I took the suggestion of some other reviewers who made the pie crust go up the sides a little bit. It was neater and allowed for a little more apple filling! Soooo delicious. I tried them when they were still warm and then I had another one and another 😂
You have the best ideas Julie! I have to try this! I want to make it with some other fillings too, the possibilities are endless! Yum. PS, can I be your neighbor please.
Thanks Karen, yes you may :0)
Love a petite dessert! These pie/cookies look fab.
Thanks so much!
SUPER YUM!!! Great idea, can’t wait to try it. Is there a way to make it dairy free
Thanks! I’m not really sure how to make this dairy free.
Unless I’m mistaken, butter is the only dairy product in this recipe. To make it dairy-free you would just need to substitute a different fat. In order to maintain the flavor of the original recipe, it would need to be butter flavored. Butter flavored Crisco is the first thing that comes to mind. Another option would be a vegan margarine.
Whoa! I need to make these now!!
Thanks Faye!
can they be frozen?
I have not tried freezing these, but I think you could.
Absolutely delicious! And so easy to make! Thank you for sharing your recipe!! It’s fast becoming a family favourite!
So glad to hear that! Enjoy!
Do these need to be refrigerated after they are cooked?
You could if you like, but they are fine at room temperature. Hope you enjoy!
These cookies are delicious and will be going into my book of favorite recipes! I made these for my husband to take to work on the 4th of July and everyone loved them. Not only are they delicious, they’re easy to make. Thank you for sharing your recipe!
That’s so good to hear Lacey. Thanks so much!
Made these over the weekend and they are GONE. Recipe was great, instructions were perfect. Had to substitute puff pastry for pie crust as my poorly stocked neighborhood grocery store didn’t have any. Like tiny personal apple pies!!!! Thank you for a winning new recipe!
So happy they worked out for you Mary. I’d love to try them again with puff pastry. I’m glad you used what you could find!
I made these to see if they would work for a sweets table at my son’s wedding. They are perfect! I froze some to see if I could make them ahead and that worked too! Thanks for a great make-ahead recipe!
That’s such a great idea Marcia! Thanks for letting me know that they freeze well!
That was my question. I want to make them ahead of time for my cookie swap. Freeze them for a week and then bring to swap. They will be nice and defrosted for the swap.
That should be fine right? Just checking.
Yes, I think that will be just fine!
I made them and I had a lot of streussel topping left and no apples. So I tried preparing strawberries instead of apples. They are much jucier so I had to be careful not to use all the juice. They turned out delicious!!!
Thank you for the recipe, we loved them.
Wonderful, love it Andrea!
Do you think blueberry pie filling would work as well?
I’m making these this weekend for a BBQ. I’m going to use peaches and apples I got at our local farmers market. They look delicious! 🍑🍎
Enjoy!
These look amazing! Do they have a strong oatmeal flavor though?
Thanks Beth, I would say they taste similar to a mini apple crisp if that helps.
How did you store these? Just made them and they are delicious!!! I’m thinking Tupperware would make them lose the crispness of the streusel topping. Any advice would be great!
I just used a Tupperware and they were fine. Glad you like them!
I had some apples that needed to be used. I didn’t want apple sauce, apple butter, apple pie, apple muffins or any of the standard apple dishes. I ran across this beautiful recipe and thought I’d give it a try. I had all the ingredients, with the exception of the pie crust, on hand. This recipe was so simple, quick and easy to follow. The little Dutch Apple pie cookies turned out amazing. I actually had to give some away to keep from eating them all. They are amazing and taste as pretty as they look. Thank you for such a great recipe!
That’s great! I’m so glad you loved them!
If I don’t have any Granny Smith apple and substitute with regular apples, do you think I need to make any modification in the recipe?
Can’t wait to make them!
I think you could use any apple, I just like Granny Smith for the tartness.
Can you use blueberry
I don’t see why not! Let me know what you think if you try them.
I think when I make these I may drizzle some Carmel over the top of these delicious looking cookies! Thank you for the recipe!!
I like the way you think Melinda!
Can you use blueberry
I collect antique apple peelers, and have the kind that clamp onto a table edge. I especially love one that has hearts on the turning wheel. I’ve used them for apples and pears. They still work great and the grandkids love to use them!
I haven’t tried the recipe, but I plan to this weekend. I have some apples that I need to use and this looks like something my Dad and son would enjoy.
Thanks for the recipe!
How fun! Enjoy your weekend!
Hi there this looks and sounds amazing! I’m in the UK and I’m not sure what you mean by pie dough? Is this the same pastry you might use for mince pies? Thanks for your help, and for sharing something so yummy x
So sorry just getting back to you. I believe it would be the same as for a mince pie, though I have never had that :0)
I believe in the UK it would be short crust pastry. I think Tesco sells it.
Thank you Sylvia!
Thank you 🙂
Would it be possible to use canned pie filling?
Sa
Sally, I think that would be a good shortcut! Don’t see why not!
What a wonderful cookie! Made these with canned filling today. I diced the canned filling then added 1 tsp cinnamon. I cut 3″ circles from ready-made pie dough using a biscuit cutter, and that made a nice bottom edge to hold in all of the yummies. One pie crust made 12 rounds. I was careful not to overfill the apples (just 1 scant Tbsp) and I used the bottom of a 1/2 pint canning jar to firmly tamp down a generous tablespoon of streusel topping. (Like other reviewers, I had streusel leftovers.) I had to bake my cookies 10 -13 minutes or so longer than expected to get a nice golden bottom crust. SOOOO worth it! Delicious! Thanks Sally for the quickie idea, and thank you Julie for a great recipe,
Plan on using these instead of pie during a go to the beach instead of cook for Thanksgiving trip.
Enjoy Shelley!
One of the best desserts I’ve ever made!! Everyone loves them! I’m definitely going to make them again for Thanksgiving as they are the perfect size. Thank you for sharing!
I’m so glad Joy. They are fun because they are little and just something a little different!
You could use a muffin top pan? I think it might be easier to get them out. I have fine motor coordination issues with my hands
Hi Raeann, I think a muffin pan might work – but I don’t have one so I’m not sure if the well is deep enough.
Just wondering, is a mini-muffin pan too small because it’s not deep enough?
Look yummy!
Want to make as a dessert for our church fund-raiser.
I haven’t tried a mini muffin tin before so I’m not sure. I think it could work out okay, you would just have to adjust baking time a little bit.
I made these for an after Hurricane Matthew cookout. They were a hit. Great size. I also had a lot of topping left over, so I just made another batch of apple filling. I love the idea of using another fruit as well.
Thanks for the recipe.
Beverly
That’s great! Glad everyone was safe and enjoyed the cookies!
I’m planning on making these very soon. Can you tell me how many cups of apples 5 small would make? I have diced frozen apples in my freezer, so I’ll be adding them by measurement, not whole apples. Thanks for such a beautiful recipe!
Hi! I really should have measured in cups and apples. I think you would be good with 3 cups chopped apples. Enjoy!
This looks great! If I make these the day before are they alright to reheat in the oven the following day?
Can’t wait to try.
Thanks!
I don’t see why not, Alex. Hope you enjoy!