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These Fried Apple Pies are filled with warm apples, spices, flaky crust, and sweetened condensed milk. They'll make you famous amongst your family and friends!
Here are some more finger-licking apple recipes: Apple Galette, Apple Fritters, Classic Homemade Apple Pie, Apple Pie with Graham Cracker Crust, Apple Crisp, and Apple Cinnamon Biscuits.
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If you're like me, McDonald's fried apple pie was your earliest memory of eating one. Hubig's Pie may take that position if you're from New Orleans.
Once I ate one of them Hubig's pies fresh out of the microwave, I never returned to McDonald's. Hubig’s pies were my inspiration for these glorious fried apple pies.
Once, I finally got my great-grandfather's pie crust recipe that he used to make the fried sweet potato pies that he sold at second lines and during Mardi Gras. I knew I would start filling these pies with everything I could imagine.
However, before exploring my chef taste buds, I wanted to master the basics. This recipe only took one time to test and knock out the park!
I love apple pie and already had a bomb recipe for apple filling, so I modified that recipe slightly for the filling, and this fried apple pie recipe is the final result.
I hope they create some new food memories for your family. Let's jump into making them!
Key Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you'll need for delicious homemade fried apple pies.
Fresh Apples
I love using ingredients when they're in season, so I used fresh organic apples. My go-to for this recipe is Honeycrisp, but Granny Smiths will work, too, if you enjoy tart apples.
Sugar
You can use light brown or dark brown sugar, but regular granulated sugar does the trick.
Apple Pie Spice
Usually, I like to make my own apple pie spice mix with ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt, but the store-bought apple pie spice was staring me in my face.
Corn Starch
This will prevent the filling from being too liquid while preserving the ideal consistency that we enjoy in fruit pies.
Self-Rising Flour
The pie dough recipe was different for me because it calls for self-rising flour, which includes baking soda and salt, and baking soda is nothing I would usually use in my pie dough recipes.
Shortening
We all were raised on Crisco, but we must feed our family quality food. I highly recommend you use a non-hydrogenated shortening. Shortening makes some of the best homemade flaky pie crusts.
Evaporated Milk
Evaporated milk has a more robust flavor compared to other types of milk.
Make sure you pre-cook your apples to remove all the moisture. Access moisture will make the crust damp. This will ruin the pies.
You can also bake the pies in a 400°F for 20 minutes.
How To Make Fried Apple Pies Recipe
I wanted my homemade fried apple pies to be tasty, simple, and a delightful fall treat!
How to Slice and Chop Apples
Wash and peel apples.
Chop apples around the core.
Slice apples into medium slices.
Chopped apples into small bite-sized pieces.
Apple Filling
Turn the heat to medium in a large skillet or medium saucepan, melt unsalted butter, and add apples; cook for 2 minutes. Mix sugar, cornstarch, salt, and apple pie spice in a small bowl. Add sugar blend and water to apples, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes.
Place the pot or place apples in a medium bowl and in a large bowl filled with ice water to cool the apple pie filling for a few minutes.
Pie Dough
Mix flour and shortening with a fork or pastry cutter in a large bowl until it resembles a crumble texture. Add evaporated milk and mix until dough is formed. Knead 20 times on a lightly floured surface until the dough ball is smooth. Shape into a disc and pop in the fridge for 15-30 minutes.
Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface; if the dough begins to crumble, knead the dough a few more times, then roll out. Repeat again with the dough scraps.
Use a 4-inch biscuit cutter to cut out pie crusts.
Add 1-2 tablespoons of apple filling to each pie circle. This recipe makes mini-pies; roll each crust out for another 1 inch in diameter for a larger portion. It needs to be large enough for the filling.
Pull and fold the dough over, seal the edges, crimp with a fork, and set it on a foiled-lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining pie crusts.
Fill a large cast iron skillet ⅓ of the way with peanut oil; heat oil to 325°F and fry 3-4 pies at a time for 45 seconds per side in hot oil until golden brown.
Drain fried apple pies on a cooling rack. Keep warm in a 200°F oven while you fry off the remaining pies.
Drizzle sweetened condensed milk over the top of the pies. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream, or enjoy as is.
How To Store Fried Apple Pies
Leftover fried apple pies are best eaten the same day but will remain fresh for 1 day in an airtight container on the counter.
To reheat pies in the microwave for 10-15 seconds or in a 400°F oven or air fryer for 5 minutes or until warm.
After the pies have cooled off, you can store them in an airtight container and freeze them for up to 3 months. Be sure to thaw them for 24 hours before using them.
Pro Recipe Tips & Tricks
Here are a few substitution notes I had from making these delicious fried apple pies.
- You can bake the apple pies in a 400°F oven for 15 minutes.
- For an extra burst of flavor, you can roll hot fried pies in cinnamon sugar if you enjoy its taste.
- Add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vanilla extract to the apples to enhance the apple-fried pies flavor.
- Feel free to use Granny Smith apples instead of Honeycrisp, but you can also do a blend for a richer apple flavor.
- If you don't own a cooling rack, you can place the pies on a baking sheet lined with paper towels to drain.
- Feel free to use light brown sugar instead of granulated sugar.
- You can make your own self-rising flour by combining 1 cup of all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour, 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda, and ½ teaspoon salt.
- This recipe makes mini-pies; roll each crust out for another 1 inch in diameter for a larger pie.
- While using a pre-made pie crust from the store is an option, it may result in a pie that lacks the same flavor and flakiness as a homemade crust. Also, you may need to find a version that fits your dietary needs because most are made with lard (pork) and gluten.
- I don't recommend using canned biscuits for pie dough replacement.
- Use a Dutch oven or a deep fryer as an alternative to a cast iron skillet.
- You can substitute any milk that you currently have for the evaporated milk.
- Use any canola oil instead of peanut oil.
- Dust apple pies with powdered sugar if you're not a fan of condensed milk.
More Mouthwatering Pie Recipes
If you love pies like I do, you'll enjoy these recipes too!
- Southern Pecan Pie
- Fried Sweet Potato Pie
- Fried Peach Pie
- Chocolate Cream Pie
- Lemon Ice-Box Pie
- Southern Potato Pie
- Cherry Fried Pie
Before You Begin
Here are my steps for getting organized and moving fast in the kitchen.
Step 1: Get all ingredients for the pie dough and peach pie filling on the counter.
Step 2: Measure everything out into individual bowls.
Step 3: Start following the fried apple pie recipe and get ready for an amazingly delicious treat!
Fried hand pies have been a staple in New Orleans for years, and I’m excited to share this fried apple hand pie recipe with you. This recipe is super easy to make, and your family and friends will love it. Be sure to make a double batch because these pies will go fast! Make the recipe yourself and leave me a 5-star review!
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📖 Recipe
Homemade Fried Apple Pies
Ingredients
Apple Filling:
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 medium honeycrisp apples skinned, cored, chopped small
- ½ cup raw cane sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon apple pie spice
- ¼ cup water
Pie Dough:
- 1 ½ cups self-rising flour
- ¼ cup shorting
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup evaporated milk
- 4 cups canola oil
- 4 oz. can sweet condensed milk garnish
Instructions
Apple Filling:
- Turn the heat to medium in a large skillet or medium saucepan, melt unsalted butter, and add apples; cook for 2 minutes. In a small bowl mix, sugar, cornstarch, salt, and apple pie spice. Add sugar blend and water to apples, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes.
- Place the pot in a large bowl filled with ice water to cool the apple pie filling for a few minutes.
Pie Dough:
- Mix flour and shortening with a fork or pastry cutter in a large bowl until it resembles a crumble texture. Add evaporated milk and mix until dough is formed. Knead 20 times on a lightly floured surface until the dough ball is smooth. Shape into a disc and pop in the fridge for 15-30 minutes.
- Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface; if the dough begins to crumble, knead the dough a few more times, then roll out. Use a 4-inch biscuit cutter to cut out pie crusts.
- Repeat again with the dough scraps. Keep pie cutouts on parchment paper or a floured baking sheet.
- Add 1-2 tablespoons of apple filling to each pie circle. This recipe makes mini-pies; roll each crust out for another 1 inch in diameter for a larger portion. It needs to be large enough for the filling. Pull and fold the dough over, seal the edges, crimp with a fork, and set it on a foiled-lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining pie crusts.
- Fill a large cast iron skillet ⅓ of the way with peanut oil; heat oil to 325°F and fry pies 3-4 at a time for 45 seconds per side in hot oil until golden brown. Drain on paper towels or a cooling rack.
- Keep warm in a 200°F oven while you fry off the remaining pies. Drizzle sweetened condensed milk over the top of the pies. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream, or enjoy as is.
Notes
- You can bake the apple pies in a 400°F oven for 15 minutes.
- For an extra burst of flavor, you can roll hot fried pies in cinnamon sugar if you enjoy its taste.
- Add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vanilla extract to the apples to enhance the apple-fried pies flavor.
- Feel free to use Granny Smith apples instead of Honeycrisp, but you can also do a blend for a richer apple flavor.
- If you don't own a cooling rack, you can place the pies on a baking sheet lined with paper towels to drain.
- Feel free to use light brown sugar instead of granulated sugar.
- You can make your own self-rising flour by combing 1 cup of all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour, 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda, and ½ teaspoon salt.
- This recipe makes mini-pies; roll each crust out for another 1 inch in diameter for a larger pie.
- While using a pre-made pie crust from the store is an option, it may result in a pie that lacks the same flavor and flakiness as a homemade crust. Also, you may need to find a version that fits your dietary needs because most are made with lard (pork) and gluten.
- I don't recommend using canned biscuits for pie dough replacement.
- Use a Dutch oven or a deep fryer as an alternative to a cast iron skillet.
- You can substitute any milk that you currently have for the evaporated milk.
- Use any canola oil instead of peanut oil.
- Dust apple pies with powdered sugar if you're not a fan of condensed milk.
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