cutest dessert ever: mini vegan apple pies!

If you think that making homemade pie is intimidating, I encourage you to try this easy and fun recipe for Mini Apple Pies. There’s less pressure than full-sized pie- these treats are easy to handle and are very small (and therefore automatically cute). And if you mess up one, you still have a dozen others to make picture-perfect. And if you are really scared, just make the apple pie filling and enjoy that!

Mini Vegan Apple Pies

1. To prepare Crust: In a large bowl combine flours and powdered sugar. Add butter and cut into flour mixture using a pastry cutter or your hands. Work the butter into the flour until it resembles a coarse meal. Be sure not to overwork the mixture.
2. Add ice water 1 Tablespoon at a time until dough sticks together.
3. Separate dough into 2 balls and press into 2 flat rounds on wax paper. Freeze for at least 10 minutes (or keep in fridge overnight).
4. While dough is chilling, prepare Filling. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add butter, apples and lemon juice. Cook for a five minutes to soften. Add cinnamon and nutmeg and stir to coat apples.
5. Mix water and cornstarch until smooth. Stir into apple mixture until it thickens. Add vanilla and maple syrup and cook two more minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
6. Preheat oven to 350° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
7. Remove dough from refrigerator/freezer and allow to sit a couple minutes or until it can be rolled out.
8. Flour work surface and top of dough. Roll out dough to ¼” thickness.
9. Using a cookie cutter or a round kitchen glass, cut dough into one dozen, 4-inch circles (or any even number, depending on your cutter).
10. Take 1 Tablespoon of cooled apple mixture and place in the center of dough circle. Wet edge of dough with milk and cover with another dough circle. Use the tines of a fork to press edges of dough to seal. Repeat with remaining dough and filling. Use a sharp knife and cut 4 small openings on the top of the dough. Brush with milk and lay onto a lined baking sheet.
11. Bake 25 minutes or until golden brown on tops. Store any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature. Enjoy! Makes about 12 mini pies!

For a some photos detailing the process, please check out this link to Down to Earth’s Facebook photo album. There you can find photos to show you exactly how to make your Mini Vegan Apple Pies.