Glazed Paleo Apple Hand Pies (Gluten-Free, Air Fryer Option!)

If you love the idea of a handheld apple pie with flaky crust, a tasty spiced apple filling, sweet glaze but need it to be gluten-free and paleo-friendly, these Glazed Paleo Apple Hand Pies are exactly what you have been looking for. Made with my OG cassava flour pie crust and a deeply flavored apple cider filling, they are everything you want from a fall bake in one little handheld package. And yes, you can make them in the air fryer, the oven, or even deep fry them. All three methods are covered.

These are a big deal at our house every fall. Let me tell you why.

A Little Back Story on These Apple Hand Pies

Here is something not many people know about me: I worked at McDonald’s in high school. And those hot apple pies they had back then, you know the deep-fried ones that came in that little cardboard sleeve – they were genuinely hard to resist. Crispy, flaky, sweet, and warm. Since we were able to have one menu item per shift, I may have enjoyed more than necessary!

When my husband Drew has a particular soft spot for anything resembling those Hostess apple pies and the old-school McDonald’s version as well. So recreating something in that spirit felt like an exciting and tasty project.

These glazed apple hand pies are that recreation. Do I think they are better, haha most definitely! The filling is made with real apple cider and coconut sugar, which gives it a depth of flavor that no fast food pie ever had. The crust is my original cassava flour pie crust – the same one that has been a Back Porch Paleo staple since 2015!  So these cute little hand pies are gluten-free, grain-free, and completely nut-free. And that glaze, oh my. Simple, thin, and perfectly sweet.

Why Cassava Flour Makes the Best Gluten-Free Hand Pie Crust

Most gluten-free pie crusts struggle a bit. They can crack, crumble, or fall apart when you try to fold and crimp them. My cassava flour pie crust does none of that. It is pliable and forgiving, which is exactly what you need when you are folding little half-moon pockets of dough and crimping the edges with a fork. In the last decade I’ve taught more classes on this amazing pie crust and attendees always left so happy and blown away with how easy it is to work with!

If you have not made my OG Paleo Pie Crust yet, start there. It is the foundation for so many recipes on this blog, and these hand pies are one of my absolute favorites to make with it. The recipe makes enough dough for about 12 hand pies, and any leftover apple filling is wonderful spooned over chia pudding or oatmeal the next morning.

The Apple Cider Filling: What Makes It Special

The filling here is not just apples and cinnamon, though both are present. The real magic is the apple cider. A half cup goes into the pot while the apples cook down, and then a small cassava flour slurry thickens everything into a glossy, jammy filling that holds its shape inside the crust without being watery. A little ghee and vanilla stirred in at the end round out the flavor beautifully.

I use coconut sugar to sweeten, which gives the filling a slightly caramel-like warmth that pairs perfectly with the cinnamon and nutmeg. The result tastes like fall in the best possible way. If you need to sub for standard granulated sugar or maple sugar, both are great options. Filling will have a slightly different flavor profile, but tasty regardless.°

Air Fryer, Oven, or Deep Fry — Your Choice!

One of the things I love about this recipe is that it works three different ways depending on what you have and what you are in the mood for:

Air Fryer Apple Hand Pies

This is my preferred method. The air fryer gives you a beautifully golden crust in just 7 to 10 minutes at 375°F degrees, with no fuss. Brush the tops with egg wash before baking for that classic golden finish.

Oven-Baked Apple Hand Pies

Pop them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 375°F degrees for 13 to 15 minutes until golden. Just as delicious, just a little longer.

Deep-Fried Apple Hand Pies

If you want to go full old-school McDonald’s, heat about 2 inches of avocado oil in a heavy-bottomed pan to 375°F degrees and fry a couple at a time until golden. No egg wash needed for this method. This is the crispiest version of the three and a total crowd-pleaser.

A Note on the Glaze

I use organic powdered sugar for the glaze, which I want to be upfront about 0 it is not strict paleo. On recipes like this one that are more of a special occasion treat than an everyday staple, I am comfortable using it. If you would like to keep things a little more paleo-aligned, maple powdered sugar works as a 1:1 substitute. Just know that the color will be a bit more caramel and the flavor will lean slightly mapley, which is honestly not a bad thing at all with apple filling.

Once the first coat of glaze sets, I love adding a second drizzle — just thicken the glaze up a bit with a little extra powdered sugar and go for it. It makes them look like they came straight from a bakery.

A few of my other favorite pie recipes:

• Mom’s Pecan Pie
• Peach Crumble Pie
• Banana Cream Pie

glazed apple hand pies

Recipe by Michelle

0.0 from 0 votes

Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: moderate

Servings

12

hand pies

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

10

minutes

Ingredients

• crust recipe

• 1 Paleo pie crust recipe

• filling

• 8 oz apple, peeled & chopped into ½ “ pieces

• 2 tsp fresh lemon juice

• ¼ cup coconut sugar

• ½ tsp ground cinnamon

• ⅛ tsp nutmeg

• ⅛ tsp fine sea salt

• ½ cup + 2 tbsp apple cider, divided

• 2 tbsp cassava flour

• ½ tsp vanilla

• 1 tbsp ghee (or grass fed butter)

• 1 large egg, whisked for egg wash (opt)

• *glaze*

• 1 cup organic powdered sugar (or maple powdered sugar)

• 2-3 tbsp apple cider

Directions

• Prepare the pie crust as directed, setting aside covered with plastic. Prep your air fryer for baking at 375° OR preheat your oven to 375° OR prepare avocado oil about 2” deep in a heavy bottomed pan to deep fry at 375°.
• Place apples in a medium sized stock pot. Add lemon juice, coconut sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt to the apples and toss to coat. Let them sit for 10 minutes.
• Add ½ cup apple cider to the apples, stirring to combine and over medium heat, cook until the apples are soft. Probably around 11-13 minutes.
• In a small bowl add the remaining 2 tbsp apple cider and the cassava flour. Stir to combine well and make a slurry. Pour into the apple mixture and stir. Cook until thickened.
• Remove from the heat, add vanilla and ghee. Stir to combine well and place in the refrigerator to cool slightly while you roll out your dough.
• Roll out your dough and cut a 3½“ circle of dough out with a cookie or biscuit cutter, placing in your air fryer basket or parchment lined baking sheet if baking in the oven. Collect scraps and reroll dough, cutting out circles until all dough is used.
• Brush one half of the circle with egg wash and spoon a tablespoon of the apple filling in the center. Carefully fold dough in half over the filling, pressing edges together. Crimp with a fork to seal. Repeat with remaining dough and filling. You will have a little filling left over, so save this for a chia pudding topping!
• Brush tops with egg wash, if using and only if you’re using your air fryer or oven. If deep frying, no need to egg wash. For AIR FRYER: bake for 7-10 mins or until golden. OVEN: bake for 13-15 mins or until golden. DEEP FRYING: fry a couple pies at a time until golden, remove to a paper towel lined plate.
• While hand pies cool, prepare glaze by mixing powdered sugar and apple cider in a small bowl. Once pies are cool, dip tops into the glaze and allow excess to drip off and place on a cooling rack. Repeat with all pies. Allow glaze to set and enjoy! You can store these at room temperature for a couple days. Or store in the fridge for up to a week. They also freeze really well!
• TIP: If you want a fun drizzle accent on the pies, wait for the first coat of glaze to set up and add a little extra powdered sugar to the glaze and then drizzle on top.