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VEGAN Cinnamon-Apple Hand Pies

VEGAN Cinnamon-Apple Hand Pies (Air-Fryer Dessert) Recipe

Crispy little pockets of warm apple + cinnamon filling, air-fried until golden — they taste like fall in your hands and take way less effort than a full pie. Sound good? Let’s make VEGAN Cinnamon-Apple Hand Pies that actually impress
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Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Servings: 8
Course: Appetizer, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 184
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 12 oz. cooking apples Granny Smith, Fuji, or Braeburn, peeled, cored, chopped (~2½ cups)
  • 2 tbsp pure maple syrup
  • ½ tsp + ⅛ tsp apple pie spice or ground cinnamon
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1 tbsp flaxseed meal
  • 1½ cups whole wheat pastry flour
  • ½ cup quick-cooking rolled oats
  • ¾ tsp sea salt
  • 3 tbsp unsalted cashew butter or almond butter
  • 1 tbsp + 2 tsp pure cane sugar
  • 1 tbsp unsweetened unflavored plant-based milk

Equipment

  • Medium saucepan for the filling
  • Small bowl for flax “egg”
  • Food processor (or mixing bowl and grater/knife) for crust — food processor saves time
  • Rolling Pin
  • Pizza cutter or sharp knife
  • Air-fryer (or oven + baking sheet if you prefer) — note: the original bake time uses oven, but I’ll include air-fryer tips below
  • Parchment paper, measuring cups, and fork for sealing

Method
 

  1. Peel, core, and chop apples into ½-inch pieces (you should have 2½ cups).
  2. In a medium saucepan, combine apples, 2 tbsp maple syrup, and ½ tsp apple pie spice. Cook, covered, over medium for 4–6 minutes until apples soften, stirring occasionally.
  3. In a small bowl, whisk 1 tbsp cornstarch with 2 tbsp water until smooth. Add the slurry to the apple mixture and cook 1 minute while stirring, until thickened. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm.
  4. Make the crust (flaky-ish whole wheat pastry)
  5. In a small bowl, stir 1 tbsp flaxseed meal with ¼ cup water; let stand 5 minutes (this forms a flax “egg”).
  6. In a food processor, combine 1½ cups whole wheat pastry flour, ½ cup quick oats, and ¾ tsp sea salt. Pulse until the oats grind coarsely.
  7. Add 3 tbsp cashew butter, 1 tbsp sugar, and the flax mixture. Pulse until dough barely holds together. Add 3–4 tbsp water, 1 tbsp at a time, pulsing until the dough clumps.
  8. Knead dough once or twice on a lightly floured surface to even it out. Wrap in plastic and let sit 20 minutes.
  9. Assemble the hand pies
  10. Preheat oven to 400°F (if baking) or preheat air-fryer to 375°F (air-fryer temps vary; see tips). Line a baking sheet with parchment.
  11. Divide dough into 4 equal portions. Lightly dust one portion with flour, place between two sheets of parchment, and roll to a 10×5-inch rectangle (~1/8 inch thick). Remove the top parchment. Cut rectangle in half to make two 5-inch squares. Repeat for remaining dough.
  12. Spoon ~3 tbsp of apple filling down one half of each square, leaving a ¼-inch border. Brush edges with 1 tbsp plant-based milk. Fold unfilled half over and press edges with a fork to seal. Cut a few slits on top to vent.
  13. Place pies 1 inch apart on the prepared sheet.
  14. Finish & bake / air-fry
  15. Mix remaining 2 tsp sugar with ⅛ tsp apple pie spice. Lightly brush tops with milk and sprinkle sugar-spice.
  16. Oven: Bake 20 minutes or until bottoms brown lightly. Tent with foil if tops brown too fast. Serve warm.
  17. Air-fryer option: Arrange pies in a single layer (work in batches). Air-fry at 375°F for 10–12 minutes, checking at 8 minutes, until golden. Air-fryer models vary — adjust time slightly.

Notes

Nutrition (per serving — 1 hand pie)

  • Calories: ~184 kcal
  • Carbs: ~34 g
  • Protein: ~5 g
  • Total fat: ~4 g
  • Saturated fat: ~1 g
  • Cholesterol: 0 g
  • Sodium: ~149 mg
  • Fiber: ~3 g
  • Sugar: ~10 g
Note: These numbers come from your recipe’s provided estimate. I included them here so you can plan desserts without guesswork.