Ingredients
4 generous cups tart, crisp apples, roughly chopped
1/4 cup sugar, depending on sweetness of apples
2 tsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp all purpose flour
1 tsp cinnamon
dash of nutmeg
1/8 tsp salt
prepared cold pie dough, double crust recipe
Equipment
6-8 half pint canning jars (short, wide mouth kind)
wide mouth lids and rings
glass measuring cup
measuring spoons
small and medium mixing bowls
rolling pin
labels
Create darling mini pies in canning jars to freeze and bake later, or impress your friends and family with sweet homemade gifts!
These pies are great for gifts as you can make a bunch of them in advance, store them in the freezer for up to 3 months, and simply bake when needed. If you are going to a holiday gathering, you can place a bunch of these pies onto a baking sheet and cook them all at once, cool, and dress up the jar with a scrap of repurposed fabric, or a cute handmade label. Movie night at a friends house? Tell them to preheat the oven, and bring over a couple frozen pies for a freshly baked treat.
Step One.
Gather clean jars and lids. Peel and chop the apples, toss with lemon juice, and set aside.
Step two.
Whisk sugar, flour, salt, and spices together in a small bowl. Pour mixture over chopped apples and stir until apple chunks are evenly coated with the dry ingredients. Take small pieces of your pie dough and press onto the sides of your jar, making your way almost to the top. For best results, make sure the bottom and sides are even thickness. Spoon apple filling into jars up to the edge of the crust.
Step Three.
Roll out the leftover dough on a floured surface, and cut pie toppers using a canning ring. You can cut little shapes into the top as a vent (mini cookie cutters are fantastic for this), or if you have pie crust skills, a lattice top always makes for a gorgeous presentation.
*Optional- put a little dab of butter on the top of the apple filling before putting on the top crust.*
Step Four.
Gently press the edges of your pie topper into the inside rim, then take your canning lid and ring and close tightly. You can use a sharpie to mark the top of your pie to remember what kind and when it was made, or if you are giving as a gift you could use some cute labels for a slightly more decorative approach and even fit the baking instructions right on the top. Store your pies in the freezer for up to 3 months until you need to pull one out for a pie pick-me-up!
Step Five: Baking
When baking a frozen pie, remove the lid and ring, set jar onto a cookie sheet, and then place in a cold oven. Turn the oven to 375˚ F, and let bake for a total of 50-60 minutes, or until the top is a rich golden brown and the filling is hot and bubbly! Top that beauty with a scoop of cold vanilla ice cream for an a la mode delight.
Want to bake some right away? After assembling your pie, preheat the oven to 375˚ and bake for about 35-40 minutes until filling is bubbling and the top is golden brown.
Have a favorite fruit pie recipe? Split your ingredients into jars for single servings of pie that can be enjoyed anytime- it’s hard to go wrong! Easy, cute, and delicious. Make it now, enjoy it later!