A mini Dutch apple pie made with a perfectly sweet apple filling, a buttery shortbread crust, and plenty of crumble topping. It's the perfect mini dessert for fall!
Prep Time10 minutesmins
Cook Time1 hourhr20 minutesmins
Cooling Time30 minutesmins
Total Time2 hourshrs
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Diet: Vegetarian
Keyword: apple pie, apple recipe, apples, apples with streusel topping, dutch apple pie, mini apple pie, mini dessert, mini dutch apple pie, mini pie
Using a hand mixer, mix together butter and sugar in a medium-sized bowl until well blended. Add flour, cornstarch, and salt and mix until combined.
Press the dough firmly into a lightly buttered 5-inch baking dish using your fingertips or the back of a spoon.
Bake 18-20 minutes, until lightly golden. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool, about 20 minutes.
For the filling
Peel, core and slice the apples into ¼-inch slices or chunks. Place them in a medium-sized bowl and sprinkle them with lemon juice to help keep them from turning brown.
Combine sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a small bowl. Add the flour mixture to the apple slices and stir to distribute the flour through the apples so they are well coated. Then, stir in the vanilla extract.
Pour the coated apples over the baked pie crust.
For the topping
In a small bowl, stir together the flour, sugars, and cinnamon. Blend in the softened butter using a fork and mix until combined.
Spoon the topping over the apples and place the baking dish on a baking sheet. Bake for 55-60 minutes, until the filling is bubbly and the topping is golden.
Remove the pie from the oven when done and allow it to come to room temperature before eating.
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Notes
Read It First: Before you start mixing, take a few minutes to read through the entire recipe, including the ingredient notes and process photos. This will give you a clear picture of the steps involved and ensure your mini pies turn out perfectly.
Even Apple Slices: Aim to cut your apples into slices that are all about the same size, around ¼ inch thick. This helps them cook evenly and gives you a delicious, consistent filling.
Pick the Perfect Pan: A 5x5 inch baking dish is ideal for this recipe, but don't worry if yours is slightly different. Dishes around 4x6, 5x7, or 6.5x5 inches will work too. The key is to choose a pan close to these sizes to avoid a crust that's too thin or a filling that's not robust. You can find some baking dish recommendations on our bakeware page!
Traditional Pie Crust Option: If you prefer a classic pie crust, you can easily swap out the shortbread crust for our single serving pie crust recipe.
Going Big (or Mini): Want to make a larger pie or two mini ones? Simply double all the recipe ingredients and keep the same oven temperature and baking time. You can use two 5-inch square baking dishes, one 6.5-inch square dish, or even a 6x8-inch baking dish.
Make-Ahead TipsI love to make and enjoy the pie the same day but you can pre-make portions of the pie
Pie crust - the homemade shortbread pie crust can be made 3 days ahead and refrigerated until ready to use. You can even press the dough into the baking dish, cover, and refrigerate a day before you are ready to bake it.
Crumble topping - You can make the crumble topping a day ahead, cover, and refrigerate until you are ready to use it.
Storing an apple pie - This mini dutch apple pie can be baked ahead of time. If I know I will finish off the apple pie in a day or so, I will cover it and keep in on the counter. If I want to store it longer, cover it and keep in the refrigerator. It will stay good for up to 3 days, refrigerated.