Apple and sage hand pies deliver full fall flavor in a personal-sized pie: light, flaky almond-flax pastry wrapped around warm sage-scented apples browned in butter. Browned butter and maple syrup make the filling deeply caramelized while the fresh sage keeps it savory and grown-up. Eight golden hand pies that crumble beautifully when cooled just right.
Full fall flavor in a personal-sized pie. Light, flaky, and filled with warm sage-scented apples. Let them cool before enjoying to ensure a crisp, buttery crust.
Yields: 8 4” pies
Almond Flax Pastry Dough
3 c (35°F). blanched almond flour
¾ c. tapioca starch
½ c. ground flaxseed
1 pastured egg
½ cup grass-fed butter, cold & cubed to 1”
2 T. raw honey
1 t. sea salt
Apple Sage Filling
¼ c. grass-fed butter or virgin coconut oil
4 organic apples, very finely diced
½ t. sea salt
4 medium fresh sage leaves, chopped
1-2 T. organic grade B maple syrup, to taste
1 t. vanilla extract
1 pastured egg + 1 t. water, for glazing
Directions:
Prepare the crust: combine all ingredients in the bowl of a large food processor and process to combine, about 60-90 seconds. Dough should come together in clumps and should hold together when pinched between two fingers. Dump dough onto a large piece of saran wrap, wrap tightly, and place in refrigerator for 30-60 minutes to chill.
While dough is chilling, prepare filling. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Continue to cook (butter will bubble) until butter begins to brown. Promptly add diced apple pieces and sea salt and stir well. Turn heat to medium and cook until apples are softened, about 10 minutes. Add sage, maple syrup, and vanilla extract. Stir well (vanilla will cause the mixture to bubble a bit) and cook to reduce the syrup, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and bring to room temperature before filling the pies.
Preheat oven to 400F (200°C).
To assemble the pies: remove dough from refrigerator. Place half the chilled dough between two large pieces of parchment paper and roll with rolling pin to ½” thickness. Try to handle the dough as little as possible, as to not warm it up too much. Lift the top layer of parchment and cut 8 4” rounds with a cookie cutter or large rimmed glass. Place the rounds on a parchment-lined sheet pan.
Equally distribute the filling between the 8 rounds, about 2 T. each. Roll out the remaining dough and cut 8 more rounds out. Lay one of each on the rounds already placed on the baking sheet and press the edges down with the blades of a fork.
Whisk together egg and water in a small bowl and using a pastry brush, lightly glaze the tops of each pie. Immediately bake for 13-15 minutes, or until golden brown. Move to a cooling rack and cool for 10-15 minutes before enjoying (pies will crumble more if they are not left to cool).
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Pro Tips
- Keep the dough cold and handle it as little as possible — warm butter means greasy pastry that won't stay flaky. Chill the wrapped dough 30 to 60 minutes before rolling.
- Brown the butter properly before the apples go in; the nutty, toasty flavor is the soul of this filling.
- Roll the dough between two sheets of parchment to half-inch thickness — almond-flax dough sticks to everything and parchment makes it manageable.
- Cool the filling completely before it goes into the rounds; warm filling melts the butter in the dough and the pasties lose their layers.
- Let the baked pies cool 10 to 15 minutes before eating — they crumble more if enjoyed straight from the oven, and the filling sets as it cools.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make the dough ahead?
Yes — the wrapped dough chills for up to two days, and the filling keeps three days refrigerated. Assemble and bake when you want them fresh.
Why are my hand pies crumbly?
Almond-flax pastry is naturally more delicate than wheat dough. Chill the dough well, roll it thick enough, and let the baked pies cool before handling — those three steps make the difference.
Can I freeze them?
Freeze the unbaked pies on a sheet pan, then bag them. Bake from frozen at 400°F, adding 3 to 5 minutes to the baking time.
What apples work best?
Firm, tart-sweet varieties like Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, or Braeburn. Diced very fine, they soften into a jammy filling that hugs the sage.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
Method
- Prepare the crust: combine all ingredients in the bowl of a large food processor and process to combine, about 60-90 seconds. Dough should come together in clumps and should hold together when pinched between two fingers. Dump dough onto a large piece of saran wrap, wrap tightly, and place in refrigerator for 30-60 minutes to chill.
- While dough is chilling, prepare filling. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat.
- Continue to cook (butter will bubble) until butter begins to brown. Promptly add diced apple pieces and sea salt and stir well.
- Turn heat to medium and cook until apples are softened, about 10 minutes.
- Add sage, maple syrup, and vanilla extract.
- Stir well (vanilla will cause the mixture to bubble a bit) and cook to reduce the syrup, about 2-3 minutes.
- Remove from heat and bring to room temperature before filling the pies.
- Preheat oven to 400F. To assemble the pies: remove dough from refrigerator.
- Place half the chilled dough between two large pieces of parchment paper and roll with rolling pin to ½” thickness. Try to handle the dough as little as possible, as to not warm it up too much. Lift the top layer of parchment and cut 8 4” rounds with a cookie cutter or large rimmed glass.
- Place the rounds on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Equally distribute the filling between the 8 rounds, about 2 T. each.
- Roll out the remaining dough and cut 8 more rounds out. Lay one of each on the rounds already placed on the baking sheet and press the edges down with the blades of a fork.
- Whisk together egg and water in a small bowl and using a pastry brush, lightly glaze the tops of each pie. Immediately bake for 13-15 minutes, or until golden brown. Move to a cooling rack and cool for 10-15 minutes before enjoying (pies will crumble more if they are not left to cool).
