Fried Apple Pies
A hearty vegetarian built around apples, peeled and chopped and apple juice — roughly 70 minutes start to finish, and rated medium to make. You'll find the full ingredient list (with a scaler to change the servings), 7 steps of method, substitutions, and ideas for what to serve alongside.
You'll mainly reach for frying pan / skillet and saucepan. At medium difficulty across 7 steps, it's manageable with a little attention. As written, it's meat-free.
What you'll need
Shopping list (2)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
🔁 Unit converter
How to make it
- Combine the chopped apples, sugar, apple juice, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a saucepan and cook over medium heat for about 8 to 10 minutes until the apples soften.
- Stir the cornstarch into a tablespoon of cold water, add it to the apples, and simmer for one more minute until the filling thickens, then set aside to cool completely.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt, then rub in the cold butter with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs, and stir in just enough cold milk to form a firm dough.
- Roll the dough out thin on a floured surface and cut it into 5-inch (12 cm) rounds, re-rolling the scraps as needed.
- Spoon a tablespoon of the cooled filling onto one half of each round, brush the edges with water, fold over into a half-moon, and crimp the edges firmly with a fork to seal.
- Heat the oil to 350°F (175°C) and fry the pies in batches for 2 to 3 minutes per side until deep golden brown, turning once.
- Drain the pies on paper towels and, while still warm, dust them with sugar or a cinnamon-sugar mixture before serving.
You'll use: Frying pan / skillet · Saucepan · Pan · Whisk
Ingredient substitutions
- Cornstarch
- 2 tbsp flour per 1 tbsp cornstarch (as thickener)
- Butter
- olive oil (¾ the amount) · coconut oil · margarine
- Milk
- any unsweetened plant milk · ½ cup evaporated milk + ½ cup water
Tips & common questions
How long does Fried Apple Pies take to make?
About 70 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 7 steps and 12 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of cornstarch?
Try 2 tbsp flour per 1 tbsp cornstarch (as thickener). See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
Is Fried Apple Pies vegetarian?
Its ingredients contain no meat or fish, so it's suitable for vegetarians. Check any cheeses for animal rennet if that matters to you.
Related recipes
Fried Apple Pies is an original recipe developed in-house by Consomee. Photo: Fried apple pies from the John C. Campbell Folk School, Brasstown, NC.jpg by Basilwhite, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure on top — how we source recipes.