Easy Caramel Apple Bacon Hand Pies Recipe

Is there anything tastier than a fresh, hot apple pie? If there is, it’s these caramel apple bacon hand pies. These are tiny little morsels of apple pie goodness with two special ingredients to make it even richer and sweeter: caramel sauce and bacon.

If you’re looking for a sweet and savory dessert that’s perfect for fall, look no further than caramel apple bacon hand pies. These tasty treats are a twist on the classic apple pie, featuring a filling of sweet caramel, tart apples, and salty bacon, all baked into a flaky, buttery crust. Whether you’re looking for a new recipe to impress your friends and family or just craving a unique and delicious dessert, caramel apple bacon hand pies are sure to hit the spot.

With a scrumptious caramel sauce drizzled on top and extra texture from crumbled bacon, these caramel apple bacon hand pies are easy to eat and almost as easy to make. I promise you’re going to love them!

Special Equipment Needed To Make Caramel Apple Bacon

• Electric peeler: You don’t necessarily need this instrument, but it’ll make peeling apple bacon far easier, which is especially handy if you make this recipe a lot (and it’s quite possible you’re going to want to make this recipe a lot after you’ve tasted it once). This electric peeler will get your apples peeled much faster than if you peel the fruits by hand. Or you can simply use a manual peeler.

Ingredients Needed To Make Caramel Apple Bacon

• 3 apples
• 2 lbs pie dough
• ¼ cup apple juice
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tbs corn starch + 1 tbs water (mixed together)
• 2 tbs heavy cream (to brush on top of dough)
• 1 egg (to seal dough edges)
• Caramel Sauce
• 4-5 pieces of cooked bacon – crumbled

How to Make Caramel Apple Bacon

1. Start by peeling and dicing the apples. Make sure your diced apples are all the same size, as this will allow them to cook uniformly and give the pies a more even texture throughout.
2. Add your apples, sugar, and cinnamon to a skillet. Cook them over medium heat until softened, about 15 minutes. Be sure to stir regularly so that nothing scorches on the bottom of the pan.
3. Next, add your apple juice and your cornstarch slurry to the apple mixture, and stir until it’s thickened. Once you’ve reached your desired consistency, remove the skillet from the heat and set aside.
4. Now you’ll begin working with the dough. Place the dough on parchment paper and use a 4-inch dough cutter to cut circles.
5. Using a spoon, place about a tablespoon of your apple mixture from the skillet onto the center of the dough circle. Make sure you leave enough space to fold the dough and seal the edges.
6. Run egg wash along the edges of the circles and fold the dough over. Press a fork into the edges to seal.
7. Cut three slits into the center of the dough. This will allow for the steam to escape while baking.
8. Repeat steps five through seven on every piece of dough you cut out.
9. Place the hand pies onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and refrigerate for 15 to 30 minutes. While you’re doing this, preheat your oven to 375° F.
10. After you remove them from the refrigerator, brush your hand pies with heavy cream. This will aid in the browning process.
11. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown and let them cool for about 15 minutes after you pull them from the oven.
12. Once cool, drizzle with caramel sauce, top with crumbled bacon, then drizzle with more caramel sauce.

Top Tips To Make Caramel Apple Bacon

I suggest using my homemade caramel sauce for this recipe. It doesn’t take long to make, and a homemade sauce will instantly elevate these hand pies. It’s already super tasty and rich, but the caramel sauce will really add something extra.

For a little extra flair, try using a 4-inch flower-shaped cookie cutter for your dough instead of a regular dough cutter. This will give your hand pies a pretty scalloped edge.

Popular Substitutions

• Dough: You can make homemade dough or you can use store-bought. Although it takes longer, using homemade dough is sometimes a little bit easier because you control the shape that you roll it out to, making it easier for you to cut the dough circles in an arrangement you prefer.
• Fruit: You can substitute apples for pears if you’d like. Pears will also taste delicious in this recipe, and will pair well with all of the spices that are in the hand pies. Note that pears typically don’t have as much flesh as apples, so you may need to use a fourth pear for the recipe.
• Apples: There are many schools of thought when it comes to the best apples to use for pie. Some say green because the tartness complements the sweetness of the sugar. Others think that a crisp red is better because you have a crunchier bite. Some like to use a combination of apples. I suggest you start by using your favorite apple and make adjustments if you need to as you continue making the recipe.

FAQs of Apple Bacon Recipe

Do I have to make my own bacon?

No, you do not have to use your own bacon. You can buy bacon crumbles and use those. However, if you’d like to make your own bacon, I suggest baking some with a maple glaze. This will add another layer of sweetness and flavor, and will really scream fall.

If I make my own bacon, what is the best way to crumble it?

There are a couple of different ways to crumble bacon, and you may find, after trial and error, that you prefer one method over the other. 

No matter what you do, start by letting your bacon cool completely. Next, either take a knife and chop the bacon, put strips in a plastic bag and beat it with either a tenderizer or a rolling pin, or put the bacon in a food processor or a blender and blitz it until it’s finely chopped. All methods will work to give you nice, crumbly bacon. 

Other Recipes You’ll Love

• Pineapple Upside-Down Cake: If you’re a fan of fruity desserts, check out this easy recipe for pineapple upside-down cake. It’s luscious and simple, and it’ll instantly transport you somewhere tropical. 
• Peach Cobbler Pie: If you combine cobbler and pie, you’ll be left with very satisfied eaters. This dessert is one of my favorites, and I bet it’ll become one of yours once you taste it. 

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