Jumbo Muffin Tin Apple Pies

Jumbo Muffin Tin Apple Pies are twice as nice as minis! Fresh, crisp apples are coated with dulce de leche then baked in a jumbo muffin tin to yield petit pies that are perfect for fall. Add a scoop of ice cream to the buttery, flaky crust and you’ll take this all-American dessert to the next level.

What’s the one, life-defining thing that links Adam and Eve, Snow White and Steve Jobs? Of course it’s their correlation with that shiny, red fruit from fall’s harvest crop: the apple.

Apples are my favorite fruit, not only because they make that crunchy sound effect when your teeth bite through the skin, but because they’re at the core of three significant happenings in history.

As can be seen from the first book in the Bible to the first animated movie by Disney Studios to the first Macintosh computer, religion, entertainment and modern technology have been shaped by the round apple. The forbidden fruit is the most influential fruit of all time and it’s due to a serpent in the Garden of Eden, a Wicked Queen in the Enchanted forest and an iOS inventor in Silicon Valley.

That’s cool.

Then again, apples are cool for a bunch of other reasons, too. They are the only food can you coat with corn syrup and red food coloring and still call healthy. Not to mention, apples are the key ingredient in all that hard cider you drank in your college house party days. Also, let us not forget, the daily apple’s ability to keep the doctor away.

Or, to repeat my favorite saying, an apple a day will keep anyone away if you throw it hard enough.

Be that as it may, the only place I’m throwing apples today is into dulce de leche apple pies. Honestly, what could be better than warm, cinnamony apples coated in a gooey caramel sauce that’s tucked into a flaky, homemade pie crust?

Absolutely nothing, that’s what.

Since good things come in small packages, I’m foregoing the standard 9-inch pie and making dulce de leche apple pies in jumbo muffin cups instead. By and large, jumbo muffin pies are right smack in between an individual 5-inch pie and a mini pie baked in a muffin tin. If you’re looking for jumbo muffin pan recipes then you’ve come to the right place.

Not too big nor too small, these petit pies are just the right size to make apple lovers rejoice. Jumbo muffin tin pies are perfect for snack time, everyday dessert as well as holiday get-togethers. Regardless of the occasion, make an extra delicious impression by serving these small pies with a big scoop of ice cream.

Before sharing the recipe for Jumbo Muffin Tin Apple Pies, here are a few tips and tricks to help you out:

Ingredient Tips and Tricks

I recommend Honeycrisp apples, but Granny Smith are a great substitute.

If you don’t have buttermilk then you can easily make a sour milk substitution. Just stir 1 teaspoon of lemon juice into 1 cup of whole milk and let it set for 5 minutes before use.

Stock your pantry with unbleached flour then use it for every recipe calling for all-purpose flour. Bleach is for cleaning crime scenes not for making pie crusts.

Preparation Tips and Tricks

Cold ingredients are key when making pie crust. For best results, butter, buttermilk and, yes, even the flour should be extra cold before beginning.

Pie dough is finicky and requires different amounts of liquid every time you make it. To know if you have enough moisture in your batch, pinch a handful of dough with your fingers. If it holds together you’re good to go. If not, add more buttermilk one teaspoon at a time until the consistency is perfect.

In order to fit the size of jumbo muffin cups, cut rolled dough into 5 inch circles. If you don’t have a cutter that large then you can use the rim of a small bowl.

I’m gonna give it to you straight: making homemade dulce de leche is crazy time consuming. The bright side is that the 3 hour time requirement is 99% hands off. Trust me, making the caramelly sauce yourself it is worth it.

Storage and Freezing Tips for Jumbo Muffin Tin Apple Pies

Pie dough is freezer friendly. Make it in advance, freeze up to 6 months then thaw in the refrigerator the night before use.

Pie dough can be made 2 days in advance. Simply cover and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Leftover dulce de leche will keep in the refrigerator for several weeks. Besides its yummy pairing with apple pie, it also tastes incredible stirred in coffee or drizzled on ice cream.

Cover and store leftover pies in the refrigerator up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave before serving.

I hope you enjoy this recipe for Jumbo Muffin Tin Apple Pies. Please leave a comment and a rating at the bottom of this blog post if you love your jumbo muffin pan. And, while you’re at it, sign up for my weekly Recipe Newsletter so you never miss a tempting recipe.

Finally, if you like baking with apples then you’ll love this recipe for Cranberry Apple Crumble Pie. Spiced apples and tart cranberries mingle with oat streusel and a flaky buttermilk crust for a sweet slice of heaven.

Jumbo Muffin Tin Apple Pies

Heather Wolf

Jumbo Muffin Tin Apple Pies are twice as nice as minis! Fresh, crisp apples coated with dulce de leche bake in a jumbo muffin pan to yield petit pies that are perfect for fall. Add a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream to the buttery, flaky crust and you'll take this all-American dessert to the next level.

5 from 11 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 1 hour hr

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Dulce de leche 3 hours hrs

Total Time 5 hours hrs

Course Pies and Tarts

Cuisine American

Servings 6 pies

Equipment

• 6-cavity Jumbo Muffin Tin

Ingredients

  

Crust

• 2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour chilled
• 1 tsp sea salt fine
• 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
• 1 cup unsalted butter chilled in freezer and cubed
• 1/2 cup buttermilk plus extra if needed

Dulce de Leche

• 1 can sweetened condensed milk, unopened (14 ounces)

Apple pie filling

• 1 Tbsp butter
• 4 large Honeycrisp apples peeled and cubed
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 Tbsp dark brown sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla pure
• 2 Tbsp butter melted
• 1 large egg beaten (for brushing on crust prior to baking)

Instructions

 

Buttermilk crust

• Chill flour in refrigerator for 30 minutes.
• Chill cubed butter in freezer for 30 minutes.
• Add dry ingredients to food processor.
• Add chilled butter and pulse until butter is the size of small peas.
• Drizzle in buttermilk and pulse until mixture begins to clump.
• If dough does not hold its shape when pinched together add buttermilk one teaspoon at a time until it reaches the correct consistency.
• Divide the dough in half on a floured surface. Form each half into a ball then flatten into disks.
• Cover each disk with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3 hours or up to 2 days.

Dulce de leche

• Peel the label off the can of sweetened condensed milk.
• Place unopened can on its side in a large saucepan. Fill pan with water until can is completely submerged by several inches.
• Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 3 hours. Add water as needed to keep can covered. Note: be sure to keep can covered with at least one inch of water at all times.
• Remove can with tongs and let it reach room temperature before opening.

Apple pie filling

• Melt one tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
• Add apples, cinnamon and dark brown sugar. Stir to combine.
• Cook 8 to 10 minutes or until apples are softened.
• Remove from heat. Add vanilla and two tablespoons of melted butter. Stir to combine.
• Cool slightly then stir in dulce de leche.
• Allow apple mixture cool to room temperature before assembly.

Assembly

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Generously grease a 6-hole jumbo muffin tin with butter.
• Remove dough from refrigerator and let it sit for 15 minutes.
• Roll out dough on a floured surface into two 16 inch circles.
• Using a 5 inch circle-shaped cutter, cut out six circles. Use remaining dough for lattice,
• Press one dough circle into each muffin cup and fill with dulce de leche apple mixture.
• Top with pastry lattice, trim excess dough and crimp edges to seal.
• Brush surface of pie crusts with a beaten egg.
• Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until pies are golden brown and filling is bubbly.
• Remove pies from oven. If desire, brush tops of warm pies with melted butter and sprinkle with brown sugar.
• Serve warm or at room temperature with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Keyword apple, dulce de leche, jumbo, muffin, pie, tin