Name: Mini Caramel Apple Pies Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 16 oz. pkg. Pillsbury refrigerated sugar cookie dough; 3 1/2 cups peeled and chopped (1/2-1”) Granny Smith apples (4-5 apples); 1 tablespoon butter; 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar; 2 tablespoons white sugar; 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice; 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon; 1/8 teaspoon salt; 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger; 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg; 6 soft caramels (like Kraft); 1/3 cup pecans; 1/3 cup packed brown sugar; 1/3 cup flour; 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into pieces; 10 soft caramels; 1 1/2 tablespoons heavy cream; 1/8 teaspoon salt

There’s something absolutely magical about the combo of tender apples, melty caramel, and crumbly crusts all in one sweet little package. This Mini Caramel Apple Pies Recipe is a nostalgic treat made easy with cookie dough and a streusel topping that keeps you coming back for more. Trust me, once you make these, they’ll become your go-to dessert!

The image shows small round tarts placed on a white plate with a white marbled texture background. Each tart has a light golden brown crust forming a thick base and sides. On top, there is a layer of crumbly, dark brown streusel with bits of chopped nuts that add a crunchy texture. Over the streusel, a shiny caramel sauce is drizzled, creating a glossy, amber coating that softly pools in some areas. The tarts look rich and textured with a mix of smooth caramel and rough nut bits. Photo taken with an iphone --ar 2:3 --v 7

Jump to:

Why You'll Love This Recipe
Ingredients & Why They Work
Make It Your Way
Step-by-Step: How I Make Mini Caramel Apple Pies Recipe
Top Tip
How to Serve Mini Caramel Apple Pies Recipe
Make Ahead and Storage
Frequently Asked Questions:
Final Thoughts
Mini Caramel Apple Pies Recipe

Why You'll Love This Recipe

I’m honestly obsessed with how these mini pies come together — sweet yet tart apples, gooey caramel, and that buttery streusel topping are all nestled inside a cookie crust. Plus, making them in a muffin tin keeps things simple but impressive. These pies are perfect for everything from casual family nights to bringing a little wow-factor to parties.

Quick and Easy: Using refrigerated sugar cookie dough cuts down on prep time without sacrificing flavor or texture.
Perfect Portion Size: These mini pies are easy to share and serve—no slicing or fussing.
Texture Heaven: The streusel topping adds a delightful crunch that complements the soft apples and caramel perfectly.
Versatile and Customizable: You can easily tweak the filling or topping to suit your taste or what’s in your pantry.

Ingredients & Why They Work

Every ingredient in this Mini Caramel Apple Pies Recipe plays a specific role in building flavor and texture. The sugar cookie dough acts as a tender but sturdy crust that browns beautifully. Granny Smith apples are my personal favorite for the filling because their tartness balances out the caramel’s sweetness. And that streusel topping? It’s the game changer.

Flat lay of peeled and chopped Granny Smith apples in a simple white ceramic bowl, a few small cubes of unsalted butter arranged neatly nearby, packed brown sugar in a small white bowl, white granulated sugar in another small white bowl, fresh lemon wedges beside a small white bowl of lemon juice, a neat pile of ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground nutmeg, and salt each in tiny white bowls, whole soft caramel squares scattered artfully, a small white bowl filled with pecans, all-purpose flour in a small white ceramic bowl, chilled unsalted butter cut into pieces on a white ceramic plate, a small white bowl with heavy cream, whole uncracked brown eggs arranged symmetrically on a white ceramic plate, placed on a clean white marble surface, soft natural light, photo taken with an iPhone, professional food photography style, fresh ingredients, white ceramic bowls, no bottles, no duplicates, no utensils, no packaging --ar 2:3 --v 7 --p m7354615311229779997

Sugar Cookie Dough: Provides a buttery, sweet crust that’s easier than making pie dough from scratch.
Granny Smith Apples: Their firmness and tartness hold up well after cooking and balance the rich caramel.
Butter: Adds richness to the apple filling and helps meld flavors together.
Brown Sugar: Deep molasses notes enhance the caramelized flavor in both filling and streusel.
Lemon Juice: Brightens the filling and prevents apples from browning too quickly.
Spices (Cinnamon, Ginger, Nutmeg, Salt): Bring warmth and complexity to the apple mixture.
Soft Caramels: Melt into the filling for that luscious, gooey texture you want in a caramel apple pie.
Pecans: Add nutty crunch to the streusel topping, which complements the soft filling beautifully.
Flour: Helps bind the streusel together so it bakes up crumbly but not too loose.
Heavy Cream (for drizzle): Smooths out the caramel drizzle, making it pourable without being runny.

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Note: You'll find the complete list of ingredients, along with their exact measurements, in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Make It Your Way

I like mixing things up with these mini pies depending on the season or what I have on hand. It’s so fun to add your own spin on the classic flavors—makes the recipe yours and keeps things exciting.

Variation: Sometimes I swap out pecans for walnuts or almonds in the streusel — it changes the texture subtly but deliciously. Or throw in a dash of cardamom for a warm, unexpected twist.
Dietary tweak: Use gluten-free cookie dough or a dairy-free butter alternative to make these mini pies approachable for more dietary needs.
Seasonal change: In fall, I add a splash of bourbon or maple syrup to the filling for extra depth.

Step-by-Step: How I Make Mini Caramel Apple Pies Recipe

A close-up of a small dessert held by a woman's hand, showing three layers: a light golden crust at the bottom, a chunky, textured brown crumble topping mixed with nuts in the middle, and a scoop of creamy vanilla ice cream with visible specks on top; caramel sauce drizzled over the crumble and a few drops on a white plate below. The background is a white marbled texture. photo taken with an iphone --ar 2:3 --v 7

Step 1: Prep the Crust with Care

First things first — preheat your oven to 350°F and grease and flour your 12-cup muffin tin. This step is key because you don’t want your pies sticking later! Slice your sugar cookie dough into 12 equal pieces, then press each one into a muffin cup, making sure to push the dough up the sides to form a little crust wall. Don’t worry if the dough feels thick or puffy after baking; we’ll press it down in a bit.

Step 2: Cook Your Apple Caramel Filling

While the crust is baking for 15 minutes, melt butter over medium heat in a large pan. Toss in your chopped Granny Smith apples along with all the sugars, lemon juice, cinnamon, salt, ginger, and nutmeg. Stir occasionally so everything cooks evenly. After about 5 minutes, add the soft caramels and keep stirring until they’ve melted and coated the tender apples perfectly, around 3 more minutes. This mixture should be thick but easy to spoon out. Then, take it off the heat.

Step 3: Make the Crunchy Streusel Topping

While the filling is cooking, pulse the pecans, flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a food processor until the nuts are mostly chopped. Sprinkle the chilled butter cubes on top and pulse a few more times until the mixture looks like small pebbles. If you don’t have a processor, simply mix everything in a bowl and cut in the cold butter with a fork or pastry cutter. This topping bakes into a buttery, crunchy crumb that’s my absolute favorite part.

Step 4: Assemble & Final Bake

Remove your partially baked crusts from the oven and gently press any puffed up dough down with the back of a spoon. Using a slotted spoon, scoop out the apple-caramel filling and evenly distribute about 1 ½ tablespoons into each crust. Pat it down lightly to fill any gaps. Then, spoon 1 tablespoon of streusel over the filling and press it right into the pie. Sprinkle any remaining streusel loosely on top. Pop the whole tray back into the oven and bake for another 5–7 minutes until the crust and topping turn golden. Let pies cool completely before trying to take them out — I learned the hard way that warm pies can fall apart! A sharp knife along the edges helps them release cleanly.

Step 5: Optional Caramel Drizzle (Game Changer!)

For an extra touch, I love melting 10 soft caramels with heavy cream and a pinch of salt in the microwave (start with 1½ minutes, whisk, then another 30 seconds if needed). This drizzle should be smooth and pourable but not runny. Drizzle just before serving so the streusel stays crisp—it makes these mini pies look and taste insanely decadent.

Top Tip

After making these mini pies a dozen times, I can confidently say that the key to success lies in a few simple things to watch out for that make all the difference. These tips come straight from my kitchen experiments to help you nail this recipe perfectly every time.

Evenly Slice Cookie Dough: Make sure your cookie dough pieces are equal in size so all pies bake uniformly and fill easily without cracking.
Don’t Skip Cooling: It’s tempting, but letting the pies cool fully in the pan keeps them intact for clean removal—warm mini pies tend to crumble.
Streusel Texture: Pulse butter into the streusel just enough to create small clumps; overprocessing makes it too fine and less crunchy after baking.
Press Filling Down: Press the filling gently with a spoon when assembling to maximize space and keep pies tidy without bursting over.

How to Serve Mini Caramel Apple Pies Recipe

Mini Caramel Apple Pies - Serving Suggestion

Garnishes

I usually keep it simple with a caramel drizzle (of course!) but sometimes add a small dollop of whipped cream on the side or a sprinkle of flaky sea salt on the caramel for a flavor pop. Fresh mint leaves make a pretty, unexpected contrast too if you want to get fancy.

Side Dishes

These mini pies are so sweet and satisfying on their own that I like pairing them with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream or a warm cup of spiced cider. They also go surprisingly well with a sharp cheddar cheese plate if you’re in the mood for a sweet-savory combo.

Creative Ways to Present

For holiday gatherings, I arrange these mini pies on a tiered serving tray lined with autumn leaves or fairy lights. You can also top them individually with tiny edible flowers or powdered sugar “snow” for a festive touch. I once wrapped them in little cupcake liners for a grab-and-go party platter, which was a huge hit!

Make Ahead and Storage

Storing Leftovers

These pies keep surprisingly well for a few days if you store them in an airtight container at room temperature. The crust softens slightly but remains delicious. I generally eat leftovers within two days for the best texture and flavor.

Freezing

I like freezing these mini pies unbaked (assembled but not baked) wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and foil. When I want them, I just bake from frozen adding a few extra minutes to the baking time. You can also freeze fully baked pies but the streusel topping loses some of its crunch after thawing.

Reheating

To revive leftovers, pop them in a 300°F oven for 8–10 minutes until warmed through to bring back some of the crust’s crispness. Avoid microwaving unless you’re in a pinch, since it tends to make the crust soggy.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Can I use a different type of apple for the filling?

Absolutely! While Granny Smith apples are ideal because they keep their shape and add a nice tartness, you can substitute with other firm apples like Honeycrisp or Braeburn. Just be mindful that sweeter apples will make the filling less tangy.

How do I prevent the crust from getting soggy?

Pre-baking the sugar cookie crust helps avoid sogginess. Also, don’t add the caramel drizzle until just before serving, as it can soften the streusel and crust otherwise. Letting the pies cool completely in the pan before removing also keeps the crust intact.

Can I make these mini pies ahead of time?

Yes, you can assemble the pies and store them in the refrigerator unbaked for up to 24 hours before baking. You can also freeze them unbaked for longer storage. Just remember to add a few extra minutes to the baking time if baking from frozen.

What’s the best way to reheat leftover mini pies?

Reheat leftover pies in a 300°F oven for about 8-10 minutes to warm through and refresh the crumbly crust. Avoid reheating in the microwave as it can make the crust soggy and less enjoyable.

Final Thoughts

These Mini Caramel Apple Pies Recipe feel like little bites of cozy fall memories wrapped in a cookie crust. I love how accessible they are—no fuss with homemade dough yet all the rich, layered flavors you want. I’m pretty sure once you try them, these mini pies will become a staple in your baking repertoire just like they did for me. So go ahead, bake up a batch, share ’em, and enjoy that perfect balance of sweet, tart, crunchy, and gooey that only these little pies can bring!