Individual Apple Phyllo Pies [...for people who hate to make pie dough.]

Raise your hand if you hate making pie dough? If you raised your hand, these Apple Walnut Phyllo Pies are for you. 

As you can tell, these individual apple pies are topped with phyllo dough in lieu of traditional pie crust. 

Apple Walnut Phyllo Pie Filling

If you’ve ever worked with phyllo dough in the past, you’ve probably come to realize that it can be tricky to work with as it has a tendency to dry and crack easily. 

However, tearing the phyllo dough (particularly when you are only using one sheet per individual “pie”, as we do in this recipe) definitely make working with it much easier.

Does phyllo dough taste like pie dough? No, not at all. But it has a lot of texture and is a fun, tasty alternative. It also happens to be very time friendly! 

Apple Walnut Phyllo Pies

It also makes this recipe very easy to scale up or down. This recipe yields four individual phyllo pies prepared in 8-ounce ramekins. Serve warm and top with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream! 

Apple Walnut Phyllo Pies

Individual Phyllo Apple Walnut Pies

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Yield: 4 Servings
Prep: 30 minutes
Cook: 55 minutes
Additional Time: 5 minutes
Total: 1 hour 30 minutes
Single serving apple walnut phyllo pies. In lieu of traditional pie dough, these pies are prepared with an easy phyllo dough top crust.

Equipment

  • 4 Ramekins (8-Ounce)

Ingredients

Apple Walnut Filling:

  • 2 lbs (6 medium) Granny Smith apples peeled, cored, and cut into ½-inch chunks
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • ¼ cup packed light brown sugar
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
  • 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons unsalted butter
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • ¾ cup toasted walnuts coarsely chopped

Phyllo Dough Crust:

  • 4 sheets thawed phyllo dough roughly 18 x 13 inches in size
  • 2-3 tablespoons melted or clarified butter for brushing

Instructions 

  • Prepare Filling: Combine the apple chunks, lemon juice, brown sugar, granulated sugar, maple syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a large mixing. Toss to coat evenly. Allow the mixture to macerate and sit for a minimum of 30 minutes or up to 2 hours. As it macerates, the mixture will yield at minimum ½ cup liquid (or up to 1 cup), depending on how long it sits.
  • Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) with a rack in the center position. Set aside four (8-ounce) ramekins and set on a half sheet pan.
  • Set a colander over a large (10-inch) skillet and drain the apple filling over the pan until all of the liquid has been collected. Place the apple chunks back into the same mixing bowl and set aside for later.
  • Place the skillet over medium-high heat and bring the macerating liquid to a boil. Reduces the liquid by half or until it becomes syrupy and significantly thicker. Add the apple chunks to the skillet and sprinkle them with the cornstarch. Stir to combine. Cook the apples over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, for 5 to 7 minutes or until the apples have softened slightly and the syrup has mostly been absorbed. Remove the apples from the heat, stir in the toasted walnuts, and allow the mixture to cool while you prepare the phyllo dough.
  • Assemble and Bake: Set the melted butter and pastry brush within easy reach before you start assembling the pies. Distribute the warm apple mixture among the ramekins - the apple filling should each ramekin to the top. Remove the thawed phyllo dough from the fridge and unroll the sheets. Place one full sheet on top of a clean, dry cutting board. Cover the remaining phyllo dough sheets with a slightly damp kitchen towel to prevent them from drying.
  • Brush the phyllo sheet lightly with the melted butter. Using your hands, tear the sheet into three or four thin strips and lay them on top of each other before tearing them into small pieces. Place the torn and crumpled phyllo sheet pieces on top of one ramekin, covering the apple mixture completely, to create the “pie” crust (don’t flatten the phyllo, you want texture). Repeat with the remaining three sheets of phyllo dough, until all of the pies are assembled.
  • Carefully brush the exposed phyllo dough with additional melted butter. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown. Allow the pies to cool on a rack for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Top each serving with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Apple filling adapted from Rose Levy Beranbaum’s Pie and Pastry Bible.
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 496kcal, Carbohydrates: 78g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 19g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 13g, Cholesterol: 11mg, Sodium: 311mg, Fiber: 9g, Sugar: 49g
Author: Laura / A Beautiful Plate
Course: Fruit Desserts
Cuisine: American