These Homemade Sourdough Discard Apple Hand Pies are flaky, hand-held pies made with a butter and sourdough discard pastry wrapped around a cinnamon-spiced apple filling.

They bake up golden and flaky, and the discard gives the crust a slight tang that regular pie dough doesn’t have.

These little apple hand pies are perfect for Thanksgiving, fall potlucks, brunch, school events, or weekend baking.

Because they’re individually portioned, they’re easy to serve, pack, and share without needing plates or utensils.

You can enjoy them warm from the oven with a light glaze or dusting of powdered sugar. They’re also a great make-ahead option for fall parties, holiday gatherings, and apple season baking.

If you’re baking your way through apple season, these are worth adding to the list:

Homemade Sourdough Discard Apple Hand Pies

Ingredients You’ll Need

Sourdough discard adds a light tang to the crust and helps it stay tender (it doesn’t need to be active or bubbly, straight from the fridge is fine). Granny Smith apples hold their shape best here, since they don’t turn to mush during baking.

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
1/2 cup sourdough discard, unfed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2-3 tablespoons ice water, as needed
2 cups peeled and diced Granny Smith apples
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 large egg, beaten (for egg wash)
Coarse sugar, for topping

Directions

In a food processor or large bowl, cut the cold butter into the flour, salt, and sugar until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces of butter still visible.
Add the sourdough discard and pulse or stir until the dough just starts to come together.
Add ice water, one tablespoon at a time, only if the dough looks too dry to hold together.
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and shape it into a disk.
Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (this rest is what keeps the butter cold and the crust flaky, so don’t skip it even if you’re short on time).
While the dough chills, combine the diced apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, cornstarch, and lemon juice in a bowl.
Toss until every piece of apple is coated.
Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes so the apples release a little juice, which helps thicken the filling as it bakes.
Preheat the oven to 400F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Roll the chilled dough out to about 1/8 inch thick and cut into 4-inch circles or squares.
Re-roll the scraps once if needed to get 8 total pieces of dough.
Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the apple filling onto one half of each dough piece, leaving a small border around the edge.
Fold the dough over the filling and press the edges together firmly, then crimp with a fork to seal.
Cut two or three small slits in the top of each pie to let steam escape while baking.
Brush the tops with the beaten egg and sprinkle with coarse sugar.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the crust is deep golden brown and the filling is bubbling through the slits.
Let the pies cool on the pan for at least 10 minutes before eating (the filling is molten right out of the oven, and biting in too soon is a mistake I’ve made more than once).
Serve warm or at room temperature and enjoy!

Important Recipe Notes

Keep everything cold. Cold butter is what makes this crust flaky, so if the dough starts feeling soft or greasy while you’re working with it, put it back in the fridge for 10 minutes. Warm dough turns tough once it bakes.
Unfed discard works fine. You don’t need active, bubbly starter for this recipe. Straight sourdough discard from the fridge, even if it’s a few days old, works just as well.

Don’t overfill the pies. It’s tempting to pack in more apple filling, but overfilled pies tend to burst open at the seams while baking. Two tablespoons per pie is enough.
Vent the tops. Skipping the slits traps steam inside and can cause the pies to split open in an uneven spot instead of releasing steam cleanly. A few small cuts go a long way.
These freeze well before baking. Assemble the pies, then freeze them unbaked on a tray until solid before transferring to a bag. Bake straight from frozen, adding about 5 extra minutes to the bake time.
Let them cool before eating. The apple filling holds heat much longer than the crust does. Give the pies at least 10 minutes before biting in, since the filling can be surprisingly hot even when the crust feels cool.

How to Serve, Store & Customize This Recipe

Serving:

Serve these warm or at room temperature, plain or with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side if you want more of a dessert. They also travel well, so they’re a good pick for lunchboxes or a grab-and-go breakfast.

Storage:

Store baked and cooled pies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat in a 350F oven for about 8 minutes to crisp the crust back up.

Customization:

Swap the apples for pears or a mix of apples and cranberries for a different filling. A simple powdered sugar glaze drizzled over the cooled pies adds extra sweetness if you want them a bit more dessert-like.