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 pie baked in a 5 inch plate 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 perfectly proportioned for your next sweet craving, baby shower as well as your holiday dessert display. Regardless of the occasion, make an extra delicious impression by serving these small pies with a big fat scoop of homemade dulce de leche ice cream. Click here for A Minty Monday’s amazing recipe: https://amintymonday.com/2020/10/12/dulce-de-leche-ice-cream/

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

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 one teaspoon of lemon juice into one cup of whole milk and let it set for five minutes.

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

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 will require different amounts of liquid each time it’s prepared. 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 jumbo muffin cups, rolled dough needs to be cut 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 because 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.

Pie dough is freezer friendly. It can be made up to 6 months in advance and thawed in the refrigerator the night before use.

Pie dough can also be made up to 2 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator.

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 Apple Cinnamon Muffins. Loaded with crisp, juicy apples and ground cinnamon these moist, fluffy muffins are topped with pretty apple roses.