Name: Gluten-Free Caramel Mini Apple Pies
Prep time: 1 h
Cook time: PT-471225H31M22S
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 cups gluten-free flour; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon baking powder; 1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes; 1/2 cup full fat plain Greek yogurt (see notes) Filling:; 2 cups Granny Smith apples, peeled and diced (see notes); 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon; 1/4 cup coconut sugar; 2 teaspoon gluten-free flour For the Top/Inside:; 8 store-bought soft caramels, roughly chopped; egg wash; extra coconut sugar crystals on top; a pinch of salt on top

Instructions

Dough:

Whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl.
Add the cubed butter to the bowl and use your fingers or a pastry cutter to work the butter into the flour until the mixture is the consistency of wet sand.
Stir in the sour cream and then turn the dough out onto a well-floured work surface.
Knead the dough a few times until it comes together, adding more flour, 1 teaspoon at a time, if the dough is too sticky to handle. Roll the dough into an 8×10-inch rectangle and dust both sides with flour before folding it into thirds as if you were folding a letter.
Rotate the dough 90º and roll it out again into an 8×10-inch rectangle and refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes while you make the filling.

Filling/Assembling the Pies:

In a bowl, combine the apples, cinnamon, lemon juice, sugar and flour, stirring until well mixed. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 425ºF.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator and unfold it onto a well-floured surface, rolling it out to a 14×14-inch square.
Using a 3-inch circular cup, cut out as many circles as possible. Re-roll the scraps and continue cutting out circles until you run out of dough, ensuring you end up with an even number of circles. (You should have approximately 20 circles or 10 pies)
Place six of the dough circles on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. Spoon a small portion of the apple filling into the center of each circle, leaving enough of a border around the filling. Top the apple filling with a portion of the chopped caramels( probably 2 small chunks) and a pinch of sea salt. Place a second dough circle atop each filled circle then use a fork to crimp the edges together, sealing each pie.
Brush each pie with the egg wash, and using a sharp knife, cut 4 small vents on the top of each pie. Sprinkle the pies with coconut sugar crystals and a pinch of salt (optional).
Bake the pies for about 15-18 minutes, or until they’re golden brown.
Remove the pies from the oven and allow them to rest for 10 minutes before serving. Repeat the filling and baking process with the remaining dough circles.

Notes

My favorite gluten-free flour brand is Bob’s Red Mill, it is a blend of different gluten-free flours

The Greek yogurt is a health alternative but you could also use sour cream or dairy-free sour cream if needed

Apple cubes should be no bigger than the size of a black bean

You can use regular white sugar instead of coconut sugar. Coconut sugar is just my go-to for a healthier alternative because it isn’t refined.

Gluten- Free Caramel Mini Apple Pies