How to Re-Purpose Extra Pie Dough: Scrap Apple Pie (Single-Serve)
Your pie fairy godmother has arrived, my solo sweet-eating friends. This is the perfect recipe for pie season (which is every season, am I right?) where you have scraps of pie dough left over and need somewhere to put them, that’s not the trash – because we don’t throw away pie scraps, OK?
I love a not-so-serious bake too. This is a really unsexy dessert, but it’s oh so delicious. This single-serve scrap apple pie makes for the perfect sweet treat for fall, fulfilling all of your cozy, comfortable baking requirements.
To get the perfect, tender, apple-pie-apple, you do have to cook these down for a minute on the stove, so brace yourself – this is a sweet treat that takes a little love and stirring. But not too much, ok? I’m not here for applesauce apples in my pie filling, I want a tender bite, packed with cinnamon-y flavor.
If you love this recipe, please rate and review it below and tag @accentgolden in your posts on social!
HOW TO REPURPOSE YOUR PIE SCRAPS
Depending on the pie recipe, you might have a little extra dough once you’ve rolled it and placed it into your dish. When this happens, if they’re not already flattened into 1/8″ pieces, go ahead and give them a quick roll, bringing together smaller pieces if needed, and place flat on a plate in the freezer to firm up for anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour. From there, remove from the plate and store in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months!
To use these pie scraps, place them onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, brushing with a little egg wash and a sprinkling of sugar for a crunchy bite. Bake them for a few minutes, just until lightly golden, for delicious pie “cookies” perfect for this apple scrap pie or even served with a little homemade compote or fresh jam.
Do my pie dough scraps all need to be the same size? The edges, which are likely where your scraps are coming from, are going to be, well… scrapy. Don’t worry about them being exactly uniform. You do want your pie scraps to be an even thickness and roughly the same size, just for an even bake. If you’re repurposing fresh scraps, you can press them into a small ball, roll, and use a cookie cutter to cut uniform shapes if preferred.
INGREDIENTS
- Pie Crust Scraps: Cut and saved from your previous pie-making days
- Egg: Beaten with a little water or milk to brush onto your crusts and provide a little color
- Turbinado Sugar: An optional sweet crunch on top of your pie crusts
- Apple: I prefer mine peeled, but if you are happy with the skin on, leave as is
- Cinnamon: For a dash of cozy flavor
- Salt: Balances out the sweet and spicy
- Butter: Adds flavor and helps to cook down your apples
- Lemon Juice: Works with the sugar and pectin in your filling to thicken and balance out the sweetness
- Water: Since we’re not baking this in a steamy crust, the apples need a little extra liquid to start to cook down
- Flour: A thickening agent to get the perfect pie filling consistency
- Granulated Sugar: To bring out the sweetness in your apples
- Heavy Cream: To make fluffy whipped cream to top your apples and baked pie scraps
- Powdered Sugar: To give just a little bit of sweetness to your whipped cream
Can I add spices to my pie scraps? Yes! I love a little sprinkle of cinnamon on mine. Since your dough has already been formed and you don’t want to overwork it, I’d recommend just shaking your spices onto your crust once it’s on the baking sheet, instead of trying to press them in. Be careful with how much spice you add, since it can affect your ability to see the color of the crust to check for doneness.
HOW TO MAKE SCRAP APPLE PIE
Start by baking your pie scraps. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and preheat your oven to 400°F. Place your pie scraps onto your baking tray, with a little space between each. Then, in a bowl, whisk together your egg and a splash of milk or water until combined. Brush each piece of pie crust with the egg wash and sprinkle with your coarse sugar. Pop your tray in the oven and bake for 7-10 minutes, depending on how big your scraps are, until lightly golden brown.
In a small pot, add your apple, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch slices. Add in your cinnamon, salt, butter, lemon juice, water, and flour, stir, and place on the stove over medium-low heat. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Place a lid over your pot and cook for 35-40 minutes, just until the apples are tender. You want to be able to easily cut through them with the side of a spoon, but you don’t want them to be mushy. Every 5 minutes, give them a quick stir so the consistency of the filling stays even throughout.
As your apples are cooking down, whisk together your cream and powdered sugar (sifted!) in a bowl until thick and soft peaks have formed. Place your whipped cream in the fridge until you are ready to use it.
Assemble as you like, I prefer placing my pie scraps at the bottom of my bowl, topping with my cooked apple pie filling, and finishing with fresh whipped cream. Enjoy!
3 reasons you’ll love this dessert
TIPS & VARIATIONS
- Make sure your pie scraps are relatively uniform in size and rolled to uniform thickness. As a rule, my pie crust is usually rolled to a 1/8″ thickness. This will make sure they bake evenly and you don’t have some scraps burning before the others are done.
- I never use water in regular apple pie but for this, since we’re cooking the apples down on the stove, you need a little extra juice to get those apples breaking down.
- Mix in more spices or dust your scraps with them before baking, as you please. I love some cinnamon but cloves and/or cardamom would make great additions
- You don’t need to bake as many pie scraps as you might have on hand – if you’ve been on a pie baking streak – so keep the ones you don’t need yet in the freezer, and save for later for when you’re ready to eat!
- These pie scraps would also make great “dippers” when served with a fresh compote or a quick homemade jam
MAKING AHEAD & STORING
Your pie scraps can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days or in the freezer for up to three months. Freezing your dough in scraps makes it easy to pull them out as you need them, so you don’t have to bake more pie dough than necessary!
Once baked, your single-serve apple scrap pie can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. Over time, your whipped cream may separate, so keep that in mind (if this even lasts that long!).
MORE SINGLE-SERVE RECIPES
For the cheesecake lovers, this Mini Key Lime Cheesecake, topped with fresh whipped cream, satisfies all the sweet and slightly tart cravings. For something that feels a little fancy, try this individual Mint Chocolate Tiramisu with homemade chocolate lady fingers. If you love a bowl of spiced fruit, try this Drop Biscuit with a Cinnamon Plum compote.
Equipment
- Baking Tray
- Parchment Paper
- Small pot
- Spoons
- Whisk
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Peeler
- Knife
- Pastry Brush
Ingredients
- ½ cup scraps of pie crust
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp turbinado sugar
- 1 large apple peeled
- Dash of cinnamon
- Dash of salt
- ½ tbsp butter
- ¼ tsp lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 tsp flour
- 1 ½ tbsps sugar
- ¼ c heavy cream
- 1 tsp powdered sugar sifted
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400F and line a baking tray with parchment paper
- Lay your pie crust scraps onto your baking tray, leaving a little space in between but these can be relatively close as they won’t grow much as they bake
- In a bowl, whisk together your egg with a splash of water or milk until no gloops of egg whites are visible. Brush your egg wash onto your pie crust pieces and sprinkle with turbinado sugar
- Bake for 7-10 minutes, this will vary depending on how big your scraps are, so keep an eye on them!
- Cut your peeled apple into ½-inch slices and place in a small pot
- To the pot add your cinnamon, salt, butter, lemon juice, water, and flour
- Stir and place on the stove on medium-low heat, cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally
- Place a lid over your pot and cook for 35-40 minutes until the apples are tender (you can easily cut through them with the side of a spoon). Stir every 5 minutes, there isn’t a lot in the pot so you don’t want it to get gloopy at the bottom if you don’t stir it
- While your apples are cooking, make your whipped cream by whisking together your heavy cream and powdered sugar in a bowl until thick. Place in the fridge until ready
- For assembly, place your baked pie scraps in a bowl, top with your cooked apples, and fresh whipped cream
- Enjoy!
