Sweet and savory apple Gouda cheese hand pies in a flaky, golden Gouda cheese crust. Perfectly sweet, savory, and perfect for taking on the go!

Hey foodie friends, it’s a big day! Today marks ONE YEAR since I conjured up the idea of starting up Live Eat Learn. So we’re going to cook up some celebratory apple Gouda cheese hand pies today, but first, isn’t it actually bonkers how much can change in one year?
One year ago, the site was on a completely different website platform (Wix instead of Wordpress), I was living in Texas, I was in grad school, my diet consisted mostly of stir fry, and I wasn’t sure I was sold on the direction my life was going.
Fast forward to today. I’ve left Texas and moved to Holland, I’ve learned to enjoy cooking things that are not stir fry, and I’ve reacquired a feeling of direction in life…and so much of it is because of this blog!
And the readers! From those who have been reading since the first day (hey mom and dad!) to those who have just stumbled upon the site today, thank you! Helping you to discover healthy new ingredients and recipes honestly brightens my day exponentially.
And so in celebrating the blog’s birthday, let’s make some pie. But let’s make hand pies because ain’t nobody got time for dishes. Or forks.
We’re all about Gouda cheese this week, and so are these pies. We’ll incorporate Gouda into the flaky, all-butter crust as well as in with the sweet apple filling.
These apple and cheese pies are great fresh out of the oven, or cold, or the next day drizzled with honey for breakfast, or sneakily when you think no one is watching and you’ve already had three so people may begin to judge you.
I guess what I’m saying is, even though we’re making these for this very special occasion, they don’t require an occasion at all. Make these everyday, all day, whenever your hungry heart desires.
Looking for more apple desserts?
Apple Galette with Salted Maple Glaze
Candy Apple Lollipops
Apple Pie Overnight Oats
Ingredients
Crust
- 2.5 cups all-purpose flour 300 g, +more for rolling
- ½ tsp salt 2.5 g
- ¾ cup unsalted butter 170 g, cold and cubed
- ¼ cup shredded gouda cheese 56 g
- 1/4-1/2 cup ice cold water 60 to 120 mL
- 1 egg whisked
Filling
- 2 apples tart variety, like Pink Lady or Granny Smith
- 1 tsp lemon juice 5 mL
- ½ cup dark brown sugar 100 g, packed
- 1 tsp cinnamon 5 g
- ¼ tsp nutmeg 1.5 g
- 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour 7.5 g, + more as needed
- A few small thin slices of Gouda
- A dash of coarse sugar
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix flour and salt. With a pastry cutter or forks, mix butter and shredded cheese into flour until dough is crumbly and pea-like.
- Add water, 1 Tbsp at a time, just until dough holds together.
- Shape dough into a ball, wrap loosely in plastic, and flatten gently with a rolling pin to form a thick, pancake-like disc. Set plastic-wrapped dough in fridge to chill for 30 minutes.
- Peel, core, and chop apples into small chunks. Into the apples mix lemon juice, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and flour. Add more flour if filling is runny.
- On a clean, well-floured surface, roll dough to ⅛ inch (.3 cm) thick*.
- With a 3 to 4 inch (7.6 to 10 cm) wide circle cutter**, cut out as many circles as possible. Shape leftover dough into a ball, roll out, and cut out more circles
- On one half of each circle, set a small, thin slice of Gouda cheese. Top with a spoonful of apple filling.
- Brush whisked egg around the edges of each circle, then fold each circle in half. With a fork, seal the edges.
- Place hand pies on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
- Brush each pie well with whisked egg and sprinkle with coarse sugar.
- Bake at 400 degrees F (204 C) for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown.
Daniela Apostol says
Stunning photos! I love the pies, so yummy!
Sarah says
Thanks, Daniela! 🙂
Tiffany @ The Chi-Athlete says
It’s recipes like this one that motivate me to bake, but I’m afraid I’ll mess it up and besmirch the beautiful ones you made, lol. I’M GOING TO TRY ANYWAY, DANGIT.<3
Sarah says
Yes try it anyways!! And I mean hey, as long as you get the flavors all right who cares what they look like? 😉
Sherri @ Watch Learn Eat says
Congrats on your blog’s anniversary! These pies look amazing! Love the gouda and apple combo! 🙂
Sarah says
Thanks so much, Sherri! 🙂
Tamara says
Congratulations on your anniversary! That first year is a rough one, and you added a move into the mix… These hand pies do look amazing, and your photos are lovely 🙂
Sarah says
Thanks, Tamara! Ha it sure was rough around the edges! But it resulted in me eating a lot more healthy/tasty food than I ever have so…all worth it 🙂
Francesca says
These look amazing! I love Gouda cheese!
Great recipe, I know my son would love these. A great new idea to add to his lunch!
Sarah says
These would be great as a little lunch treat! The dough isn’t sweet so you could even make this savory by adding in a spoonful of veggies in place of the apples. Lunch and dessert, bing bang boom!
Vet Leow says
I like your blog layout, neat and clean…photos are pretty to look at too! yummy!
Sarah says
Thanks so much, Vet Leow! 🙂
Kimberly Bonham says
Yummmm!!!
Cassandra says
These look delicious and your photographs are so beautiful!
Rhiannon says
Ooo these sound like the perfect weekend treat! I’m going to have to add this to my to do list 🙂
Sarah says
Definitely! Let me know how you like em! 🙂
Clare Speer says
Wonderful photos that captured my attention for sure… and my appetite!!!!! Wow – these things look so good – I bet they are scrumptious!!! And Holland! Wow, wow – looking forward to reading about your life and adventures, living there too!
Sarah says
Thanks, Clare! Oh they were so scrumptious, you should give them a go! 🙂
Angie says
Yummmmmm. This sounds amazing, and I really want to eat it. There used to be a cute little bakery/sandwich place near my work that made a panini that was apples and brie, and it had walnuts too and you dipped it into this sweet vinaigrette too. It was my favorite thing ever, but sadly they went out of business and I’ve not found it again anywhere.
Sarah says
Oh that makes my belly rumble! It sounds like that would be easy enough to recreate, you should give it a go! Apples + cheese are just a perfect combination.
Tiffany says
These look amazing! What a great snack idea! Yum!
Joanie @ Zagleft says
I love the combination of apples and brie and these hand pies are so pretty!
Tara says
I didn’t even try to resist this recipe. Hand pies are my favorite, followed by gouda. I don’t actually have gouda on hand so i’m thinking of whipping this up with some cheddar. yum!
Sarah says
Cheddar would work really well in these too! I actually thought of the combo because my grandpa always serves us apple pie with a big slice of cheddar 🙂 Enjoy, Tara!
Amber | Cupcakes and Coffee Grounds says
These look amazing!! I have so leftover gouda in the fridge that I need to put to good use, and I think I just found the recipe. 🙂
Revathi Palani says
Congrats on your 1st Blog Birthday 🙂 These hand pies look so divine and delicious. Perfect for the clelebrations.
Frugal Mom of 8 says
Oh my goodness, these sound heavenly!