Last fall Oliver's friend's mom asked me to bring dessert to game night and said "nothing that needs forks or plates because we're eating on the couch." Spent forever trying to figure out what dessert you can eat with your hands that isn't just boring cookies, then remembered seeing something about apple pie bombs on Pinterest months back. Made a batch using canned biscuits, apple pie filling from a can, and cinnamon sugar. Took maybe 20 minutes to throw together, another 15 to bake. Everyone ate three or four, got apple filling and cinnamon sugar all over their hands, and nobody cared because they tasted really good.
Why You'll Love This Apple Pie Bombs
These apple pie bombs work even if making regular pie stresses you out because there's no rolling dough or crimping edges or worrying if your crust looks decent. Just flatten canned biscuits, drop apple filling in the middle, pinch them shut. That's the whole thing. No pastry skills, no fancy stuff, nothing that takes practice. Maybe 20 minutes to put together a whole batch once you've made them before. I can finish 16 of these in the time it takes to make one regular pie that might turn out terrible anyway.
They're also great when you need dessert right now. Keep canned biscuits in the fridge and apple pie filling in the pantry, and you're always 30 minutes from fresh dessert. No thawing frozen dough, no waiting for butter to soften, no planning days ahead. Just grab what you need and go. Oliver's had friends show up without warning and I've made these while kids were playing outside. Had warm dessert ready before they came in asking for snacks.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This Apple Pie Bombs
- Ingredients For Apple Pie Bombs
- How To Make Apple Pie Bombs Step By Step
- Equipment For Apple Pie Bombs
- Variations
- Smart Swaps for Apple Pie Bombs
- Storage Tips For Apple Pie Bombs
- What to Serve With Apple Pie Bombs
- Top Tip
- Why This Apple Pie Bombs Works
- FAQ
- Time to Make These Bombs
- Related
- Pairing
- Apple Pie Bombs
Ingredients For Apple Pie Bombs
Main Players:
- Refrigerated biscuit dough
- Apple pie filling
- Granulated sugar
- Ground cinnamon
- Butter
- Vanilla extract
Optional Add-Ins:
- Caramel sauce for drizzling
- Chopped pecans or walnuts
- Cream cheese for extra richness
- Lemon zest for brightness
- Nutmeg or apple pie spice
See recipe card for quantities.
How To Make Apple Pie Bombs Step By Step
Made these enough times that Oliver can help without messing them up - here's exactly how it works:
Prep Your Workspace
- Preheat oven to 375°F and line baking sheet with parchment paper
- Open can of biscuits and separate them onto counter
- Drain excess liquid from apple pie filling so it's not too wet
- Mix cinnamon and sugar together in small bowl, set aside
- Melt butter in microwave for brushing later
Flatten the Biscuits
- Take one biscuit and flatten it with your hands or rolling pin
- Make it about 4-5 inches wide and kind of round shaped
- Don't roll it too thin or it tears when you're sealing it
- Repeat with all biscuits and lay them out ready to fill
Fill and Seal
- Put one heaping tablespoon of apple pie filling in center of each biscuit
- Don't overfill or they leak everywhere while baking
- Pull edges up around the filling and pinch tight to seal
- Roll between your hands to make a ball shape
- Make sure there's no gaps or filling escapes
Prep for Baking
- Place seam-side down on prepared baking sheet
- Space them out so they're not touching
- Brush tops with melted butter using pastry brush
- This helps them brown and makes cinnamon sugar stick better
Bake Until Golden
- Cinnamon sugar only sticks when they're hot so don't wait too long
- Bake 12-15 minutes until golden brown all over
- They'll puff up bigger and get crispy on outside
- Take out when they're brown not pale or they're doughy inside
- Let cool 2 minutes then roll in cinnamon sugar while still warm
Equipment For Apple Pie Bombs
- Baking sheet (regular size fits about 8 bombs)
- Parchment paper or silicone mat (stops them sticking)
- Rolling pin or your hands to flatten biscuits
- Pastry brush for butter (paper towel works if you don't have one)
- Small bowl for mixing cinnamon sugar
Variations
Air Fryer Churro Apple Pie Bombs:
- Make regular apple pie bombs but don't bake yet
- Brush with melted butter mixed with cinnamon
- Air fry at 350°F for 8-10 minutes until golden
- Roll in cinnamon sugar mixed with extra cinnamon while hot
- Tastes like churros stuffed with apple pie, Oliver's favorite version
Deep Fried Apple Pie Bombs:
- Seal the biscuits extra tight so filling doesn't leak in oil
- Heat oil to 350°F in deep pot or fryer
- Fry 3-4 minutes turning once until golden brown all over
- Drain on paper towels then roll in cinnamon sugar
- Tastes like McDonald's old fried apple pies everyone misses
Apple Pie Bombs with Pie Crust:
- Use refrigerated pie crust instead of biscuits
- Cut into circles about 4 inches wide
- Fill and seal same way but edges crimp easier
- Bake 15-18 minutes, they take longer than biscuit version
- Flakier texture, more like actual pie
Caramel Apple Version:
- Mix caramel bits into the apple pie filling before stuffing
- Seal and bake normal way
- Drizzle more caramel sauce on top after baking
- Roll in cinnamon sugar while caramel's still sticky
- Way sweeter but really good for parties
Cream Cheese Stuffed:
- Mix softened cream cheese with the apple filling
- Makes it creamier and richer inside
- Bake same way, maybe add 2 minutes to cooking time
- Tastes like apple pie cheesecake in ball form
- My friend's daughter requests these every time she comes over
Smart Swaps for Apple Pie Bombs
I've tested different ingredients when I ran out of stuff or wanted to try something new - here's what works:
Dough Options:
- Refrigerated biscuits → Crescent roll dough (easier to seal but thinner)
- Canned biscuits → Homemade pie crust scraps (fancier but more work)
- Regular dough → Puff pastry for flakier texture (costs more)
- Standard → Pizza dough in a pinch (weird but worked when I had nothing else)
Filling Swaps:
- Apple pie filling → Cherry pie filling (Oliver liked these better)
- Canned filling → Homemade cooked apples with cinnamon (tastes fresher)
- Apple → Peach pie filling (summer version that's really good)
- Regular → Nutella for chocolate version (not pie anymore but kids went crazy)
Coating Changes:
- Cinnamon sugar → Plain sugar if you're out of cinnamon
- Regular sugar → Brown sugar for deeper flavor
- Cinnamon sugar → Powdered sugar glaze drizzled on top
- Standard → Churro coating with extra cinnamon (air fryer churro apple pie bombs)
Cooking Method Swaps:
- Oven baked → Air fryer at 350°F for 8-10 minutes (crispier outside)
- Baking → Deep fried for 3-4 minutes (tastes like fair food)
- Regular → Brush with oil and air fry for healthier version
Storage Tips For Apple Pie Bombs
I've tested how long these last and tried different storage methods, here's what works:
Counter Storage (2 days):
- Let them cool completely before storing or they get soggy
- Keep in airtight container at room temperature
- They're best eaten same day while crust is still crispy
- By day 2 the outside gets softer but still tastes fine
- Don't refrigerate or the biscuit part gets weird and dense
Reheating Tips:
- Oven at 350°F for 5 minutes crisps them back up
- Microwave works for 20-30 seconds but makes them soft not crispy
- Air fryer at 320°F for 3-4 minutes brings back that fresh texture
- Toaster oven works great if you're only doing a few
Freezing (Not Great):
- You can freeze baked apple pie bombs for a month
- Wrap individually in plastic then put in freezer bag
- Thaw at room temperature then reheat in oven
- Texture's not as good as fresh, crust gets kind of tough
- Better to just make them fresh when you want them
Make-Ahead Strategy:
- Assemble them completely but don't bake
- Keep in fridge up to 4 hours before baking
- Add 2-3 minutes to baking time if going straight from fridge
- Don't assemble more than 4 hours ahead or biscuits get weird
What to Serve With Apple Pie Bombs
These apple pie bombs are fine on their own as dessert, but vanilla ice cream on the side makes them way better. Hot apple filling with cold ice cream is that classic combo everyone likes. Whipped cream works too if you don't want ice cream. Caramel sauce drizzled on top makes them look fancier without doing anything extra - just buy the squeeze bottle kind and drizzle before serving.
For drinks, coffee or hot apple cider goes really well, especially in fall when you're making these for Thanksgiving or Halloween. Oliver drinks milk with his because he's seven and thinks milk goes with every dessert. At adult parties, I've seen people eating these with whiskey or bourbon which seems weird but everyone said it was good. For game day, they work as dessert after pizza or wings - something sweet to end the night that's not just more chips.
Top Tip
- These last maybe 2 days on the counter if you let them cool all the way before putting them away. Keep them in a container with a lid at room temperature. They're best the same day when the outside's still crispy. By day 2 they get softer but still taste fine. Don't put them in the fridge or the biscuit gets dense and gross. For reheating, oven at 350°F for 5 minutes works okay. Microwave's faster - 20 to 30 seconds - but makes them soft and mushy. Air fryer at 320°F for 3 or 4 minutes is best for getting that crispy texture back.
- Freezing baked apple pie bombs works for maybe a month but honestly it's not worth it. Wrap each one in plastic wrap then stick them in a freezer bag with the date on it. Thaw on the counter then reheat in the oven. Texture's not the same - crust gets tough and chewy instead of flaky. Just make them fresh when you want them instead of messing with frozen ones that don't taste right.
Why This Apple Pie Bombs Works
These apple pie bombs work because biscuit dough is already leavened and ready to bake, so you skip all the annoying pastry stuff that messes people up with regular pie. The dough's thick enough to hold wet filling without ripping, but soft enough to pinch shut easy. Regular pie crust is too delicate and tears when you wrap it around filling, puff pastry's too thin and leaks everywhere, but refrigerated biscuit dough hits that perfect spot where it's sturdy but still gets flaky after baking.
The cinnamon sugar only sticks when the bombs are hot from the oven because the butter you brushed on melts into the surface and makes it sticky. Wait too long and they cool off, butter hardens, and cinnamon sugar just falls off instead of sticking. You've got maybe 2 minutes after pulling them out before they're too cool and you missed your chance. Found this out my first batch when I let them cool 10 minutes like cookies, and the cinnamon sugar wouldn't stick no matter what I did.
FAQ
Is apple pie a sativa or indica?
This question's about weed strains not actual dessert. There's a cannabis strain called Apple Pie that's indica-dominant. Nothing to do with these apple pie bombs which are just biscuits stuffed with apple filling. Regular food with zero THC or anything else. Just apples and cinnamon sugar.
How to make exploding apples?
These apple pie bombs don't actually explode. The name's just for fun - they're biscuits with apple filling inside. If yours are exploding while baking, you put too much filling in or didn't seal the edges tight. Use less filling and pinch edges hard so it stays inside instead of leaking everywhere.
Why did McDonald's discontinue apple pie?
McDonald's didn't stop selling apple pies, they just quit frying them in the 90s and started baking instead. Everyone loved the old fried ones better because they were crispier. These deep fried apple pie bombs taste like the old McDonald's version if you fry them. Same crispy outside, hot apple goo inside.
What is the best thickener for apple pie filling?
Cornstarch works best for thickening homemade apple pie filling because it stays clear and doesn't get gummy. Use 2 tablespoons for 4 cups of apples. Flour works too but makes it cloudy. For these apple pie bombs you're using canned filling anyway so thickening doesn't matter - it's already thick.
Time to Make These Bombs
Here's what happens once you make these: people bug you for the recipe constantly. Game nights where they're gone before you sit down, classroom parties where kids eat them before the birthday cake gets cut, random Tuesday nights when Oliver has friends over and everyone wants seconds. They become your automatic dessert because they take 30 minutes and look way more impressive than they are. Let people think you spent all afternoon making individual hand pies. Really you just pinched refrigerator biscuits around canned filling and tossed them in the oven while doing laundry.
Want more recipes that won't make you regret starting them or stress you out halfway through? Our Easy Brazilian Carrot Cake Recipe uses a blender for the whole batter so there's zero hand mixing or worrying about lumps - just blend and bake. Delicious Cheesy Bacon Onion Bombs are basically the savory dinner version of these - same super easy concept but with cheese and bacon instead of apples and cinnamon. Need something that looks really impressive for dinner parties but isn't actually hard? The Best Lemon Cream Tart Recipe seems complicated and fancy but uses straightforward simple steps that anyone can follow without pastry school training.
Post your apple pie bombs! We look at every post - the perfect golden ones, the disasters where filling leaked, the creative versions with different fillings that worked. Real kitchen photos with messy counters beat those fake magazine shots where everything's spotless.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rate this recipe and tell us the complete truth about how it went - what worked perfectly, what went sideways, what you'd do different next time!
Questions about making yours work? Scroll up to the FAQ section - we covered the four things everyone asks. If yours isn't there, drop it in comments and I'll answer. Someone else probably wants to know too.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Apple Pie Bombs
Apple Pie Bombs
Equipment
- 1 Baking sheet (Regular size fits about 8 bombs)
- 1 Parchment Paper or Silicone Mat (Prevents sticking)
- 1 Rolling pin or hands (To flatten biscuits)
- 1 Pastry brush (For brushing melted butter)
- 1 Small bowl (To mix cinnamon sugar)
- 1 Microwave-safe bowl (For melting butter)
Ingredients
- 1 can (16 oz) Refrigerated biscuit dough - 8 large biscuits or 16 smaller
- 1 can (21 oz) Apple pie filling Drain excess liquid
- ¼ cup Granulated sugar - For coating
- 1 tablespoon Ground cinnamon - Mix with sugar
- 4 tablespoon Butter - Melted, for brushing
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract - Optional, adds flavor
- Caramel sauce - Optional drizzle
- Chopped pecans or walnuts - Optional add-in
- Cream cheese Optional - Optional, for creamy filling
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Drain excess liquid from apple pie filling. Mix cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl. Melt butter for brushing later.
- Separate biscuits and flatten each into a round about 4-5 inches wide using your hands or a rolling pin. Don't make them too thin or they'll tear.
- Spoon one heaping tablespoon of apple pie filling into the center of each flattened biscuit.
- Pull edges of dough up around the filling, pinch tightly to close, and roll gently into a ball shape to make sure there are no gaps.
- Place sealed bombs seam-side down on the prepared baking sheet, leaving space between them. Brush tops with melted butter.
- Bake 12-15 minutes until golden brown and puffed. Remove from oven when fully browned.
- While still hot, roll each bomb in the cinnamon sugar mixture so the coating sticks evenly.
- Let cool about 2 minutes before serving. Optional: drizzle with caramel sauce or serve with ice cream.
Leave a Reply