Mini Apple Chimichangas are crispy little burritos filled with caramel apple pie filling and dusted with cinnamon and sugar. They’re an easy Southwest dessert recipe that you can pick up with your fingers and dip in Caramel Whipped Cream. Just wrap the caramel apple filling in a soft flour tortilla and deep fry for a crispy treat.
In fact, I ate so many of these crispy little wonders while I was expecting my first baby that apple chimichangas are now part of his DNA! He is all grown up now and he still loves them still.
There’s just something so familiar about them. Something so… home.
This Apple Chimichanga recipe was one of the very first recipes I shared on Everyday Southwest! It was originally posted in October of 2010 and is still a big favorite. It is included in my Burritos! Cookbook along with 80 plus delicious recipes. You can order BURRITOS! online from Amazon or your favorite online bookseller.
Don’t get me wrong, I do like a good apple pie but, I don’t love making the pie crusts. The mess, the fuss, the flour dust, scraping dried bites of it off of the countertops for days… well let’s just say that I only make regular flour and butter pie crusts on special occasions and holidays.
These Mini Apple Chimichangas are crunchy little bites of apple pie for any day of the year, they are my “go-to” apple pie recipe “without the fuss.” They are quick, easy, and filled with fresh apples and brown sugar caramel sauce.
Did I say they are fried? Even apple pie is better crispy and fried!
Just wrap your apple pie filling in a soft tortilla and you will have warm, crispy apple chimis in no time. Magic!
This Apple Chimichanga recipe was one of the very first recipes I shared on Everyday Southwest! It was originally posted in October of 2010 and is still a big favorite. It is included in my Burritos! Cookbook along with 80 plus delicious recipes. You can order BURRITOS! online from Amazon or your favorite online bookseller.
How to Make a Mini Apple Chimichanga
Filling first please.
This recipe has a quick and easy apple pie filling with brown sugar. It is delicious!
Can I use canned pie filling?
Yes! You can always use a canned apple pie filling or use your favorite apple pie filling recipe. If you don't have brown sugar on hand, try this canned apple pie filling recipe for a quick and easy substitute.
Flour Tortillas Only Please
The key to making a perfect apple chimichanga at home is the tortilla.
A good flour tortilla should be paper thin and you should be able to see through it. When fried, the tortilla will flake on the edges like a pastry and little air bubbles will form that will fry to a crispy, light crunch.
Where to find thin flour tortillas?
Thin flour tortillas are hard to find in the grocery store so, I buy most of my tortillas at a Latin market downtown or a local Mexican food restaurant. The restaurants are happy to sell me a dozen or two.
If you buy your tortillas at the grocery store, just make sure the tortillas are as thin as possible and not the thick, doughy ones that have become so popular.
Use the same tart apples that you use for apple pies such as Granny Smith apples.
Peel the apples and dice them into small cubes.
Melt the butter and brown sugar together until it bubbles and foams. Stir the mixture until it thickens. Add cinnamon, if desired.
Add the apples to the thickened sugar/butter mixture. Stir and cook until tender.
Cut some of the edges make it easier to wrap the chimichanga but make sure to leave enough extra so that the tortilla will seal around the apples, you don’t want the sauce to run out in the oil.
Spoon the apple filling onto the center of a tortilla.
Wrap the tortilla firmly around the apple pie filling and secure it with a toothpick.
Deep Fry the Chimichangas
For the crispiest chimichangas, fry them until crispy and lightly brown all over. Drain them on paper towels.
To Serve Your Apple Chimichanga
Apple Chimichangas are delicious dusted with cinnamon and sugar or powdered sugar.
You can also serve them “a la mode” with ice cream or whipped cream dusted with cinnamon.
In fact, they are delicious served with anything you would put on apple pie.
The original apple chimichanga recipe that my family loves have a powdered sugar glaze that is spread on while the chimi is hot. A dollop of buttercream icing is also good if the chimi is still warm.
I hope you give these crispy little bites a try! Be sure to let me how your friends and family like them.
You can always get in touch with me by leaving a comment here on Everyday Southwest OR you can follow the Everyday Southwest Facebook Page and leave a comment for me there. I’d love to hear about your favorite recipe and dinner ideas!
See you soon!
Here are some apple recipes that I have moved to the top of my "must try" list:
Cinnamon Apple Cheesecake-by My Baking Addiction
Blueberry Apple Crisp-by Baking Bites
Baked Apples with Maple-Walnut Sauce-by Noble Pig
Apple Phyllo Napoleons-by Dessert First
Sandy
Mini-Apple Chimichangas Recipe
makes 6 chimichangas about 5 inches long
Ingredients
- Canola oil for frying
- 2 pounds Granny Smith Apples
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- pinch sea salt, Kosher salt will do
- teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 6 fresh medium sized flour tortillas, about 10 inch diameter
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 to 3 tablespoons store bought caramel sauce for ice cream
- 6 small cinnamon sticks, optional
Instructions
Directions for Mini-Chimichangas Apple Pie Filling
- Pre-heat oil to 370 degrees in a deep fryer or medium pot filled no more than halfway while preparing chimichangas.
- Peel, core and dice apples. Melt the butter in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the brown sugar, stir until the sugar is melted and smooth. Add apples. Saute until fork tender, but not mushy. Sprinkle cinnamon, nutmeg and salt over mixture and stir in lemon juice.
- Directions for Assembling the Mini-Apple Chimichangas
- Prepare tortillas by warming the slightly in the microwave. Tortillas will be more pliable when warm. Don't over cook or they will dry out. Cut edges on three sides of the tortilla to square off the edges and make it easier to wrap them around the apples.
- Spoon filling onto tortillas and roll them into a burrito shape. Secure with toothpicks.
- Test the heat of the oil with scraps of tortilla. The tortillas should bubble and float to the top when the oil is the proper temperature. Do not add the chimichangas until bubbles appear. Fry the apple chimichangas until golden brown and crispy, not hard. Drain on a paper towels.
- Pour cream into a chilled glass bowl. Whip halfway to soft peaks. Drizzle the caramel sauce into cream and continue whipping to medium peaks.
- Dust apple chimichangas with powdered sugar. Top with a dollop of caramel whipped cream. Dust cream with ground cinnamon. Dress up the chimichanga with a cinnamon stick if desired.
Notes
Dust apple chimichangas with powdered sugar. Top with a dollop of caramel whipped cream. Dust cream with ground cinnamon. Dress up the chimichanga with a cinnamon stick if desired.
Nutrition Information
Serving Size
1 gramsAmount Per Serving Unsaturated Fat 0g
Donna
OhMyGosh do these look amazing. I am wondering if you could use the flour tortillas that are uncooked and in the refrigerator section? They are always very thin.
sandy
Yes, you can certainly use those. The reason I say, "the thinner, the better" for this recipe is the thick ones don't get as crispy. They stay a little "doughy" on the inside of the chimis. If you can't get thin ones, by all means use any tortilla you can find! Just fry them a little bit longer and make sure you don't have too many layers of tortilla when you roll them up. 😉
linda
I love any kind of apple desserts. These look delish!
Linda, Thanks for visiting the blog! We are having a birthday give away for the month of November and lots of fun things. Be sure to enter for one of the prizes.
Sandy
Cathy B. @ Bright Bakes
this looks absaloutely incredible! Can't wait to try this with my homemade tortillas!!
love,
cathy b. @ brightbakes
sandy
Cathy, You make all those delicious breads on your baking blog AND you make homemade tortillas?!
Cathy B. @ Bright Bakes
why yes! life without homemade tortillas really isn't worth living, you know! 🙂 (unless of course, you are fortunate, as you are, to live where getting them fresh from a local source is an easy matter! 🙂 )
love,
cathy b.
p.s.congrats on making the featured paged on Tasty Kitchen!!
Jenna
Wow, these really do look amazing. I just followed the link from TastyKitchen--great recipe!!
Jenna, Thanks for following the link. We are having our first birthday tomorrow and are having a terrific give away for the month of November to celebrate. Please check in with us and enter to win.
sandy
Cathy, Thanks! I can't believe how excited I was! I checked the sight this morning while I was on the phone and was so surprised. I couldn't help squealing. I think I blasted the person's ear off! Sorry.
Hi, check back in!
Jennifer @ Jane Deere
I'm a new subscriber to your blog and I love it. This recipe looks soooo good! I can't wait to make them.
Sandy
Jennifer,
I'm glad you found us! Your blog looks amazing, I feel healthier just looking at it.
I tried to garden in Phoenix for a few years. The sun won. I do believe I'm going to try a winter garden on a very small scale.
Tiffany
I totally feel like I can smell the brown sugar through my computer screen!
Sandy
Tiffany, The brown sugar adds a lot of depth I think. My son thinks they taste like carmel apple.
Amy Bakes Everything
There is nothing about this that sucks. Absolutely brilliant! Fried apple pies without making the stupid crust! Great job!
Sandy
I know, Amy! No crust, no flour on the floor, no little dried bits stuck to the counter...
Vicki @ Wilde in the Kitchen
Apple chimis, okay, but adding caramel whipped cream, droolworthy! The finished picture looks absolutely amazing!
Sandra
I like this and I'm totally with you about pie crusts.
Sandy
Sandra, Give the Mini Apple Chimis a try, you'll love how crispy the tortillas are! You won't even miss the crust!
chocolate pecan pie
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Chelsea
My mouth is watering! These look amazing! I think we need to have a Mexican-themed date night soon!
Kim (TheKimSixFix)
You had me at "Chimichanga" mmmmmmmm.
Sandy
Thanks for stopping by, Kim. I'm so glad you like them!
Susan @ Oh My! Creative
I pinned this and it is getting lots of re-pins! Thanks for linking to Whimsy Wednesday! I wanted to let you know I featured your dessert in my roundup! Looks delicious! You can see the feature here...
https://www.ohmy-creative.com/holiday-crafts/thanksgiving/22-eat-day-thanksgiving-desserts/
Susan
Sandy
Hi Susan, Thank you so much for featuring my Apple Chimichangas recipe! It looks amazing in your post! I just got back into town and will share your post around on social media as soon as I get my act together. Thanks again, Sandy
Joanie
Oh . my word these are so good! They remind me of mini hand pies and are my new favorite dessert.
Crystal Lopez
WHOA! Totally drooling over here! My family is gonna go crazy over this deliciousness! I love the combo of apples and caramel!
Patricia @ Grab a Plate
wholly guacamole! What a fabulous and fun treat! Love this so much!
sarah
Made these last night and there were NO leftovers! Winner!
Lydia
I love apple desserts and am always looking for new recipe ideas. These look so ridiculously good! Can't wait to try them!
Andrea
Oh my! These look amazing. We're definitely going to try this this week.
Paula
These were the perfect dessert after burgers!
Samantha
OMG. I am an apple and caramel lover when Fall time rolls around and this may take that obsession to a new level. It looks fantastic!
Thomas K Bentzen
can I do these the day before and just heat a bit?? Hard to do while guests are at the dinner table.
Sandy
Hi Thomas, I have never tried to make them a day ahead of time. The main concern would be the crispiness and if the tortilla would get tough in the center. If you try it, please come back and let me know how they turned out. I would love to hear about your experience!