Pumpkin Hand Pies Recipe

Flaky and buttery puff pastry dough stuffed with a simple pumpkin pie filling, baked until golden and crusty. It is such a delicious fall sweet treat that is very easy and needs only 5 ingredients!

It is the last week of August which in my head means I am late to post about all things pumpkin. LOL! I have been seeing pumpkin recipes for halloween and fall all over my social media lately and it has me feeling odd as it is still very much summer in Dubai. Having said this, I am feeling a huge sense of FOMO (fear of missing out) that I need to be making cozy and warming treats. The truth is, I made these hand pie a year ago and did not get a chance to post them. They are truly a delicious snack and treat to make for halloween, not to mention they are stupidly simple to make.

What does hand pie mean? What are British hand pies called?

Hand pies are pastries (with a sweet or savory filling) made with shortcrust pastry, puff pastry or even bread dough. They can be shaped in rectangles, rounds, semicircles or any shape you like. However they must be easy to eat and hold in your hand – hence hand pie. They come under the category of finger foods. British hand pies are called pastys.

Are hand pies the same as empanadas?

Hand pies have a variety of types, empanadas are a type of hand pie, they may or may not be called hand pies. They have a dough and filling which could be baked or fried just like hand pies.

What is another name for hand pie?

They are referred to as many names depending on the country they come from, here some popular names: pasty, turnover, empanada, fatayer, piroshki.

What are pumpkin shaped hand pies?

They are pastries made with pull pastry dough, cut out into pumpkins, filled with a pumpkin pie filling and baked. These pumpkin shaped hand pies are a finger food that is flaky, crispy, soft and delicious.

What ingredients are needed for pumpkin hand pies?

To make this recipe we need puff pastry, pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice mix, egg, maple syrup and egg.

Can I use pumpkin pie filling?

You could use pumpkin pie filling and leave out the spice mix, I prefer pumpkin puree as it tends to give a richer pumpkin flavor as compared to the pumpkin pie filling.

Can I make my own homemade pie crust?

I have used puff pastry and that is a little tedious to make at home – however you could do that. But I have made this recipe with short crust pastry as well and it works perfectly. Check out my homemade short curst pastry recipe here.

Can I double this recipe?

Absolutely. This recipe makes 12 mini pumpkin shaped hand pies. You could make them into 6 larger hand pies, alternatively you can double up the recipe to make 24 pies.

Can I make these in advance?

These pumpkin shaped hand pies can be prepared ahead of time and frozen raw. When ready to bake, place the on a baking sheet, let them thaw a little and brush with egg before baking. Hence you could bake them as needed as well to enjoy fresh and warm hand pies. I have also stored them once baked in the freezer in zip lock bags and when ready to eat, reheat in the oven for 5-8 minutes until warm.

What equipment is needed for pumpkin hand pies?

To make these hand pies we need a rolling pin to roll out the puff pastry dough. I have also use a pumpkin shaped cookie cutter, mixing bowl to bring the filling together. A king sheet to bake them in the oven. You will need a fork to seal the edges of the dough and depending on how you want to decorate the top, you would need a knife.

What if I don’t have a pumpkin shaped cookie cutter?

You could make these hand pies rectangle or any. Other shape you like. Alternatively you can make a traced cut out of a pumpkin shape and use it instead of the cookie cutter.

How to make pumpkin hand pies?

Preheat the oven to 190℃. In a mixing bowl add the pumpkin puree, egg, corn flour, pumpkin spice, maple syrup, salt and whisk until smooth. Set aside. Over a sheet of paper paper roll out the fridge cold puff pastry dough to roughly 1/4 inch thickness, cut out size pumpkins with the pumpkin cookie cutter. Remove the excess dough and transfer the baking sheet to a baking tray. Fill each cut out with the pumpkin filling, leaving a small border around each cut out. Roll our the other puff pastry dough and cut out using the pumpkin cookie cutter. Brush the edges of the dough with egg wash and cover each pumpkin pie filled cut out with these pieces of dough. Seal the edges with a fork. Brush with egg wash on top and sprinkle with granulated sugar. Bake fro 15-18 minutes or until the top is golden and puffed.

Serving and storing pumpkin hand pies?

They are best served warm but I have enjoyed them cold as well. You can dust them with icing sugar and cinnamon powder. I love serving it with vanilla ice cream as well. They are a delicious brunch or breakfast on the go. I have also given them as trick or treat desserts to kids for halloween.

Looking for more pumpkin recipes?

Now that we have covered how to make this pumpkin shaped hand pie recipe, you can have a look at the recipe video on my socials but let’s get to it. Don’t forget to follow along for more fun recipe inspiration.

If you try this recipe out, don’t forget to share it with me on pinterest & instagram so I can see how it turned out. I’d love nothing more than to chat with you on your cooking/baking.

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