Description
These Easy Pumpkin Hand Pies are a festive and delicious autumn treat featuring flaky puff pastry filled with a spiced pumpkin puree. Perfectly shaped like pumpkins with jack-o-lantern faces, they are ideal for Halloween parties or cozy fall gatherings. Made with simple ingredients and baked to golden perfection, these hand pies are both charming and satisfying.
Ingredients
Scale
Puff Pastry
- 2 packages frozen puff pastry, thawed (4 sheets total)
Filling
- 1 cup canned pumpkin puree (100% pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 egg (divided)
- 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (divided)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Additional
- 1 tablespoon water
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Line cookie sheets with parchment paper and set them aside for easy cleanup and to prevent sticking.
- Prepare Puff Pastry Sheets: Unroll the thawed puff pastry sheets and use a rolling pin to gently roll each sheet to about 8 inches by 14 inches to create an even surface for cutting.
- Cut Pumpkin Shapes: Use a pumpkin-shaped cookie cutter to cut out pumpkin shapes from the rolled puff pastry sheets, creating twice as many as needed for tops and bottoms.
- Arrange Bottom Pieces: Place half of the pumpkin-shaped puff pastry pieces on the lined cookie sheets. These will serve as the base of each hand pie.
- Make Filling: In a small bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, brown sugar, 1 egg, heavy whipping cream, 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, salt, and vanilla extract until combined. Spoon a generous amount of filling into the center of each pumpkin-shaped puff pastry base on the cookie sheets.
- Brush Edges with Water: Dip a finger or pastry brush in water and lightly brush the edges of the puff pastry bases. This will help seal the pies together.
- Create Jack-O-Lantern Tops: Using a small, sharp knife, cut jack-o-lantern faces into the remaining pumpkin-shaped puff pastry pieces to create the tops. Carefully place these tops over the filled bases and gently press around the edges to seal, using the water as an adhesive.
- Apply Egg Wash: In a small bowl, whisk 1 egg with 1 tablespoon water to make an egg wash. Use a pastry brush to gently coat the tops of each pumpkin hand pie to give them a shiny, golden finish when baked.
- Add Sugar-Spice Topping: Combine granulated sugar with the remaining 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice in a small bowl. Sprinkle this fragrant mixture evenly over the egg-washed tops of the hand pies.
- Bake: Place the cookie sheets in the preheated oven and bake for 13-15 minutes, or until the puff pastry is puffed up and golden brown. Remove from the oven and transfer the hand pies to a wire cooling rack. Allow to cool before serving.
Notes
- Make sure to use 100% pure pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling for the best flavor and consistency.
- Thaw the puff pastry completely before rolling and cutting to prevent tearing.
- Use a sharp knife for cutting the jack-o-lantern faces to ensure clean cuts and better presentation.
- These hand pies can be made ahead and refrigerated before baking. Just add a few extra minutes to baking time if baking straight from the fridge.
- For an extra festive touch, try brushing the finished hand pies with a little additional heavy cream instead of egg wash for a dairy-rich gloss.
