Pumpkin Hand Pies
These adorable pumpkin hand pies are as easy fall treat that makes a great alternative to traditional pumpkin pie with much less bake time. This easy recipe works well for Halloween and Thanksgiving, but is sure to bring a smile on any crisp fall day.
Fall pretty much means pumpkin spice everything in our house with some apple and cinnamon flavors thrown in for good measure. Any good #basicgirl will tell you, that’s how you do fall. And these pumpkin hand pies are an easy way to enjoy pumpkin pie without spending hours in the kitchen.
So grab your PSL, don your Uggs, and let’s get #basic.
What makes pumpkin hand pies a good choice to make?
You could spend hours in the kitchen making pumpkin pie from scratch. Making dough. Rolling it out. Baking a full pie. And evenly baking it. (Raise your hand if you ever burned a pie crust but still had a cool center). My pumpkin hand pies are an excellent, easy solution to your pumpkin pie cravings that cook evenly and produce amazing results.
So here is what makes pumpkin hand pies so easy:
- they use a store bought dough – all you have to do is unroll it
- they use canned pumpkin and spices you probably already have on hand
- though I use pumpkin shapes, you can use nearly any cookie cutter you want to make them
- they bake in about 15 or less minutes
Why Pumpkin Hand Pies?
If you love pumpkin pie, you’ll love these pumpkin hand pies.
Here are a few advantages of pumpkin hand pies:
- they are portable – you can grab one and go if you are in a rush to get out the door
- as my 4 year old says, “Aww, Mommy, they’re so cute!” They are sure to be a hit at your fall get togethers
- you can be creative with them, using different cookie cutter shapes
- they bake in less than half the time of a traditional pumpkin pie
How to Make a Perfect Pumpkin Hand Pie
Making the pumpkin hand pies is pretty easy, but there are a couple of tricks I learned along the way that make this pretty simple to do.
- Make sure whatever cutter you choose to use is at least 2 inches in diameter or else it will be too small to hold all the filling. If you choose a pumpkin cookie cutter, look for big ones.
- Do not skip brushing the pie crust with egg wash! The egg wash both helps seal the pie dough and gives the crust a pretty golden sheen.
- Go easy on the filling. The first time I made these, I overfilled the pies so I had leakage. About two teaspoons of filling pressed gently in the center of the dough is plenty.
- Notice how there’s no liquid in the filling aside from the pumpkin? Most pumpkin pie recipes call for some form of milk. Do not add any milk into this recipe or the filling will be too runny to stay inside the little crusts.
The perfect fall bite.
Looking for other sweet pumpkin recipes? Try these:
- Italian Style Pumpkin Cheesecake
- No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake
- Easy Pumpkin Donuts
- Pumpkin French Toast Casserole
- Pumpkin Granola
- Baked Pumpkin Oatmeal
Ingredients
- 2 premade pie crusts 1 package
- 1 cup of pumpkin puree
- 1/2 cup of brown sugar
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 egg beaten
- 1 tbs water
- sugar for sprinkling
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400.
- Unroll the pie crusts onto a flat surface covered in parchment paper. Use your cookie cutters or biscuit cutters to cut shapes out of the pie crusts. Put crust scraps together into a ball and roll it out to cut more shapes. I was able to make 24 shapes for 12 pies total, but you may be able to make less depending on the size of your cutter. Lay half the shapes out onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Beat together the egg and tablespoon of water to make an egg wash. Brush onto the pie crust shapes on the cookie sheets.
- In a medium bowl, mix together 1 cup of pumpkin puree, 1/2 cup of brown sugar, vanilla, and the spices until thoroughly combined. Spoon two teaspoons into the center of each pie crust shape, pressing it down slightly. Leave some room at the edges of the pie crust shapes. Repeat until the half of the shapes on the tray have filling on them. Top each open faced pie with another shape and seal the sides by pinching them together and pressing them down with the tines on a fork. Repeat until done. Once all the pies are sealed, use a knife to cut slits into the center of the pies for venting. Then brush the pies with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar.
- Bake pies in a 400 degree oven for 13-15 minutes or until crust is golden. Remove from oven, let cool and enjoy.
they look delicious but do you bake them on the parchment paper?