Mini Pumpkin Hand Pies

5 from 3 votes

If you roast your own pie pumpkins for a pumpkin pie filling, chances are you have some leftover roasted pumpkin to use up! Use any extra pumpkin in these cute mini pumpkin hand pies.

P.S. It's also the perfect way to reuse any leftover pie crust!

Pile of half-moon shaped hand pies on a white plate next to a small orange pumpkin.

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🌟Why you'll love this recipe
🧾Ingredients in this recipe
👩‍🍳How to Make This Recipe
📋Hand Pie FAQs
🍁 More Fall Dessert Ideas
Mini Pumpkin Hand Pies

🌟Why you'll love this recipe

Super simple yet delicious filling – The hand pie filling is easier to make than my pumpkin pie filling as it has fewer ingredients, but still packs an amazing flavor punch!
Best way to use leftover roasted pumpkin – I love a recipe that takes leftovers and makes them into something delicious.
Great for serving at parties and dinners – Hand pies are perfect to serve for guests, as they are hand-held sweet bites that are easy to grab and eat.
Single servings – A hand pie is one individual serving, so makes a wonderful alternative to a bigger pie you have to cut up into even portions.

In the mood for more pie? Try these excellent bakes: Matcha and Chocolate French Silk Pie, Banana Coconut Cream Pie Cups, or this Perfect Cherry Pie Filling I love to make with a store-bought (or bakery bought) crust.

🧾Ingredients in this recipe

Pumpkin, pie dough, and other ingredients to make hand pies on a countertop next to a round cookie cutter.

Roasted pie pumpkin – Pie pumpkins or sugar pie pumpkins are sweeter and richer in flavor than carving pumpkins, making them perfect for pie filling. If you did want to make a substitution, use one 15-ounce can of pumpkin puree.
Brown sugar – You'll need light or dark brown sugar. This gives the filling a special, rich caramel flavor.
White sugar – Use granulated or cane sugar.
Vanilla – Use a good-quality vanilla extract or vanilla paste.
Pumpkin pie spices - I make my own mix using cloves, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Making your own will guarantee the most consistent results.
Leftover pie crust – Use a pie crust from the frozen aisle of the grocery store.
Egg - for the wash to get a golden brown. You can leave this out or substitute it with vegan butter if you want to keep it vegan. It won't get golden brown, but will still be delicious.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

Pro Tip

This is meant to be a leftover recipe, so don't worry if you don't have enough filling... you'll just make a few less! It's a great recipe if you have one pie crust left and some leftover roasted pie pumpkin or pumpkin puree.

👩‍🍳How to Make This Recipe

Two pumpkins cut in half with two halves still with seeds.

If you're roasting your pumpkin from scratch, start by preheating your oven to 350°F with the rack in the lower half of the oven.
While it heats, cut a pie pumpkin in half lengthwise, then scoop out all of the seeds.

Four baked pumpkin halves cut side down on a silicone baking sheet.

Place the cut side down on a baking sheet as shown. Bake the pumpkin for 1 hour.

Four peeled and cooked pumpkin halves cut side down on a silicone baking sheet.

When the pumpkins are ready, let them cool to the point where you can touch them, then remove all the skin.

Pumpkin puree, sugar, and spices in a food processor bowl.

Add 2 cups of the roasted pumpkin to a food processor along with granulated sugar, brown sugar, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and vanilla to a food processor and blend it for 1 minute.

Circles of pie dough on a countertop next to a cookie cutter.

Roll out your pre-made pie crust and cut out circles about 5-6 inches wide. They don't need to be perfect!

Circles of pie dough topped with dollups of pumpkin pie filling on a countertopl.

Place about 2 tablespoon of filling on one side of the pie circle.

Crimped hand pies next to circular pie dough with dollups of pie filling.

Fold the dough over to seal it. Crimp the edges by hand or with a fork. You can do this using hand pie molds.

Ten crimped hand pies on a silicone baking mat.

Place the hand pies on a baking sheet and brush with an egg wash (or vegan butter) for an extra golden brown color.

Pile of half-moon shaped hand pies on a white plate.

Bake the pumpkin hand pies for 28-32 minutes until golden brown. They won't get golden brown if you're leaving out the egg. Leave to cool slightly, then serve! You can even put a dusting of icing sugar on top for an extra sweet bite.

📋Hand Pie FAQs

Why is my filling oozing out?

If you overfill your hand pie, the chances are that the filling will ooze out of the sides. This can also happen if the edges of the hand pie are not properly sealed. This can happen if you get filling under the crimped edge.

Are hand pies the same as empanadas?

Hand pies and empanadas are both small pastries that can have sweet or savory fillings. Hand pies can be a catch-all way of describing small single-serve pies. Empanadas are more specifically found in Latin American, Spanish, and Filipino cuisines. They usually have a half-moon shape with crimped edges.

🍁 More Fall Dessert Ideas

It's the season to bake something delicious! Try these flawless fall recipes.

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landwey

February 15, 2024 at 10:21 pm