Want to enjoy the taste of fall in the palm of your hand? These adorable pumpkin hand pies are the perfect single serving fall dessert.
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Pumpkin spice season is upon us! This is my favorite season as the weather starts to cool off and the days become shorter. I find myself in the house baking more. These hand pies are a delightful dessert with all the tastes of fall to enjoy this time of year.
These tasty pumpkin pie hand pies are an excellent single serving dessert to enjoy or offer to guests. I always try to have a few on hand in my freezer when my sweet tooth hits. They come together so easily and take less than 30 minutes from start to finish.
Just like my mini pumpkin pies, these pumpkin hand pies can be made with a refrigerated crust to cut down on time or use your own homemade crust. After that you only need five ingredients that can easily be found in your pantry to create these delicious handheld desserts.If you enjoy single serving desserts, try this single serve apple pie or this mini pecan pies. Both desserts taste wonderful during the cool fall days.
Ingredients
For the filling:
- Egg: Half of the egg is used to keep all the filling ingredients together. The other half will be used for the egg wash.
- Pumpkin puree: Make sure to get canned pumpkin puree instead of canned pumpkin pie filling.
- Granulated sugar: The sweetener used in the pies.
- Pumpkin spice: Use store bought or make your own using cinnamon, nutmeg, clove and ginger. This will give the filling the taste of pumpkin pie.
For the pies:
- Pie crust: Use a refrigerated pie crusts for ease and convenience or use a homemade crust.
- Granulated sugar and cinnamon: The pie topping that will be mixed together to give it a little extra sweetness and spice.
Scroll down to the recipe card for quantities used.
Instructions
Alright, let's gather up our pie crust, dough cutter and filling ingredients to make these delicious pumpkin hand pies. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
In a medium bowl, add half of the beaten egg. Add pumpkin puree, sugar, and pumpkin spice.
Mix well. Refrigerate the mixture until needed.
On a lightly floured surface, unroll and cut half of the pie crust. Cut the dough into 4 circles with a large glass cup about 5 inches in diameter.
Place a spoonful of the pumpkin mixture on each dough circle, leaving a ⅓-inch border. Fold each circle in half and seal the edges by pinching with your fingers or crimping with a fork.
In a small bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon to make the pie topping.
Brush the pies with beaten egg, then sprinkle with the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
Cut a small slit on the top of each pie using a knife. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
Hint: Be sure to chill the dough before filling and baking. After you roll out the dough and cut it into rounds or squares, refrigerate it for about 20-30 minutes. This helps prevent the dough from becoming too soft or sticky when you're adding the filling, making it easier to handle. It also ensures that the pies hold their shape better during baking, resulting in a flaky, tender crust.
Variations
Here are a few ways to customize these pumpkin hand pies to your liking.
- Use a pumpkin cookie cutter. If you would like these adorable pies to resemble the shape of pumpkins, then use a pumpkin shaped cookie cutter.
- Change up the sugar. Use brown sugar to give these hand pies a hint of molasses flavoring.
- Add some crunch. Add in crushed nuts such as walnuts or pecans to the filling to give the pies some crunch.
- Add a topping. Crushed and sprinkled sea salt, a drizzle of caramel sauce or a dollop of whipped cream can all be added to boost flavor.
- Change up the flavoring. Add in some chocolate chips or even cream cheese to the pumpkin mixture to give it a little different flavor.
- Spice them up. In addition to the pumpkin pie seasoning, add in cardamon, allspice or even black pepper to give them a kick.
Tips
Top tip: Cool the filling. After you mix up the filling, set it in the refrigerator. This helps prevent the dough from softening too much when you make up the pies.
- Use chilled dough. This will help create a flakier crust that is less likely to tear.
- Don't overfill. Leave a ⅓-inch border around the dough so the pies will not leak out.
- Seal properly. Seal the edges well by using a fork or your fingertips to crimp them down.
- Vent pies. Using a knife, cut a small slit on the top of the pies. This helps prevent the filling from leaking out.
- Check for doneness. The pies should be finished when the edges are nice and golden brown.
- Allow to cool. Let hand pies cool for at least 5 minutes before serving.
Serving suggestions
These pumpkin pie hand pies can be served either chilled or at room temperature. They go great with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or with a dollop of whipped cream on top. It is the perfect fall dessert.
If you need an afternoon pick me up, try enjoying these hand pies with a cold brew coffee or matcha. They accompany any warm beverage on a cool afternoon.These pumpkin hand pies make great individual desserts to share. They can easily be added to any dessert tray at a fall gathering alongside these apple pie cookies or these chocolate brownie bites.
FAQs
Pumpkin puree is simply cooked down pumpkin with no added spices, sugar or additives. Pumpkin pie filling is pumpkin puree that has been spiced and seasoned.
Yes, it can be used. Fresh pumpkin puree will be waterier. You will want to cook it down beforehand to thicken then refrigerate and use chilled.
Use a thick filling. If you think your is not thick enough or too watery then cook it down on the stovetop. Pre-chilling the filling whether cooked down or straight from the can will also help.
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Recipe
Pumpkin Hand Pies
Ingredients
For the filling:
- 1 medium egg beaten, divided
- ½ cup pumpkin puree
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice
For the pies:
- 1 box of refrigerated pie crust or homemade crust
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- In a medium bowl, add half of the beaten egg. Add pumpkin puree, sugar, and pumpkin spice; mix well. Refrigerate the mixture until needed.
- On a lightly floured surface, unroll and cut half of the pie crust. If using homemade dough, it should be rolled out to a ⅛-1/4 inch thickness. Cut the dough into 4 circles with a large glass cup about 5 inches in diameter. You can save any remaining dough in the freezer for another preparation or make more pies with any remaining filling.
- Place a spoonful of the pumpkin mixture on each dough circle, leaving a ⅓-inch border. Fold each circle in half and seal the edges by pinching with your fingers or crimping with a fork. If the edges aren't sticking, lightly brush them with the remainder of the beaten egg first.
- To make the pie topping: In a small bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon. Brush the pies with the remainder of the beaten egg, then sprinkle with the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Cut a small slit on the top of each pie using a knife.
- Place the pies on a cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
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