Pumpkin Hand Pies

We love quick and easy desserts in fall – and these good, easy Pumpkin Hand Pies are simple and one of our favorite pumpkin recipes! We make these for Halloween and Thanksgiving parties with kids – it's a sweet, but not too sweet dessert that is adorable and so much fun to share.

We love rich, good pumpkin spice flavors in fall – and these fun, easy to serve and easy to eat hand pies are the ultimate easy dessert for fall! We love the fun, festive shape of these hand pies – they are simple to make and so beautiful for parties, plus they are great all fall long!

At Avdaye, we add lots of tips in all of our recipes – because we are a home cook without any formal training, and we find we are more confident making dishes when we understand why it works, and what each ingredient means to the flavor of a recipe. Our goal is for even the most beginner home cook to feel empowered in the kitchen.

Baked Mini Pumpkin Turnovers

We love serving these turnovers for Halloween parties, on Thanksgiving as a simple sharable dessert, and on tailgating weekends for breakfast with coffee – they are simple and full of flaky crust and pumpkin flavor!

Pumpkin Hand Pie Ingredients

To make these pumpkin shaped hand pies, you'll need:

• Refrigerated Pie Crust: The base of your hand pies. It saves time and gives you that flaky, buttery crust.
• Pumpkin Puree: The star of the show! Provides the primary flavor and filling texture.
• Brown Sugar: Adds sweetness and a hint of molasses, enhancing the pumpkin flavor.
• Heavy Cream: Creates a richer filling, making it smoother and creamier.
• Pumpkin Pie Spice: The blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, and other spices gives that signature pumpkin pie flavor.
• Kosher Salt: Enhances all the flavors and balances the sweetness.
• Egg: Used for egg wash, which helps to seal the edges of the pies and gives the crust a golden-brown finish.
• Coarse Sugar (Optional): Adds a little sparkle and crunch to the top of your pies when sprinkled before baking.

Steps to make Pumpkin Hand Pies

After you've gathered your ingredients, we will use the following process:

Assemble Ingredients

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Gently unroll the pie crusts onto a lightly floured flat surface. Lightly roll out the dough with a rolling pin to remove any creases. You do not want to roll the dough too much as it will become too thin.

Cut Out

Using a 3 ½” pumpkin shaped or similar cookie cutter cut the dough and place the pieces on the parchment lined baking sheets. Roll out the scrapes and cut out more pumpkins. You should be able to get 9 pumpkins from each sheet of pie crust for a total of 18 pumpkins. Place the cut out pumpkins in the refrigerator while you make the filling.

Mix Filling

In a medium bowl mix together the pumpkin, brown sugar, heavy cream, 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice and salt.

Fill

Fill the center of 9 of the cut pumpkins with the pumpkin filling leaving a 1/3” border around the edge. Using a small knife, cut four curved slits in the remaining 9 pumpkins to resemble the ridges of a pumpkin. Lightly beat the egg with a splash of water to create the egg wash.

Finish Assembly

Brush the border around the filled pumpkins with the egg wash and top with the vented pumpkins. Lightly press together the seams with your fingers, then crimp the edges with a fork. Brush the tops of the pumpkins with the remaining egg wash.

Egg Wash and Bake

If using the coarse sugar, mix it together with the remaining ½ teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice and sprinkle over the egg washed pumpkins. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Allow the pies to rest for 5 minutes on the baking sheet before enjoying.

Kitchen notes

Reheat. The pies can be reheated in the oven at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes, or in an air fryer at 350 degrees F for 2-3 minutes.

Pre-assemble. The pies can be assembled up to two days before baking. Complete steps 1-7, leaving off the egg wash and sugar sprinkle. Store the unbaked pies in a single layer in an airtight container or on the baking sheets wrapped tightly with plastic wrap for up to 2 days. When ready to bake, add the egg wash and sprinkle with the sugar and spice mixture.

Freeze. Unbaked, assembled pies can be frozen for up to two months. When ready to bake, allow the pies to defrost in the refrigerator before brushing with the egg wash and topping with the sugar and spice mixture.

Use a cookie cutter. You can use any shaped 3 ½” cookie cutter to make the pies. cut some kind of vent into the top crust before assembling. If using a smaller cookie cutter, the pies will take a little less time to bake. Start checking on the pies starting around 10 minutes if using a smaller shape.

Serve with ice cream or whipped cream. The pies can be enjoyed on their own, or pair them with sweetened whipped cream, or vanilla ice cream for a more decadent dessert.

Roll Evenly. roll out your refrigerated pie crust to an even thickness for uniform cooking.

Seal Edges. Press down the edges with a fork after filling to make sure they're sealed well, or else you risk a filling escape!

Egg Wash. Don't skip this step! It makes your pies golden and lovely. Plus, it helps the coarse sugar stick, if you're using it.

Batch Cooking. If you're making a lot, you can freeze unbaked pies and then bake from frozen add a few extra minutes to the cooking time.

Serve it with

Try our other favorite seasonal recipes like pumpkin spice lattecheese plate or Cranberry Sauce.

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Pumpkin Hand Pie FAQs

How can we store these hand pies?

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

What temperature do we bake hand pies at?

Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Can we pre-assemble hand pies?

Hand pies can be assembled and stored in the fridge or freezer to bake later.

When are pumpkin turnovers done?

Turnovers are done when the flaky crust has browned and the filling is bubbling hot.

What cookie cutter should we use?

You can use any shaped 3 ½” cookie cutter to make the pies. cut some kind of vent into the top crust before assembling. If using a smaller cookie cutter, the pies will take a little less time to bake. Start checking on the pies starting around 10 minutes if using a smaller shape.

Ingredients

• 1 2 count package refrigerated pie crust
• 1 cup pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling
• ? cup brown sugar, packed
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1 ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, divided
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons coarse sugar, optional

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Gently unroll the pie crusts onto a lightly floured flat surface. Lightly roll out the dough with a rolling pin to remove any creases. You do not want to roll the dough too much as it will become too thin.
3. Using a 3 ½” pumpkin shaped or similar cookie cutter cut the dough and place the pieces on the parchment lined baking sheets. Roll out the scrapes and cut out more pumpkins. You should be able to get 9 pumpkins from each sheet of pie crust for a total of 18 pumpkins. Place the cut out pumpkins in the refrigerator while you make the filling.
4. In a medium bowl mix together the pumpkin, brown sugar, heavy cream, 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice and salt.
5. Fill the center of 9 of the cut pumpkins with the pumpkin filling leaving a?” border around the edge.
6. Using a small knife, cut four curved slits in the remaining 9 pumpkins to resemble the ridges of a pumpkin.
7. Lightly beat the egg with a splash of water to create the egg wash. Brush the border around the filled pumpkins with the egg wash and top with the vented pumpkins. Lightly press together the seams with your fingers, then crimp the edges with a fork.
8. Brush the tops of the pumpkins with the remaining egg wash. If using the coarse sugar, mix it together with the remaining ½ teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice and sprinkle over the egg washed pumpkins.
9. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Allow the pies to rest for 5 minutes on the baking sheet before enjoying.