Pumpkin Hand Pies
on Oct 25, 2022, Updated Nov 02, 2023
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These pumpkin hand pies are the perfect size for little hands! They are a flaky, sweet treat that can be enjoyed for breakfast, dessert, or snack!
These pumpkin hand pies taste like pumpkin pie slices in mini form. Their small size makes it easy for little ones to pick up and take bites from for a mess-free treat. I used store-bought pie crust to make them, but you can definitely make your own! You can get your little ones involved in making them by using cookie cutters to cut out all sorts of fun shapes!
Table of Contents
What You’ll Need
This is what you’ll need to make these mini pumpkin hand pies:
- Pumpkin Puree: Be sure to get the unsweetened variety, not the ones that are marked pumpkin pie filling.
- Cream Cheese: For creaminess and flavor for the pumpkin pie filling. Make sure it is softened before use.
- Maple Syrup: The main source of sweetness for the pumpkin pie filling.
- Pumpkin Spice: Warm spice combination for added flavor.
- Vanilla: Used to add flavor and enhance the natural sweetness.
- Egg: Mixed with water to form an egg wash to brush over the pies. You may omit this step if your little one has an egg allergy, or brush the pies with a little melted butter instead.
- Pie Crust: You may use homemade or store-bought!
Step By Step Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (204 degrees C).
- Allow the pie crusts to come to room temperature as you prepare the filling mixture.
- In a bowl, combine the cream cheese, pumpkin puree, maple syrup, pumpkin pie spice, and maple syrup and whisk together well until smooth.
- Unroll the pie crusts on a lightly floured surface and use a pumpkin-shaped cookie cutter to cut out small pumpkins from each crust. Combine the scraps and re-roll the dough to get more pumpkin cut-outs. I was able to. get 24 pumpkin cutouts in total with both sheets of pie dough, but this will depend on the size of your cookie cutter.
- Place half of the pumpkin cutouts on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Place about 1 tablespoon of pie filling at the center of each cutout, leaving a little space off around the borders.
- Whisk together the egg and one tablespoon of water to form the egg wash. Lightly brush the borders of each pumpkin with the wash.
- With the other half of the pumpkin pie cutouts, use a knife to slice three slits to resemble pumpkin ridges. Slice one slit in the middle and two rounded slits on the sides. Place these cutouts on top of each filled cutout. Use a fork to crimp the edges of the pies to seal them closed.
- Brush the top of each sealed pie with the egg wash mixture. Bake the pies for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown.
- For the optional cinnamon sugar coating, mix together the cinnamon and sugar until combined. Brush each pie with the melted butter and lightly dust each pie with the cinnamon sugar mixture.
Ingredient Substitutions
- Cream Cheese: The cream cheese may be replaced with heavy cream or coconut cream. You can try replacing it with milk, but the pie filling may be a little too liquidy and may easily run over out of the crust shapes.
- Pumpkin Spice: The pumpkin spice may be replaced with a mixture of cinnamon and nutmeg.
- Egg: The egg is just used for an egg wash to help the pies brown up nicely. This step may be omitted, or you may replace it with melted butter.
Storage Instructions
Let the pies completely cool and store them in an airtight container for up to 4-5 days in the fridge. To freeze, store in a freezer-safe container or Ziploc bag once cooled for up to 3 months.
Homemade Pie Crust
I used storebought pie crust for these mini pies, but if you prefer a homemade pie crust, you can use this recipe to make your own:
- 1 and 1/4 cup flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 stick cold unsalted butter (cubed)
- 2-3 tablespoons of ice water
- *Optional: 1/2 teaspoon sugar
Combine flour and salt and add in cold butter cubes. Press together with a fork or masher until it looks crumbly. Add in ice water a little at a time until it comes together. If it falls apart, add a tiny bit more ice water. Try not to add in too much water so that the dough doesn’t become too sticky. Form into a ball, then form a disc with the dough, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least an hour so that the ingredients can come together. Let it sit out at room temp for a few minutes before rolling out when ready to use!
Recipe Notes
- I used a pumpkin-shaped cookie cutter from this set of three.
- The cinnamon sugar mixture is an optional topping add-on for these pies. We love serving them to our little ones as is and adding the cinnamon sugar coating for the adults. The cinnamon sugar coating adds a nice sweet crunch for an extra special treat!
- You may use store-bought or homemade pie crust for these pies. See my recipe above if you decide to make your own crust!
Here are some other pumpkin recipes that you may like!
Pumpkin Hand Pies
Ingredients
For Pumpkin Hand Pies
- 2 rolls store-bought pie crust
- 2 oz cream cheese, softened
- ¼ cup pumpkin puree
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- ¼ tsp pumpkin pie spice
- ⅛ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 egg, for optional egg wash
For Optional Cinnamon Sugar Coating
- 2 tbsp sugar
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tbsp melted butter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (204 degrees C).
- Allow the pie crusts to come to room temperature as you prepare the filling mixture.
- In a bowl, combine the cream cheese, pumpkin puree, maple syrup, pumpkin pie spice and maple syrup and whisk together well until smooth.
- Unroll the pie crusts on a lightly floured surface and use a pumpkin-shaped cookie cutter to cut out small pumpkins from each crust. Combine the scraps and re-roll the dough to get more pumpkin cut-outs. I was able to. get 24 pumpkin cutouts in total with both sheets of pie dough, but this will depend on the size of your cookie cutter.
- Place half of the pumpkin cutouts on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Place about 1 tablespoon of pie filling at the center of each cutout, leaving a little space off around the borders.
- Whisk together the egg and one tablespoon of water to form the egg wash. Lightly brush the borders of each pumpkin with the wash.
- With the other half of the pumpkin pie cutouts, use a knife to slice three slits to resemble pumpkin ridges. Slice one slit in the middle and two rounded slits on the sides. Place these cutouts on top of each filled cutout. Use a fork to crimp the edges of the pies to seal them closed.
- Brush the top of each sealed pie with the egg wash mixture. Bake the pies for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown.
- For the optional cinnamon sugar coating, mix together the cinnamon and sugar until combined. Brush each pie with the melted butter and lightly dust each pie with the cinnamon sugar mixture.
Notes
- I used a pumpkin-shaped cookie cutter from this set of three.
- The cinnamon sugar mixture is an optional topping add-on for these pies. We love serving them to our little ones as is as adding the cinnamon sugar coating for the adults. The cinnamon sugar coating adds a nice sweet crunch for an extra special treat!
- You may use store-bought or homemade pie crust for these pies. See my recipe above if you decide to make your own crust!
I followed this recipe to the T except I subbed out the filling and used a homemade berry jam. They were a HIT with the family. Thanks for the inspo Lily.
I’m so glad to hear that you enjoyed these, Cristina!😊