Pumpkin Pasties (Hand Pies)
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Whether you call them Pumpkin Pasties or Pumpkin Hand Pies, these English-inspired sweet treats make a delightful fall dessert. With a delicious pumpkin pie filling, cinnamon crust, and a sweet, spiced glaze there’s plenty to love about this autumn dessert.
Pumpkin Pie on the Go!
Pumpkin Pasties or Pumpkin Hand Pies? Call them whatever you’d like. It doesn’t change the fact that they are a scrumptious, easy-to-make fall dessert/treat that can travel with you.
I made mine with a traditional pumpkin pie-style filling and wrapped them in my homemade pie dough to which I added a bit of cinnamon for some extra seasonal spice. Then glazed them with a simple confectioners’ sugar glaze (with a little bit of cinnamon and nutmeg sprinkled in). The combination of all the layered flavors and textures was over the top!
If you want all the things you love about pumpkin pie, but desire to serve it in a new way or need it to travel well, then these pumpkin pasties are for you!
Want more pumpkin treats?
You’re in luck because I love all things pumpkin and pumpkin spice. I have a collection of more than 20 of my favorite recipes, both sweet and savory, that you can find HERE. Enjoy!
- Pumpkin Snack Cake with Toffee
- Pecan Pumpkin Bread Pudding
- Cranberry Pumpkin Bars
- The BEST Pumpkin Roll
- Baked Pumpkin Donuts
You Might be Asking, “What’s a Pasty?:
A traditional pasty is a hot meat pie and is thought to have originated in Cornwall, England way back in the 1800s. Pasties may have a variety of fillings but the originals were said to be made of beef, potato, turnip, and sometimes onions, salt, and butter. The recipe often worked as a portable meal as well as a method to keep the food warm. (Because of their thick crust, they would retain the heat and thus usually remain warm until ready to eat.)
The term ‘pumpkin pasties’ was popularized by the Harry Potter books/movies. There is somewhat of a debate as to whether the Harry Potter-inspired pumpkin pasties are savory or sweet.
As you can tell, I went the sweet route for mine. (Big surprise!) But I do think a savory version would be quite delicious too. Let me know if that’s something you’d like!
Ready to give them a try? Great!
First, I will walk you through the ingredient list, then we can get into the recipe instructions!
For the Recipe You Will Need:
Let’s walk through what you’ll need to make these pumpkin pasties.
- pie dough: I recommend making your crust at home. Once you get the hang of it, it’s pretty easy and you won’t want store-bought again. I used my go-to pie crust recipe HERE and added a bit of cinnamon to it. If you’re using store-bought, just sprinkle a little bit of cinnamon onto your work surface before cutting out your pies.
- cream cheese: Cream cheese adds a touch of tanginess and a bit of creaminess. It’s wonderful in this recipe.
- pumpkin puree: Feel free to make your own, but the pumpkin puree from a can works well for this recipe. Be sure to get pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling.
- brown sugar: I recommend brown sugar here for sweetness and added depth of flavor.
- eggs: Eggs will help bind everything together. You’ll also use them as a wash for the pasty to give it a nice color.
- spices: Anytime you’re working with pumpkin, the spices are so important for flavor. We’re using cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and clove.
- confectioners’ sugar glaze: Last but not least, these fall-inspired hand pies get drizzled with a simple glaze made of confectioners’ sugar, milk, and spices. And don’t forget the pinch of salt; it really brings out the flavors.
Now go and gather up your ingredients and meet me back here so we can’t put these pumpkin pasties together!
How to Assemble:
As is typical, I’m going to walk you through the recipe here. There’s also a printable recipe card at the end of this post which includes a full ingredient list and step-by-step instructions.
- Begin by preheating your oven to 400 degrees F.
- In a large bowl add the cream cheese and brown sugar. Beat until smooth.
- Add the pumpkin puree, egg yolks, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, clover, and kosher salt. Beat to combine.
- Lightly dust your work surface with flour.
- Roll out the pie dough and use a circle cutter to cut out rounds of dough.
- In a small dish create an egg wash.
- Lightly brush this mixture onto the edge of half of the dough circle.
- Add the pumpkin filling to the middle of each dough circle.
- Fold the circle in half onto itself creating a semi-circle. Crimp the edges to seal.
- Place on the parchment paper lined baking sheet.
- Repeat with remaining dough circles.
- Brush each with pasty with your egg and milk mixture.
- Bake for about 20-22 minutes.
- Transfer to a cooling rack and allow to completely cool.
- Prepare the glaze by whisking together the confectioners’ sugar, milk, vanilla, spices, and salt.
- Spoon the glaze onto the cooled pasties and smooth it out over the top.
- Allow the glaze to set before enjoying.
And almost like a little Harry Pottery magic, your pumpkin pasties are complete and ready to be enjoyed by any witch or wizard.
Can These be Frozen?
Yes, these pumpkin pasties / hand pies can be frozen. I recommend freezing after baking (let them cool completely) but before adding the glaze. Add the glaze before serving.
That’s a Wrap on these Pumpkin Treats:
No matter what you call them, pumpkin pasties or pumpkin hand pies, I know you’re going to love these little pockets of pumpkin- and spice-filled goodness. Whether you’re hosting a party or need a sweet treat to go, I highly recommend giving these a try!
Enjoy and Happy Baking!
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Pumpkin Pasties
Ingredients
- 1 pie dough recipe or 1 box store-bought pie crust
- add 1 teaspoon of cinnamon to the dough
Pasty Filling:
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- ½ cup brown sugar packed
- 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon clove
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Glaze
- 1 ½ cup confectioners’ sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- pinch of kosher salt
Instructions
- Begin by preheating your oven to 400 degrees F. Remove the pie dough from the refrigerator.
- In a large bowl add the cream cheese and brown sugar. Beat until smooth. Add the pumpkin puree, two egg yolks, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, clove, and kosher salt. Beat to combine.
- Lightly dust your work surface with flour.* Roll out the pie dough to a ⅛ inch thickness. Use a 5 1/4-inch circle cutter to cut out rounds of dough from the pie crust. You should be able to cut 12 circles. Reroll dough scraps to create more circles.
- In a small dish, create the egg wash by whisking together the egg and milk with a fork.
- Using a pastry brush, lightly brush this mixture onto the edge of half of the dough circle.
- Add about two tablespoons of the pumpkin filling to the middle of each dough circle. Fold the circle in half onto itself creating a semi-circle. Crimp the edges to seal. You can do this with a fork or your fingers. Double-check to ensure the entire seam is sealed. Place on the parchment paper lined baking sheet.
- Repeat with remaining dough circles.
- Brush each pasty with your egg and milk mixture.
- Bake for about 20-22 minutes or until the bottoms are golden and before the pasty begins to crack at the top. Transfer to a cooling rack and allow to completely cool.
- While your pasties cool, prepare the glaze by whisking together the confectioners’ sugar, milk, vanilla, spices, and salt. (Add additional milk if needed.)
- Spoon the glaze onto the cooled pasties and smooth out over the top.
- Allow the glaze to set before enjoying.
These have instantly become anew favorite! Yum
Thank you so much Missy!!
xo Michael
Yes to a savory version someday!
I do not thank you enough for your posts but I enjoy every one of them! The pumpkin pasties are a must cook! We are having a casual lunch for guests next weekend and I think these will be perfect for the table. I plan to cook and freeze ahead of time to make it easier for me. Happy Halloween!