What You’ll Need
- Refrigerated pie crusts. One package with two crusts makes the tops and bottoms for eight hand pies. Use a pumpkin-shaped cutter or a round cutter about 3 inches across.
- Pumpkin purée. Use 1 cup of plain pumpkin purée. It should be thick enough to mound slightly on a spoon.
- Brown sugar. Stir ¼ cup into the pumpkin for a mellow molasses sweetness.
- Egg. Beat one large egg. Use a little to help seal the edges and brush the rest lightly over the tops.
How to Shape the Jack-O’-Lanterns
Cut 16 matching shapes from the two crusts, rerolling the scraps if needed. Leave eight pieces solid for the bottoms. On the other eight, use the tip of a small knife to cut simple eyes and a mouth. Cut the faces while the pastry is flat so the tops are easy to handle.
How to Fill and Seal the Hand Pies
Start with about 1 tablespoon of pumpkin filling per pie and leave a clear border. Add a little more only if the top crust fits comfortably over it. Brush the border with beaten egg, set a face on top, and crimp the edges with a fork. You may have some filling left over, depending on the size of your cutter.
When Are the Hand Pies Done?
Bake at 375°F for 18–22 minutes, until the tops and crimped edges are golden. Let the pies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before serving so the filling has time to settle.
4-Ingredient Jack-O’-Lantern Hand Pies
Flaky pumpkin hand pies with brown sugar filling and cutout jack-o’-lantern faces.
- Bake time — 18–22 minutes
- Yield — 8 hand pies
Ingredients
- 1 package refrigerated pie crusts (2 crusts)
- 1 cup plain pumpkin purée
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 large egg, beaten
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
- Stir the pumpkin purée and brown sugar together in a small bowl until smooth.
- Unroll the pie crusts and cut out 16 matching pumpkin or round shapes, rerolling scraps as needed. Cut jack-o’-lantern faces into eight of the shapes with a small knife.
- Set the eight solid pieces on the baking sheet. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of filling into the center of each, leaving a clear border. Brush the borders lightly with beaten egg.
- Lay the cutout tops over the filling. Press the edges together with a fork, then lightly brush the tops with beaten egg.
- Bake for 18–22 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown. Cool for a few minutes before serving.