🎃 Jack-O’-Lantern Hand Pies: A Spooky-Sweet Halloween Treat

If you’re looking for a fun, festive, and delicious dessert to celebrate Halloween, these Jack-O’-Lantern Hand Pies are exactly what you need! Flaky, buttery pie crusts filled with gooey pumpkin or apple filling and shaped like grinning Jack-O’-Lantern faces — they’re cute, spooky, and completely irresistible.

Whether you’re baking for a Halloween party, a family movie night, or just to get into the autumn spirit, these adorable mini pies will light up your dessert table (and your guests’ faces). Plus, they’re easy enough for kids to help make — perfect for creating sweet memories together in the kitchen.

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👻 What Are Jack-O’-Lantern Hand Pies?

Jack-O’-Lantern Hand Pies are miniature pies made from pie dough that’s cut into pumpkin shapes, filled with a sweet filling, and topped with another pumpkin-shaped crust featuring carved-out eyes, nose, and mouth — just like a real Jack-O’-Lantern!

When baked, the crust turns golden and flaky while the filling bubbles through the cutouts, giving each pie a spooky, smiling personality. You can fill them with pumpkin, apple, or even chocolate — the possibilities are endless!

They’re portable, easy to eat, and perfectly portioned for parties or trick-or-treating snacks.

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🎃 Why You’ll Love These Jack-O’-Lantern Hand Pies

• 🥧 Festive and Fun: They’re shaped like little pumpkins with spooky faces!
• 👩‍🍳 Easy to Make: Uses store-bought pie crust for convenience.
• 🍏 Versatile: Choose from pumpkin, apple, or even Nutella filling.
• 👨‍👩‍👧 Kid-Friendly: Great for baking with kids — they’ll love cutting out faces!
• 🎉 Perfect for Parties: Cute, hand-held, and mess-free.

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🧈 Ingredients You’ll Need

Here’s what you’ll need to make your spooky hand pies:

For the Pies

• 2 refrigerated pie crusts (or homemade, if preferred)
• 1 cup pumpkin pie filling (or apple pie filling — see variations below)
• 1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar (for sprinkling)
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional, for sprinkling)

Optional Additions

• 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey (to sweeten the filling)
• Powdered sugar glaze (for drizzling after baking)

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🔪 How to Make Jack-O’-Lantern Hand Pies

These spooky mini pies come together easily with a few simple steps:

Step 1: Prepare Your Workspace

Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Lightly flour your work surface and roll out the pie crusts to smooth any cracks.

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Step 2: Cut the Pumpkin Shapes

Using a pumpkin-shaped cookie cutter (about 4–5 inches wide), cut out as many shapes as possible from each crust.

You should get about 8–10 pumpkins total (enough for 4–5 pies).

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Step 3: Carve the Faces

Using a small knife, carefully cut out Jack-O’-Lantern faces — triangles for eyes and a jagged smile work perfectly!

These will be your top crusts. Leave the others plain for the bottoms.

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Step 4: Add the Filling

Spoon about 1 to 1½ tablespoons of filling onto the center of each bottom crust. Spread slightly, leaving a ½-inch border around the edges.

If using canned pumpkin, you can mix it with a bit of brown sugar, cinnamon, and a drizzle of maple syrup for extra flavor.

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Step 5: Seal the Pies

Brush the edges of the bottom crusts with the beaten egg wash.

Place the Jack-O’-Lantern face crusts on top, pressing the edges together gently. Use a fork to crimp and seal all around.

Brush the tops with more egg wash and sprinkle with sugar and a little cinnamon for sparkle and crunch.

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Step 6: Bake

Place the pies on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 18–22 minutes, or until the crusts are golden brown and flaky.

Let them cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes before serving.

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Step 7: Optional Glaze

For extra sweetness, whisk together ½ cup powdered sugar with 1–2 teaspoons of milk or maple syrup to make a simple glaze. Drizzle over the cooled pies for a glossy finish.

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🧙‍♀️ Filling Variations

There’s more than one way to bring your Jack-O’-Lanterns to life! Here are some delicious filling ideas:

🎃 Classic Pumpkin

Mix together:

• 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup

🍏 Caramel Apple

Use 1 cup diced apples mixed with:

• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon caramel sauce

🍫 Chocolate Lovers

Spread 1 tablespoon Nutella or melted chocolate in each pie for a gooey, decadent version.

🍒 Berry Boo-tiful

Use pie filling made with cherries or blueberries for a vibrant twist that oozes through the Jack-O’-Lantern faces!

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👩‍🍳 Tips for the Perfect Hand Pies

1. Keep your dough cold: Cold dough bakes flakier and holds its shape better.
2. Don’t overfill: Too much filling can cause leaks during baking.
3. Use a sharp knife: Clean cuts make crisp, defined Jack-O’-Lantern faces.
4. Try puff pastry: For a lighter, buttery version, use puff pastry instead of pie crust.
5. Get creative: Experiment with expressions — scary, silly, or smiley!

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🎃 Serving Ideas

These hand pies are delicious warm or at room temperature. Try serving them:

• With a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
• Alongside a mug of hot apple cider or pumpkin spice latte.
• On a Halloween dessert platter with cookies, caramel corn, and candy corn.
• As edible party favors — wrap them in clear bags with orange ribbons!

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🕸️ Make-Ahead & Storage Tips

To Make Ahead:
Assemble the pies, then freeze unbaked on a baking sheet. Once solid, transfer to a freezer bag and store for up to 1 month. Bake from frozen, adding 3–5 extra minutes.

To Store:
Keep baked pies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerate for up to 5 days.

To Reheat:
Warm in a 325°F (165°C) oven for 5–7 minutes or microwave for 15 seconds.

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🧡 Why These Hand Pies Are a Halloween Hit

There’s just something magical about baking Jack-O’-Lantern Hand Pies — from carving the little faces to watching them puff and bubble in the oven. They’re festive, nostalgic, and surprisingly simple to make.

The combination of flaky pastry and spiced filling captures all the best flavors of fall, while their whimsical design brings smiles to kids and adults alike.

Whether you’re serving them at a Halloween bash, gifting them to neighbors, or enjoying them with a warm drink by candlelight, these spooky-sweet pies are guaranteed to steal the show.

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🎃 Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I use store-bought pie filling?
A: Absolutely! Store-bought pumpkin or apple pie filling works great and saves time.

Q: Can I make these gluten-free?
A: Yes, use a gluten-free pie crust and ensure your filling is gluten-free as well.

Q: Can I use puff pastry instead of pie crust?
A: Definitely — puff pastry gives a lighter, flakier texture.

Q: Can I make them without an egg wash?
A: Yes, use milk or cream for brushing instead; it still gives a nice golden finish.

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👻 Final Thoughts

Jack-O’-Lantern Hand Pies are the perfect way to celebrate the spooky season — cute, flaky, and full of fall flavor. They combine everything we love about Halloween: creativity, fun, and just the right amount of sweetness.

So grab your cookie cutters, turn on some spooky tunes, and bake up a batch of these mini Halloween pies. They’ll make your kitchen smell amazing and your Halloween celebration even more memorable.

Happy haunting — and happy baking! 🎃

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