These small batch Jack o'lantern hand pies have flaky pie crust and blueberry balsamic filling for fancy Pop-Tart vibes! They are buttery, jammy, and make just 6 delicious pies for dessert, breakfast, or Halloween snacking. You can use homemade pie crust in this recipe, but I personally used store-bought to keep things extra easy!
As you can probably tell by my aesthetic alone, Halloween is my favorite holiday. And yes, I have already figured out this year's costume. I am going to be Carl, and my husband will be Princess Donut. He does not know this yet. (And if you're not on the Dungeon Crawler Carl bandwagon yet, see yourself out and read it ASAP!)
Anyways, creating Halloween desserts is one of my favorite times of the year. So when I saw this Jack o'lantern cookie cutter, I bought it ASAP. No questions asked.
This recipe makes just 6 big ol hand pies, so you can create a cute dessert table with ghost cupcakes or my chewy leftover candy cookies. Just a little bit of everything, ya know?
For the filling, I chose to use the blueberry pie filling I learned how to make in pastry school. But instead of lemon juice, I used balsamic vinegar because 1) berries + balsamic = heaven, and 2) it feels a little spooky? Of course, feel free to use apple pie filling, strawberries, or whatever else you like.
Cookie cutter + a hack
To get that Jack o'lantern shape, you will need a special cookie cutter. One with a face and one without. Mine is 4 inches, but any size will work. (Just keep in mind that the size of your pies will vary.)
If you don't want to buy a cookie cutter, here's a little hack! Print out a 4 inch pumpkin shape, trace it onto a piece of thin cardboard, and cut it out. Use it as a guide to cut pumpkin shapes out of the pie dough. Then, use a sharp knife to carve Jack o'lantern faces on half of the pumpkins.
Blueberry balsamic filling
Baking directions
The pies are ready when the crust is deep golden-brown and the filling is bubbly. If the pies are underbaked, they will come out soggy!
When it comes to small-batch baking, I always recommend using a scale to measure the ingredients. If you don't have a scale, here are all my tips on how I measure ingredients for small batch baking.
If you try this recipe, I would love if you left a star rating and review. I read every comment and love hearing what you think about my recipes. Thanks so much for supporting Midnight Bake Club!
Easy Small Batch Jack O'Lantern Hand Pies
Equipment
- 4-inch Jack o'lantern cookie cutter
- 1 sheet pan with parchment paper
Ingredients
Blueberry Balsamic Filling
- 170 grams frozen blueberries (6 ounces)
- 20 milliliters balsamic vinegar (1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon)
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 30 grams granulated sugar (2 Tablespoons)
- 2 pinches freshly-cracked black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Hand Pies
- 1 large egg
- All-purpose flour for dusting
- 2 9-inch pie crusts store-bought or homemade
- Raw sugar for sprinkling
Instructions
Blueberry Balsamic Filling
- In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the frozen blueberries, balsamic vinegar, cornstarch, sugar, and black pepper. Stir until the cornstarch is completely dissolved.
- Set the pot over medium heat and bring it to a boil. Boil, stirring often, until the filling is thick and jammy, about 5 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Spoon the filling into a bowl and let it cool completely.
Hand Pies
- While the filling is cooling, preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C). Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Then, whisk the egg with 1 Tablespoon (15 milliliters) of water to make an egg wash.
- Lightly dust a clean work surface with all-purpose flour. Use a rolling pin to roll the pie dough until it is about ⅛-inch thick. (If you're using store-bought crust, just unroll it and place the dough on the floured surface.)
- Use a 4-inch Jack o'lantern cookie cutter to cut out 6 full pie dough pumpkins for the bottoms of the pies and 6 Jack o'lantern faces for the tops of the pies. Gather and re-roll the pie dough scraps as needed.
- Place the pie dough pumpkins (without faces) about 2-3 inches apart on the prepared sheet pan. Evenly divide the cooled blueberry balsamic filling between the 6 pie dough pumpkins. Spread the filling, leaving a ½-inch gap on the edges.
- Using a pastry brush or clean fingers, brush the edges of the pie dough around the filling with the prepared egg wash. Place a Jack o'lantern face on top of each pie, sealing the edges well. Then, use the tines of a fork to crimp the edges of the pies, ensuring they are completely sealed. Refrigerate for 20-30 minutes to chill. Brush the tops of the pies with egg wash and generously sprinkle them with raw sugar.
- Bake the pies for 18-22 minutes, until the crust is deep golden-brown and the filling is bubbly. Let the pies cool on the sheet pan for 10-15 minutes. Serve immediately or cool the pies completely on a wire rack and store them in an airtight container for 2-3 days. To revive the crust, bake the pies at 350°F (177°C) for 5-10 minutes.
Did you make this recipe? I'd love to hear what you think!