Wrap up two delicious flavors of the holidays—pumpkin pie and cranberry sauce! They're delicious together in flaky Pumpkin Hand Pies made with all-butter pie dough.
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When you think of Thanksgiving, you almost always think of pumpkin pie and cranberry sauce. But have you ever tried them together?
Pumpkin Hand Pies is a creative twist on classic pumpkin pie in two ways. First, the pumpkin filling is baked inside little pockets of buttery, flaky pastry to make a handheld mini pie. Second, along with the pumpkin pie filling there's cranberry sauce inside the pies, too! The tart fruit is really delicious together with warm pumpkin pie spices and creamy pumpkin.
Pumpkins and cranberries—how very New England!
Not only are pumpkin and cranberries must-haves for a classic Thanksgiving celebration, but they're both favorite ingredients in the New England states.
Once the month of September is upon us, the pumpkins begin showing up in harvest displays, on front steps, and at farmer's markets. Pumpkin recipes also begin their annual resurgence as folks look forward to the first bite of homemade pumpkin bread, plus real pumpkin in everything from donuts to ice cream to cookies. Across the six New England states, there are countless pumpkin festivals in September and October to find all these goodies.
Cranberry season in New England runs through the month of October. Fields are flooded to bring the ripened berries to the top of the low shrubs where they're easily plucked up by hand and by machine. Many of these bogs offer tours to show visitors how cranberries are harvested—on a tour at Hartley Family Farm in Rochester, Massachusetts, my husband and I donned giant waders and got right down in the flooded bog with cranberries floating all around us! Fun fact: you can skip cranberries across the top of other cranberries in the water.
These little, pumpkin pie hand pies marry these two favorite fall flavors. Never had cranberry in a pumpkin pie? You'll be pleasantly surprised with how well they go together! The filling has the sweet, spiced flavor and creamy texture of pumpkin pie balanced by bright, sweet-tart cranberry sauce ribboned through every bite.
Why you'll love this recipe
Making Pumpkin Hand Pies may seem a little unusual considering that holiday tables are typically dominated by whole pies. However, there are several reasons why mini pumpkin pies will be just as welcome. They're easy to transport—which is perfect when you need to bring dessert to someone else's house for the holiday. The pies are also perfectly portioned, with just the right ratio of buttery crust to filling. Finally, the pies can be made in advance and frozen. Then, just bake them up straight from the freezer just before serving.
The handheld pumpkin pie hand pies are made with my Best-Loved All-Butter Pie Crust dough—this pie crust is just as delicious as the pumpkin hand pie filling it holds! When baked, the dough is really flaky and light. You can even make the dough ahead of time and hold it in the fridge or freezer until you're ready to make the pies.
Although I keep referring to this recipe as a Thanksgiving treat, the fact is that all of the ingredients—from the canned pumpkin puree to the cranberry sauce to the pie crust ingredients—are available year-round! That means that you can make a batch of Pumpkin Hand Pies whenever the craving strikes, and get those holiday flavors anytime, whether there's a Macy's parade on television or not!
🔪 How to make Pumpkin Hand Pies with Cranberry Sauce
Ingredients:
- Pie crust dough: Use my all-butter pie crust dough recipe, made with vanilla and a pinch of cinnamon.
- Canned pumpkin: Look for pure, canned pumpkin puree in the baking aisle. Be careful not to confuse it with pumpkin pie filling. (This has added flavorings and sugar.)
- Cranberry sauce: You can use convenient, canned cranberry sauce—either jellied or whole berry. Or, use your own, homemade cranberry sauce.
- Evaporated milk: Sold in cans in the baking aisle, evaporated milk is more rich and creamy than regular milk.
- Flour: Just a little all-purpose flour goes into the pumpkin filling. My go-to flour brand is King Arthur Baking.
- Sugar: Use granulated sugar to sweeten the filling, and to sprinkle on the pies before baking.
- Spices: For that pumpkin pie flavor, use ground cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and ginger. A little salt in the mixture enhances the other flavors.
- Eggs: One egg goes into the pumpkin filling; the other is used to make an egg wash for the crust.
Prepare the pumpkin filling
Whisk together the spices and dry ingredients. Mix together the pumpkin, milk, and eggs, then combine them with the dry mixture.
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Roll out the dough
Divide the Best-Loved All-Butter Pie Crust dough into 10 portions. Roll out each piece into a 6-inch circle.
How to assemble Pumpkin Hand Pies
Spoon pumpkin filling and cranberry sauce into the center of each circle. Fold the edge over to enclose the filling and make a half-moon-shaped pie. Crimp the edges closed. Place them on a baking sheet and chill the pies for 30 minutes.
Bake the pies
Cut slits in the top of each pie. Whisk together egg and water; brush the tops of the pies with this egg wash and sprinkle the pies with sugar. Bake them for about 30 minutes until they're nicely browned all over. They're ready to serve!
FAQs
Yes! The pumpkin mini hand pies with cranberry can be baked up to three days in advance. Wrap the cooled, baked pies well and hold them in the fridge. Reheat them by placing them on a baking sheet and covering it with foil. Place the pies in a 350°F oven for 15 to 20 minutes until they're heated through.
Yes, the unbaked hand pies freeze very well. After filling and sealing the pies, place them in a single layer on a baking sheet. (Don't do the egg wash.) Place the tray in the freezer; once the pies are frozen solid, transfer them to a freezer-safe resealable bag or airtight container. Store the pies in the freezer for up to three months. They can be baked from frozen: follow the recipe directions to add egg wash and sugar and then bake the pies for about 30 minutes.
Tips:
- If the dough is getting warm or difficult to handle, pop it in the fridge for 10 to 15 minutes to firm up.
Ready for some sweet pumpkin and cranberry in an oh-so-convenient, handheld pocket? Yeah, I thought so! And heck, so am I.
The Pumpkin Hand Pies recipe is below—find the recipe for the Perfect All-Butter Pie Crust here. Check out these other holiday treats, too:
💬 Did you make and devour this recipe? Leave a comment below.
📖 Recipe
Pumpkin Hand Pies with Cranberry Sauce
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Ingredients
For the filling:
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour, unbleached
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 large egg
- 8 ounces canned pumpkin
- ⅓ cup evaporated milk
- ⅔ cup cranberry sauce
For the outside of the pies:
- 1 large egg
- Ice water
- Granulated sugar
Instructions
- Have the Perfect All-Butter Pie Crust Dough, divided into two portions waiting for you in the fridge.
Make the pumpkin filling:
- In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, salt and ground cloves.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the egg, pumpkin purée, and evaporated milk. Add in the flour mixture in two or three additions until the batter comes together and is smooth.
Roll out the dough:
- Have a small bowl of ice water with you at the work area. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Remove one of the dough portions from the fridge and divide it into 5 pieces.
- Roll out each piece into a 6-inch circle.
Fill the pies:
- Into the center of each circle place 2½ tablespoons of pumpkin filling. Top this with 1 tablespoon of cranberry sauce. Use a toothpick or tip of a knife to pull the cranberry through, so that there'll be a little in every bite.
- Working on one pie at a time, moisten the edge of the dough with water. Fold the far edge of the circle toward you to meet the other edge. Press down all around the edge to seal it.
- Fold the edge up over itself; crimp the entire edge down firmly with your fingers or a fork.
- Place the pies on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat these steps with the remaining portion of pie crust dough so you have a total of 10 hand pies.
Chill:
- Cover the pies loosely with plastic wrap. Refrigerate the pies for 30 minutes.
Bake:
- Preheat the over to 400° F. Place an oven rack in the position just below the middle of the oven.
- Remove the pies from the fridge. Crimp the edges firmly one more time. Cut 1 or 2 slits in the tops of the pies to vent them.
- Beat the egg with 2 tablespoons of ice water. Brush the tops of the pies with this egg wash. Sprinkle granulated sugar over the tops.
- Bake the pies for 30 minutes, until the crust has nicely browned and a toothpick inserted into the filling comes out clean.
- Remove the pies to a cooling rack and allow them to cool for 10 minutes. Serve the pies warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- This recipe uses my Perfect All-Butter Pie Crust. Visit my post here to see the recipe plus tips and tricks for this delicious hand-made pie crust dough. In a pinch for time? Make this dough ahead of time: up to 3 days ahead if stored in the fridge or 3 months ahead if stored in the freezer.
- If the dough is getting warm or difficult to handle, pop it in the fridge to chill for 10 to 15 minutes.
Nutrition
Christian says
Thank you for sharing this recipe! They are a delightful combination of sweet and tart flavors! Perfect for any holiday gathering!
Nancy Mock says
Christian, you made my day! I'm so happy you like these little hand pies, thanks for trying the recipe!