Pumpkin Cream Cheese Hand Pies
These easy Pumpkin Hand Pies are made with flaky pie crust filled with creamy pumpkin spice and sweet cream cheese, then baked until golden and finished with a delicious glaze for the perfect fall dessert.
Servings: 8 hand pies
Calories: 364kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
Pumpkin Filling
- ¾ cup pumpkin puree
- ¼ cup brown sugar packed
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
Cream Cheese Filling
- 4 oz cream cheese room temperature
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Hand Pies
- 1 box refrigerated pie crusts 2 crusts
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon water
- coarse sugar optional
Simple Glaze
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon water plus more if needed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Make the pumpkin filling: In a small bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla, and salt until smooth. Set aside.
- Make the cream cheese filling: In another bowl, mix softened cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until smooth and creamy.
- Cut the pie crust: Unroll the pie crusts onto a lightly floured surface. Use a pumpkin hand pie press mold to cut out the pumpkin shapes. Gently reroll the scraps as needed.
- Fill the hand pies: Place one piece of pie crust into the mold. Add a small spoonful of pumpkin filling to the center, then add a little cream cheese filling on top. Make sure to leave the edges clean so the pie seals nicely.
- Press and seal: Place another piece of pie crust on top. Close the mold and press firmly to seal the edges. Carefully remove the hand pie and repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
- Add the egg wash: Arrange the hand pies on the prepared baking sheet. Whisk together the egg and 1 tablespoon water, then brush it over the tops. Sprinkle with coarse sugar, if desired. Cut a few small slits in the tops for steam to escape if needed.
- Bake: Bake for 18–22 minutes, or until the hand pies are beautifully golden and flaky. Let them cool for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.
- Make the glaze: Whisk together ½ cup powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon water until smooth. If it's too thick, add more water ½ teaspoon at a time until it's easy to drizzle.
- Glaze and enjoy: Once the hand pies have cooled, drizzle the glaze over the tops. Let it set for a few minutes, then enjoy!
Notes
- Pumpkin: Make sure to use 100% pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin pie filling is already sweetened and spiced, which will change the flavor of the filling.
- Don't overfill: A little filling goes a long way! If you add too much, it can squeeze out when you close the mold or leak while the hand pies are baking.
- Keep the edges clean: Try to keep the pumpkin and cream cheese away from the edges of the dough. Clean edges will help the hand pies seal much better.
- Keep the pie crust cool: If the dough starts to feel warm, soft, or sticky while you're working with it, pop it into the refrigerator for a few minutes. Cool dough is much easier to cut and press in the mold.
- Keep the fillings separate: Add the pumpkin filling first and the cream cheese on top instead of mixing them together. This gives you that beautiful creamy layered center when you break open the hand pie.
- Cool before glazing: Let the pumpkin hand pies cool before adding the glaze. If they're still warm, the glaze will melt into the crust instead of giving you that pretty white drizzle.
- Glaze: I keep the glaze super simple with powdered sugar and water, but you can use milk instead of water for a creamier glaze, or maple syrup for a little extra sweetness and cozy fall flavor. Start with a small amount and add more as needed until the glaze is thick but easy to drizzle.
Nutrition
Calories: 364kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.003g | Cholesterol: 38mg | Sodium: 334mg | Potassium: 135mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 3800IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 2mg