Description
Spooky and fun Halloween Jack-O’-Lantern Pumpkin Pies with buttery pastry and a creamy spiced pumpkin filling, topped with hand-carved pastry faces. Perfect festive pumpkin dessert for kids’ Halloween treats.
Ingredients
Pastry:
480 g (4 cups) plain all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons salt
60 g (½ cup) powdered sugar
280 g (2 ½ sticks) cold unsalted butter, cubed
1 Tablespoon cold vodka (optional)
1–2 Tablespoons ice water
1 Tablespoon non-dairy milk for brushing
Filling:
425 g (15 oz) can pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
260 g (9 oz) firm silken tofu
150 g (¾ cup) sugar
80 ml (⅓ cup) maple syrup
40 g (4 Tbsp) cornstarch
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (optional)
Instructions
1. Mix flour, salt, and sugar in a bowl. Rub in butter until crumbly. Add vodka and water until dough forms.
2. Divide into two discs (2/3 and 1/3). Wrap and chill 30 minutes.
3. Roll out larger disc into 8 tart shells. Freeze 20 minutes. Blind bake at 350°F (180°C) for 15 min with beans/rice, then 10 more minutes without. Trim edges.
4. Blend pumpkin puree, tofu, sugar, maple syrup, spices, cornstarch, and salt until smooth.
5. Pour filling into baked tart shells. Bake 20–30 minutes until set with slight wobble. Cool completely.
6. Roll out smaller pastry disc. Cut pumpkin shapes with cookie cutter. Freeze 15 min, carve Jack-O’-Lantern faces.
7. Brush pastry faces with milk. Bake 10–15 minutes until golden.
8. Top cooled pies with pastry faces. Refrigerate up to 3 days.
Notes
For best texture, let pies cool at room temperature before chilling.
Pie pumpkins give better flavor than large carving pumpkins.
Extra pastry faces can be baked and served as cookies on the side.
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 pie
- Calories: 285
- Sugar: 18g
- Sodium: 210mg
- Fat: 14g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 38g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 15mg
Keywords: Jack-o’-lantern pumpkin pie, Halloween pumpkin pies, spooky mini pies, festive pumpkin dessert, kids' Halloween treats