These Mini Halloween Pies are one of the easiest ways to make Halloween dessert a little more fun. Flaky puff pastry is filled with lemon curd and cut into mini Jack-o'-lantern faces, with the bright yellow filling showing through so they look like little glowing pumpkins.
They need just 4 ingredients, 10 minutes of prep and 15 minutes in the oven, making them ideal when Halloween evening is already busy with costumes, trick-or-treating and excited kids.
We love making fun Halloween food, but I don't want to spend hours decorating something that's going to disappear in seconds. These are really simple, and the kids can get involved with choosing all the different faces and adding the filling.
They're a sweet treat rather than the main part of dinner, so I like to serve them after an easy Halloween meal or add them to a Halloween party spread.
Recipe update: This recipe was originally published on 21 October 2022 and was fully retested in September 2026 to check the cooking time and ingredient quantities. The original recipe still worked well, but I've expanded the instructions, tips and FAQs.
Looking for more fun Halloween treats? Try our spooky Halloween popcorn mix or our super simple Babybel Halloween Cheese Monsters.
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Jump to:
- Why You'll Love Them
- Recipe Overview
- Ingredients and Substitutions
- How to Make Mini Halloween Pies
- Halloween Puff Pastry Ideas and Variations
- Making Halloween Pies with Kids
- What to Serve with Mini Halloween Pies
- Storage
- Dannii's Top Tips
- Troubleshooting Guide
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Halloween Dessert Recipes
- Recipe
- Feedback
Why You'll Love Them
- Just 4 ingredients - Puff pastry, lemon curd, egg and a little sugar.
- Ready in 25 minutes - Perfect for a busy Halloween afternoon.
- Easy Halloween recipe for kids - They can choose the faces, add the filling and help crimp the pastry.
- Really adaptable - Use different fillings or Halloween shapes.
- Great for parties - They're individual, easy to pick up and simple to make in a bigger batch.
- No complicated decorating - The Jack-o'-lantern effect comes from the pastry itself.
Recipe Overview
- Prep time: 10 minutes
- Cook time: 15 minutes
- Total time: 25 minutes
- Makes: 6 mini pies
- Difficulty: Easy
- Main ingredients: Puff pastry and lemon curd
- Best for: Halloween desserts, parties and baking with kids
- Make ahead: Assemble earlier in the day and keep chilled until ready to bake
Ingredients and Substitutions
A full ingredients list, along with US Customary and Metric measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Puff pastry - Ready-rolled puff pastry is one of my favourite shortcuts. It makes these mini Halloween pies incredibly quick, and you still get that lovely light and flaky finish.
Keep the pastry chilled until you are ready to use it, as cold puff pastry is much easier to cut into neat shapes. - Lemon curd - This is what gives these pies their brilliant Jack-o'-lantern effect. The yellow filling shows through the eyes and mouth so they look like little pumpkins glowing from the inside.
You can swap this for strawberry or raspberry jam if you prefer. Apricot jam works particularly well if you want to keep the orange/yellow pumpkin look. - Egg - A beaten egg brushed over the pastry helps it become golden and glossy in the oven.
- Sugar - We sprinkle a little over the top for some extra crunch. You can leave this out if you prefer.
How to Make Mini Halloween Pies
- Prep: Preheat your oven to 200°C/180°C (fan)/400°F/Gas 6.
- Cut the pumpkin shape: Use a pumpkin-shaped cookie cutter to cut 12 shapes in the pastry.
- Make the faces: Use a small sharp knife to carefully cut Jack-o'-lantern faces into 6 of the pumpkin shapes. Leave the other 6 whole, as these will be the bottoms of the pies.
- Add the filling: Divide the lemon curd between the pumpkins that don't have faces.
- Assemble the pies: Put the pumpkins with faces on top of the ones with lemon curd. Crimp the edges with a fork. Brush with whisked egg and sprinkle with sugar (if using). Put onto a baking sheet.
- Bake: Cook for 15 minutes. Once cooked, transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool.
Halloween Puff Pastry Ideas and Variations
One of the best things about these Halloween puff pastry pies is how easy they are to adapt.
Different Halloween faces - Give every pie a different expression. We usually end up with a mixture of scary pumpkins, happy pumpkins and a few that look completely ridiculous (they are usually mine).
Simple faces work best because puff pastry expands as it cooks. Keep the eyes and mouths fairly large so you can still see the design once baked.
Jam Halloween pies - Swap the lemon curd for strawberry or raspberry jam. The red filling bubbling through the faces gives them a slightly spookier look. Use a fairly smooth, thick jam rather than one with lots of big pieces of fruit.
Apple Halloween pies - Finely diced cooked apple can be used to make mini Halloween apple pies. Make sure the apple mixture isn't too wet and only add a small amount so the pies still seal properly.
Chocolate Halloween pies - Experiment with a little chocolate spread or Biscoff, for a sweeter variation. Again, don't overfill them as the filling can escape during baking.
Different Halloween pastry shapes - These don't have to be pumpkins. You could use ghost, bat or other Halloween cookie cutters, or simply cut circles from the pastry and make different spooky faces.
It's an easy way to turn one recipe into lots of different puff pastry Halloween ideas.
Making Halloween Pies with Kids
These are one of our favourite easy Halloween recipes for kids because there are plenty of jobs they can help with without the finished pies needing to look perfect.
My kids love deciding what each Jack-o'-lantern should look like. They can also cut the pumpkin shapes with a cookie cutter, spoon on the filling, press the pastry together and crimp the edges with a fork.
I always cut the actual faces myself because you need a small sharp knife.
A good compromise is to let younger children draw or lightly mark their face design first with a toothpick, then an adult can cut it out.
Don't worry if all the pumpkins look different. That's part of the fun!
What to Serve with Mini Halloween Pies
Although these are sweet pies, they're perfect as the easy dessert at the end of a fun Halloween dinner.
For something really quick before trick-or-treating, serve Halloween Jack-o'-Lantern Quesadillas or Easy Halloween Pizzas, followed by one of these warm mini pies.
Your quesadillas take just a few minutes to cook and the melted cheese shows through the Jack-o'-lantern faces, while the Halloween pizzas are specifically designed as a quick family Halloween dinner.
Sausage Mummies are another good option if you're putting together a bigger Halloween dinner or party table. They're also made with puff pastry, so you could use up ingredients across both recipes.
For a Halloween party spread, add a Halloween Veggie Tray or Halloween Fruit Tray alongside the sweeter treats. The veggie tray gives you something fresh to balance all the Halloween sweets, while the fruit tray is another easy option children can get involved with.
You could also add Halloween Popcorn, Jack-o'-Lantern Orange Fruit Cups and our Halloween Platter if you're making a larger buffet.
Storage
Store: Once completely cooled, keep the pies in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. However, the puff pastry is at its best during the first day.
Make ahead: You can assemble the pies earlier in the day and keep them covered in the fridge until you're ready to bake them.
This is actually useful if the pastry has become a little soft while you are making all the faces, as chilling helps firm it up again.
Freeze: These mini Halloween pies can be frozen before baking.
Assemble them but don't brush them with egg. Freeze them on a lined baking tray until solid, then transfer them to a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 3 months.
Bake from frozen rather than defrosting them first. Brush with egg immediately before baking and cook, adding a few extra minutes to the cooking time, until the pastry is puffed and golden.
Dannii's Top Tips
- Keep the puff pastry chilled until you need it so the shapes are easier to cut.
- Don't overfill the pies or the lemon curd or jam will escape during baking.
- Leave a clear border around the filling so there is enough pastry to seal.
- Crimp the edges firmly with a fork to help keep the filling inside.
- Cut fairly simple, bold faces as tiny details can disappear when the pastry puffs up.
- If the pastry gets soft while you're assembling the pies, chill them for 10-15 minutes before baking.
- Use a smooth, fairly thick jam if you're swapping out the lemon curd.
- Re-roll the pastry scraps and use them to make more shapes rather than wasting them.
- Let children design the faces, but an adult should cut them out with the sharp knife.
Troubleshooting Guide
| Problem | Fix |
|---|---|
| Filling leaks out | Use less filling, leave a border and crimp firmly |
| Faces lose their shape | Cut larger features and chill before baking |
| Pastry hasn't puffed properly | Keep it chilled and put assembled pies in the fridge before baking |
| Pies open at the sides | Press first, then crimp all the way around with a fork |
| Filling burns on the tray | Use parchment paper and don't overfill |
Frequently Asked Questions
These are a type of Halloween hand pie because they're small individual pies designed to be picked up and eaten by hand. We make ours with puff pastry and cut them into pumpkin shapes to create mini Jack-o'-lantern pies.
No. A pumpkin cutter makes the shape quick and easy, but you can cut circles from the puff pastry and add Jack-o'-lantern faces instead. You could also use other Halloween cutters such as ghosts or bats.
Lemon curd is our favourite because the yellow colour creates that glowing Jack-o'-lantern effect. You could also use raspberry, strawberry or apricot jam, or experiment with chocolate spread, Biscoff or a small amount of cooked apple filling.
You can, although it will give you a different result. Puff pastry gives these Halloween pies their light, crisp and flaky texture.
The same Jack-o'-lantern idea can be used for savoury hand pies, but I would use a recipe specifically tested with a savoury filling rather than simply swapping the lemon curd here.
Yes. Assemble them and keep them covered in the fridge until you're ready to bake. They're particularly handy to prepare before everyone starts getting ready for trick-or-treating, then they can go straight into the oven when you need them.
More Halloween Dessert Recipes
If you've tried this Mini Halloween Pies recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy and use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.
Recipe
Mini Halloween Pies with Puff Pastry
Recipe Video
Ingredients
- 375 g (13 ¼ oz) of Puff pastry
- 3 tablespoons of Lemon curd
- 1 Egg - whisked
- Sugar - (for sprinkling; optional)
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat your oven to 200°C/180°C (fan)/400°F/Gas 6.
- Cut the pumpkin shape: Use a pumpkin-shaped cookie cutter to cut 12 shapes in 375 g of Puff pastry.
- Make the faces: Use a small sharp knife to carefully cut Jack-o'-lantern faces into 6 of the pumpkin shapes. Leave the other 6 whole, as these will be the bottoms of the pies.
- Add the filling: Divide 3 tablespoons of Lemon curd between the pumpkins that don't have faces.
- Assemble the pies: Put the pumpkins with faces on top of the ones with lemon curd. Crimp the edges with a fork. Brush with 1 Egg (whisked) and sprinkle with Sugar (if using). Put on a baking sheet.
- Bake: Cook for 15 minutes. Once cooked, transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool.
Recipe Notes
- Keep the puff pastry chilled until you need it so the shapes are easier to cut.
- Don't overfill the pies or the lemon curd or jam will escape during baking.
- Leave a clear border around the filling so there is enough pastry to seal.
- Crimp the edges firmly with a fork to help keep the filling inside.
- Cut fairly simple, bold faces as tiny details can disappear when the pastry puffs up.
- If the pastry gets soft while you're assembling the pies, chill them for 10-15 minutes before baking.
- Use a smooth, fairly thick jam if you're swapping out the lemon curd.
- Re-roll the pastry scraps and use them to make more shapes rather than wasting them.
- Let children design the faces, but an adult should cut them out with the sharp knife.
Nutritional Information
Where nutritional information is provided, it is approximate and calculated using online tools. Values can vary depending on the ingredients and brands used, but we endeavour to be as accurate as possible.
All timings are a guide and may vary depending on the ingredients, equipment and, where relevant, the appliance used. Changing the serving size may also affect the time needed.
Thomas.Jensen says
It helped me with my test
Matej @ CookWeWill.Com says
Such a nice little treat! Can't wait to make it for my kids this weekend.
Amanda Wren-Grimwood says
These are so effective and I love the glow from the lemon curd. Perfect activity with the kids too.
Beth Sachs says
Love these jack-o-lantern pies, and such an easy Halloween recipe for the kids!
kushigalu says
These pies look so cute. Perfect for Halloween. Thanks for sharing
Michelle says
These are fantastic and so fun! I wonder if they would work with pumpkin or apple butter.