These delicious Harry Potter pumpkin pasties are right out of the books and movies. When I eat these, I imagine I'm in the Great Hall in Hogwarts, enjoying a meal with all my classmates and friends. Or perhaps I'm at the Burrow, and Mrs. Weasley has just pulled a fresh batch of these pumpkin pasties from the oven.
Pumpkin pasties first appear in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone on page 101. Harry sits with Ron on the Hogwarts Express, and Harry has his grand introduction the wizarding world's sweet treats. The snack trolley was filled with Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, Chocolate Frogs, and of course, Pumpkin Pasties.
This Harry Potter pumpkin pasties recipe is an easy dessert to make for Harry Potter fans. And if you're looking for more wizarding world recipes, try bangers & mash, vegan butterbeer, or frosted butterbeer cookies!
Why You Should Make This Recipe
- The crust is a flaky, buttery pie crust sweetened with a hint of cinnamon and sugar.
- The sweet pumpkin filling is spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger.
- These English pasties are like little hand pies - you can have a slice of pumpkin pie anywhere, anytime!
- They're perfect for any occasion including Halloween, Thanksgiving, a Fall party, or a Harry Potter movie marathon!
Ingredients
- All purpose flour - Flour is the base for the crust.
- Granulated sugar - A small amount of sugar sweetens the pasty crust.
- Brown sugar - Brown sugar adds a rich, caramel flavor to the pumpkin filling.
- Salt - Salt brings out the flavors of the spices and sugars within this recipe.
- Cold butter - Keep your cubed butter cold in the fridge to ensure a flaky pie crust texture.
- Cold water - Keeping the water cold for the crust prevents the butter from softening and melting, which would result in tough, chewy crusts. Keep your bowl of water with a few ice cubes in the fridge.
- Pumpkin - Use canned pumpkin or pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling which contains immeasurable amounts of added sugar and spices.
- Ground cinnamon - Adds a cozy flavor that is the perfect compliment to pumpkin.
- Ground nutmeg - Adds a warm, nutty flavor.
- Ground cloves - Adds a strong, almost hot flavor that balances the rest of the sweeter spices.
- Ground ginger - Adds a sweet and slightly spicy flavor.
How to Make Harry Potter Pumpkin Pasties
Below are the general steps to make these hand pies. For the full step-by-step directions and ingredient measurements, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Make the pie dough: In a mixing bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, salt, granulated sugar and cinnamon.
Toss the cold cubed butter in the dry ingredients, then use your index fingers and thumbs to squish the butter until it is the size of large peas.
Add the cold water a tablespoon at a time until the dough holds its shape when squeezed in your hand.
Press into a disc and wrap in plastic cling wrap.
Chill the dough in the fridge for at least 1 hour or overnight.
Prepare the pumpkin pie filling: In a medium mixing bowl, combine canned pumpkin, brown sugar, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger until it is smooth. Set aside.
Roll the dough and cut out the pasty shapes: On a clean work surface lightly dusted with flour, roll out your dough with a rolling pin or large glass bottle until it's about ½ cm thick.
Use cookie cutters or the rim of a drinking glass to cut out circles from the dough about 6-inches in diameter.
Preheat the oven and prepare a baking sheet: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Transfer the dough circles to the lined baking sheet.
Fill the pasties with the pumpkin filling: Place a couple tablespoons of the pumpkin filling in the center of each dough circle. Fold the circles over in half and use a fork to press down the edges, to prevent them from opening.
Cut steam vents into the pasties: Use a small sharp knife to cut a few lines into the tops of the pasties to allow steam to escape.
Bake the pasties: Bake for about 30 minutes, until the crust is golden. Let cool for 5 minutes, then enjoy!
Tips for Recipe Success
- Keep your cubed butter for the pasty crust cold. Cut the stick of butter into small cubes, then put it back in the fridge while you prepare the dry ingredients to ensure it isn't too soft when you mix it into the dough.
- Place a few ice cubes in a bowl with cold water and keep it in the fridge until you're ready to add the cold water to your dough. Warm or even room temperature water could soften and melt the butter in the pie dough.
- Crimping the edges of the pasties with a fork isn't just for looks. It seals the crust so the filling won't spread out while they're baking in the oven. Make sure you crimp through both the top and bottom layer of the pasties.
- Don't skip cutting the steam vents into the tops of each pumpkin pasty. These vents allow steam from the filling to escape during baking. If the steam can't escape, your crust could end up soggy.
Storing
You can make the pastry dough in advance and store it wrapped tightly in plastic wrap in the fridge for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to one month.
Baked pumpkin pasties taste best fresh. You can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days, but they may loose some of their crispy texture.
FAQ
Are Harry Potter pumpkin pasties sweet or savory?
Pumpkin pasties are sweet and taste similar to pumpkin pie. Cornish pasties, another Harry Potter recipe, are savory, filled with beef, potatoes and vegetables.
What is a pasty?
A pasty is a type of British pastry. It's typically made from a circle of short crust pastry that's filled with a sweet or savory filling and folded in half to make a semi-circle. It's then baked and eaten like a hand pie or an empanada.
Which Harry Potter movie has pumpkin pasties?
We are introduced to pumpkin pasties in the first movie, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. However, I'm a huge fan of the awkward moment in the fourth movie, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, when Cho Chang and Harry share a flirtatious look on the Hogwarts Express as Cho orders, "two pumpkin pasties, please". Classic.
More Harry Potter Recipes
- Butterbeer Cookies
- Vegan Butterbeer
- Harry Potter Bonbons
- Hagrid's Hut Gingerbread House
- Bangers and Mash
- Harry Potter Sugar Cookies
Harry Potter Pumpkin Pasties
Ingredients
Pasty Crust Dough
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ cup unsalted butter, cubed and kept cold in the fridge (1 stick)
- ½ cup ice cold water
Pumpkin Pie Filling
- 1 cup canned pumpkin (or pumpkin puree; don't use pumpkin pie filling)
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
Instructions
Make and Chill the Dough
- Cut the stick of cold butter into small cubes, then return it to the fridge to stay cold.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all purpose flour, salt, granulated sugar and cinnamon.
- Toss the cold cubed butter in the dry ingredients, then use your index fingers and thumbs to squish the butter until it is the size of large peas.
- Add ¼ cup of the ice cold water and mix into the dough with a fork. Continue adding the water, one tablespoon at a time, until the dough holds its shape when squeezed in the palm of your hand.
- Press the dough into a disc and wrap it in plastic cling wrap. Chill the dough in the fridge for at least 1 hour, or overnight.
Prepare the Pumpkin Filling
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine canned pumpkin, brown sugar, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger until it is smooth. Set aside.
Roll and Shape the Dough
- On a clean work surface lightly dusted with flour, roll out your dough with a rolling pin or large glass bottle until it's about ½ cm thick. Use cookie cutters or the rim of a drinking glass to cut out circles from the dough that are approximately 6-inches in diameter.
Fill and bake the pasties
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Transfer the dough circles to the lined baking sheet.
- Place about two tablespoons of the pumpkin filling in the center of each dough circle. Fold the circles over in half and use a fork to press down and crimp the edges, to prevent them from opening.
- Use a sharp knife to cut a few lines into the tops of the pasties to allow steam to escape. Bake for about 30 minutes, until the crust is golden brown. Let cool for 5 minutes, then enjoy!
Notes
- Keep your cubed butter for the pasty crust cold.
- Place a few ice cubes in a bowl with cold water and keep it in the fridge until you're ready to add the cold water to your dough. Warm water could soften and melt the butter in the dough.
- Crimping the edges of the pasties with a fork seals the crust so the filling won't spread out while they're baking in the oven. Make sure you crimp through both the top and bottom layer of the pasties.
- Don't skip cutting the steam vents into the tops of each pumpkin pasty. These vents allow steam from the filling to escape during baking. If the steam can't escape, your crust could end up soggy.
Nutrition
I originally published this post back on March 3, 2020. I posted this Harry Potter recipe to celebrate National Reading Day on March 2nd. It was an ode to my favorite book series in the entire world. The Harry Potter series remains one of my favorites, and I'm excited to update this pumpkin pasties recipe and all the photos for you!
The following photo is from when I originally posted these pumpkin pasties back in 2020. That was back when I was shooting all my photos on my iPhone!
ohiocook
Thank you for following my blog!
strawberryandcream
Your photos are so good!
Jessica
So creative!! My husband loves those movies!
Humbly Homemade
Thank you so much! A fellow Harry Potter fan, I respect that. 🤓
Azilde Elizabeth
That page does sound super delicious lol I would love to try these pasties! 😋 I wonder what you would create with the chocolate frogs!
Humbly Homemade
If I ever find a frog mold, I am totally going to make chocolate frogs!! lol
Azilde Elizabeth
I can't wait for you to find that frog mold! 😂
Humbly Homemade
Haha me too! I'll be scouring the internet! ðŸðŸ˜†
foodinbooks
Yum! Love pumpkin in anything, and of course love the Harry Potter series too. These would be perfect for Halloween.....just around the corner. 🙂 I actually made pumpkin pasties for an early food blog post on the same book. I made mine with New Mexico red chile sauce and goat cheese mixed with the pumpkin and they were a hit. Great post!
Humbly Homemade
Woah! I will have to try your pumpkin pasties recipe, it sounds incredible! I love goat cheese but I've never tried New Mexico red chile sauce.
foodinbooks
I think you would enjoy the combination.
Humbly Homemade
I think so too! 😄