Vegan Blueberry Ghost Hand Pies Recipe

There is nothing quite as charming and delightful as biting into these Vegan Blueberry Ghost Hand Pies. With their flaky, golden puff pastry and juicy, slightly tart blueberry filling, these ghost-shaped treats are both fun and delicious. Whether you’re looking for a playful snack or a spooktacular dessert, these pies are guaranteed to bring smiles and a burst of flavor with every bite. Plus, they’re completely vegan, making them a perfect choice for everyone to enjoy happily and guilt-free.

Ingredients You’ll Need

These ingredients are surprisingly simple but each plays a vital role in creating the perfect balance of flaky pastry and luscious blueberry filling. From the buttery vegan puff pastry to the fresh blueberries, every component adds texture, sweetness, or a hint of zing.

• Vegan puff pastry sheets (2 sheets): The flaky base and top of your hand pies, providing that irresistible crisp and delicate layers.
• Fresh or frozen blueberries (100g): The star of the filling, giving natural sweetness and a beautiful pop of color.
• Caster or granulated sugar (50g plus extra for sprinkling): Sweetens the blueberries and caramelizes on top for a crunchy shimmer.
• Cornstarch or cornflour (2 tablespoons): Helps thicken the blueberry filling to a perfect jelly-like consistency.
• Lemon juice (2 teaspoons): Brightens the filling with a fresh tartness that balances the sweetness beautifully.
• Icing sugar (50g): For the delicate glaze that gives the pies a lovely finishing touch.
• Dairy-free milk (for brushing): Enhances the golden color and adds a subtle sheen to the pastry tops.

How to Make Vegan Blueberry Ghost Hand Pies

Step 1: Prepare Your Workspace and Pastry

Start by preheating your oven to 180°C fan and lining two baking trays with grease-proof paper. Unroll your puff pastry sheets carefully, leaving them on the baking paper, and use a rolling pin to smooth out any wrinkles. This will give your pies a nice even thickness and prevent any uneven baking.

Step 2: Cut Out Your Ghost Shapes

Using a ghost-shaped cookie cutter, chomp out as many ghost shapes as you can from the pastry sheets. If you don’t have a cutter, no worries—grab a template or simply hand cut ghost shapes with a knife for a more rustic vibe. Roll out the scraps to maximize your dough and cut out a few more shapes. For half of these, cut out two small eye holes with a medium piping tip and a larger mouth shape—these will become the ghost “tops”.

Step 3: Chill the Pastry

Pop the ghost shapes onto the trays and transfer them to the refrigerator for 5 minutes. This chilling step helps the pastry hold its shape when baked and offers a flakier finish.

Step 4: Make the Blueberry Filling

Place the blueberries in a medium saucepan, then sprinkle over the sugar, cornstarch, and 1 teaspoon of lemon juice. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently to avoid sticking and burning. You want the blueberries to soften but still have some whole pieces for texture. After about 5 to 8 minutes, when the mixture has thickened and turned glossy, remove it from heat and let it cool fully to thicken more.

Step 5: Assemble the Pies

Spoon some cooled blueberry filling onto the ghost shapes without faces. Be mindful not to overfill or the pies will leak during baking. Then brush a little water around the edges of these “bottom” pastries to help seal. Place a ghost-shaped top pastry (with eyes and mouth cutouts) over them and firmly press the edges together. Crimp the edges with a fork for an extra seal and charming detail.

Step 6: Brush and Sprinkle

Brush the tops of your assembled pies with dairy-free milk and sprinkle evenly with sugar. This helps the pastry brown beautifully and adds a sparkly finish.

Step 7: Bake to Golden Perfection

Arrange 5 to 6 pies on each baking tray, leaving space as the pastry will puff up when baked. Place the tray in the middle of your preheated oven and bake for 15 to 18 minutes until the pies are golden, flaky, and smell irresistible. Let them cool on the trays for a bit before transferring to a wire rack.

Step 8: Add the Finishing Glaze

Mix icing sugar with lemon juice until it’s the consistency of a runny glaze. Drizzle this over the cooled pies for a zingy, sweet finish that also adds visual interest. Let the glaze set for about 5 minutes, and your Vegan Blueberry Ghost Hand Pies are ready to enjoy!

How to Serve Vegan Blueberry Ghost Hand Pies

Garnishes

These pies are fun on their own but can be made even more festive with a dusting of extra icing sugar or a few fresh blueberries scattered colorfully around your serving plate. A light drizzle of agave syrup or a dollop of vegan whipped cream can also elevate the experience.

Side Dishes

Pair these hand pies with a scoop of dairy-free vanilla ice cream or a simple vegan yogurt for contrast in temperature and texture. They also work wonderfully alongside a fresh green salad with citrus vinaigrette for a light meal with sweet notes.

Creative Ways to Present

For a Halloween party, display these ghost pies on a tiered cake stand decorated with autumn leaves or miniature pumpkins. Serve them warm on a rustic wooden board with small bowls of blueberry compote for extra dipping. Kids and adults alike will adore the playful shape and juicy filling.

Make Ahead and Storage

Storing Leftovers

You can keep any leftover Vegan Blueberry Ghost Hand Pies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days, but they are best enjoyed fresh. For longer storage, refrigerate to maintain freshness, although the pastry may lose some crispness.

Freezing

These pies freeze beautifully either baked or unbaked. To freeze unbaked, assemble them fully on a tray, freeze until solid, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag for up to a month. Bake from frozen, adding a few extra minutes. If freezing after baking, wrap each pie well and store for up to 2 weeks.

Reheating

To bring your pies back to life, reheat in a preheated oven at 175°C for about 8 to 10 minutes until warmed through and the pastry is crisp again. Avoid microwaving if you want to keep that flaky texture intact.

FAQs

Can I use frozen blueberries for the filling?

Absolutely! Frozen blueberries work perfectly and are very convenient. Just defrost slightly before cooking to help them release juices evenly and achieve that ideal thick filling.

Is it possible to make these gluten-free?

Yes! Using gluten-free vegan puff pastry sheets allows you to enjoy these Vegan Blueberry Ghost Hand Pies without gluten. Just be sure to check your brand’s ingredient list for any allergens.

Can I make the filling ahead of time?

Definitely. The blueberry filling can be made a day ahead and stored in the fridge. It actually firms up nicely and makes assembling the pies easier.

What can I use instead of dairy-free milk for brushing?

If you don’t have dairy-free milk on hand, a light brush of a neutral oil like vegetable or melted coconut oil works well to help the tops brown.

How do I keep the pies from leaking during baking?

Be careful not to overfill the pies, and ensure the edges are sealed tightly by brushing with water and crimping with a fork. This creates a strong barrier that keeps the delicious filling inside.

Final Thoughts

There is something truly special about sharing homemade treats like these Vegan Blueberry Ghost Hand Pies with friends and family. They bring together simple ingredients in a playful and delicious way, perfect for any season but especially fun when you want to add a little whimsy to your baking. So gather your ingredients, have fun making these charming pies, and enjoy every flaky, fruity bite!

Vegan Blueberry Ghost Hand Pies Recipe

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★★★★★

4.8 from 9 reviews

• Author: Lila
• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: 10–12 pies 1x
• Diet: Vegan

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Description

These Vegan Blueberry Ghost Hand Pies are a fun and festive treat perfect for Halloween or any occasion. Made with vegan and gluten-free puff pastry, filled with a sweet blueberry filling, and topped with a lemon glaze, these hand pies are flaky, fruity, and delightfully spooky with ghost-shaped cutouts. They’re easy to make, dairy-free, and perfect for sharing with family and friends.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Pastry

• 2 sheets of vegan & gluten-free puff pastry (e.g., JusRoll)

Blueberry Filling

• 100g fresh or frozen blueberries
• 50g caster or granulated sugar (plus extra for sprinkling)
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch (cornflour)
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice (divided: 1 tsp for filling, 1 tsp for glaze)

Glaze

• 50g icing sugar
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice (for glaze)
• Dairy-free milk (for brushing pastry tops)

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Instructions

1. Preheat Oven and Prepare Pans: Preheat the oven to 180°C fan (350°F fan) and line two baking trays with grease-proof paper to prevent sticking.
2. Prepare Puff Pastry: Unroll the puff pastry sheets while keeping them on their baking paper. Use a rolling pin to smooth out any wrinkles gently.
3. Cut Ghost Shapes: Use a ghost-shaped cookie cutter to cut out shapes from the pastry. Alternatively, cut by hand using a template. Re-roll scraps to cut additional shapes.
4. Create Faces: For half the cut-out ghosts (the top layer), use a medium piping tip—small end to cut eyes and larger end to cut the mouth—to create ghost faces. These will be the top pastries.
5. Chill Pastry: Place all cut pastries on a tray and refrigerate for 5 minutes to keep them firm.
6. Make Blueberry Filling: In a medium saucepan, combine blueberries, sugar, cornstarch, and 1 teaspoon lemon juice. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently to prevent burning, until the mixture boils and thickens (around 5-8 minutes). Avoid mashing all blueberries to retain some whole berries. Remove from heat and cool to thicken further.
7. Assemble Pies: Spoon the cooled blueberry filling onto the center of the plain ghost cutouts. Avoid overfilling to prevent leaks.
8. Seal Edges: Lightly brush water around the edges of filled pastry shapes to help seal. Place a ghost face pastry on top of each filled base and press edges together firmly. Use a fork to crimp the edges and seal well.
9. Glaze Pastry: Brush the tops of the pies with dairy-free milk and sprinkle a little sugar over them to help achieve a golden, crispy finish.
10. Bake: Bake pies in batches (5–6 per tray) in the center of the preheated oven for 15-18 minutes, or until golden brown and flaky.
11. Cool: Remove pies from the oven and let them cool slightly on the tray before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
12. Prepare and Drizzle Glaze: Mix the icing sugar with about 1 teaspoon of lemon juice until runny. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled pies and allow to set for about 5 minutes.
13. Serve: Enjoy these delightful vegan ghost hand pies as a fun snack or dessert.

Notes

• Use frozen blueberries if fresh are not available; thaw slightly before cooking.
• Be careful not to overfill pies to prevent leaking during baking.
• The glaze adds a subtle tang and sweetness; adjust lemon juice to taste.
• These hand pies are best eaten the same day but can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
• You may substitute lemon juice in the filling or glaze with lime juice if preferred.
• For added texture, sprinkle coarse sugar on top before baking.

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 18 minutes
• Category: Dessert, Snack
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: American-inspired, Vegan

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 pie (approx. 80g)
• Calories: 160 kcal
• Sugar: 12 g
• Sodium: 110 mg
• Fat: 7 g
• Saturated Fat: 1 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
• Trans Fat: 0 g
• Carbohydrates: 23 g
• Fiber: 2 g
• Protein: 2 g
• Cholesterol: 0 mg

Keywords: vegan hand pies, blueberry pies, ghost shaped pies, Halloween treats, gluten-free dessert, fruit hand pies