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.
Ingredients
Scale
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)
Instructions
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Chill Pastry: Place all cut pastries on a tray and refrigerate for 5 minutes to keep them firm.
- 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.
- Assemble Pies: Spoon the cooled blueberry filling onto the center of the plain ghost cutouts. Avoid overfilling to prevent leaks.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Cool: Remove pies from the oven and let them cool slightly on the tray before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- 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.
- 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
