Vegan Mini Pumpkin Hand Pies

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, combine the dairy-free cream cheese and light brown sugar. Beat until smooth and creamy using a stand mixer with a balloon whisk, an electric hand mixer, or a manual whisk.
2. Add the pumpkin purée and pumpkin pie spice to the cream cheese mixture, then stir until fully incorporated. The filling should be thick and creamy.
3. Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan) and line two baking trays with parchment paper.
4. Unroll the vegan puff pastry sheets, leaving them on the baking paper. Lightly roll over them with a rolling pin to smooth out any wrinkles.
5. Use a pumpkin-shaped cookie cutter to cut out shapes from both pastry sheets. Gather and reroll the scraps to cut out more shapes.
6. Place the cut pastry shapes in the refrigerator for 5 minutes.
7. On half of the pumpkin shapes, cut three small slits across the top. This will create a textured look and allow the filling to peek through.
8. To assemble, work one pie at a time. Take a pumpkin shape without slits and place it on a lined baking tray. Spoon 1-2 teaspoons of pumpkin filling into the center. Brush the edges with dairy-free milk to help seal the pastry. (Avoid overfilling, or the filling may leak out and the shape could distort.)
9. Top with a slit pumpkin shape, pressing the edges firmly to seal. Brush the top with dairy-free milk, then sprinkle with a mixture of pumpkin spice and white granulated sugar. Repeat for all pies.
10. Bake the pies one tray at a time for best puffing results. Place six pies on a tray in the middle of the oven and bake for 15-18 minutes, until golden brown and flaky.
11. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly on the tray, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
12. Serve at room temperature or warm. Store any leftovers covered at room temperature.