Mediterranean Pumpkin Pizza Hand Pies

These Mediterranean Pumpkin Pizza Hand Pies have a crispy, golden crust with a cheesy, savory, and flavorful filling. We prepare these hand pies with pie crusts, marinara sauce, mozzarella, pepperoni, Italian seasoning, and egg wash. These hand pies have approximately 285 calories and 19 g of net carbs. We make these hand pies in about 40 minutes. These Mediterranean Pumpkin Pizza Hand Pies are ideal for appetizers, snacks, lunchboxes, brunch, casual dinners, family gatherings, Halloween parties, and Mediterranean-inspired meals. You can prepare these hand pies earlier because we refrigerate them for four days and freeze them for almost two months. You can serve these hand pies with Greek Salad, Tomato Cucumber Salad, Hummus, Tzatziki, or Garlic Yogurt Dip.

STATS:

• Course: Main Course, Snack, Appetizer
• No. of Calories: 285 kcal
• Diet: Mediterranean
• Prep time: 20 minutes
• Cuisine: Mediterranean
• Cook time: 18 minutes
• Portion size: 1 hand pie
• Cooking mode: Oven
• Total servings: 8
• Difficulty level: Easy
• Total time: 40 minutes

TOOLS:

• Tray
• Baking paper
• Rolling pin
• Pumpkin-shaped cutter
• Knife
• Pastry brush
• Fork

INGREDIENTS:

PIZZA FILLING:

• ½ cup marinara sauce
• 1 cup mozzarella
• 1 package pepperoni
• 1 tsp. Italian seasoning

PIE CRUST:

• 2 pie crusts
• 1 egg

INGREDIENT NOTES AND THEIR SUBSTITUTIONS:

PIE CRUSTS:

• We use pie crusts to provide a crispy, flaky, and golden exterior. As a further choice, you may use non-gluten pie crusts.

MARINARA SAUCE:

• We use marinara sauce to provide a rich tomato flavor and moisture to the pizza filling. Homemade tomato sauce or low-sugar marinara can also be used.

MOZZARELLA:

• Mozzarella provides a creamy, cheesy, and stretchy texture. You can replace it with provolone, Parmesan, or feta.

PEPPERONI:

• Pepperoni provides a savory and meaty pizza flavor. You can use turkey or chicken pepperoni, or replace it with mushrooms, spinach, olives, or roasted peppers.

EGG:

• To give the crust a lovely golden finish, we use beaten egg. If you would rather not use eggs, you can brush the hand pies with milk.

ITALIAN SEASONING:

• Italian seasoning provides classic pizza and Mediterranean-inspired flavor. You can use oregano, basil, and thyme instead.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Warm the oven to 375° Fahrenheit and coat a tray with baking paper.
2. We roll the pie crusts thin & make sixteen pumpkin shapes by cutting.
3. Carve jack-o’-lantern faces into eight of the pumpkin shapes.
4. Put marinara sauce, mozzarella, pepperoni, and Italian seasoning on the solid pumpkin shapes.
5. Arrange the carved pumpkin shapes on the filling.
6. Firmly close the edges using a fork.
7. Apply a beaten egg on the surfaces.
8. Bake at 375°Fahrenheit for almost eighteen minutes.
9. Cool for almost five minutes and serve hot with marinara sauce for dipping.

TIPS:

• Avoid the pumpkin shapes to avoid the filling from leaking.
• Firmly close the corners using a fork.
• We cool the baked hand pies for some time and then serve.
• Include olives, spinach, mushrooms, or roasted peppers for extra Mediterranean flavor.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS:

FRESH & FRUITY:

• Greek Salad
• Tomato Cucumber Salad
• Mediterranean Chickpea Salad
• Arugula Salad
• Roasted Mediterranean Vegetables

MEDITERRANEAN DIPS:

• Hummus
• Tzatziki
• Garlic Yogurt Dip
• Feta Herb Dip
• Roasted Red Pepper Dip

STORAGE INFORMATION:

FRIDGE:

• Put the cooled hand pies in a closed box and refrigerate them for 4 days.

FREEZER:

• Store the cooled hand pies for almost 2 months.

FAQs:

May we prepare these hand pies vegetarian?

• Yes, you can alternate pepperoni with roasted vegetables, mushrooms, olives, or spinach.

Will we prepare these hand pies earlier?

• Yes, you can assemble the hand pies beforehand and chill them till ready to bake.

May we include pumpkin purée?

• Yes, you can use a little quantity of cooked pumpkin purée in the marinara sauce to get a powerful pumpkin flavor.

Could we make these hand pies without gluten?

• Yes, you can use a non-gluten pie crust.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:

Proteins: 10 g

Caloric Content: 285 kcal

Net carbs: 19 g

Sodium: 560 mg

Fiber: 1 g

Sugar: 2 g

Fats: 18 g

Portion Size: 1 hand pie

Total carbs: 20 g