Description
A tasty appetizer or side to serve this holiday season. These flaky vegan hand pies are filled with a savory pumpkin and zucchini filling plus vegan cheese and are so easy to make!
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh pumpkin* (or butternut squash), peeled and cut into chunks
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cloves of garlic, finely minced
- 2 teaspoon fresh sage, stems removed and finely chopped
- 1 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme, stems removed
- 1 /2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, stems removed and finely chopped
- 1/2–1 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, or as desired
- 1 medium zucchini, cut into fourths lengthwise and then chopped
- 1 cup onion, finely diced
- 17.25 oz vegan puff pastry*
- 1/4–1/2 cup vegan mozzarella cheese shreds (optional, we like Follow Your Heart)
- ~1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk, to brush
- Marinara sauce, to serve (optional)
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 400ºF and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Check the instructions on the puff pastry box and prepare it as necessary. We needed to leave ours our to thaw before we moved on.
- Evenly lay the pumpkin on one of the baking sheets with a drizzle of olive oil (about 1/2 tablespoon). Place the pumpkin into the oven and roast for 25 minutes.
- In the meantime, grab a small bowl and mix together the remaining olive oil, garlic sage, thyme, rosemary, salt, nutmeg, and black pepper. Set aside.
- Once the pumpkin is done, remove the pan from oven and add the zucchini and onion onto the baking sheet. Pour over the olive oil mixture and carefully mix everything together until well coated. Place the baking sheet back into the oven for 20 more minutes, or until all of the vegetables are tender. Remove from the oven and set aside as you prepare the puffed pastry.
- Lay the pastry sheets flat on a clean, floured surface. Gently roll the sheets out to stretch slightly. When we initially made these, we did not roll out the puffed pastry and we felt that it was too thick for our liking. We suggest rolling it out and cutting each sheet into 8 squares. Evenly divide the filling among half of the squares, being sure to leave about 1/4-inch border around the edges for closing. You may end up with a little bit of extra filling but you can just enjoy that later on as leftovers, it is great in pasta! If you are using the vegan cheese, add 1/2-1 tablespoon into each hand pie. if you are Wet the edges of the puffed pastry with warm water, and then lay the remaining 8 pieces on top of the squares with the filling. Press the edges down with your fingers to be sure that they are sealed, and then go back with a fork to press down the edges and also to add the nice crimped design.
- Place the squares on the two lined baking sheets (reusing the one you made the vegetables with) and brush the tops with almond milk. Slice holes on top of each for venting (this is key, do not skip this step).
- Place into the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Serve warm with a side of marinara sauce if desired.
Notes
- We used a sugar pumpkin, but honestly, any squash/pumpkin of your choice will work. We love using butternut or acorn 🙂
- This recipe works with or without the vegan cheese but it is highly recommended!
- The nutrition facts take into consideration 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 cup of vegan mozzarella cheese.
- If you have leftover hand pies, you can freeze them. Just be sure that you freeze them after they are baked. Place the hand pies on a baking sheet in one layer and place it in the freezer for an hour. After they are frozen, transfer the hand pies to a freezer-safe container or bag. To reheat them, place them on a lined baking sheet in the oven at 350F for 12-15 minutes, or until warmed through.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Category: Appetizer, Side, Fall
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Vegan
