Jack-o-Lantern Halloween Apple Pie with Puff Pastry
Looking for a Halloween dessert the kids can help make? This jack-o-lantern Halloween apple pie starts with a sheet of store-bought puff pastry cut into two pumpkin shapes, filled with canned apple pie filling and topped with a carved jack-o-lantern face. It bakes up golden and flaky in about 8 minutes, so the whole thing is ready in under 30.
A Quick Look At The Recipe
- Recipe Name: Jack-o-Lantern Apple Pie with Puff Pastry
- Serves: 1 large pastry puff
- Main Ingredients: refrigerated sheet of pastry puff dough, Dollar Tree wooden pumpkin, knife, of apple pie filling, cookie sheet, fork, green icing (with an extra small piping tip)
- Why You'll Love It: This spooky season, transform an ordinary apple pie into an amazing (and not to mention delicious) Jack-o-Lantern apple pie with puff pastry.
I trace a little Dollar Tree wooden pumpkin with a knife to get the shape, but any pumpkin-shaped template or a big cookie cutter works too. Carving the face is just like carving a real pumpkin, only a whole lot less messy, and it’s a fun way to give a classic like Mama’s apple pie a spooky makeover.
Why This Halloween Apple Pie Is So Easy
Puff pastry does all the work here. It bakes up light and crisp around the warm apple filling, and since canned apple pie filling is already cooked, the pie only needs a few minutes in a hot oven to puff and brown. Sealing the edges with a fork keeps the filling tucked inside so the jack-o-lantern face stays clean.
Ingredients and Supplies
Puff pastry: Thaw the sheet in the fridge. It’s easiest to work with while it’s still cold, and colder pastry bakes up lighter and flakier.
Apple pie filling: A can keeps this quick. You can sprinkle on a little cinnamon or apple pie spice for extra fall flavor.
Green icing: A tube with a small piping tip makes the vines and leaves.
Pumpkin template: A small wooden pumpkin, a paper cutout or a large pumpkin cookie cutter all work for tracing.
You’ll find the exact amounts in the recipe card below.
Helpful Tips Before You Start
- Flour your counter lightly so the pastry doesn’t stick when you roll it out.
- Keep the face cutouts simple, with big triangles for eyes and a wide mouth, so they don’t close up as the pastry puffs.
- Brush the top with a beaten egg before baking for a deeper golden brown finish.
- Let the pie cool before adding the icing so the vines don’t melt.
How to Make a Jack-o-Lantern Apple Pie
1Roll Out the Pastry
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Unroll the thawed puff pastry on a lightly floured counter and roll it flat.
2Trace Two Pumpkins
Set your pumpkin template near the edge of the pastry and trace around it with a knife. Cut out two pumpkin shapes.
3Move Them to the Pan
Place both pumpkin cutouts on a baking sheet.
4Carve the Face
Cut a jack-o-lantern face into one of the cutouts, the same way you’d carve a pumpkin.
5Add the Filling
Spoon a heaping scoop of apple pie filling into the middle of the other cutout, leaving a border around the edge.
6Top and Seal
Lay the jack-o-lantern face on top, line up the edges and press them together with a fork.
7Bake
Bake for about 8 minutes, until the pastry is puffed and golden brown, then let it cool so the filling can thicken.
8Decorate
Pipe green icing vines and leaves on top of the cooled pie and serve.
How to Serve It
Serve it warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of homemade whipped cream, and pour a mug of hot spiced apple cider or slow cooker caramel apple cider on the side. For a Halloween party table, it looks great next to caramel apple pinwheels and cinnamon candy apples, and you’ll find more ideas in our list of easy Halloween treats and desserts.
Halloween Apple Pie FAQs
Can I make the apple filling from scratch?
Yes. If you make your own, use firm apples that hold their shape when baked, like Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Gala, Pink Lady or Golden Delicious, and let the filling cool before spooning it onto the pastry.
Do I have to carve a face?
Not at all. Leave the top plain for a simple pumpkin-shaped apple pie, or trace a different shape like a ghost or a bat.
How do I store leftovers?
Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Warm them in the oven instead of the microwave so the pastry crisps back up.
Jack-o-Lantern Halloween Apple Pie with Puff Pastry
Equipment
- Small wooden pumpkin or pumpkin cookie cutter for tracing
- Baking sheet
- Fork
Ingredients
- 1 sheet refrigerated or thawed frozen puff pastry
- 1 can apple pie filling
- 1 tube green decorating icing with a small piping tip
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Unroll the thawed puff pastry on a lightly floured counter and roll it flat.
- Trace around your pumpkin template with a knife near the edge of the pastry and cut out two pumpkin shapes. Place both on a baking sheet.
- Cut a jack-o-lantern face into one cutout. Spoon a heaping scoop of apple pie filling into the middle of the other, leaving a border.
- Lay the face on top, line up the edges and press them together with a fork to seal.
- Bake for about 8 minutes, until puffed and golden. Let cool so the filling thickens.
- Pipe green icing vines and leaves on top and serve warm, with vanilla ice cream if you like.