These Ham and Swiss Hand Pies are a fun and delicious Halloween appetizer made with store-bought pie crust, ham, Swiss cheese, and Dijon mustard. Shaped like jack-o'-lanterns, they bake up golden, flaky, and festive, and are perfect for parties or family snacking.
Halloween doesn't have to mean just candy, and these Ham and Swiss Hand Pies prove it! These adorable jack-o'-lantern pastries are quick, kid-friendly, and so much easier than carving a real pumpkin!
Whether you're hosting a Halloween party, need a festive appetizer for a fall gathering, or want a fun snack, these hand pies are guaranteed to be a hit.
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Ingredients and Equipment: Here's What You'll Need
- Originally created years ago with a pumpkin-shaped cookie cutter that's no longer available, I recently remade them using a new cutter I found on Amazon.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Festive & Fun: Shaped like jack-o'-lanterns, they double as décor and snacks.
- Classic Flavor Combo: Ham, Swiss cheese, and Dijon mustard are timeless.
- Quick & Easy: Made with refrigerated pie crust for convenience.
- Kid-Friendly: Fun to assemble, and kids love the spooky cut-outs.
- Perfect Party Food: Finger-sized, flaky, and portable.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Cut Pumpkin Shapes: Roll out the pie crusts on a floured surface. Use a pumpkin or jack-o'-lantern cookie cutter (I used this one from Amazon) to cut out 5 pumpkins per crust.
- Carve the Faces: Using a small, sharp knife and template, cut the eyes and noses into half of the pumpkins.
- Fill: Spread a thin layer of Dijon mustard on the uncut pumpkins. Add a Swiss cheese and deli ham, making sure to leave a border of about an inch.
- Seal: Place a carved pumpkin on top of each filled one. Press edges together with fingers or a fork to seal.
- Bake: Brush the tops with egg wash. Bake the ham and Swiss hand pies for 12-15 minutes, until golden brown.
- Cool & Serve: Remove from the oven and let rest on a wire rack for 5 minutes before serving.
These Ham and Swiss Hand Pies are proof that savory can be just as festive as sweet during Halloween. With their flaky crust, melty filling, and jack-o'-lantern charm, they're a guaranteed crowd-pleaser for any fall get-together.
So skip the carving this year and bake up these edible pumpkins instead. You'll thank yourself when everyone reaches for seconds. Yum!
Frequently Asked Questions
I recommend baking them first. Assembling too early may cause the bottom crust to become soggy from the mustard. They can be reheated before serving.
Use any fun Halloween shape. Ghost, bat, or cat cookie cutters all work well.
Yes! Bake fully, cool, and freeze. Reheat directly from frozen at 350°F for 10-12 minutes.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Prevent Crust Separation: Avoid overfilling the hand pies and ensure a border is left for sealing.
- Add Variety: Try Gruyère, cheddar, or pepper jack cheese for different flavors.
- Crust Help: If edges won't stick, lightly brush with egg wash on the bottom edge before sealing.
Chula's Test Kitchen
- When I first made these hand pies years ago, I used a Wilton pumpkin-shaped cookie cutter that's no longer available. For this remake, I found a similar cutter on Amazon that worked beautifully. To help the filling fit neatly, I also used a slightly smaller pumpkin cutter to trim the ham and Swiss cheese slices before layering them inside the crusts.
- For the jack-o'-lantern faces, I created a simple template: I traced around the larger cookie cutter, scanned it into Photoshop, and added triangle cutouts for the eyes and nose. If you don't want to get that technical, you can freehand cut out basic shapes with a paring knife. Both approaches work!
Other Savory Halloween Treats
If you're looking for some more yummy Halloween dishes, check out these recipes.
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Jack O'Lantern Ham and Swiss Hand Pies
Equipment
- Pumpkin-shaped cookie cutter
- Small sharp knife
- Half-sheet pan with parchment paper
Ingredients
- 1 box refrigerated pie crusts
- 3 to 4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 3 slices thinly sliced Swiss cheese, cut in half (See Tip 1
- 5 slices thinly sliced Black Forest or Virginia ham (See Tip 2)
- 1 large egg plus 1 Tablespoon of water for the egg wash
Instructions
- Heat oven to 425°F. Line a rimmed half-sheet with parchment paper or nonstick foil
- Make a template of a pumpkin cookie cutter on card stock. Cut out eyes and nose from the template.
- Unroll pie crusts on a floured surface. Cut each crust into 5 pumpkin shapes with a 3 to 4-inch pumpkin cookie cutter. (See Tip 3)
- Using the template, cut the eyes and nose with a small, sharp knife on half of the cutouts.
- Spread ½ teaspoon of Dijon mustard on the solid pumpkin shapes. Top with Swiss cheese and ham.
- Top with remaining pumpkins with cut-out faces. Carefully press edges to seal.
- Place on the prepared baking sheet. Brush tops with egg wash. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Let cool on the rack for 5 minutes before serving.
- Yield: 5 hand pies.
Video
Tips/Notes
- I had a smaller pumpkin cookie cutter that I used to cut the Swiss cheese. Otherwise, cut the Swiss cheese to fit.
- I used the smaller pumpkin cookie cutter to cut two pieces of ham from each slice. Otherwise, cut the ham to fit.
- With my cookie cutter, I could only cut 5 shapes. A more rounded cookie cutter will yield 6 to 7 shapes.
Debbie says
Success! Definitely keeping this recipe. Easy to make and so good. The only problem I had was with the crimping. The two crusts didn’t want to meld. Tried a little water but it was futile in some places. Still great.
Chula King says
Hi Debbie,
Sorry about that. Maybe the ham or the cheese extended too far down interfering with the crimping? That's the only think that I can think of. I'm glad, however, that you liked the hand pies!
Chula
Anonymous says
Thank you. I decided I will get them all ready to go, and then assemble them next day 🙂
Chula King says
Hope you enjoy them!
Amber Rivera says
can these be made the night before and baked less than 24 hours later?
Chula King says
I've not made these ahead of time for baking later. However, I'd be a bit concerned that the mustard on the bottom crust could cause the bottom crust to be somewhat soggy. I'd probably go ahead and bake the hand pies and reheat them before serving.