• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Recipe Index
  • Latest Recipes
  • Sweets
  • How To's
  • About

Where Is My Spoon

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipe Index
  • Latest Recipes
  • Sweets
  • How To's
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipe Index
    • Latest Recipes
    • Sweets
    • How To's
    • About
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×
    Where Is My Spoon > Recipes > Sweet Recipes

    Harry Potter Pumpkin Pasty Recipe

    Published by: Adina November 17, 2016 · Last modified: October 23, 2021 38 Comments

    Sharing is caring!

    1880 shares
    • Share
    • Yummly
    • Reddit
    • Twitter
    pumpkin pastry harry potter

    Harry Potter's famous pumpkin pasties sold in the Hogwarts Express - flaky crust and a delicious spicy-sweet pumpkin filling.

    Jump to Recipe

    Pumpkin Pasties Recipe (Harry Potter Inspired)

    harry potter pumpkin pasties recipe

    One of the most famous recipes from the Harry Potter world: pumpkin pasties with a sweet filling, which the young wizards can buy in the train on their way to Hogwarts.

    I am a huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuge Harry Potter fan. I have been reading the books since I was about 18 or 19, every year, all the books, in the order of their appearance. Normally I do that about this time of the year, this year I was a bit early though... I just felt the need to do it sometimes in the summer.

    But as I am currently reading the books to my kids as well, I still get to sink into Harry's world almost every day for a while. We just finished The Goblet Of Fire last night and we will start reading The Order Of The Phoenix tonight. The first time I read the books in German as well, so it really never gets boring. 🙂 (Amazon affiliate links)

    And Harry Potter movies? I cannot even begin to count how many times I've seen them... I remember the first one that came out, I think I went to the cinema at least 5 times... (Amazon affiliate link)

    This pumpkin pasties recipe is the first in a small Harry Potter recipes series. There are so many of them mentioned throughout the books that I found it really difficult to choose. Everybody has heard of the famous butterbeer and the pumpkin juice, of the all-flavored beans and the chocolate frogs, but I wanted to go for some recipes that are more easily made at home.

    Harry Potter's Pumpkin Pasties

    What are pumpkin pasties?

    I am starting with the pumpkin pastry that the Harry Potter books made famous: the pumpkin pasties. They are the first typical wizard food that Harry gets to eat when on his way to Hogwarts in the Hogwarts Express.

    The pumpkin pasties are small pastry pockets filled with a delicious sweet and spicy pumpkin filling, similar to the Cornish pasties, which you can buy just about anywhere in England, but which are normally savory.

    While reading about the pasties on the Internet I found many articles debating about the taste of the pumpkin pasties. Many think they are actually savory like a typical Cornish pasty. Some others think they are sweet.

    I decided to go for the sweet version because that is the way I imagined the pasties to be from the very beginning. The Hogwarts Express trolley only sells sweets, so I have always taken it for granted that the pumpkin pasties are sweet as well.

    Harry Potter's Pumpkin Pasties

    Tips for making good pastry

    • Always use a kitchen scale, especially when making pastry or any kind of dough or batter. Cup measuring is just too unprecise for baking. (Amazon affiliate link)
    • Making shortcrust pastry is really easy, especially if you are using a stand mixer or another kitchen machine. I use the Thermomix to make the pastry.
    • Make sure the butter is very cold. To achieve that cut the butter into small cubes, place them in one layer on a plate and put them in the freezer for about 15 minutes, they should not be frozen but get really cold.
    • Process the dry ingredients with the butter only very shortly, the butter should not be completely blended into the mixture, you should still be able to see tiny pieces of butter in the mixture.
    • Don't add all the cold water from the beginning, add 2 tablespoons, incorporate them and see if you need the extra tablespoon. It really depends on how exactly you weigh the flour and on the brand of the flour itself. The dough should hold together when you press a little bit of it between your fingers.
    • Refrigerate the pastry for several hours before using it.
    • If you make the pastry by hand, cut the butter into the flour mixture with a knife. Once the butter is incorporated, knead the pastry very very shortly to bring it into form.
    • Make sure that your hands are cold when you are working the pastry. Wash them with very cold water and dry them well.
    • Only use the fingertips and not the palms of your hands, they will still be too warm for the pastry.

    Can I freeze shortcrust pastry?

    • You can make the pastry well in advance and keep it in the fridge, well wrapped in plastic foil/cling film. It keeps for at least 3-4 days in the fridge.
    • You can also freeze the pastry, it will keep for months.
    • I do that often with shortcrust pastry. I make a large batch and freeze the leftovers for later use.
    Harry Potter's Pumpkin Pasties

    Can I use ready-bought pastry?

    • Yes, of course!
    • If you don't want to make the pastry (although it is really so quick and easy and tastes so good), you can always buy a ready-made shortcrust pastry, it is your decision.
    • I made a large batch of pastry but used only about the half for the pumpkin pastry, I weighed it, there were about 200 g/ 7 oz necessary for about 15 small pasties.

    How to cut and fill the pasties?

    1. Roll the pastry on the lightly floured working surface or, if using bought pastry, unroll it on its paper.
    2. Cut the circles and remove the dough in between the circles.
    3. Place some filling on one side of the circles.
    4. Dab the pastry edges with a wet finger and fold the other side over. You will now have the half-moons. Crimp with a fork and cut the vents to resemble the scar.
    5. Roll the scraps again to make more pasties.

    Can puff pastry be used as a pie crust?

    • Yes, it can.
    • Shortcrust pastry is typical for making pasties of any kind, but puff pastry sheets can be used instead. I mean, puff pastry tastes so good as well, who would not like it?
    • When using puff pastry, cut the dough circles as the pumpkin pastry recipe requires, fill, crimp, baste with egg wash, place on baking sheets, and bake until golden brown.
    • Make sure you read the puff pastry's packet instructions regarding the baking time.
    Harry Potter's Pumpkin Pasties

    Pumpkin filling

    • You will need some pumpkin puree to make the filling.
    • Here you can learn how to roast a pumpkin. I only needed a very small portion of pumpkin puree to make the pumpkin pasties.
    • You can use the rest to make roasted pumpkin soup, no-bake pumpkin cheesecake, chocolate chip pumpkin muffins, pumpkin pancakes, smoothies, curries and so on.
    • You could use pumpkin puree from a can as well. NOT pumpkin pie filling.
    pumpkin filling for pasties in a small bowl

    Savory filling:

    • Leave out the sugar and top the filling with a little grated cheese.
    • Proceed with the recipe.
    filling shortcrust pastry with pumpkin and cheese

    What is pumpkin spice made of?

    • You will need some spices for the pumpkin filling.
    • As pumpkin spice is not available in Germany, I always mix my own spices to make pumpkin spice.
    • I use a combination of cinnamon, allspice, cardamom, and nutmeg. You can also add a pinch of ground ginger.
    • You can increase the amounts of these spices and make some pumpkin spice to last you for a whole pumpkin season.
    • Keep it in a well-sealed jar in a dark cool place, it will be fine for at least 2-3 months.
    Harry Potter's Pumpkin Pasties
    pumpkin pasties and harry potter book

    Harry Potter Pumpkin Pasties Recipe

    Harry Potter's famous pumpkin pasties sold in the Hogwarts Express. Flaky crust and a delicious spicy-sweet pumpkin filling.
    4.53 from 109 votes
    Print Pin Share GrowSaved! Rate
    Course: Pies and Cheesecakes
    Cuisine: English
    Prep Time: 45 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes
    Servings: 15
    Calories: 123kcal
    Author: Adina
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients 

    • Pastry: (Note 1, 2)
    • 175 g all-purpose flour 6.2 oz/ 1 ½ cups
    • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar leave out when you want to make a savory pie or pastry
    • a pinch of salt
    • 140 g unsalted butter 5 oz/ ½ cup + 2 tablespoons (Note 3)
    • 2-3 tablespoons very cold water
    • Alternative: 1 ready-made pie crust
    • Filling:
    • 100 g pumpkin puree 3.5 oz/ scant ½ cup, homemade or from a can (not pumpkin pie filling)
    • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
    • a pinch of allspice
    • a pinch of cardamom
    • a pinch of nutmeg
    • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
    • Egg wash:
    • 1 egg yolk
    • 2 tablespoons milk

    Instructions

    Pastry:

    • Cool butter: Cut the butter into small cubes, place them in one layer on a plate, and put them in the freezer for about 15 minutes; they should not be frozen but get really cold.
    • Mix flour, sugar, and salt in the food processor/stand mixer.
    • Add butter cubes and process shortly, about 10 pulses, but it depends on the machine you are using. The dough should resemble breadcrumbs.
    • Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of icy water, and pulse a few times again until the dough comes together. Add the third tablespoon of water if necessary; sometimes I do add it, sometimes not; it depends on how exactly you weigh the flour and sometimes on the brand of the flour itself. The dough should hold together when you press a little bit of it between your fingers.
    • Refrigerate: Form a ball, divide it into two portions, press each piece into a disc and wrap the discs tightly in plastic foil. You will only need one portion to make about 15 pasties. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
    • Alternatively, you can use a ready-made sweet shortcrust pastry.

    Filling:

    • If you want to make your pumpkin puree, halve and deseed a small pumpkin. Place the halves on a baking tray and bake at 200 degrees Celsius/ 400 degrees Fahrenheit for about 35-45 minutes or until the pumpkin is soft. Let cool a little, remove the skin, and puree the pumpkin flesh in the food processor.
      To make the filling, you will only need about 100 g/ 3.5 oz/ ½ cup of it.
    • Mix 100 g/ 3.5 oz/ ½ cup pumpkin puree with the spices and set aside.

    Make the pumpkin pasties:

    • When ready to roll the dough, preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius/400 degrees Fahrenheit.
    • Roll dough: Sprinkle the working surface with a bit of flour and roll one of the refrigerated dough discs, about 3 mm / 0.12 inches thick.
    • Cut dough circles using a pastry cutter or the edge of a glass. My circles had a diameter of 8 cm/ 3.1 inches, and the resulting pasties were small. After rolling the remaining scraps a couple of times as well, I had 15 pasties.
    • Fill pasties: Spoon about ½ teaspoon of the filling on one side of the pastry circles, dab the pastry edges with a wet finger and fold the other side over. You will now have the half-moons.
    • Crimp: Press the edges with a fork to crimp and close them.
    • Cut vents: Using a small sharp knife, cut some tiny slits on top to create vents. I cut the vents in the form of Harry's scar, but you don't have to do that; an ordinary X will suffice.
    • Place the pasties on a baking tray lined with baking paper.

    Bake:

    • Egg wash: Mix the egg yolk with the milk. Brush the pasties.
    • Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes until nicely golden.
    • Let cool on the baking tray for about 5 minutes, then carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

    Notes

    1. Always use a digital kitchen scale in baking; it ensures the best results (Amazon affiliate link).
    2. You will not use it all, but the pastry freezes very well, making a smaller amount is possible, but not really worth it.
    3. European style butter is best; it has less water.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1g | Calories: 123kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 33mg | Sodium: 62mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @adinabeck or tag #WhereIsMySpoon!

    More Sweet Recipes

    • close up nectarine muffins on a wire rack.
      Easy Nectarine Muffins  
    • overhead image of sliced zucchini bundt cake with lemon glaze.
      Zucchini Bundt Cake
    • cherry bundt cake sprinkled with icing sugar on a white plate with a few cherries beside it.
      Easy Cherry Bundt Cake
    • overhead view of a cherry chocolate bundt cake on a wire rack with three cherries around it.
      Cherry Chocolate Bundt Cake

    Sharing is caring!

    1880 shares
    • Share
    • Yummly
    • Reddit
    • Twitter

    web banner representing all the websites logos that featured our food blog.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Anca says

      November 17, 2016 at 2:23 pm

      I love the idea of making the recipes from the books. Your pumpkin pasties look fab. x

      Reply
    2. Brie says

      November 17, 2016 at 3:06 pm

      Such a fun and tasty idea! These little pumpkin treats look perfect, you'll have to bring some for the movie 🙂 I can't wait to see the other Harry Potter dishes you've come up with. Happy Anniversary!

      Reply
    3. Denise Browning says

      November 17, 2016 at 6:40 pm

      Interesting pasties... filled with 2 of my fave ingredients, pumpkin and cardamom. They look divine!!!!

      Reply
    4. grace says

      November 18, 2016 at 6:14 pm

      pockets of perfection! i love that pastry crust recipe too--couldn't be easier! great dessert. 🙂

      Reply
      • Allie says

        May 09, 2022 at 8:15 pm

        @grace, yes of course

        Reply
    5. Kathy @ Beyond the Chicken Coop says

      November 19, 2016 at 5:54 pm

      How fun that you can share these books with your kids! That is such a great way to promote the love of reading with them. These pumpkin pasties look like the perfect snack to nibble on while reading the books!

      Reply
    6. Nima says

      March 17, 2017 at 9:46 am

      I love this recipe! I tried it for the first time today and it was delicious. I added a few of my own touches (an extra dash of cinnamon and a sprinkle of sugar on top with a dash of maple syrup in the batter) and it was still really amazing. The directions are perfect and the measurements are spot on as well. Thank you!

      Reply
      • Adina says

        March 17, 2017 at 9:59 am

        Thank you, Nima. It is so great to have such positive feedback, especially regarding the directions and measurements.

        Reply
        • Venni says

          October 15, 2019 at 9:11 am

          Hello! What kind of pumpkin (fresh not canned) would be best for this recipe?

          Reply
          • Adina says

            October 15, 2019 at 3:56 pm

            Hi Venni. I am a fan of Hokkaido pumpkin, also called red kuri squash, I use that for almost all my pumpkin recipes, it tastes amazing and you don't have to peel it. Butternut squash would also be great, but you have to peel that. Otherwise, make sure you choose a pumpkin or squash that is really flavorful, not the Halloween kind of pumpkin, they have no taste.

            Reply
    7. Stephanie says

      September 12, 2017 at 2:06 am

      Just found this online when looking for harry potter recipes. My oldest just turned 8 so we are starting with the 1st book in the series via audiobook as a family. I am SUPER excited about finally sharing this book with him. I don't know if we'll be able to watch the movie with him - he gets scared easily but I am going to give it a try. So far he loves the weasley twins and laughed several times through the first few chapters. Keeping my fingers crossed and we'll try these... love all the spices reminds me of pumpkin pie. Perfect for fall. Love your pictures. They are so good they were making me hungry lol. Do you have a fav character? 🙂 My husband thinks Hermonie is whiny. I think she's brilliant just slightly annoying during the first book as she's so young and it shows. P.S. LOVE the idea of adding maple 🙂

      Reply
    8. Adina says

      September 12, 2017 at 7:14 am

      Hi Stephanie,
      We have just finished reading all the books with the kids (9 and 6) and they were allowed to see all the movies too, but each one only after we finished reading the book, so that they already knew what was going to happen. Everything went well, no nightmares or anything. 🙂 I think you should be safe with at least the first two of the movies, especially after reading the books. I don't think I have a favorite character, I just love them all. 🙂

      Reply
    9. Norma Newman says

      October 04, 2018 at 7:44 pm

      Once you make these, do they freeze well? Or do they break up and aren't good coming out of the freezer and warmed up? I'm asking if this would be something good to do for a wedding, but need that extra time to work on them, so hoping freezing is an option.

      Reply
      • Adina says

        October 04, 2018 at 7:57 pm

        Hi Norma. I have never frozen these particular pasties myself, but usually freezing unbaked pasties should be ok. Freeze them on a baking tray and transfer them to freezer bags once they are solid. Bake them directly from frozen and increase the baking time a little. Check to make sure that they are baked through by cutting one in the middle.

        Reply
    10. Julie says

      February 09, 2019 at 5:23 pm

      I’m confused. Are you looking for 2/3 cup or 2/3 of the total amount of flour to put in the blender first? I don’t really know who to figure out how much 2/3 of 1 1/4 cups is

      Reply
    11. Julie says

      February 09, 2019 at 5:23 pm

      I’m confused. Are you looking for 2/3 cup or 2/3 of the total amount of flour to put in the blender first? I don’t really know how to figure out how much 2/3 of 1 1/4 cups is

      Reply
      • Adina says

        February 09, 2019 at 9:45 pm

        Hi Julie. You need a total of 1 1/4 cups. To get 2/3 out of that amount, just mentally divide the amount in 3 parts and use 2 of these parts. you don't have to measure exactly, approximate with your eyes.

        Reply
    12. Megan says

      April 14, 2020 at 8:11 pm

      Very good recipe, but I found the 1/2 teaspoon of filling to be far too small. I did closer to 1-2 tablespoons which seemed like a better amount.

      Reply
      • Adina says

        April 15, 2020 at 8:47 am

        Hi Megan, I am glad you liked the pasties, and for sure you can use as much filling as it fits inside.

        Reply
    13. Sydney says

      April 19, 2020 at 10:45 pm

      Hello!! I'm wondering if you can help me out with this recipe. I did everything it said (or so I thought) but when it came time to assemble the actual pastries I don't have NEARLY enough dough. I'm not sure why, but my discs came out very small to begin with, and then when you said to roll them out again to be 1.8" thick, I can't...there's no way I could make 15 out of the amount of dough I have. Help????

      Reply
    14. Adina says

      April 20, 2020 at 12:48 pm

      Hi Sydney. I am not sure what went wrong. Did you measure the ingredients well? I usually get 15 of them, one more or less is fine. Did you roll the dough scraps again and use those to make further pasties?

      Reply
      • Fellow Potterhead says

        July 17, 2020 at 3:15 am

        I think it might be because there's a slight error in the mentioned measurements... 3mm is not 1.8 inches, but more like 0.12 inches... 3 cm is 1.8 inches 🙂 fabulous recipe otherwise! Much appreciated!

        Reply
        • Adina says

          July 17, 2020 at 7:54 am

          Oh, thank you.

          Reply
    15. Natalie Olofsson says

      May 02, 2020 at 12:49 am

      Amazing recipe! I added extra cinnamon and brown sugar to the crust before baking.

      Reply
      • Adina says

        May 02, 2020 at 8:02 am

        So glad to hear it, Natalie. Thank you for the feedback. 🙂

        Reply
    16. Olivia says

      September 22, 2020 at 1:36 pm

      I'm late catching up Harry Potter anything - made these for my almost 10 yr old son as a test for his upcoming HP birthday party. He LOVED them! The filling itself gives a delicate flavor, almost not noticeable, but the color. The dough was still soft and flaky next morning and he devoured it for breakfast. It is a wonderful recipe, will try a savory version too. Time consuming, but made with real ingredients! Thank you!

      Reply
      • Adina says

        September 22, 2020 at 2:40 pm

        I am so happy to hear it, Olivia, thank you for taking the time for the feedback. My kids like them as well, despite the pumpkin, which is not always a hit with them. 🙂 But anything labeled Harry Potter has to be good!

        Reply
    17. Feather says

      November 04, 2020 at 5:55 pm

      Thank you so much for weighing the ingredients!!!!!

      Reply
      • Adina says

        November 04, 2020 at 8:14 pm

        I never do it any other way, so much preciser, easier and cleaner. 🙂

        Reply
    18. Anonymous says

      November 09, 2020 at 12:31 am

      This was the best thing I ever made!!!!!! I was worried it would taste wierd since I'm not such a fan of pumpkins but I tasted amazing. ❤️ I used ready made dough because I don't have a mixer so I couldn't dice the butter but other than that perfect!!! ❤️

      Reply
      • Adina says

        November 09, 2020 at 9:30 am

        This is so great to hear! I am so happy you liked it!

        Reply
      • Madison Paige says

        October 15, 2021 at 7:55 pm

        @Adina, I plan to make the recipe, but wasn't sure if these were best eaten fresh or if they could last overnight for a party! Which would you recommend?

        Reply
        • Adina says

          October 16, 2021 at 7:14 am

          Hi Madison. Fresh would be best, but they will still taste good if baked in advance. Maybe the best compromise would be to prepare the filling and the dough in advance but only fill and bake the pastries on the day of the party. Keep the filling in an airtight container in the fridge, the dough wrapped in foil (in the refrigerator as well); they will keep well for at least 2-3 days. Happy baking!

          Reply
    19. Kari says

      November 21, 2020 at 6:30 am

      The filling to crust ratio was off for everyone in my family. Next time we will do it with bigger circles so we have more filling inside. If you like lots of crust, this way is for you!

      Reply
    20. Kathy says

      November 26, 2021 at 7:00 pm

      5 stars
      Turned out GREAT! Baked in my air fryer. Used the extra dough to roll out and make a large pasty for the center of the serving plate that the smaller ones will all go around. I used pre-made refrigerated pie dough and it worked perfect.

      Reply
      • Adina says

        November 27, 2021 at 9:49 am

        Hi Kathy. So happy to hear it. It never occured to me to use the air fryer for this recipe. It sounds great!

        Reply
    21. Sarah says

      January 14, 2023 at 1:11 am

      Hi what type of cheese did you use while doing the savory option? Thank you!

      Reply
      • Adina says

        January 14, 2023 at 10:04 am

        Hi Sarah. That was Gouda, but you can use Cheddar or whatever you like.

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating





    Primary Sidebar

    Follow me!

    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • Instagram

    Hello! Where Is My Spoon is a blog where you will find delicious and family friendly recipes, all made from scratch. From simple healthy soups to sumptuous cakes for special occasions, all our recipes have been tried and loved by our family and our friends.

    More about me →

    Green tomatoes

    • many slices of charred grilled green tomatoes with basil on a plate.
      Green Tomatoes on the Grill
    • vintage bowl full with green tomato soup topped with croutons and basil.
      Easy Green Tomato Soup
    • green tomato sauce with pasta in a white bowl
      Green Tomato Sauce
    • green tomato bread slices on a platter with small tomatoes beside it.
      Quick Green Tomato Bread

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    Info

    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility Statement

    Our second blog

    The Fast Recipe Food Blog

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2023 - Where Is My Spoon. All rights reserved.