Greek Sweet Pumpkin Hand Pies “Kolokythopita”
These small pumpkin hand pies are made with fresh pumpkin, raisins, walnuts and warm spices. Crispy and delicate, “Kolokythopita” is a great choice for Thanksgiving dinner!
What is “Kolokythopita”?
Kolokythopita (Greek: Κολοκυθόπιτα) translates to pumpkin pie. The interesting part though, is that the word kolokythi in Greek is used to name zucchini, squash, pumpkin etc. In other words, all varieties of pumpkin and squash are called kolokythi. Pita (Greek: πίτα) means pie as you probably know from my previous recipe on the blog. There are many different variations of pita depending on the main ingredient used, such as tyro-pita (cheese pie), spanako-pita (spinach pie), galato-pita (milk pie) etc. The options are endless. If you google Greek kolokithopita, you will most likely find recipes for the savory version which features zucchini with feta cheese. However, it is the sweet version that appeals mostly to me. Fresh grated pumpkin, walnuts, raisins and warm spices are wrapped in phyllo dough to make this aromatic Greek dessert. I kept the best part for the end- no mixer is needed!
Key Steps for delicious Greek sweet pumpkin hand pies.
Fresh Pumpkin:
Typically, Greek pumpkin pie is made in a big baking sheet, but I find the hand pies (kolokythopites: plural for pumpkin pies) handier especially for family dinners. Additionally, I love the cute spiral shape. The recipe makes eight hand pies but you can double the recipe if you anticipate more guests. I used fresh pumpkin but butternut squash also works perfect. Any sweet pumpkin will fit this recipe.
Squeeze out all the excess liquid:
Due to the high water amount in the pumpkin the most important step of the recipe is to remove it. You need to remove as much liquid as possible so you don’t end up with a soggy pie. There are different techniques to achieve this, such as using rice in the filling to absorb liquids, or simmering the grated pumpkin with sugar to evaporate the excess liquid. Forget both of them. The easiest and quickest way to squeeze out the liquid is by using a clean kitchen towel. After you grate the pumpkin, wrap it in a clean kitchen cloth, twist and squeeze. It won’t take more than five minutes and it is an excellent work out for your triceps as well! See the photos below for a better understanding.
[easy-image-collage id=1087]Phyllo Dough:
Work fast with the phyllo dough as it tends to dry fast as soon as you unwrap it. To prevent it from drying you can use a damp kitchen towel and cover it. Drizzle the melted butter instead of spreading it with a brush. This results to a dessert with more volume and a crunchier texture when baked. Fold loosely each hand pie otherwise not all parts will be baked evenly (especially the center). Attach the loose side of the pie to the baking pan. This way while baking the filling will remain in place.
Fresh Spices:
If Greeks have a favorite spice this would be cinnamon. A quick look on the rest of my recipes and you will realize we use cinnamon almost in every dessert. Make sure your spices have not been opened for a long time. Cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and ginger will aromatize the Greek pumpkin hand pies and give a more complex flavor combined with the walnuts and raisins.
Melted Butter:
The melted butter will add up to a flaky and rich phyllo dough. However, you can easily make this recipe vegan by substituting butter for extra virgin olive oil.
Without further dues, let’s make Greek pumpkin hand pies!
How to make Greek sweet pumpkin hand pies.
In a big bowl add the squeezed shredded pumpkin, chopped walnuts, raisins and orange zest.
Stir all together with a spoon till every ingredient is incorporated. Dispose any excess liquid at the bottom of the bowl.
Preheat the oven to 350F (180C). Melt the butter in a saucepan or microwave and brush the bottom of two (33×23 cm) baking pans with some of the melted butter.
Spread the phyllo sheets carefully on the kitchen counter and drizzle some of the melted butter on top of the first phyllo using a brush. Do not touch the phyllo dough with the brush.
Add about three tablespoons of the filling lengthwise to the phyllo dough and spread it using a spoon. Leave about 2 inches (5 cm) from the bottom and each side of the phyllo.
Fold the bottom part of the phyllo dough and wrap into a log. Twist the end loosely and roll into a spiral shape. Brush some melted butter on top and sprinkle with some sesame seeds.
Follow this link https://www.instagram.com/reel/CH3bHuXF4nq/ for a mini video tutorial on how to shape the hand pies into spirals.
Place the Greek pumpkin hand pie into the pan. Attach the loose side of the pie to the baking pan. This way while baking the filling will remain in place. Continue the same procedure for the remaining hand pies. Place 4 pies on each baking pan.
Bake for 50-60 minutes or till golden brown and crispy. Alter the baking pans halfway. Remove from the oven and let them completely cool.
Dust some powdered sugar and cinnamon or drizzle some honey. Enjoy!
Greek Sweet Pumpkin Hand Pies “Kolokythopita”
Ingredients
For the Filling
- 3 ½ cups Grated Fresh Pumpkin Squeezed to remove any excess water
- 1/2 cup Finely Chopped Walnuts or Pecans
- 1 cup Dried Raisins or Dried Cranberries
- Orange Zest from one Orange
- 1 tbsp Ground Cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp Ground Cloves
- 1/2 tsp Ground Nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp Ground Ginger
- 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
- 1/4 cup Dark Brown Sugar
- 1/4 tsp Kosher Salt
For the Phyllo Dough
- 8 sheets Phyllo Dough
- 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter Melted or Olive oil
- 2 tbsp Sesame Seeds
For the Toppings (Optional)
- Cinnamon
- Powdered Sugar or Honey
Instructions
For the Filling
- Cut and peel the pumpkin. Remove the seeds.
- Grate the pumpkin and place inside a bowl.
- Wrap the freshly shredded pumpkin into a kitchen towel and twist. Squeeze out as much water as possible.
- In a big bowl add the squeezed shredded pumpkin, chopped walnuts, raisins and orange zest.
- Add the ground cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, ginger, sugar and salt and stir all together with a spoon till every ingredient is incorporated.
- Dispose any excess liquid at the bottom of the bowl.
For the Phyllo Dough
- Preheat the oven to 350F (180C).
- Melt the butter in a saucepan or microwave and brush the bottom of two (33×23 cm) baking pans with some of the melted butter.
- Spread the phyllo sheets carefully on the kitchen counter and drizzle some of the melted butter on top of the first phyllo using a brush. Do not touch the phyllo dough with the brush.
- Add about three tablespoons of the filling lengthwise to the phyllo dough and spread it using a spoon. Leave about 2 inches (5 cm) from the bottom and each side of the phyllo.
- Fold the bottom part of the phyllo dough and wrap into a log. Twist the end loosely and roll into a spiral shape.
- Brush some melted butter on top and sprinkle with some sesame seeds.
- Place the Greek pumpkin hand pie into the pan. Attach the loose side of the pie to the baking pan. This way while baking the filling will remain in place.
- Continue the same procedure for the remaining hand pies.
- Place 4 pies on each baking pan and bake for 50-60 minutes or till golden brown and crispy. Alter the baking pans halfway.
- Remove from the oven and let them completely cool.
- Dust some powdered sugar and cinnamon or drizzle some honey.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Place phyllo dough in refrigerator overnight to thaw. Allow at least one hour to stand at room temperature before using. This will result to every phyllo sheet to come off easily. Advise the instructions written on the back of your phyllo dough package for more details.
- The pumpkin I used weighed around 710 grams before squeezing.
- Work fast with the filling because the longer it sits in the bowl it releases extra liquids. Same applies to the phyllo dough because it tends to dry fast as soon as you unwrap it.
- Drizzle the melted butter instead of spreading it with a brush. This results to a dessert with more volume and a crunchier texture when baked.
- Fold loosely each hand pie otherwise not all parts will be baked evenly (especially the center).
- Note that all ovens bake differently, so yours may take a little less or a little more time to bake.
- The more excess water you remove the quicker the hand pie will be baked. If there is a lot of moisture you might need to bake for up to 1 hour and 10 minutes.
- Have any questions about the recipe or want to ask for substitutions? Contact me and I will be happy to help!
Nutrition
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