Greek Pumpkin Hand Pies - Kolokithopita (Vegan, No Mixer)

Kolokithopita is Greek pumpkin pie. These Greek pumpkin hand pies are shaped into pretty spirals. They're easy and don’t require a mixer! 

Pumpkin season is officially here! I absolutely love pumpkin desserts and these Greek pumpkin hand pies are amazing! 

This recipe has been in our family for generations and has been handed down to me from my Yiayia (Grandma). Kolokithopita is a traditional Greek pumpkin pie recipe, but instead of making one large pie, I adapted it and made hand pies. If you’re a pumpkin lover, you should definitely give this recipe a try!

Love Greek desserts? Try my Greek Halva Cake, Rizogalo, Greek rice pudding, or Pasteli, ancient Greek sesame bars!

What is kolokithopita?

The name is a real tongue twister:  ko-lo-kee-THO-pee-ta! The word kolokithi has different meanings in Greek. It can mean squash, zucchini (or courgette for my British friends), or pumpkin. Generally speaking, any variety of pumpkin or squash is called a kolokithi in Greece! Pita means pie and together you get kolokithopita, pumpkin pie (or kolokithopites in the plural form)!

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE KOLOKITHOPITA GREEK PUMPKIN PIE

There are only a few ingredients in these Greek pumpkin hand pies! And no mixer required!!

Here’s what you need:

• Phyllo dough - I only use 7 sheets of phyllo dough, one per pie. 
• Pumpkin or butternut squash, grated & squeezed - It only took me about 10 minutes to grate the pumpkin & 1-2 minutes more to squeeze out the liquid!
• Olive oil - I use olive oil to grease the baking pan and the phyllo dough sheets.
• Sugar - I use regular white sugar for the filling, but you can use brown sugar, if you want, or a combination of both. I also use powdered sugar for dusting before serving.
• Spices - I use a blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground cloves.

HOW TO MAKE KOLOKITHOPITA - GREEK PUMPKIN HAND PIES

They may look complicated, but they are really simple to make.

Here’s a step-by-step tutorial:

STEP 1

Cut the top off and peel it all around.

STEP 2

Cut in half and scrape out the seeds and the stringy part with a spoon.

STEP 3

Cut a piece and grate it.

STEP 4

Put the grated pumpkin in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze out all the excess liquid.

STEP 5

Put the shredded pumpkin in a bowl.

Add the sugar and spices and mix with a spoon.

STEP 6

Place a sheet of phyllo dough on a work surface (with the long edge facing you) and drizzle it with oil.

STEP 7

Spread 2 tablespoons of the pumpkin filling lengthwise, starting about 2 inches (5 cm) from the bottom and sides.

STEP 8

Fold the left and right edge of the phyllo dough over the filling.

STEP 9

Fold over the bottom part of the phyllo dough.

STEP 10

Roll into a log, starting from the bottom.

STEP 11

Starting at one end, loosely roll into a spiral and brush with oil.

VARIATIONS & ADD-INS

• You could add chopped walnuts, sesame seeds, and/or raisins in the filling.
• Soaking the raisins in some cognac or brandy adds additional flavor. Just make sure to drain them before adding them to the filling.
• After it’s cooled, I like to dust it with powdered sugar and sprinkle it with some cinnamon before serving.

Make 1 large pie!

Just double my recipe first and bake it in a bigger pan.

There are two ways to use the phyllo dough for a large pie:

1. Put half of the phyllo dough sheets on the bottom, then add the filling, and then top with the remaining dough sheets. Just remember to drizzle each sheet with oil before adding the next one. 
2. Place all the phyllo dough sheets in a pan, one at a time, drizzling each with oil, until they finish and then add the filling. After that, just fold all the overhanging sheets of dough on top! Then brush the pie with oil and cut it into pieces (but not all the way through) before baking.

TIPS FOR SUCCESS

• Use a clean kitchen towel to squeeze out as much liquid as you can. Any excess water can make the hand pies soggy.
• When you add the sugar and spices to the shredded pumpkin, you'll notice some liquid remains in the bottom of the bowl. Discard this liquid or put the filling in a a fine mesh strainer before making the hand pies.
• Make sure the phyllo dough sheets are covered with a damp towel so that they don’t dry out while you’re making the hand pies. Try and work as quickly as you can because the phyllo dough can dry out fast!
• Don’t coil the pies too tightly, otherwise the centers won’t bake evenly.
• Whenever I bake with phyllo dough, I don’t usually line my pan with parchment paper; I just oil it with olive oil. If you want to make cleanup easier, though, you could line your pan with parchment paper before baking.
• The baking time will depend on how much moisture is in your pumpkin. It usually takes around 50 minutes, but it could take up to an hour and ten minutes. Keep an eye on it after 45 minutes.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Enjoy!

~Voula

MORE GREEK DESSERTS!

Let me know how these Greek Pumpkin Hand Pies turn out for you in the comments below! I'd love to hear from you!