Hogwarts Express Pumpkin Pasties | Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
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Pumpkin Pasties | A Classic Treat from the Hogwarts Express
Pumpkin pasties are hand pies mentioned in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J.K. Rowling. Inspired by traditional English pasties, these sweet treats are sold on the Hogwarts Express trolley and are one of the first wizarding foods Harry ever tastes. This recipe recreates the pumpkin pasties with a flaky crust and lightly spiced filling, perfect for any Harry Potter party or themed feast.
Quote
“Hungry, are you?”
“Starving,” said Harry, taking a large bite out of a pumpkin pasty.
-Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, J.K. Rowling
What are pumpkin pasties in Harry Potter?
Pumpkin pasties are one of the first magical foods Harry eats on the Hogwarts Express, a sweet, hand-held pastry filled with pumpkin puree and spices, that nods to a long British culinary tradition.
Pumpkin Pasties in the Harry Potter series
Pumpkin pasties appear multiple times throughout the Harry Potter series, beginning with Harry’s first train ride in Philosopher’s Stone, when he buys them from the trolley alongside Chocolate Frogs and Every Flavour Beans. They return in Order of the Phoenix, where Harry, Ginny, and Neville share them while swapping Chocolate Frog cards, and again on the return trip, when Harry buys more along with a pile of Cauldron Cakes.
What is a Pasty?
A pasty (also spelled pastie) is an English hand pie with a history stretching back to the 13th century. Pronounced “pah-stee,” its traditional shape is a circular pastry folded into a half-moon with blunted horns and crimped edges.
The best-known version is the Cornish pasty, which originated in South-West England. Traditionally, it’s filled with raw beef, potatoes, swede, and onions and baked into a D-shape with a thick, crimped crust. These pasties were ideal for miners and labourers—portable, filling, and made to be eaten by hand.
By the 19th century, the pasty had become a staple lunch for Cornish tin miners. As noted in The Oxford Companion to Food, some traditional pasties even featured two fillings: savoury on one end and sweet (like apple) on the other—offering a full meal in one parcel (Davidson, 2014).
📜 Want to explore the traditional recipe? See our Cornish pasty history and tutorial here.
From Page to Party Tips
Create a Hogwarts Express Cart
Pumpkin pasties are one of the very first magical foods Harry tastes aboard the Hogwarts Express, so recreate this moment by setting up your own version of the Hogwarts Express snack trolley. Use a rolling cart or small tea trolley painted in Honeydukes-inspired turquoise, and stock it with all the wizarding sweets Harry would’ve seen on his first train ride to Hogwarts.
- Pumpkin Pasties
- Chocolate Frogs
- Cauldron Cakes
- Drooble’s Best Blowing Gum
- Licorice Wands
- Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans
✨ Want the full trolley menu?
You can find all six foods mentioned in the books (and their recipes!) in this post
👉 The Six Foods Found on the Hogwarts Express Trolley
Make-Ahead Tips for Pumpkin Pasties
Planning ahead makes your Hogwarts Express snack cart feel magical and stress-free. You can prep the pumpkin pasties in stages:
- Dough: Mix the pastry dough and freeze it in a bag or container 1 week in advance.
- Pumpkin Purée: If making from scratch, cook and freeze the purée as well.
📅 Party Timeline:
- 2 days before: Take everything out of the freezer to defrost.
- 1 day before: Assemble and bake your pasties.
When I first made these, I shaped them like tiny pumpkins, sweet and perfect for a dessert table. Technically, they aren’t “pasties” without the classic half-moon fold, but it’s your party, so you serve them how you like! The pumpkin shapes add instant charm to a Hogwarts-themed spread. 🎃
Sources
- Bucholz, Dinah. The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook. Adams Media, 2010.
- Davidson, Alan. The Oxford Companion to Food. Oxford University Press, 2014.
- Grigson, Jane. English Food. Penguin Books, 1974.
- Mason, Laura, and Catherine Brown. Traditional Foods of Britain: An Inventory. Prospect Books, 2010.
- Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. Bloomsbury, 1997.
Harry Potter; Pumpkin Pasties
Ingredients
- Pastry crust
- 2 1/2 cups plain flour
- 2 tbsp castor sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 226 g chunks of cold butter
- 3/4 cup of ice water
- Filling
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1 cup of pureed pumpkin canned or homemade works. Steam a chopped-up-seeds-scooped-out pumpkin –butternut is my fav here in Australia- until mushy. Scoop the pumpkin mush/pulp from the skin into a blender and turn on until pureed.
Instructions
Pastry crust
- Pulse together the flour, castor sugar, salt, cold butter and ice water.
- Too dry, add extra ice water a tbsp at a time. Too wet, add more flour bit by bit.
- Once mixed well together, knead it into a ball, wrap with clingwrap and place in the fridge for an hour.
Filling
- In a bowl, stir together the white sugar, pumpkin pie spice and pureed pumpkin.
- Preheat oven to 400oF/~200oC.
- Roll out the dough to 1/8 inch or 3-4 mm thick, and punch out pumpkins with a pumpkin-shaped cookie cutter. *My pumpkin cookie cutter cut shapes about 10cm wide.
- For half of the punched out dough, cut slices in pastry for ventilation.
- Scoop a tbsp of pumpkin mix onto on pumpkin cut out, stretch edges slightly and place a ‘ventilation pumpkin cut out’ on top, and crimped the edges together.
- Place these on a baking tray and place in the oven for about 20-25 minutes. They’ll be golden when they’re ready to come out.
Video
Harry Potter Pumpkin Pasty FAQs
Where are pumpkin pasties mentioned in Harry Potter?
Pumpkin pasties appear in Philosopher’s Stone and again in Order of the Phoenix. Harry first buys them on the Hogwarts Express, then later shares them with Ginny and Neville, and buys more on the return journey. They’re a recurring wizarding-world snack tied closely to the Hogwarts train ride.
What are pumpkin pasties in Harry Potter?
Pumpkin pasties are hand-held pumpkin-filled pastries sold on the Hogwarts Express trolley. They’re one of the first wizarding foods Harry eats on his way to Hogwarts.
Are pumpkin pasties sweet or savory in the Harry Potter books?
They’re not described in detail, but most fans and recipe adaptations (including this one) interpret them as sweet, like mini pumpkin pies with a spiced filling.
What shape are pumpkin pasties supposed to be?
Traditionally, pasties are folded into a half-moon shape. However, for parties or themed tables, pumpkin-shaped versions add a fun, magical twist.
What is the difference between a pumpkin pasty and a Cornish pasty?
Cornish pasties are savory and filled with beef, potato, and swede. Pumpkin pasties are a fictional, sweet twist likely inspired by traditional British pasties.
Hi! I just wanted to tell you that your Website, IS AWESOME. The pumpkin pastie recipe was a huge hit with my friends. They cant wait for me to make more. Thank you for Sharing it on your Website ^^
Thanks Emily, glad they worked for you!x
I LOVE the packaging for the Pumpkin Pasties, but was wondering what the finished measurements are, for the completed box. I can’t wait to make the pasties!
Thank you,
Karen
Aww this is great!!! And the box too! Thank you!!
xoxo
dePepi.com
How many pasties will this make?
What size paper does your printable work on? I would like to print these for my DDs party, but need to purchase some paper first but my computer doesn’t tell me what size works best.
I printed onto international A4 paper size.
How do I make the box…?
Hello Bryton, I’m trying to find the download the free printable box for the pumpkin pastries ? I see the recipe but just don’t know where to click on to for the box . Thanks!
I’ll send it through to you. But for anyone else wondering, if you click on the box template, it’ll open in another page- from there, you just need to right click on it to download.
I can’t seem to download it either :(
I tried this recipe, and I followed it to the dot. However, I ended up needing an extra 1.5 cups of flour. Any idea why?
Did you use cardstock or regular printer paper?
I used cardstock, but nothing too thick, otherwise it jams!
Is there a way to make this gluten free? I love your blog, but it’s king of hard having gluten sensitivity!
Hi Lavender, If you can find a gluten free shortcrust pastry recipe, substitute with that.
This is amazing. Thank you!
I tried making these and for the most part, they turned out delicious. I also required quite a bit more flour than the recipe calls for. Also, I would recommend making more filling (just in case). I ran out and had to put jam in the last few pasties. All in all, it was still a very nice recipe, though. :9
I made it today and it taste really delicious, I’m definitely make it again.