Most bats are best admired from a distance. These, however, are bats you’ll want to get close to. A thick coat of glossy black sesame seeds makes these hand pies unlike any other, and their bat shapes make them the perfect savory bite for a Halloween party. Inside, mashed sweet potato and black beans are cooked with harissa spices, butter, and a drizzle of Pittsburgh-made hot honey. The gorgeous flavors will have you coming back for more. Which is more than can be said for actual bats.
They’re also far easier than they look. The pastry starts with refrigerated store-bought pie crust, the filling comes together in one pan, and a bat cookie cutter does the rest.
TABLE developed this Halloween recipe collection so our readers would have the most amazing, amusing, and gorgeous food and drink for their Halloween parties this year. Every recipe was developed and styled by Anna Franklin and photographed by Dave Bryce, and each one works as well at the office as it does at home. They’re designed to get oohs and aahs for their witty visuals, and additional kudos when people take a bite.
Why These Bat Hand Pies Belong at Your Halloween Party
They look like nothing else on the table. The jet-black sesame coating is dramatic, glossy, and a little bit spooky. They’re savory. Halloween spreads lean heavily on candy, so a hearty, spicy bite is welcome. They’re easy to eat. Hand pies need no plates or forks, which makes them ideal for mingling at a party or passing around the office. The filling is meatless. Sweet potato and black beans make it hearty without any meat. For a fully vegetarian pie, choose a crust made without lard (see the FAQ). And they taste as good as they look. Sweet, smoky, spicy, and nutty all at once.
Black Sesame Seeds: The Secret to the Bat Wings
Black sesame seeds are simply sesame seeds that keep their dark outer hull. They have a deeper, nuttier, slightly more bitter flavor than white sesame seeds, and they toast beautifully in the oven. Here, brushing the pastry with egg and dipping it in the seeds gives every bat a shiny, crunchy black coat.
Look for black sesame seeds at Asian grocery stores, spice shops, and many supermarkets. Store them in a cool, dark place, or in the freezer, because their oils can go rancid.
What Is Harissa?
Harissa is a North African chili blend, most closely associated with Tunisia. It’s best known as a paste, but it’s also sold as a dry spice mix of ground dried red chiles, garlic, and spices such as caraway, coriander, and cumin, and that’s what this recipe uses. In 2022, UNESCO added harissa to its list of the world’s Intangible Cultural Heritage. Here, the dry harissa is warmed in butter until fragrant, which wakes up the spices before the sweet potato and black beans go in.
Harissa blends vary widely in heat, so taste yours before you cook, and use a little less if you’re feeding guests who don’t like spicy food. Look for dry harissa at spice shops, Middle Eastern markets, and many supermarkets.
Shop Local for the Filling of Your Batty Hand Pies
Sweet potatoes are at their best in fall, so pick them up at your local farmers market. The sweet heat in this recipe comes from Hot Rod Honey, a habanero-infused honey from Pittsburgh Honey, a family-owned apiary with a shop on Murray Avenue in Squirrel Hill and hives around the city. If you can’t find it, another hot honey will work, though the heat will vary.
How to Shape Bat Hand Pies
Every bat needs two pastry cutouts, one for the bottom and one for the top. Place 2 to 3 tablespoons of the cooled filling in the center of the bottom cutout, keeping it in the bat’s body so the wings stay flat and crisp. Brush the edges with water, lay the top cutout over it, and press the edges together firmly. Crimp them well, with your fingers or the tines of a fork, so the filling doesn’t leak in the oven.
Anna used a bat cutter about 6 inches wide, which gives you roughly four cutouts, or two pies, per crust, rerolling the scraps once. Don’t have a bat cutter? Any shape works: pumpkins, ghosts, cats, or simple circles.
Tips for Making Batty Hand Pies
Cook the filling almost dry. Let the water cook off almost completely, then mash the sweet potato. A wet filling makes soggy pies that are hard to seal.
Cool the filling completely. Warm filling softens the pastry and makes it hard to seal.
Keep the pastry cold. If the dough gets soft while you work, chill the cutouts for a few minutes before filling and baking.
Don’t overfill. A small spoonful is plenty. Too much filling and the pies will burst.
Dip for a thick coat. For the full black-bat effect, press the egg-washed side of each pie into a shallow dish of sesame seeds rather than sprinkling.
Vent the steam. Cut a tiny slit in the top of each pie so steam can escape.
Make them ahead. Cook the filling up to two days ahead and refrigerate in a sealed container. Baked hand pies can be reheated on a baking sheet in a 350°F oven.
Know your guests. These pies contain wheat, sesame, egg, and dairy. Sesame is one of the nine major food allergens in the U.S., so label them at a party or office potluck.
Print
Batty Sweet Potato, Black Bean, and Harissa Hand Pies Recipe
- Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
- Yield: 8 hand pies 1x
Description
Savory bat-shaped hand pies filled with sweet potato, black beans, harissa, and hot honey, then coated in glossy black sesame seeds and baked until golden.
Ingredients
For the filling:
- 2 tsp butter
- 2 tsp dry harissa spice mix
- 1 small sweet potato (about 1 cup of cubes), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1/2 cup black beans, from a 15-oz can, rinsed and drained
- 1/4 tsp salt, plus more to taste
- 2 tsp Hot Rod Honey from Pittsburgh Honey
- 1/3 cup water
For the hand pies:
- 2 packages refrigerated pie crust, such as Pillsbury (4 crusts total), softened according to package directions
- 1 egg, beaten, for brushing
- 1 cup black sesame seeds
Equipment: 6-inch bat cookie cutter, baking sheets, parchment paper.
Instructions
- Peel the sweet potato and cut it into 1/2-inch cubes. Boil until tender. Drain well and mash.
- In a small skillet over medium heat, melt the butter with the harissa and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add the mashed sweet potato, black beans, salt, honey, and water. Simmer until the sweet potato is tender and the water has cooked off almost completely, so the filling isn’t too wet, about 15 minutes.
- Mash the sweet potato in the pan with a potato masher or fork. Spread the filling on a plate and cool completely, about 20 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Unroll the pie crusts and use a cookie cutter to cut bat (or other) shapes, two for each pie.
- Place 2 to 3 tbsp of filling in the center of half of the cutouts, keeping it in the bat’s body. Brush the edges with water, top with the remaining cutouts, and crimp the sides well.
- Brush each hand pie with egg, then sprinkle with black sesame seeds or dip the tops into them. Transfer to the baking sheets.
- Bake until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Appetizer, snack, party food
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American, North African-inspired
Nutrition
- Calories: 500
Batty Hand Pie FAQs
Are these hand pies spicy?
Yes, moderately. Dry harissa and habanero-infused hot honey both bring heat. For a milder version, use less harissa and a regular local honey.
Are these hand pies vegetarian?
The filling is meatless, but Pillsbury refrigerated pie crust is made with lard. For vegetarian guests, check labels for a crust made with vegetable oil or shortening instead. Either way, the butter, egg, and honey mean the pies aren’t vegan.
Can I use homemade pie dough?
Yes. Any rolled pie dough will work in place of refrigerated crust.
Can I make these hand pies ahead of time?
Yes. Make the filling up to two days ahead and keep it refrigerated. Bake the pies the day of the party or bake ahead and reheat at 350°F until warm.
Where can I buy black sesame seeds?
Asian grocery stores, spice shops, and many supermarkets carry them. They’re also easy to find online.
Do I need a bat cookie cutter?
No. Any cookie cutter works, from pumpkins and ghosts to plain circles.
More Halloween Party Recipes from TABLE
These are one of eight Halloween party recipes from Anna Franklin. Pair them with our Poison Apple Punch, a color-changing big-batch Halloween punch. For more ideas, try our Halloween cocktails and Halloween treats to make with kids.
About the Recipe Author
Anna Franklin is TABLE Magazine’s food stylist and recipe developer. A Pittsburgh native and graduate of the Indiana University of Pennsylvania Academy of Culinary Arts, she spent many years cooking in restaurant kitchens and photo studios before moving into food styling. Anna tests, plates, and styles the recipes and restaurant features in TABLE’s print and digital editions, working alongside photographers Dave Bryce and Laura Petrilla. Read more of her work at TABLE.
About the Photographer
Dave Bryce is TABLE Magazine’s contributing architecture, interiors, and food photographer, based in Pittsburgh. He photographed Fallingwater: Living With and In Art (Rizzoli, 2025) and regularly shoots for Pittsburgh Magazine and American Farmhouse Style, working with architects, interior designers, and hospitality brands. See more at davebrycephotography.com
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