Boo-Berry Ghoster Strudels

These cute little ghost-er strudels are a play on toaster strudels but with a festive and spooky twist! They’re filled with a blueberry, or should I say, boo-berry filling that’s the perfect complement to the flaky puffy pastry ghosts.

ghost shaped blueberry strudels on a white plate

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Ghostly Treat

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays because little monsters and ghosts start popping up everywhere you look. And I love incorporating all of those festive creatures into cute Halloween party foods to share.

Our Halloween buffalo dip (with little ghosties on top) and our ghost brownies have been so popular, I thought it’d be fun to do another ghost themed Halloween treat that has a play on words.

Since we already had a ghost appetizer and a dessert, I wanted to do something that you could serve for breakfast or brunch or really any time. And these ghost-er strudels are perfect for that!

Why people love these

Multi-purpose – these work for every occasion, from a spooky breakfast to a Halloween-themed baby shower and every Halloween party in between!
Anyone can make it – no special skills or tools are needed to get perfect ghosts. If you have a cookie cutter, great – if you don’t, you can just shape them by hand!
Great served warm or cold – these are just as good at room temperature as they are warm, making them perfect for serving at parties where you won’t be keeping things at a certain temp!

Ingredients

Ingredient Notes + Substitutions

Puff pastry – make sure you get two sheets. Depending on the brand you buy, it may only have one in there so make sure there are two!
Frozen blueberries – these need to be frozen. If you really want to use fresh ones, I suggest putting them in the freezer the night before so they are ready to use.
Ghost cookie cutter – the small ones make cute mini ghosts, but they take more work. I suggest getting something bigger like this cookie cutter. If you don’t have a ghost cookie cutter, I’ve included instructions for how to cut these by hand!
Piping tip – for a larger cookie cutter, a piping tip worked great for cutting out the eyes and mouth. However, for a smaller-sized ghost, you can get creative and use a straw, chopsticks, or whatever makes sense for your ghost.

How to make These Ghosts

These tasty ghost-er strudels are spookily easy to make. So, what are you waiting for? It’s ghost time! I’ve included a basic outline below, you can jump to the recipe to see all the measurements and full instructions!

1 – Make the Filling

Grab a saucepan and mix the sugar and cornstarch together.
Then add the blueberries and lemon juice and cook on medium low.
Stir the mixture regularly to smash the blueberries as they cook.
Once the mixture starts to bubble, sprinkle with cinnamon and cook until it’s thickened.
Once it’s reached a jam-like consistency, turn off the heat and allow it to cool.

two images showing making a blueberry pie filling

2 – cut out the ghosts

Gently roll out the thawed puff pastry sheets. You want them to stretch at least an inch in each direction without tearing.
Use your cookie cutter and cut out as many ghost shapes as you can, making sure to cut out an even number since you’ll need a front and back of each ghost.
Move half of the ghost pieces onto a parchment lined cookie sheet. These will be the backs of your ghoster strudels.
Using the back of a small piping tip, cut holes out for the eyes and mouth on the remaining ghosts.

Tip!

If you don’t have a ghost cookie cutter, do this:

Roll out the puff pastry
Cut each piece into six even pieces
Use a circle cookie cutter or glass to round the top of the ghost – you can leave the bottom straight!
Use the back of a small piping tip to make the eyes and mouth of the ghosts.

four images showing puffy pastry into ghost shapes

3 – bake the boo-berry ghosts

Fill the ghosts on the cookie sheet with as much of the boo-berry filling as possible, while still leaving about 1/2 inch edge around the outside.
Wet the unfilled edges with water, then place the face ghosts on top of the filled ghosts.
Gently seal the ghosts with a fork. Do this for all the ghosts.
Combine the egg with a splash of water in a small bowl, and brush the tops with the egg wash using a pastry brush.
Bake in a preheated oven until golden brown and enjoy!

four images showing filling and baking ghost shaped strudels

Ghost Face Tip!

While ghosts with big mouths may look really cute, they don’t bake as well. You want your holes to be on the smaller side without the face looking weird. The filling ends up escaping the bigger the hole, and it ends up being messier, so stick with small mouths!

white plate with a bunch of ghost shaped strudels on it

Topping Ideas

To make these sweet treats even ghoul-icious, you can add a glaze or sugared topping.

Adding a sugar coat is easy; simply sprinkle the tops of the egg wash with sugar, or even better, coarse sugar, then bake as usual. This adds a sweet layer on the outside to complement the sweet inside.

To make a glaze, simply combine one cup powdered sugar, one tablespoon milk, and a half teaspoon vanilla in a small bowl. Mix by hand until smooth, then drizzle over the top or serve on the side. This is the same glaze we use four our blueberry hand pies, and it’s the perfect way to top these!

Recipe FAQs

What do I do with the extra filling?

With so many different-sized cookie cutters out there, it is possible you may have leftover filling. If that’s the case, you can store it in the fridge to use later. Some of my favorite ways to use it are to put it on toast, add it to yogurt, or make hand pies.

Can I make these ahead of time?

Yep! These are great for a few days. Just store them properly, then reheat them in the oven when you are ready to enjoy them. You can also make the filling ahead of time then assemble when you want them.

Tips and Storage Info

Every cookie cutter is a different size, which impacts bake time. Unless you are making mini ones, most will take at least 10 minutes to bake, then keep an eye on them until they are golden brown.

To make ahead of time, make the filling and keep it in the fridge until you are ready to assemble your ghosts. You can also cook them all the way and reheat them when you are ready to serve.

Store these in an airtight container at room temperature for two days or in the fridge for up to five days.

Reheat in the oven for best results. Using a microwave can make it soggy, and it can leak into a toaster.