Scarab Pie Inspired by The Mummy

One of my favorite scary movies is The Mummy with Rachel Weisz and Brendan Fraser.

I know, I know… it’s not that scary. But it’s pretty much as scary as I go! (That’s why I watch Hocus Pocus and Beetlejuice all Halloween season.)

I’ve never made any recipes or DIY projects inspired by The Mummy, which is a real missed opportunity in my opinion. So, this Halloween season, I *attempted* to remedy that. Key word = attempted.

You see, I had this brilliant idea to make a scarab pie. You know, those incredibly creepy, cringe-worthy, and flesh-eating beetles from The Mummy.

Just in case you forgot…

I made the edible scarab beetles out of pie crust dough and then painted them with black food coloring. But, honestly, the whole thing just came out kind of creepy… and I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing. After all, who wants to eat a pie with bugs busting out of it?!

While this pie might not be as picture-perfect as I imagined in my head, I wanted to share it anyways. If I were to do it over again, I’d probably make my scarabs a little smaller and wait until my pie was cooler to place them.

I think I would also just place them across the top of my pie in an organized pattern vs. attempting to have them bust out of the top… but hey, scarabs don’t always listen to my ideas.

Scarab Pumpkin Pie Inspired by The Beetles in The Mummy

What You Need:

For the Pumpkin Filling

15 oz. can of pure pumpkin
12 fl oz. can of evaporated milk
2 eggs
3/4 c. of sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground cloves

For the Pie Crust and Decorations

Pre-made refrigerated pie crust, two rolls
1 egg white, beaten
Black food coloring
Food-safe paint brush
Paring knife
Baking sheet
Pie pan
Parchment paper

Roll out one roll of refrigerated pie dough on a clean surface. Use a paring knife to cut out beetles from your pie crust, molding the pieces to look like a scarab. To make this an easier process, cut out the body piece first, then make the six legs and secure to the back side of the body with egg white.

Carefully move your finished dough designs onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Then, use a food-safe paint brush to paint the beetles with black food coloring. Bake in a preheated oven at 400 degrees for about 10-12 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Next, preheat your oven to 425 degrees and prepare your pumpkin filling.

Combine the dry ingredients in a small bowl. In a large bowl, beat the eggs and pumpkin together, then mix in the dry ingredients. Lastly, incorporate the evaporated milk and mix to combine.

Pour the filling into the pie dish lined with pie crust. Bake your pie for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 40 to 50 minutes. Remove from the oven and let your pie cool for 15-20 minutes, then place your beetles on top of the pie (and a few coming out of the pie).

Be careful — this pie has a BITE to it.