Description
Flaky crescent dough gets stuffed with a tangy cream-cheese center and a warmly spiced pumpkin mixture, then tied into cute little pumpkin shapes. Perfect for fall parties, school bake sales, or a cozy autumn brunch.
Ingredients
Scale
Crescent dough
- 8 oz refrigerated crescent roll dough
Cream cheese center
- 5 oz cream cheese, softened
- 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Pumpkin filling
- ¾ cup pumpkin puree
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch
- 2 Tbsp packed light brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
- ¾ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp ground allspice
- 1 egg yolk
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
For brushing
- 2½ Tbsp melted butter
Garnish (optional)
- Pretzel sticks (for stems)
Instructions
- Get rid of extra liquid — lay several layers of paper towels on the counter, spoon the pumpkin puree onto them, and press gently with another paper towel to absorb moisture. Set the drained puree aside for a minute.
- Warm the oven to 375°F (190°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Mix the pumpkin filling — in a bowl combine the drained pumpkin, cornstarch, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, egg yolk, and vanilla. Stir until the mixture is smooth and well combined.
- Make the cream cheese filling — in a separate bowl beat the softened cream cheese with the 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla until creamy and lump-free.
- Prep the dough — unroll the crescent sheet and press the perforations to seal, then cut the sheet into four rectangles. Cut each rectangle in half so you have eight equal squares.
- Fill and seal — stretch a dough square slightly, drop about 1 heaping tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture into the center, then top with roughly 1 tablespoon of the pumpkin filling. Pull the corners up and pinch the edges together to enclose the filling, shaping a tight ball.
- Make the pumpkin ridges — place each filled ball seam-side down on the baking sheet. Wrap a length of kitchen twine around each ball a few times to create segment lines (think pumpkin ribs); secure but not so tight that you cut through the dough.
- Brush and bake — lightly brush each “pumpkin” with melted butter. Bake in the preheated oven for 18–22 minutes, until the dough turns a warm golden brown.
- Finish & decorate — remove from the oven and allow to cool briefly. Carefully cut and remove the twine. Insert a pretzel stick at the top of each pastry to serve as a stem, or use pecan halves or cinnamon sticks.
- Serve — plate warm or at room temperature and enjoy!
Notes
- Dry the pumpkin well. Removing excess moisture keeps the dough from becoming soggy — don’t skip that step.
- Make-ahead tip. You can prepare the two fillings ahead of time and refrigerate them until you’re ready to assemble.
- No twine? Press the seams gently with a serrated butter knife to create pumpkin segments instead of wrapping with string.
- Stem ideas: If you don’t have pretzels, try pecan halves, cinnamon sticks, or broken cookie sticks for a cute finish.
- Storage: Store leftover pumpkins in an airtight container in the fridge for 2–3 days; rewarm briefly before serving if desired.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dessert
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 crescent pumpkin
- Calories: 220kcal
- Sugar: 11g
- Sodium: 200mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 40mg