Description
Pumpkin Pie Filling steals the show here — tucked into flaky crescent dough and paired with tangy cream cheese, these little pastries are the cutest way to celebrate fall. Welcome to a fresh rewrite of Crescent Pumpkins with Cream Cheese and Pumpkin Pie Filling — same tasty components, brand-new words.
Ingredients
Scale
Dough
- 8 oz refrigerated crescent roll dough — the lazy-chef shortcut to flaky layers.
Cream cheese filling
- 5 oz cream cheese, softened — makes a silky, tangy core.
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar — just enough sweet.
- 1 tsp vanilla extract — brightens the filling.
Spiced pumpkin filling
- ¾ cup pumpkin puree — use plain puree, not pie filling.
- 1 tbsp cornstarch — thickens the pumpkin so it won’t run.
- 2 tbsp packed light brown sugar — adds depth.
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar — balances sweetness.
- ¾ tsp ground cinnamon, ¼ tsp ground ginger, ¼ tsp nutmeg, 1/8 tsp allspice — the cozy spice combo.
- 1 egg yolk — enriches and helps the pumpkin set.
- ½ tsp vanilla extract — rounds the flavor.
Finish
- 2½ tbsp melted butter — brush for a glossy, golden finish.
- Pretzel sticks (or pecan halves / cinnamon sticks) — for stems and crunch.
Instructions
- Dry the pumpkin. Layer paper towels, spoon the pumpkin puree on top, and press lightly to remove excess moisture. This helps keep the pastry crisp. (Bold tip: don’t skip draining.)
- Heat the oven. Preheat to 375°F (190°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Mix the pumpkin filling. Whisk drained pumpkin with egg yolk, both sugars, cornstarch, spices, and vanilla until smooth. Set aside.
- Whip the cream cheese filling. Beat the softened cream cheese with sugar and vanilla until creamy and light.
- Prep the dough. Unroll the crescent dough, press seams closed to make 4 rectangles, then cut each rectangle in half so you have eight squares. Stretch each square slightly.
- Fill. Add about 1 tablespoon of cream cheese to the center of each square, then top with ~1 tablespoon of pumpkin filling. Don’t overfill.
- Seal into balls. Pinch the edges together tightly to enclose the filling; roll gently into a ball.
- Make pumpkin ribs. Wrap each ball loosely with kitchen twine in 6–8 segments to create the pumpkin ridges. (Tie gently so the dough can expand.)
- Bake. Place seam-side down on the sheet, brush with melted butter, and bake 18–22 minutes until the dough is deep golden.
- Finish. Cool a few minutes, snip and remove the twine, then insert a pretzel stick (or pecan half / cinnamon stick) as the stem. Serve warm or at room temp.
Notes
Pro tips for top results
- Use room-temp cream cheese for lump-free filling.
- Squeeze the pumpkin in towels until it’s not soggy — this keeps pastry flaky.
- Seal edges well to prevent leaking.
- Chill assembled pumpkins briefly (10–15 minutes) if the dough feels too soft — it helps them hold shape in the oven.
FYI: If you want a perfectly glossy finish, brush with butter right before baking.
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