I saw a picture of pastries that looked like tiny pumpkins and my brain just short-circuited. I knew I had to figure them out. After a couple of tries, this is the version that works, and they are SO good. These Cream-Filled Pumpkin Croissants look really impressive, but they’re secretly just a clever trick with some store-bought puff pastry. The flaky, buttery outside with the cool, sweet cream cheese filling is an incredible combination. This is my go-to puff pastry pumpkin recipe, hands down.
What You’ll Need
For the Pumpkin Croissants:
- 1 sheet of all-butter puff pastry, thawed – Don’t get the cheap stuff made with oil, the buttery one is so much better.
- 1 large egg mixed with a splash of water
- A few pecan halves or little pretzel bits for the stems
- Kitchen twine
For the Cream Cheese Filling:
- 4 oz cream cheese, left out on the counter for a while – It really has to be soft, trust me on this.
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- A splash of good vanilla extract
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Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Alright, get your oven hot – 400°F (200°C). Lay out the puff pastry on a floured counter and cut it into 8 squares. They don’t have to be perfect.
Step 2: Here’s the whole secret to how to shape pumpkin pastries. Lay a long piece of twine down, and put a pastry square over it. You’re going to pull the four corners up to the middle and pinch them all together so it makes a little pouch.
Step 3: Take the ends of the twine and tie them around the ball to make the pumpkin ridges. Make it snug, but not crazy tight, or the pastry won’t have room to puff up. Put them all on a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Step 4: Brush them all over with the egg and water mix. This is what makes them get all shiny and perfectly brown. Bake for 15-20 minutes. You’re just looking for them to be puffed up and golden. Let them cool down completely before you even think about touching the twine. Then, just snip it off.
Step 5: While those are cooling, beat your soft cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla until it’s not lumpy anymore. Once the pastries are cool, you can poke a hole in the middle and get that filling in there. A piping bag is great, but honestly, a small spoon and some patience work just fine. Stick the little pecan stem in the top.
Why You Have to Try This Recipe!
This is one of those easy fall baking ideas that looks way more complicated than it is, which is my favorite kind of recipe. My family goes nuts for them every time. That mix of the crunchy pastry and the smooth, sweet filling is just right. If you make these Cream-Filled Pumpkin Croissants, drop a comment below! I’d love to know if you liked them as much as we do.
Cream-Filled Pumpkin Croissants
Make these adorable Cream-Filled Pumpkin Croissants! Flaky puff pastry shaped like little pumpkins with a sweet cream cheese filling. A perfect fall treat.
Ingredients
- 1 sheet all-butter puff pastry thawed
- 1 egg beaten with a little water
- 8 pecan halves or pretzel pieces for stems
- kitchen twine
- half a block (4 oz) cream cheese left out to get soft
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- a splash of vanilla
Instructions
- get your oven hot to 400°F. put parchment paper on a baking sheet
- unroll the pastry and cut it into 8 squares
- lay a long piece of twine down put a pastry square on top. pull the corners up to the middle and pinch them together to make a ball
- tie the twine around the pastry ball to make the pumpkin lines. dont tie it too tight so it can puff up. put it on the baking sheet
- do that for all the pastry squares
- brush all the little pumpkins with the egg and water mix
- bake for 15-20 minutes they should be puffed and golden brown
- let them cool all the way down. then carefully cut and pull off the twine
- while they cool mix the soft cream cheese powdered sugar and vanilla until its smooth
- poke a hole in the middle of the cooled pastries and spoon or pipe the filling in. stick a pecan in the top for the stem
Notes
using all-butter puff pastry is way better for flavor.
make sure the cream cheese is really soft or the filling will be lumpy.
let them cool all the way down before you try to fill them or the filling will melt.
you can fill them right before you serve them so they stay crispy.
Nutrition Information
Yield
8Serving Size
1Amount Per ServingCalories 235Total Fat 16gSaturated Fat 3gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 11gCholesterol 29mgSodium 133mgCarbohydrates 19gFiber 1gSugar 4gProtein 4g