Ingredients
Scale
Crescent Roll Dough:
- 8 oz. refrigerated crescent rolls
Cream Cheese Filling:
- 5 oz. softened cream cheese
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pumpkin Pie Filling:
- ¾ cup pumpkin puree
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
- 2 tablespoons packed light-brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon allspice
- 1 egg yolk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
For Brushing:
- 2 ½ tablespoons melted butter
Instructions
- Drain the Pumpkin: Lay several layers of paper towels and place the pumpkin puree on top. Gently press with additional paper towels to remove any excess moisture. Set it aside for a few minutes.
- Preheat the Oven: Set your oven to 375°F (190°C) and prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper.
- Prepare the Pumpkin Pie Filling: In a mixing bowl, combine the drained pumpkin puree, egg yolk, brown sugar, granulated sugar, corn starch, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice. Stir everything together until smooth.
- Cream Cheese Filling: In another bowl, blend the softened cream cheese, 2 tablespoons of sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy.
- Roll the Dough: Unroll your crescent roll dough, separating it into four rectangles. Make sure to seal any perforations in the dough. After that, cut each rectangle in half to form 8 equal squares.
- Assemble the Crescent Pumpkins: Take a square of dough and gently stretch it out. Spoon 1 heaping tablespoon of the cream cheese filling into the center, followed by 1 tablespoon of the pumpkin pie filling. Gather the corners of the dough and pinch them together to form a ball, making sure to seal the edges completely.
- Shape the Pumpkins: Wrap each dough ball with a long piece of kitchen twine, dividing it into eight sections like pumpkin segments. Place them seam-side down on the prepared baking sheet.
- Brush and Bake: Brush the dough balls with melted butter and bake them for 18-22 minutes, or until they turn golden brown.
- Cool and Decorate: Once baked, let the pumpkins cool for a few minutes. Carefully cut and remove the kitchen twine. For the final touch, insert a pretzel stick into the top of each pumpkin to mimic a stem.
- Serve and Enjoy: Your adorable, crescent pumpkins with cream cheese and pumpkin pie filling are ready to impress!
Notes
- Draining the Pumpkin: Draining the pumpkin puree is a crucial step in avoiding excess moisture, which could make your dough soggy.
- Make Ahead: You can prepare the cream cheese filling and pumpkin pie filling ahead of time, keeping them refrigerated until you’re ready to assemble the pumpkins.
- Twine Trick: If you don’t have kitchen twine, no worries! You can simply shape the dough balls into mini pumpkins by gently pressing in the segments with a butter knife.
- Pretzel Stick Substitutes: No pretzels on hand? Use a pecan half or even a cinnamon stick for the “stem” for a fun twist!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
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