Stuff and bake crescent rolls with pumpkin, spices, sugar, butter, and cream cheese for the easiest and most delicious Pumpkin Cream Cheese Dumplings!
When I first heard of making dumplings with prepared crescent dough, it sounded disgusting. Soggy and flavorless dumplings? No, thank you! Thankfully, that’s not how these turn out at all.
Instead, something magical happens in the oven. As the crescent rolls bake, the outsides caramelize to create a crispy exterior. In addition, the delicious filling becomes creamy and gooey. It’s the perfect contrast!
Specifically, these Pumpkin Cream Cheese Dumplings are great for breakfast or dessert! For easy entertaining, try making them in advance. Your friends and family will never guess how quick preparation is. It will be our little secret! You can just rake in all the compliments and watch the dumplings disappear.
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Dumplings Ingredients
These easy, baked, crescent roll dumplings are stuffed with an irresistible pumpkin and cream cheese filling. Additionally, a sugar and pumpkin spice mixture is added to the inside and the outside of the dumpling to create depth of flavor.
At most, this recipe for Pumpkin Cream Cheese Dumplings only requires 8 ingredients and one pan! If making the recipe as is, I recommend using a 8″ x 8″ baking dish. Or if you want to double the recipe, use a 9″ x 13″ baking dish.
Crescent Rolls
For this recipe, using reduced fat, buttery, grands, or regular canned crescent rolls all work well. So, use whatever variety you like best! Or if you are feeling really ambitious, homemade crescent rolls would make this recipe even better!
Canned Pumpkin
For this recipe, you’ll need one half cup of canned pumpkin. However, do not substitute pumpkin pie mix! Canned pumpkin, is cooked and pureed pumpkin. Whereas, pumpkin pie mix is pureed pumpkin with spices and sweetener added. If you use, pumpkin pie mix, the dumplings will be too sweet. Plus, I prefer to add my own flavor to the pumpkin. In my opinion, plain pumpkin tastes much fresher, and I can customize it to my tastes.
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Preparation Tips
In this recipe, the hardest part is cutting the butter into the sugar and spices to create the crumble. To make this process easier, don’t use butter straight out of the fridge. Instead, allow the butter to rest on the counter for 15-30 minutes prior to using it. Although, if you have frozen butter, you can also grate it on a grater and then cut it too.
Unquestionably, using a pastry cutter will make cutting in the butter much easier. At this time, I do not own one, and I can’t justify another gadget. Instead, I use two knives or a fork to cut the butter into the sugar and spices. Consequently, it does take longer. But then, I don’t have to store the pastry cutter.
If you are making this for a holiday dessert, you can take the unbaked crescent rolls to the gathering. As you are eating dinner, throw it in the oven to bake.
Coupled with ice cream or whipped cream, these Pumpkin Cream Cheese Dumplings are even better! Although, they will be delicious on their own too.
Want More Entertaining Recipes?
If you are looking for more delicious, entertaining ideas, give these recipes a try:
- Crescent Roll Apple Dumplings
- Cherries Jubilee with Vanilla Ice Cream (impressive flambéed dessert)
- Mini Raspberry Lemon Cheesecakes
- Low-Carb Chocolate Lava Cakes
If you love the convenience of canned crescent rolls, you should check out my favorite food of all time, Cheesy Chicken Crescent Roll Bake (Chicken Harris).
To see my full collection of desserts, click here. Or to see my full collection of recipes using pumpkin, click here.
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Dumplings
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup Brown Sugar Packed
- 1/4 cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
- 1/3 cup Butter
- 8 count Crescent Roll Dough 1 can
- 1/2 cup Canned Pumpkin Not pumpkin pie mix
- 2 oz Cream Cheese cut into 8 pieces
- 3 tbsp Apple Juice or Water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and coat an 8″ x 8″, oven-safe, baking dish with cooking spray.
- In small bowl, mix brown sugar, granulated sugar and pumpkin pie spice. Cut in butter using fork or a pastry cutter until mixture is crumbly (about the size of a pea or smaller).
- Open crescent rolls, and place about one tablespoon of pumpkin on the widest edge of one crescent triangle. Add 1 tablespoon of butter-sugar mixture on top of pumpkin. Place one piece of cream cheese on top of the butter-sugar mixture. Roll the crescent roll to the opposite point tucking in the edges. Add roll to the prepared pan. Repeat with remaining crescent rolls.
- Pour apple juice (or water) over rolls. Sprinkle any remaining sugar mixture over the rolls.
- Bake until golden brown and crispy on top, about 30 minutes.
- Serve warm. If desired, top with ice cream or whipped topping. Enjoy!
