Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pull-Apart Puff Pastry
Warm puff pastry. Swirled with pumpkin spice and sweet pumpkin puree. Drizzled with cream cheese icing. Pull-apart rolls perfect for sharing with loved ones.
Everything about this adorable dessert says cozy fall treat.
The pull-apart pastry comes together with just four ingredients, including store-bought gluten-free puff pastry. Then, the easy cream cheese icing takes only two minutes, plus four more simple ingredients.
The creamy glaze provides a beautiful finish to the rolls and the ideal flavor pairing of pumpkin and cream cheese. If you share my weakness for that combo, I also recommend Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars.
Some of the links on this post are affiliate links. To learn more, visit our Disclosures.
Equipment
- Hand Mixer: To quickly and smoothly mix the pumpkin filling and the cream cheese icing. If you don’t have a hand mixer, a whisk will do the job.
- Baking Sheet
- Silicone Baking Mat or Parchment Paper: For assembling the pastry (to prevent sticking) and baking (to prevent messes). If you are using Sweet Loren’s Gluten Free Puff Pastry, it comes with a piece of parchment paper.
Ingredients
Pumpkin Pull-Apart Puff Pastry: 4 Ingredients
- Gluten-Free Puff Pastry: This recipe requires gluten-free puff pastry that is flexible and does not crack easily, for your sanity. I recommend Sweet Loren’s Gluten Free Puff Pastry, which is very easy to work with. It is also sold by the single sheet, which is all you need to make this dessert. I buy it at Target.
- Canned Pumpkin Puree: Purchase 100% pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie mix. You’ll only use a bit more than ¼ of the can, so consider using up the leftover pumpkin puree with these other delicious pumpkin recipes: Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls (Dairy-Free) and Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pasties.
- Brown Sugar: Adds rich fall flavor and sweetness.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice: Nothing says fall like pumpkin spice! Badia Pumpkin Pie Spice is labeled gluten-free and most pumpkin spice mixes contain no gluten ingredients. You can learn more about gluten in spices in my Celiac Guide: Gluten-Free Spices & Seasonings.
Cream Cheese Icing: 4 Ingredients
- Cream Cheese
- Powdered Sugar
- Water
- Vanilla Extract
Step-by-Step Instructions
Pull-Apart Puff Pastry
Preheat the oven to 425 ℉.
In a small bowl, add pumpkin puree, brown sugar, and pumpkin pie spice. Use a hand mixer to combine the filling ingredients. A whisk works if you don’t own a hand mixer.
Unroll the gluten-free puff pastry sheet on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. If using Sweet Loren’s Gluten Free Puff Pastry (recommended), it includes a sheet of parchment paper. Remember to keep Sweet Loren’s puff pastry in the fridge until you are ready to assemble the pastry. Cold puff pastry dough going into a hot oven is what produces puffy layers.
(Schar Gluten-Free Puff Pastry, on the other hand, needs to fully defrost in order to shape the dough and minimize breakage.)
Spread the pumpkin filling on top of the puff pastry. I use a spatula or the back of a spoon to spread it fairly evenly. It does not have to be perfect. This recipe is meant to be easy!
Roll the long side of the puff pastry to form a log, swirled with pumpkin filling.
Use a sharp knife to cut the log into 12 rolls, cutting only about ¾ of the way through the log for each slice. The base of the log is uncut, so the rolls are still connected along the bottom… providing the “pull-apart” feature of the finished treat. I score the top of the log 11 times to space my rolls evenly before cutting.
As you partially slice each roll, gently roll the first piece just slightly to one side. Alternate each piece to the left or right, creating a zig-zag of pull-apart pumpkin cinnamon rolls.
Bake the pastry at 425℉. It’s ready when the puff pastry is golden and puffy, approximately 20 minutes.
Allow the puff pastry to cool for about five minutes on a wire rack before icing. Carefully pull on the parchment paper to slide the pastry and parchment paper onto the rack. While it is cooling, prepare the easy cream cheese icing.
Cream Cheese Icing
Use a hand mixer to mix all of the icing ingredients. Again, a whisk will do the job. The icing is ready when it is a smooth glaze.
Use a spoon to drizzle the icing on top of the pumpkin pull-apart puff pastry. Or you can serve the cream cheese icing on the side, as a sweet dip.
Serving
Enjoy warm!
Serve these adorable rolls at any fall gathering. They make a cozy addition to an autumn breakfast or brunch. Invite a few friends over for tea, pull-apart pumpkin puff pastry, and warm conversation. Or make space for this new sweet treat on your Thanksgiving dessert table.
These are mini-rolls. Estimate 3 per person, unless you are serving them alongside other desserts.
Dairy-Free Option
Sweet Loren’s Gluten-Free Puff Pastry is dairy-free. The only ingredient with dairy is the cream cheese. Substitute a non-dairy cream cheese. Or make a simple vanilla glaze by omitting the cream cheese and reducing the water to 1 teaspoon.
Related Recipes
Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pull-Apart Puff Pastry
Equipment
- Hand Mixer or whisk
- baking sheet
- Silicone Baking Mat or parchment paper
Ingredients
Pumpkin Pull-Apart Puff Pastry Ingredients
- 1 sheet gluten-free puff pastry I recommend Sweet Loren's Gluten Free Puff Pastry (see notes)
- ½ cup pumpkin puree
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Cream Cheese Icing Ingredients (Optional)
- 1 oz cream cheese
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons water
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Pull-Apart Puff Pastry
- Preheat oven to 425 ℉.
- In a small bowl, use a hand mixer or whisk to combine pumpkin puree, brown sugar, and pumpkin pie spice.
- Unroll the gluten-free puff pastry sheet on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. (Sweet Loren's Gluten-Free Puff Pastry includes a sheet of parchment paper.)
- Use a spatula to spread the pumpkin filling on top of the puff pastry rectangle.
- Roll the long side of the puff pastry to form a log.
- Use a sharp knife to cut the log into 12 slices, cutting about ¾ of the way through the log for each slice, leaving the base of the log un-cut. Gently roll each slice slightly to the left or right, in an alternating pattern.
- Bake at 425℉ for approximately 20 minutes, until golden. Carefully, slide the pastry and parchment paper onto a wire rack to cool for approximately 5 minutes before icing and serving.
Cream Cheese Icing
- In a small bowl, use a hand mixer to mix all icing ingredients until smooth.
- Drizzle icing on top of the pumpkin pull-apart puff pastry and serve.
