These puff pastry pumpkin pie pinwheels are a must-try this fall! They're perfectly sweet and crispy with a slight hint of pumpkin spice, and they're super easy to make!
It's finally time to start seasonal baking! And what better way to kickstart autumn than with these sweet pumpkin pie pinwheels? It's basically the law that fall baking has to include at least a little bit of pumpkin!
I'm sure plenty of people will be making pumpkin pie in the coming weeks and months but for those of you who are new to baking (or just love a quick and easy bake like me), I wanted to share this easy alternative. These pinwheels have all the flavours of pumpkin pie without the hassle of having to make an entire pie from scratch!
They contain just a few simple ingredients and are ready to eat in less than an hour. They're perfect for last-minute party baking, a kid-friendly Thanksgiving treat, or a quick after-dinner dessert. I just know you're going to love them!
Below, you'll find everything you need to know about this recipe, including ingredient and equipment notes, top tips and more. If you prefer the condensed version of the recipes, you can jump straight to the recipe card at the end of the post. Enjoy!
What you'll need
- Pumpkin Puree: I used Bakeroo canned pumpkin puree for ease but feel free to use homemade puree if you prefer. You'll need 150g which is roughly ⅓ of a can.
- Brown sugar: I recommend using soft, light brown sugar for the best flavour. I used 6 tablespoons but you can add more or less according to how sweet you want it.
- Spices: For the pumpkin spice, I used cinnamon, ginger, ground cloves, allspice and nutmeg.
- Puff pastry: You'll need 1 sheet of ready-rolled puff pastry. I used Jus Roll puff pastry, which weighs 320g/11.28oz.
- Egg: Brushing your pinwheels with egg before baking them will help make them extra crispy and golden. If you'd prefer to avoid eggs, you can skip this step altogether or swap it out for any type of milk or even melted butter.
- Powdered sugar: Also known as icing sugar. This will add some extra sweetness to the pinwheels and make them look even prettier for presenting.
Kitchen equipment
- Mixing bowl: A small or medium bowl is fine for mixing the filling in because there isn't a huge amount of it.
- Utensils: A spoon or whisk for mixing the filling and a teaspoon for measuring the spices. A small spatula or butter knife is also useful for spreading the filling onto the pastry.
- Floss: I recommend using dental floss to make your pinwheel cuts super neat. Using a knife tends to squish them down and they typically end up a little misshapen. Oh, and don't worry, you will not taste the flavour from the floss whatsoever!
- Baking tray: Once that's large enough to fit all 12 sweet pumpkin pinwheels on. They'll puff out a little in the oven, so make sure you can leave a bit of space between them to prevent them from sticking together.
- Baking paper: To stop the pastry from sticking to the tray.
- Pastry brush: For brushing the egg onto your puff pastry before baking.
- Sugar shaker or sieve: To add a light dusting of icing sugar on top of the finished pinwheels.
How to make pumpkin pie pinwheels step-by-step
Step 1: Start by preheating your oven to the temperature shown on your puff pastry package. This will vary from brand to brand but it will usually be somewhere around 400°F/200°C. Line a large tray with baking paper.
Step 2: Now let's make the filling. To a bowl, add ½ cup + 2 tablespoons of pumpkin puree (150g), 6 tablespoons of soft light brown sugar, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ginger, ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves, ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg and ⅛ teaspoon of allspice. Mix well until smooth.
Step 3: Unroll the puff pastry sheet and spread the pumpkin filling evenly all over it. Carefully roll the pastry into a log, starting with the longest side closest to you.
Step 4: Use floss or a sharp knife to divide the roll into 12 equal-sized pieces then carefully transfer them to your baking tray.
Step 5: Whisk 1 egg in a small bowl or mug, then use a pastry brush to brush it over each pinwheel. This will help to make them extra crispy and golden.
Step 6: Bake your pinwheels for 12-15 minutes, until they're golden brown all over. Transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Step 7: Once they've cooled, dust them with some powdered sugar and enjoy!
Puff pastry pinwheel tips
- Let the puff pastry come to room temperature for around 10-15 minutes before you start baking. This will make it easier to work with and less likely to crack.
- For an extra clean cut, use dental floss to cut your pinwheels. All you need to do is place it underneath the pastry log where you want to cut it, then cross the two ends over one another to create a loop. This alleviates the pressure that you'd get using a knife, so it'll help to prevent squished pinwheels.
- For extra crispy, golden brown pinwheels, make sure to brush them with an egg wash before you bake them.
- Instead of dusting the pinwheels with sugar, you can mix powdered sugar with water to create a glaze to drizzle over instead.
FAQs
You can keep these for up to 4 days in an airtight container. They can be stored at room temperature if necessary but will last slightly longer in the fridge.
Yes! You can freeze your pastry pinwheels for up to 3 months in an airtight container. If you want to stop them from sticking together as they freeze, you can separate them with small pieces of baking paper. Alternatively, freeze them on a baking sheet until solid then transfer them to a freezer bag. To help them crisp up again after defrosting, you can reheat them in the oven.
More fall baking recipes
- Pumpkin cheesecake shots
- Cinnamon flapjacks
- Peanut butter pretzel brownies
- Cranberry shortbread
- Date & walnut traybake cake
- Cinnamon Toast Crunch blondies
I hope you enjoy my puff pastry pumpkin pie pinwheels! If you make them at home, please leave a comment and rating below to let me know how it goes. Happy baking!
Pumpkin Pie Pinwheels
Ingredients
- ½ Cup + 2 Tablespoons Pumpkin puree (150g)
- 6 Tablespoons Soft light brown sugar (75g)
- ½ Teaspoon Cinnamon
- ¼ Teaspoon Ginger
- ⅛ Teaspoon Nutmeg
- ⅛ Teaspoon Allspice
- ⅛ Teaspoon Ground cloves
- 1 Sheet Ready-rolled puff pastry (11.28oz/320g)
- 1 Small Egg, beaten (for egg wash)
To dust:
- Few Tablespoons Powdered sugar (icing sugar)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven according to the instructions on your puff pastry package and line a large tray with baking paper.
- In a bowl, mix together the pumpkin puree, brown sugar and all of the spices.
- Spread the mixture over your puff pastry sheet then roll it up into a log, with the longest side facing you. Use floss or a sharp knife to cut the log into 12 slices.
- Place the pinwheels onto your lined baking tray and lightly brush them with the beaten egg.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the pinwheels are golden brown all over.
- Transfer them to a wire rack to cool then dust with powdered sugar and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Echo deLane
This was a easy, quick treat to make. It turned out looking very close to what was shown. We followed directions exactly and it was crispy, perfect sweet, and just the right pumpkin and spice. I also love the extra instructions on the site as it is super informative if you don't bake often. Thank you!
Chloe
Thank you so much. Glad you enjoyed the recipe! 🙂
Hannah
Hello! Instead of using all those separate spices, can I use a premixed “pumpkin spice” blend? How much should I use?
Chloe
Yes, about 2 teaspoons, or 3 if you want it stronger.