Whip up these Vegan Pumpkin Butter Puff Pastry Braids for a delicious fall inspired treat. Flaky puff pastry is stuffed with homemade pumpkin butter for a perfect pairing.
Happy Saturday, friends! Thanksgiving is coming up soon which, in my mind, means fall is almost over. Once Thanksgiving passes, it's fair game for all of the Christmas treats! So today I'm squeaking in one last pumpkin dessert while I can. These Vegan Pumpkin Butter Puff Pastry Braids may look fancy but they're much simpler to make than you'd think. And with a little ingenuity, you can make these with just two ingredients - pumpkin butter and puff pastry! I am sharing a pumpkin butter recipe today, but you can definitely use store-bought for a nice shortcut.
I have to confess that store-bought puff pastry is one of my all time favorite dessert hacks! I have yet to meet someone who doesn't love puff pastry - and you can whip up some delicious treats in a pinch. For these pumpkin butter puff pastry braids, you're gonna split one puff pastry sheet into 4 rectangles to create 4 pastries. Spoon some pumpkin butter in the center, braid the pastry over the top, and brush with some nondairy milk and turbinado sugar. Bake until golden brown and flaky and... eat! You can easily fill these with jam or chocolate spread, but pumpkin butter is just perfect for fall. And surprisingly easy to make!
How do I make the puff pastry braids?
These braids are much simpler to make than they look!
- Lightly roll out your thawed puff pastry dough into a roughly rectangular shape, and cut it into 4 equal pieces.
- Cut the sides of your rectangles into strips (you will overlap these for the braided effect). Cut them at a slight angle! You will also cut a small flap at the top and bottom.
- Spoon some (cooled) pumpkin butter into the center of your rectangle. Don't overdo it - a little goes a long way!
- Place the flap over your filling, and then starting from the bottom, overlap the strips of dough to create the braided effect.
- Finally, brush the braid with some nondairy milk and sprinkle with turbinado sugar. For best results, let your braids chill in the fridge or freezer for a solid 15-20 minutes before baking.
What do I need to make pumpkin butter?
- Pumpkin puree - good ol' canned pumpkin puree is the main ingredient in our pumpkin butter! You will need one can of puree to make a basically equivalent amount of pumpkin butter.
- Brown sugar - this is a must to add sweetness and a hint of molasses for depth of flavor.
- Maple syrup - the combo of brown sugar and maple syrup adds a perfect balance of sweet flavors without being overwhelming.
- Spices! You can't do anything pumpkin flavored without adding spices to jazz it all up! You will definitely need cinnamon - that one is not negotiable. If you have them, I recommend also adding ginger, cloves, and nutmeg.
How do I make homemade pumpkin butter?
It seriously couldn't be easier friends! Just combine all the pumpkin butter ingredients together in a pot with a bit of water and.... cook it all down until it's smooth and silky. And that's it! Just be sure to let it cool before you add it to your puff pastry braids.
I hope you guys will give these pumpkin butter puff pastry braids a try! They are so cute and absolutely delicious. I shared with my coworkers and they got thumbs-up all around!
Looking for more pumpkin treats?
- Vegan Pumpkin Swirl Brownies
- Vegan Banana Pumpkin Muffins
- Vegan Pumpkin Coffee Cake
- Vegan Salted Caramel Apple Cake
{pumpkin butter recipe from Fifteen Spatulas - thank you!}
vegan pumpkin butter puff pastry braids
Ingredients
- *for the pumpkin butter*
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 2 tablespoon packed dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoon maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ¼ cup water
- *for the puff pastry braids*
- two sheets frozen puff pastry thawed
- 2 tablespoon nondairy milk
- turbinado sugar for garnish
Instructions
- First, make the pumpkin butter. In a medium nonstick saucepan, combine the pumpkin butter with brown sugar, maple syrup, spices, and water. Bring mixture to a boil, then lower heat to medium-low. Mixture will spatter if the heat is too high!
- Cook pumpkin butter uncovered, stirring often, until thickened and silky smooth. You want the excess water and moisture to cook out. This will take 20-30 minutes. When the pumpkin butter is ready, remove from heat and let it cool completely before using.
- When cooled, you can make your puff pastry braids.
- Lightly flour your work surface, and lay out your thawed puff pastry sheets. Using a rolling pin, gently roll out the pastry into a rough rectangle. Cut each sheet into 4 equal portions, and cut fringes on the side of each. Please see the photo above for the explanation!
- Spoon some cooled pumpkin butter in the center of each pastry rectangle - you will have some leftover.
- Fold over the strips of pastry to create a braided effect. Transfer the braids to a lined baking sheet, brush with nondairy milk, and sprinkle on the turbinado sugar. Place your braids in your fridge or freezer for 15-20 minutes to set.
- While they chill, heat the oven to 375F.
- Bake the braids for 15-20 minutes in the preheated oven until flaky and golden brown. Enjoy!
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