Pumpkin spice meets pastry in this gluten-free pumpkin cream cheese danish recipe. Flaky puff pastry is topped with a swirl of spiced pumpkin and cream cheese filling, for a cozy fall breakfast or sweet treat with your afternoon coffee. It's my gluten-free take on the Starbucks pumpkin danish!
Recipe Testing Notes
This recipe starts with my popular gluten-free cheese danish recipe. I tried a few variations of the pumpkin filling and eventually settled on this swirled version.
Mixing the pumpkin directly into the cream cheese, left the filling less vibrant, in both flavor and color, while the swirl had a pop of pumpkin flavor in every bite.
I used Sweet Loren's gluten-free puff pastry for this recipe. It's simple to work with and tastes great. If you'd like to compare, check out my cheese danish post where I used Schar puff pastry and you'll quickly see why I prefer Sweet Loren's.
What You'll Need
- Sweet Loren's Gluten-Free Puff Pastry Sheets: Find this product in the refrigerated section of your local grocery store.
- Pumpkin Purée: Use plain canned pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling. To use up some of the leftover puree, you could make a loaf of gluten-free pumpkin bread.
- Cream Cheese: I used regular, full-fat cream cheese.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice: Use pre-made or mix your own with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.
*Refer to the recipe card for full ingredient information.
How to Make Gluten-Free Pumpkin Danish
- Step 1: Blend the cream cheese mixture and pumpkin filling in two separate bowls.
- Step 2: Unroll the sheet of puff pastry and cut into 6 rectangles. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Score the dough around the edges, use a fork to dock the centers. Whisk an egg, then brush the tops with the egg wash.
- Step 3: Add a spoonful of cream cheese filling to the center of each rectangle. Top with a small spoonful of pumpkin mixture.
- Step 4: Gently swirl the cream cheese and pumpkin fillings together, taking care not to gouge the pastry.
- Step 5: Bake according to the recipe card below.
- Step 6: After baking, mix the icing together and drizzle it over each pastry. Enjoy fresh and warm!
Storage
Enjoy the freshly baked pastries slightly warm or at room temperature. Any leftover danishes will last for several days. Place them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reheat them briefly in the microwave or air fryer.
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Top Recipe Tips
- Score and dock the pastry before baking so it doesn't puff up too much, causing the filling to run off.
- Use a sharp knife to score, but avoid cutting all the way through the pastry.
- Keep the filling inside the scored rectangle to help prevent it from spilling over the edges as it bakes.
- If some filling does spill over, that's ok! They still taste great!
More Gluten-Free Breakfast Treats
Need more fall baking inspiration? Check out my gluten-free fall baking recipes! Or explore more easy gluten-free breakfast treats below!
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Recipe
Gluten-Free Pumpkin Danish with Cream Cheese
Ingredients
Cream Cheese Filling
- 4 ounces cream cheese (softened)
- 2 Tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of table salt
Pumpkin Filling
- ⅓ cup canned pumpkin puree
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Gluten-Free Pastry
- 1 sheet Sweet Loren's gluten-free puff pastry
- 1 large egg (for egg wash)
Glaze
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 Tablespoon milk
- ⅛ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, mix the softened 4 ounces cream cheese, 2 Tablespoon granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and a Pinch of table salt together until smooth. Set aside.
- In another bowl, stir together the ⅓ cup canned pumpkin puree, ¼ cup granulated sugar, and 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice. Set aside.
- Carefully unroll 1 sheet Sweet Loren's gluten-free puff pastry. Cut into 6 equal rectangles.
- Place rectangles about 2 inches apart on a parchment lined baking sheet. Score a rectangle about 1-inch from the edges of each pastry and poke the centers with a fork to prevent puffing.
- Beat 1 large egg and brush the tops the pastries with the egg wash.
- Place about 1 ½ tablespoons of cream cheese filling into the center of each pastry, followed by about 1 tablespoon of the pumpkin filling on top. Use a toothpick, small spatula, or butter knife to gently swirl the two fillings together. Be careful not to gouge the pastry.
- Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool slightly.
- Mix the ½ cup powdered sugar, 1 Tablespoon milk, and a ⅛ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice until smooth. Drizzle over the warm danishes. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
* Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and should be used as an estimate only. See the nutrition policy for more information.
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Angie says
I made it with Daiya cream cheese and it was a melted mess. I didn’t like the puff pastry either. I used schar.
Katie Olesen says
Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment. I’m sorry the swaps didn’t work out for you. I state in the post that I don't recommend using Shcar. I've used it before, you can see it in my original cheese danish post, and since Sweet Loren's has come out, I have been recommending it because it's a much better product.
As for the Daiya cream cheese, I haven’t tested any dairy-free cream cheeses with this recipe, so I can’t say how they behave in the filling. That’s also why I don’t recommend them. It sounds like the issues you ran into came from the ingredient changes rather than the recipe itself.
I hope that helps clear things up. If you try it again with the suggested ingredients, it should turn out much better.
Kathy says
These look so good. Can’t wait to make them.