Air Fryer Recipe
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Crescent Rolls
A delightful and easy-to-make pumpkin cream cheese crescent rolls recipe, perfect for air frying.
Ingredients
- 1 can of pre-made crescent roll dough
- 1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree
- 1/4 cup cream cheese, softened
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Optional: a drizzle of honey or maple syrup for serving
Method
- Preheat your air fryer to 180°C (350°F).
- In a bowl, mix the pumpkin puree, cream cheese, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and vanilla extract until well combined and smooth.
- Unroll the crescent roll dough and separate it into individual triangles on a clean work surface.
- Spoon a tablespoon of the pumpkin cream cheese mixture onto the wider end of each triangle.
- Carefully roll up each triangle from the wide end, ensuring the filling remains inside, and place them in the air fryer basket lined with baking paper.
- Cook in the air fryer for 8-10 minutes, or until the rolls are golden brown and cooked through.
- Remove from the air fryer and let them cool slightly before serving.
- Optional: Drizzle with honey or maple syrup for added sweetness.
Why this works in an air fryer
The air fryer’s fast convection dries and browns the crescent dough before the pumpkin filling can leak out. Cream cheese adds fat and body, limiting free moisture from the pumpkin, while sugar promotes browning at the seams and tips where the pastry is thinnest.
Equipment notes
Assumes a 5–6 litre basket holding 6–8 rolls with space between them; in a single-drawer model cook in batches for even airflow, while dual-zone drawers may need 1–2 minutes longer if both sides are running and should be swapped or checked at the 8-minute mark.
Common pitfalls
- Pale, soft undersides after 10 minutes: the baking paper is blocking too much airflow or the rolls are too close together; trim the paper to sit under the rolls only and leave a finger-width gap between each one.
- Filling bubbling out at the seams: there is too much mixture or the pumpkin puree is watery; use a level tablespoon, blot very wet puree with kitchen paper, and pinch the side seams before cooking.
- Dark tips but doughy centres: the rolls are too tightly packed or overfilled, so the outside browns before heat reaches the middle; reduce the filling slightly and cook at 170°C for 2–3 minutes longer.
- Rolls unrolling in the basket: the pointed end was left on top or the dough warmed too much; place each roll seam-side down and chill the shaped rolls for 5 minutes if the pastry feels slack.
Variations & substitutions
- Use puff pastry triangles instead of crescent dough for a flakier result; it usually needs 1–2 extra minutes and benefits from slightly wider spacing as it expands more.
- Swap brown sugar for maple sugar or caster sugar; caster sugar gives less caramel depth but dissolves quickly, so the filling may taste smoother and a little less treacly.
- Add finely chopped pecans to the filling; keep the pieces small so they do not tear the dough, and expect slightly more browning where nuts touch the pastry.
- Use mascarpone instead of cream cheese for a richer, softer filling; chill the mixture briefly before filling because mascarpone loosens faster in the heat.
Storage & reheating
Keep cooled rolls in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, then reheat in the air fryer at 160°C for 3–4 minutes until the pastry re-crisps and the filling is warm.
Nutrition
Calories: 250
