Enjoy these pumpkin cheesecake upside down puff pastries as a fun fall treat this time of year! My pumpkin spin on the TikTok viral upside down puff pastry trend.
When I saw the upside down puff pastry trend taking over the internet this summer, I knew I definitely wanted to create a pumpkin version for pumpkin season — enter these pumpkin cheesecake upside down puff pastries that are super easy to make and fun for the season!
Also inspired by these pumpkin cheesecake croissants from Trader Joes that I spotted this year, these pumpkin puff pastries are an easy and fun treat to make for a fall get together or part of brunch! My version is lower in sugar and made with fewer ingredients, plus this recipe makes enough to share.
Dusted with confectioners’ sugar on top, this puff pastry dessert is the best of both worlds — flakey puff pastry layers with a creamy, pumpkin cheesecake center. They’re great little individual pastries that are not overly sweet but still a super fun pumpkin treat for fall.
Pumpkin Puff Pastry
This upside puff pastry hack works with so many different types of fruits like peaches, pears and apples and can be made both sweet like my pumpkin recipe here and savory. I’m already thinking of a savory version with squash, cheese and herbs as a Thanksgiving appetizer. Stay tuned for that in November!
It’s fun to flip them over and find these perfectly little golden brown flakey pumpkin cheesecakes that look super fancy but are actually really easy to make. I could see these being a really cute dessert for a fall dinner party or part of the spread for Sunday brunch this time of year.
As you can probably guess from being on this site, I’m a huge fan of pumpkin in the fall and love finding new ways to make fun and healthy meals and treats with pumpkin all season long. I love Because these were so fun and easy to make, they are getting me excited about making other pumpkin desserts with puff pastry!
Ingredients for Upside Down Pumpkin Cheesecake Pastries
- Puff Pastry – 1 box / 2 puff pastry sheets
- Pumpkin Puree
- Cream Cheese — I haven’t tried it, but you could try using vegan cream cheese for a dairy free version.
- Egg
- Confectioners’ Sugar
- Pumpkin Spice or Cinnamon
- Vanilla Extract
- Salt
- Honey
Equipment / Utensils
- baking sheet
- parchment paper
- mixing bowl
- hand-held mixer
- knife or pizza cutter
How To Make Upside Down Puff Pastry Squares
Start by bringing the puff pastry and cream cheese to room temperature. Thaw the puff pastry in the fridge until pliable.
Once the cream cheese is at room temperature, use a hand held mixer to combine the cream cheese, pumpkin puree, confectioners’ sugar, egg, vanilla extract, pumpkin spice and salt together. Set aside.
Next, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Using a pizza cutter or knife, cut the puff pastry sheet into 6 squares.
Drizzle about two teaspoons of honey on the parchment lined baking sheet and then add about one tablespoon of the pumpkin cheesecake mixture directly on top covering the honey. Add one puff pastry square on top and repeat with remaining puff pastry squares.
Use a fork to stamp down the sides of the puff pastry. Brush egg wash over each puff pastry and bake for approximately 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for 2-3 minutes before using a spatula to gently flip over the puff pastries. Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar and enjoy right away!
Upside Down Pumpkin Cheesecake Pastries
Ingredients
- 4 oz. cream cheese, softened
- 1/3 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/3 cup confectioners' sugar + more for dusting on top
- 1 egg
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon
- pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup honey, divided
Instructions
- Bring the puff pastry and cream cheese to room temperature. Thaw the puff pastry in the fridge until pliable.
- Use a hand held mixer to combine the cream cheese, pumpkin puree, confectioners' sugar, egg, vanilla extract, pumpkin spice and salt together. Set aside.
- Next, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Using a pizza cutter or knife, cut the puff pastry sheet into 6 squares.
- Drizzle about 2 teaspoons of honey on the parchment lined baking sheet and then add about 1 tablespoon of the pumpkin cheesecake mixture directly on top covering the honey. Add one puff pastry square on top and repeat with remaining puff pastry squares.
- Use a fork to stamp down the sides of the puff pastry. Brush egg wash over each puff pastry and bake for approximately 15 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for 2-3 minutes before using a spatula to gently flip over the puff pastries. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar and enjoy right away!
Notes
If you’re not already, I’d love for you to join the Once Upon a Pumpkin community on Instagram!
More Pumpkin Recipes You’re Sure to Love
- Pumpkin S’mores Bars (GF)
- Pumpkin Cheesecake Streusel Muffins
- Pumpkin Baked Feta Pasta
- Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
