Fall has arrived, and we can finally dive headfirst into cozy season. And of all the pastries in the world, nothing says comfort and indulgence quite like a croissant. So puzzle me this: why has pumpkin never truly had its moment in the croissant world? I set out to solve that mystery—and oh, am I glad I did.

I baked these on one of those crisp mornings when fall is just beginning to tease its way into the air, and they could not have been more perfect. Golden, flaky layers that shatter when you bite in, with all the buttery richness you expect from a croissant—only this time filled with a silky pumpkin diplomat cream that’s so good, you’ll be tempted to eat it straight from the spoon. (Confession: I did.) Weeks later, my six-year-old is still asking for them on repeat.

If you’ve been here for a while, you know I never promise everything on this blog will be easy (though I do try to keep things approachable). What I do promise, though, is deliciousness—obsessively delicious—every single time. And yes, croissants are a labor of love. But some loves are worth the effort.

For these, I chose a decadent pumpkin diplomat cream. Think of diplomat cream as a classic pastry cream made even more irresistible: folded with whipped cream for that airy, cloud-like texture. I went one step further and stabilized it (optional), which simply means the whipped cream holds its shape for longer—so you can fill your croissants in the morning and still enjoy them later without worry.

Happy Fall, friends! I hope you enjoy these as much as we have.

Pumpkin Cream Croissants

Golden, flaky croissant layers give way to a velvety pumpkin-spiced cream, making these croissants the ultimate fall indulgence. A pastry that feels like a little celebration of autumn in every bite.

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Course Afternoon Tea, Appetizer, Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert

Cuisine French

Servings 8 large croissants

Ingredients

  

For the Detrempe (Croissant Dough)

• 4⅔ cups 605 grams all-purpose, plus more for dusting *Use AP for a transcendently light crumb, or Bread flour if you prefer a chewier crumb
• ⅓ cup 66 grams granulated sugar
• 3 1/2 tsp 12 grams kosher salt
• 2¼ tsp 7 grams active dry yeast
• ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons 214 grams water at room temperature
• ½ cup 120 grams whole milk at room temperature
• ¼ cup 57 grams unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces, chilled *Highest butterfat % you can find – I use President brand

For the Butter Block and Assembly

• 1½ cups 340 grams European or European-style butter (3 sticks, chilled) *Highest butterfat % you can find – I use President brand
• All-purpose flour for rolling
• 1 large egg yolk for egg wash
• 1 tsbp heavy cream

Pumpkin Diplomat Cream (Optionally Stabilized with Gelatin Powder)

• ⅔ cup milk I used whole milk
• ⅔ cup + 2 cups heavy cream divided
• 2 large egg yolks room temperature
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1¾ Tbsp all purpose flour
• ½ cup pumpkin puree I use canned – make sure you do not use pumpkin pie filling – just puree
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 3 good pinches kosher salt
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tsp unflavored gelatin powder *Optional – see instructions if opting out
• 8 tsp water *Only necessary if using gelatin powder

Glaze & Topping

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1-2 Tbsp milk to desired thinness
• pumpkin spice for sprinkling

Instructions

 

Croissants Day 1: Prepare Your Detrempe (Dough) and Butter Block

• 7:30A Make the Detrempe: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the flour, sugar, salt and yeast, and stir to combine. Create a well in the center, and pour in the water and milk. Mix on low speed until a tight, smooth dough comes together around the hook, about 5 minutes. Remove the hook and cover the bowl with a damp towel. Set aside for 10 minutes.
• Reattach the dough hook and turn the mixer on medium-low speed. Add the butter pieces all at once and continue to mix, scraping down the bowl and hook once or twice, until the dough has formed a very smooth, stretchy ball that is not sticky, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Form the dough into a ball and place seam-side down on a lightly floured work surface. Using a sharp knife, cut two deep perpendicular slashes in the dough, forming a “+.” (This will help the dough expand into a square shape as it rises, making it easier to roll out later.)
• Place the dough slashed-side up inside the same mixing bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until about 1½ times its original size, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Transfer the bowl to the refrigerator and chill for at least 4 hours and up to 12. (*My dough is usually perfect at 6.5 hrs, so the schedule here reflects that*)
• 8:00A Make the butter block: As the dough chills, place the sticks of butter side-by-side in the center of a large sheet of parchment paper, then loosely fold all four sides of the parchment over the butter to form a packet. Turn the packet over and use a rolling pin to lightly beat the cold butter into a flat scant ½-inch-thick layer, fusing the sticks and making it pliable. The parchment may tear. Turn over the packet and unwrap, replacing the parchment with a new sheet if needed.
• Fold the parchment paper over the butter again, this time making neat, clean folds at right angles, forming an 8-inch square. Turn the packet over again and roll the pin across the packet, further flattening the butter into a thin layer that fills the entire packet while forcing out any air pockets. The goal is a level and straight-edged square of butter. Transfer the butter block to the refrigerator.

2:30P Form Dough Square

• Remove the dough from the refrigerator, uncover and transfer to a clean work surface. (It will have doubled in size.) Deflate the dough with the heel of your hand. Using the four points that formed where you slashed the dough (as the square corners), stretch the dough outward and flatten into a rough square measuring no more than 8 inches on one side.
• Place 2 pieces of plastic wrap on the work surface perpendicular to each other, and place the dough on top. Wrap the dough rectangle, maintaining the squared-off edges, then roll your pin over top as you did for the butter, forcing the dough to fill in the plastic and form an 8-inch square with straight sides and right angles. Freeze for 20 minutes.

3:00P Enclose the butter

• Remove the butter from the refrigerator and the dough from the freezer. Set aside the butter.
• Unwrap the dough (save the plastic; you’ll use it again) and place on a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough, dusting with flour if necessary, until 16 inches long, maintaining a width of 8 inches (barely wider than the butter block). With a pastry brush, brush off any flour from the surface of the dough and make sure none sticks to the surface.
• *Butter and dough should have the same firmness, with the dough slightly cooler. If the butter can’t bend without breaking, let sit for a few minutes. Pay special attention to this if you live in a cooler, drier environment.*
• Unwrap the top of the butter and use the parchment paper to invert the block in the center of the dough rectangle. Press the butter gently into the dough and peel off the parchment paper. You should have a block of butter with overhanging dough on two opposite sides and a thin border of dough along the other two.
• Grasp the dough on one side of the block and bring it over the butter toward the center, then repeat with the other side of the dough, enclosing the butter. You don’t need the dough to overlap, but you want the two sides to meet. Pinch the dough together along all seams so no butter peeks out anywhere. Lift the whole block and dust a bit of flour underneath, then rotate the dough 90 degrees, so the center seam is oriented vertically.

3:15P Roll Out Enclosed Butter & Form “Book”

• Orient the rolling pin perpendicular to the seam and lightly beat the dough all along the surface to make your butter pliable. Roll out the dough lengthwise (without applying downward pressure, but pushing toward/away from you instead) along the seam into a 24-inch-long, ¼-inch thick narrow slab, lightly dusting underneath and over top with more flour as needed to prevent sticking. Periodically lift the dough and ensure it’s not sticking to the surface, and maintain straight, parallel sides. (It’s OK if the shorter sides round a bit — you’re going to trim them.)
• Use a wheel cutter or sharp knife to trim the shorter ends, removing excess dough where the butter doesn’t fully extend and squaring off the corners for a straight-edged, even rectangle of dough. Maintaining the rectangular shape will lead to the most consistent and even lamination. If you see air bubbles in the dough while rolling, pierce them to deflate and proceed.
• Form Book: Dust any flour off the dough’s surface. Grasp the short side of the rectangle farther from you and fold it toward the midline of the dough slab, aligning the sides. Press gently so the dough adheres to itself. Repeat with the other side of the dough, leaving an ⅛inch gap where the ends meet in the middle. Now, fold the entire slab in half – this is called a “book” (which is four layers thick).

3:30P Freeze and Refrigerate Dough (1 hr, 15 min)

• Wrap the book tightly in the reserved plastic. If it is thicker than about 1½ inches, or if it’s lost some of its rectangularity, roll over the plastic-wrapped dough to flatten it and reshape it. Freeze the book for 15 minutes, then refrigerate for 1 hour.

4:45P Simple Turn

• Let the dough sit at room temperature for about 5 minutes. Unwrap and place on a lightly floured surface. Beat the dough and roll out, as before, into another long, narrow ⅜-inch thick slab. It should be relaxed and extend easily. Dust off any excess flour.

5:00P Freeze and Refrigerate Dough (1 hr, 15 min)

• Fold the dough in thirds like a letter, bringing the top third of the slab down and over the center third, then the bottom third up and over. This is a “simple turn,” tripling the layers. Press gently so the layers adhere. Wrap tightly in plastic again and freeze for 15 minutes, then refrigerate for 1 hour.

6:15P Roll Out to Slab for Cutting, Fridge Overnight

• Let the dough sit at room temperature for about 5 minutes, then unwrap and place on a lightly floured surface. Beat the dough and roll out as before, but into a 14-by-17-inch slab (15-by-16-inch for pain au chocolat or ham and cheese croissants). The dough will start to spring back, but try to get it as close to those dimensions as possible. Brush off any excess flour, wrap tightly in plastic, and slide onto a baking sheet or cutting board. Freeze for 20 minutes, then chill overnight (8 to 12 hours).

Pumpkin Diplomat Cream (Day 1)

• Day 1: In a medium, heatproof bowl, whisk together the yolks and sugar until well combined – eggs will turn a pale yellow. Add the flour and vanilla and mix well.
• In a medium saucepan, heat the milk and 2/3 cup cream over med low heat until just steaming, but not boiling – remove from heat.
• While whisking, the egg yolk mixture, gradually add 1 Tbsp of hot milk mixture to the bowl to temper your eggs. Continue whisking until it is all incorporated. Add your pumpkin puree, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice, and stir till combined.
• Pour your egg and milk mixture back into the saucepan, and place back on the stove over medium low heat. Whisk intermittently until the mixture has reached a boil (around 212°F / 100°C), then continue to cook for 1 minute. It can take 15 minutes or so for your pastry cream to reach temp, depending on the heat of your stove. Do not rush this process or you risk curdling or burning the cream.
• Remove from the heat and pour into a heat proof bowl. Cover the top of the cream with plastic wrap, make sure the plastic is touching the cream, let the pastry cream, cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until ready to use (at least 3 hours).

Croissants Day 2:

• 6:15A Cut, Roll, and Rise Croissants: Four and a half hours before serving, arrange racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Bring a skillet of water to a simmer over medium-high heat. Transfer the skillet to the floor of the oven and close the door. (The steam released inside the oven will create an ideal proofing environment.)
• Meanwhile, line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Let the dough sit at room temperature for about 5 minutes. Unwrap (save the plastic for proofing), place on a very lightly floured surface, and, if necessary, re-roll out to 17-by-14 inches. Thoroughly dust off any excess flour with a pastry brush. Use a wheel cutter or long knife and ruler to cut the shorter sides, trimming any irregular edges where not all the layers of dough fully extend and creating a rectangle that’s exactly 16 inches long.
• To create your triangles, make a mark along every 4 inches along one 16inch edge. Along your parallel edge, mark 2inches in on your first, and then along every 4 inches. Cutting from your marks on one edge to the other should create your perfect triangles. You can use the extra trimmings on the edges to make fun shaped croissants!
• Working one triangle at a time, grasp the two corners of the shorter end, the base of the crescent, and tug gently outward to extend the points and widen the base to about 3 inches. Then, gently tug outward from about halfway down the triangle all the way to the point, to both lengthen the triangle and thin the dough as it narrows.
• Starting at the base, roll up the dough, keeping the point centered. Try not to roll tightly or stretch the dough. Place the crescent on one of the parchment-lined baking sheets, resting it on the point of the triangle. If the dough gets too soft while you’re working, cover the triangles and freeze for a few minutes before resuming rolling. Space them evenly on the baking sheets, four per sheet. Very loosely cover the baking sheets with plastic wrap, so the croissants have some room to expand.

6:45A: Final Proof Croissants

• Open the oven and stick your hand inside: It should be humid but not hot, as the water in the skillet will have cooled. You want the croissants to proof at 70 to 75 degrees. (Any hotter and the butter will start to melt, leading to a denser croissant.)
• Place the baking sheets inside the oven and let the croissants proof until they’re about doubled in size, extremely puffy, and jiggle delicately when the baking sheet is gently shaken, 2 to 2½ hours. Resist the urge to touch or poke the croissants: they’re very delicate. Try not to rush this process either, as an under-proofed croissant will not be as light and ethereal.

9:00A: Chill Croissants

• *Do not skip this step, as the time to chill will prevent the butter in your croissants from melting out in the oven.*
• Remove the baking sheets from the oven and carefully uncover them, then transfer to the refrigerator and chill for 25 minutes while you heat the oven. Remove the skillet from the oven and heat to 375 degrees.

9:25A: Bake!

• In a small bowl, stir the yolk and heavy cream until streak-free. Using a pastry brush, gently brush the smooth surfaces of each crescent with the yolk and cream mixture, doing your best to avoid the cut sides with exposed layers of dough.
• Transfer the sheets to the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Rotate the baking sheets and switch racks, and continue to bake until the croissants are deeply browned, another 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely on the baking sheets.

Pumpkin Diplomat Cream (Day 2)

• Once your pastry cream has cooled, take it out of the fridge and give it a quick whisk – set aside.
• If you want your diplomat cream to be stabilized (hold its form instead of losing shape as whipped cream breaks down): Add your gelatin powder and 8 tsp cold water to a little container to bloom for 5 minutes. Then, heat in your microwave till just liquid (not hot) – about 20 seconds.
• In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment – whisk your remaining 2 cups heavy cream and powdered sugar on medium speed till slightly thickened. For stabilizing: While still whisking, pour your gelatin liquid down the side of your mixer bowl.
• Whisk on high speed until you reach firm peaks.
• Transfer to a piping bag (or a ziploc bag with the corner cut off).

Assemble Pumpkin Cream Croissants

• Make Glaze: In a small bowl or glass measuring cup, combine powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk until your glaze is just barely liquid (this will allow it to set faster).
• Once your croissants have fully cooled, cut down the middle with a serrated knife.
• Pipe your pumpkin cream onto the bottom half of the croissant, and place the top back on.
• Drizzle with your glaze (I use a spoon to do this), and sprinkle with pumpkin spice. Enjoy!

Notes

*Adjust the baking timeline to suit your environment – the schedule is only a starting point! Your croissants will rise and proof in reaction to the warmth and humidity around you, so adjust accordingly. 🙂

Keyword autumn, baking, croissant, dessert, Fall, french, pumpkin, pumpkin cream croissants, pumpkin spice, pumpkin spice cream