This easy Pumpkin Pastry Braid with Pecans wraps a spiced pumpkin filling and crunchy pecans in a golden braided crust, finished with a sweet glaze. It comes together with crescent dough instead of homemade pastry, so you get bakery-style presentation in about 50 minutes start to finish.
Table of contents
Whether you're hosting a fall brunch or want something a little special with your morning coffee, this braid looks like it took hours but doesn't. It works just as well as a light dessert or an after-school snack, and the pecans add a crunch that keeps every bite from being one-note.
More pumpkin treats you might enjoy are these pumpkin pancakes, this pumpkin milkshake or a pumpkin Bundt cake topped with an orange glaze.
Pumpkin Pastry Braid Ingredients
- Crescent Dough Roll - We use crescent roll sheets since they're a budget-friendly option that skips the seam-pressing crescent rolls need. Puff pastry also works if you prefer a flakier bite.
- Pumpkin Puree - canned. Make sure you grab pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. Pie filling already has sugar and spices added, which will throw off the flavor and texture of this filling.
- Brown Sugar - Packed brown sugar adds moisture and a deeper, caramel-like sweetness than white sugar would.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice - This is what gives the filling its warm, classic fall flavor in one simple shake.
- Cinnamon - A little extra cinnamon on top of the pie spice boosts the warmth without making the filling taste one-note.
- Egg - Separated: the yolk goes into the filling for richness, and the white gets whipped into the egg wash that gives the braid its golden shine.
- Chopped Pecans - Pecans add crunch and nutty flavor both inside the filling and on top of the glaze. Walnuts or almond slivers work well as a swap, or leave them out entirely for a nut-free version.
- Powdered Sugar - Whisked with milk, this makes the simple glaze that finishes the braid.
- Milk - Just enough to thin the powdered sugar into a pourable glaze.
How to Make a Pumpkin Pastry Braid with Pecans
Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, stir together the pumpkin puree, brown sugar, egg yolk (set the white aside for the egg wash), pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and pecans.
Mix the pumpkin mixture until fully combined.
Roll the crescent dough into a 13×7-inch rectangle on your parchment paper. If you're using crescent rolls rather than sheets, press the perforations together firmly. You want one solid sheet, not individual rolls.
Along both long edges, cut 2-inch slits into the dough at 1-inch intervals. These become the "braid" strips, so keep them even.
Helpful Tip
Cut a small rectangle - 2 inches by 1 inch - out of parchment paper (a sticky note works too) and use it as a template. Just line it up along the dough edge to keep your slits even as you go.
Spoon the pumpkin mixture down the center strip of dough, staying clear of the cut edges so the filling doesn't leak out during braiding.
Starting at one end, fold the side strips over the filling one at a time.
Alternating left and right as you go. Finish by twisting and tucking the last strip underneath.
Whip the reserved egg white until foamy and brush it over the braid for shine.
Bake 20-30 minutes until deep golden brown, then cool slightly on a wire rack.
Whisk powdered sugar and milk into a smooth glaze, drizzle over the cooled braid, and finish with a sprinkle of extra pecans if you like.
Save this recipe?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Recipe FAQs
Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to a few days. To freeze, bake and cool the braid completely first, Freezing the raw dough with the wet pumpkin filling can make it soggy or keep it from rising properly. Wrap it well and it'll keep in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat in the oven or microwave.
Yes. Just make sure to press the perforations together firmly so you end up with one solid sheet of dough instead of individual rolls.
Yes. Walnuts or sliced almonds both swap in easily, or you can leave the nuts out entirely for a nut-free version.
Leave a little gap between each braided strand so steam can escape, and avoid overfilling. Keep about a half-inch border of dough clear around the edges. Brushing the dough edges with a bit of water or egg wash before sealing also helps keep everything tucked in.
This one's best assembled right before baking, since the raw dough won't hold up well sitting filled for a long stretch.
Mom Tip
For extra fall flavor, drizzle a little warm maple syrup over the top right before serving. It plays so well with the pumpkin and pecans.
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟rating on the recipe card below & a review in the comments section further down the page.
Complete Recipe
Easy Pumpkin Pastry Braid with Pecans
Ingredients
For the pumpkin braid
- 8 ounce Crescent Roll Dough
- ¾ cup Pumpkin Puree canned
- ⅓ cup Brown Sugar packed
- 1 teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
- 1 Large Egg separated
- ½ cup Pecans chopped
For the glaze
- ½ cup Powdered Sugar
- 2 teaspoons Milk
- 2 tablespoons Pecans chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, add the pumpkin puree, brown sugar, egg yolk (save the egg white for later), pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and pecans.
- Mix the pumpkin mixture until completely combined.
- Roll the crescent dough out onto the parchment paper, creating a 13x7 inch rectangle.
- If using a package of crescent rolls, make sure to press close the perforations since we need a solid piece of dough.
- Down both edges of the rectangle, cut 2 inch long slits in the sides of the dough in 1-inch intervals.
- Spoon the pumpkin filling down the center of the dough. Make sure to keep the filling away from the cut marks.
- Working from one end of the crescent dough to the other, begin to slightly pull and fold strips across the filling mixture. Twist once and tuck the end slightly on the opposite side and press lightly so it holds.
- Alternate from one side to the next, working your way down the crescent dough covering the top of the pumpkin filling with the braided dough.
- In a small bowl, whip the egg white until lightly foamy. Use a pastry brush to coat the pumpkin braid with the egg wash.
- Bake the pumpkin pastry braid in the preheated oven for 20 to 30 minutes until golden brown.
- Remove the pastry from the oven and place on a cooling rack. Let cool slightly.
- In a small bowl, mix the powdered sugar with a small amount of milk. Drizzle or spread the glaze over the top of the pumpkin pastry braid. Top with additional chopped pecans if desired.
Leave a Reply