Pumpkin brioche buns sound fancy (and look fancy), but they're way more approachable than you'd expect. Soft brioche dough, a simple pumpkin cream cheese filling, one bowl streusel, and a quick vanilla glaze. That's it! You'll have a full pan of gorgeous buns ready in a few hours, and most of that time is just waiting for the dough to rise.
This is the kind of recipe where the process does most of the work for you. Mix the dough, let it rest, shape the buns, fill, top, bake. And they come out looking like you went to the fanciest bakery in town.
I love brioche dough because it's easy to work with and incredibly flavorful. We also use it in these cinnamon buns, chocolate babka, and pistachio babka!
Fall baking season is my favorite time to pull out recipes that feel special but don't stress me out, and these fit right in. My apple danishes have a similar cozy, fall combo if you want something even simpler for the weekend!
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Why We Love It!
- Bakery-style at home - These buns look and taste like something from a serious bakery counter, but you can make them in your own kitchen with simple ingredients.
- Textures galore - Soft, pillowy brioche on the outside, creamy and spiced filling in the center, a crunchy buttery streusel, and a sweet vanilla glaze to tie it all together. Every bite has something going on.
- A true fall bake - Pumpkin, cinnamon, brown sugar, cream cheese! They hit every cozy fall note without being over the top.
- Make-ahead friendly - The dough can be made and shaped the night before, then filled, topped, and baked off fresh in the morning.
Ingredients
- Instant yeast. This goes straight into the dough without any blooming step needed.
- Whole milk. Warmed to 110℉ (not hot, but more than lukewarm). This is the sweet spot for activating yeast and keeping the dough rich. A thermometer is helpful here.
- Room temperature butter and egg. Both need to be at room temperature for the dough to come together smoothly. Cold butter will fight you. My butter temperature guide breaks this down if you want a quick reference.
- Cream cheese. Super soft! This is what makes the filling creamy and a little tangy. Full-fat, brick-style is the way to go.
- Pumpkin puree. Use canned pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. They are not the same thing. Pumpkin pie filling has added sugar and spices already mixed in. This recipe was tested with Libby's brand.
- Egg yolk vs. egg white. The yolk goes into the filling to add richness and help it set. The white gets saved for the egg wash on the buns. Nothing gets wasted!
- Light brown sugar. Used in the streusel for that warm, caramel-y depth. Pack it in when measuring.
- Powdered sugar. This is used for the glaze and adds a pop of sweetness that brings the whole dish together.
See recipe card for full ingredients list and quantities.
Substitutions and Variations
- Add a tablespoon of maple syrup to the cream cheese filling for extra fall flavor.
- Mix a handful of mini chocolate chips into the filling (pumpkin and chocolate are a great combo).
- Make these smaller and divide the dough into 10-12 pieces for more bite-sized buns.
- Add chopped pecans or walnuts on top of the streusel before baking for extra crunch.
- No stand mixer? This dough can be made by hand! It takes more effort (about 15 minutes of kneading), but it will get smooth and elastic with time.
📸 Step By Step Overview
This is a quick visual overview. See the recipe card for full, detailed instructions.
- Step 1: Add all dough ingredients to a stand mixer bowl and knead until it pulls away from the sides.
- Step 2: Cover and let the dough rise for about an hour to double.
- Step 3: Mix together the pumpkin cream cheese ingredients until smooth.
- Step 4: Mix together the streusel ingredients in another bowl.
- Step 5: Example of how the dough looks once it's doubled in size.
- Step 6: Pat the risen dough into a rectangle.
- Step 7: Cut the dough into 8 even pieces.
- Step 8: Pull the edges inward multiple times until a ball forms.
- Step 9: Pinch and turn, pinch and turn.
- Step 10: Arrange the buns seam side down on a large baking sheet lined with parchment.
- Step 11: Cover and let the dough rise again while the oven preheats.
- Step 12: Grease a measuring cup or drinking glass and press down to create a deep well.
Pro tip
Making the indent
The cup method gives you a cleaner, more even indent (don't forget to grease the bottom), but fingers work just as well. Don't go all the way through to the pan!
- Step 13: Fill each well with the pumpkin cream cheese.
- Step 14: Brush the edges with egg white wash.
- Step 15: Sprinkle streusel over the sides, then bake.
- Step 16: Cool, then mix together the glaze and pipe or drizzle on top before serving.
Pro tip
How to know when its done
The filling will look a little jiggly right out of the oven - that's normal. It firms up as the buns cool. Don't overbake trying to get it to look fully set in the oven!
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Tips for Success
- Don't rush the rise times. You want the dough to fully double both times for that soft, airy interior.
- The dough should be soft but not sticky. If it's sticking to your hands after the full knead time, add flour one tablespoon at a time, but try to resist adding too much.
- Make sure your cream cheese is truly softened before mixing. Cold cream cheese will leave lumps in the filling that don't smooth out.
- Don't skip the egg wash on the borders. It's what gives the buns that beautiful golden color around the edges and help the streusel to stick.
- Press the streusel down gently after adding it so it stays put during baking and doesn't all roll off.
- A bench scraper is your best friend for dividing the dough, and it makes the whole process cleaner and faster.
- For a make-ahead option, shape the buns the night before, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate. Pull them out in the morning, let them come to room temperature, and finish proofing (about 30-45 minutes), then fill and bake.
Testing Notes
- I thought that the size for 8 total buns was best. Twelve made a very cute size (would be good for a brunch party, bridal shower, etc.) but ultimately I liked the size for 8.
- I found out the hard way that you definitely have to grease the bottom of the cup when pressing down (I ripped it the first time). If you don't feel like doing this, just press down with your fingers.
- The pumpkin filling can take even more spice, but I didn't want to overdo it for the general population. If you like heavier spice, add another teaspoon!
- I didn't initially intend to add the vanilla glaze, but found it actually needed the extra pop of sugar to balance all the flavors. It felt a little one-note without it, surprisingly.
Common Questions
Yes! If using active dry yeast, you'll want to dissolve it in the warm milk with a pinch of sugar first and let it sit for about 5-10 minutes until it gets foamy. Then add it to the rest of the ingredients. The rise times may be slightly longer.
Yes! It takes about 15 minutes of hand kneading to get the dough smooth and elastic. Use a bench scraper to help with any sticking (it will be really messy at first), and resist adding too much extra flour.
The borders should be a deep golden brown, and the filling should look mostly set with just a slight jiggle in the center. They firm up more as they cool, so pull them at golden rather than waiting for the filling to look completely solid.
Storage
Store the baked buns covered at room temperature for up to 2 days. After that, transfer to the fridge and store for an additional 2 days. The filling contains cream cheese, so don't leave them out longer than that.
To reheat, warm individual buns in the microwave for 15-20 seconds or in a 350F oven for about 8 minutes until heated through.
Freezing: Allow the buns to cool completely, then wrap each one individually in plastic wrap and place in a zip-top bag with the air removed. Freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature completely unwrapped, then reheat in a 350F oven for 10 minutes.
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General Tid Bits
- All recipes are created with Diamond Crystal kosher salt, the least salty variety of kosher salt. If using Morton's, you'll need to cut the amount of salt in half as it's 2x as salty. This will be the same for sea salt. Please do not use table salt.
- Switch between Cups vs Metric using the toggle on the recipe card. Baking by weight using a digital scale will always produce the most accurate results.
- Scale the recipe using the '1X' '2X' '3X' buttons on the recipe card. Note that this does not make an adjustment for baking times, only quantities.
📖Recipe
Pumpkin Brioche Buns with Streusel Topping
Equipment
- Stand mixer with dough hook attachment
- Bench scraper optional, but helpful
- Large baking sheet
Ingredients
Brioche Dough
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2½ teaspoons instant yeast 1 pack
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ cups whole milk warmed to 110℉
- 1 large egg room temperature
- ¼ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Filling
- 6 oz cream cheese very soft
- ½ cup pumpkin puree
- 1 large egg yolk save the egg white for egg wash
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
Streusel Topping
- ¼ cup unsalted butter melted
- ¼ cup light brown sugar packed
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 large egg white from the yolk in the filling
Vanilla Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- 2-4 tablespoons cream or milk
Instructions
Brioche Dough
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, add the flour, sugar, yeast, salt, milk, egg, butter, and vanilla.3 cups all-purpose flour, ¼ cup granulated sugar, 2½ teaspoons instant yeast, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ¾ cups whole milk, 1 large egg, ¼ cup unsalted butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Mix everything together at low speed for about 5 minutes. Then, increase the speed to medium and knead for another 10 minutes until very soft, smooth, and completely pulled away from the sides of the bowl.
- Cover the dough with plastic wrap and place somewhere warm to rise until doubled in size, about an hour.
- While the dough rises, mix together the cream cheese, pumpkin, egg yolk, sugar, vanilla, and pumpkin pie spice until smooth. You can do this with a rubber spatula or use a mixer. Don’t whip too much air into it!6 oz cream cheese, ½ cup pumpkin puree, 1 large egg yolk, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- In another bowl, mix together the melted butter, brown sugar, flour, and salt with a fork until crumbles form.¼ cup unsalted butter, ¼ cup light brown sugar, ½ cup all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Dough Assembly 1
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Remove the dough from the bowl and gently pat it into a rectangle, then divide it into 8 equal pieces (a bench scraper is great for this).
- Hold the dough in one hand and use the other hand to pull sections of the dough from the outside into the center. Repeat the whole way around the dough until a ball forms.
- Flip the dough and place the seam side down on the counter. Use a “claw” hand to roll the dough clockwise (or counterclockwise) to create a tighter ball.
- Add to the baking sheet and repeat with the remaining balls of dough.
- Cover with plastic wrap and rise again until doubled in size and puffy. Preheat the oven to 375℉ while they proof.
Dough Assembly 2
- Grease the bottom of a drinking glass or measuring cup that’s roughly the size of the risen dough ball. Press down to make an indent, leaving about a ½” border on the outside. You can also do this with your fingers by pressing and pushing out slightly. Repeat with all dough pieces.
- Whisk together the egg white with a tiny splash of water and brush all around the tops and sides of the borders.1 large egg white
- Spoon the pumpkin filling evenly into the center of each bun and spread it flat, then sprinkle with the streusel.
Baking
- Bake for 15 minutes, then rotate the pan and bake for another 10-15 minutes until golden.
- Cool the pan on a wire rack for 15-20 minutes, then drizzle or pipe on the glaze before serving.
Vanilla Glaze
- Whisk together the powdered sugar, vanilla, and cream until a thick glaze forms.1 cup powdered sugar, ½ teaspoon vanilla, 2-4 tablespoons cream or milk
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