These soft and tender pastries are the fall bake you will make on repeat: a pillowy buttermilk-and-pumpkin dough, baked until just set, then brushed with a warm pumpkin glaze and finished with a thick white drizzle. The double glaze is the whole point, one layer soaks in and keeps every bite tender, the other sits on top in glossy ribbons.
The dough comes together in one bowl with a spatula, no stand mixer and no kneading marathon. A short 10-minute rest hydrates the flour so the pastries bake up light instead of dense, and the spiced pumpkin glaze gets its color and flavor from real pumpkin puree rather than just cinnamon.
They are baked at 375F (190C) for 18 to 20 minutes, which sets the crumb without drying the edges. Make a batch on a Sunday and you have breakfast, lunchbox filler, and a coffee companion sorted for the week.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
About the Ingredients
2 1/2 cups (313g) all-purpose flour
Spoon the flour into the cup and level it off, or the dough will turn out dry and crumbly. Swap in 1 cup (125g) white whole-wheat flour for a nuttier crumb without losing tenderness.
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
Check the date on your can, because older baking powder loses lift and the pastries bake flat. If you only have baking soda, use 3/4 teaspoon plus 1 teaspoon lemon juice in the milk.
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
Fine sea salt dissolves evenly into the dough; coarse kosher salt can leave salty pockets. Reduce to 1/4 teaspoon if you are using salted butter.
1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
This is a lightly sweet dough since the glazes add plenty of sweetness. Cane sugar or coconut sugar both work, though coconut sugar will darken the crumb.
6 tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
Cold butter creates small steam pockets that make the pastries tender. Frozen grated butter works even better if your kitchen is warm.
3/4 cup (180ml) cold buttermilk
Shake the carton well before measuring. No buttermilk? Stir 2 teaspoons lemon juice into 3/4 cup whole milk and let it sit 5 minutes until slightly thickened.
1/2 cup (122g) pumpkin puree, divided
Use 100% pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling, which is already sweetened and spiced. Squeeze the puree in a paper towel if it looks watery so the glaze does not run.
1 large egg
A room-temperature egg blends more smoothly into the cold dough. Out of eggs? Use 1/4 cup (60g) plain yogurt instead.
1 1/4 cups (150g) powdered sugar, divided
Sift it before mixing or the white glaze will be lumpy. For the pumpkin glaze, use 3/4 cup (90g); reserve the rest for the white drizzle.
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, plus a pinch for the white glaze
A fresh jar makes a real difference in aroma. If you are out, mix 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/8 teaspoon ginger, and a pinch each of nutmeg and cloves.
1 to 2 tablespoons whole milk, for the white glaze
Add it one teaspoon at a time until the glaze ribbons off the spoon. Oat milk works fine but may need slightly less liquid.
Tips & Tricks
Do Not Overmix the Dough
Stir only until the flour streaks disappear, because extra mixing develops gluten and turns tender pastries tough. A few shaggy spots are fine.
Glaze in Two Stages
Brush the warm pumpkin glaze on the pastries while they are still hot so it soaks in, then wait until they cool completely before adding the white drizzle or it will slide off.
Weigh Your Flour if You Can
Scooping straight from the bag can pack in an extra 30 to 40 grams per cup, which is the number one cause of dry, crumbly pastries.
Chill Before Baking
Ten minutes in the fridge firms the butter and helps the pastries hold their shape and rise evenly in the oven.
Pro Tips
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Heat the Oven and Line a Tray
Preheat the oven to 375F (190C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. A hot, fully preheated oven gives the pastries their best rise.
2. Whisk the Dry Ingredients
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, and pumpkin pie spice in a large bowl. Breaking up any lumps now prevents bitter spice pockets later.
3. Cut In the Cold Butter
Rub the cold butter into the flour with your fingertips or a pastry cutter until the mixture looks like coarse sand with a few pea-sized pieces. Stop while there are still visible butter bits, since those create flaky layers.
4. Stir In the Wet Ingredients
Whisk the buttermilk, egg, and 1/4 cup (61g) of the pumpkin puree together, then pour into the flour mixture and stir with a spatula just until a soft dough forms. It should look slightly sticky but pull away from the bowl.
5. Rest and Shape the Dough
Turn the dough onto a floured surface, pat it into a 1-inch-thick round, and cut into 6 wedges or rounds. Chill on the lined tray for 10 minutes so the butter firms up.
6. Bake Until Golden
Bake at 375F (190C) for 18 to 20 minutes, until the tops are golden brown and the centers spring back when pressed lightly. An instant-read thermometer in the center should read 200F (93C).
7. Make the Pumpkin Glaze
Whisk the remaining 1/4 cup (61g) pumpkin puree with 3/4 cup (90g) powdered sugar and a pinch of pumpkin pie spice until smooth and pourable. Brush it over the pastries while they are still warm so it soaks into the crust.
8. Drizzle the White Glaze
Once the pastries are completely cool, whisk the remaining 1/2 cup (60g) powdered sugar with 1 to 2 tablespoons milk and a pinch of pumpkin pie spice until it ribbons off the spoon. Drizzle over the tops and let it set for 10 minutes before serving.
Delicious Variations
Maple Pumpkin Version
Replace the milk in the white glaze with maple syrup for a deeper fall flavor and a slightly thinner drizzle.
Cream Cheese Swirl
Dollop softened cream cheese into the dough before shaping for a tangy, cheesecake-like center.
Mini Bites
Cut the dough into 12 small rounds and bake at 375F (190C) for 12 to 14 minutes for poppable two-bite pastries.
How to Store Soft and Tender Double-Glazed Pumpkin Pastries
Refrigerator
Store glazed pastries in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerate for up to 5 days; let them come to room temperature before eating for the softest texture.
Freezer
Freeze baked, glazed pastries individually wrapped in plastic, then in a zip-top bag, for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature for 1 hour or microwave 20 seconds.
Reheating
Reheat in a 300F (150C) oven for 5 minutes to soften the crumb, or microwave 15 to 20 seconds; avoid overheating or the white glaze will melt away.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I make these pumpkin pastries without buttermilk?
Yes, stir 2 teaspoons of lemon juice or white vinegar into 3/4 cup of whole milk and let it sit for 5 minutes until slightly curdled. The acidity reacts with the baking powder for the same tender, light crumb.
Q: Why did my pastries turn out dry and crumbly?
Overmeasuring the flour is almost always the cause, so weigh it or spoon and level it rather than scooping. Overbaking is the second culprit, so pull them out as soon as the centers spring back, around 18 to 20 minutes at 375F (190C).
Q: Can I use pumpkin pie filling instead of pumpkin puree?
No, pumpkin pie filling is pre-sweetened and spiced, so it will make the glaze too sweet and throw off the texture. Look for a can labeled 100% pure pumpkin, which is unsweetened puree.
Q: How do I keep the white glaze from running off the pastries?
Wait until the pastries are completely cool before drizzling, and keep the glaze thick enough to ribbon off the spoon rather than pour. If it is too thin, whisk in 1 tablespoon more powdered sugar.
Q: Can I make the dough ahead of time?
Yes, the shaped dough can be covered and refrigerated for up to 24 hours before baking. Add 2 to 3 minutes to the bake time since the dough starts cold.
Bake a batch this weekend, brush on that warm pumpkin glaze while they are still steaming, and finish with the white drizzle once they cool. Snap a photo of your double-glazed stack and let me know in the comments which variation you tried first.
Soft and Tender Double-Glazed Pumpkin Pastries
Soft and tender pastries topped with both white and pumpkin glaze are an easy fall bake that stays moist for days thanks to a tangy buttermilk dough.
🧂 Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups (313g) all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 3/4 cup (180ml) cold buttermilk
- 1/2 cup (122g) pumpkin puree, divided
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/4 cups (150g) powdered sugar, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, plus a pinch for the white glaze
- 1 to 2 tablespoons whole milk, for the white glaze
📋 Instructions
- 1Heat the Oven and Line a Tray — Preheat the oven to 375F (190C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. A hot, fully preheated oven gives the pastries their best rise.
- 2Whisk the Dry Ingredients — Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, and pumpkin pie spice in a large bowl. Breaking up any lumps now prevents bitter spice pockets later.
- 3Cut In the Cold Butter — Rub the cold butter into the flour with your fingertips or a pastry cutter until the mixture looks like coarse sand with a few pea-sized pieces. Stop while there are still visible butter bits, since those create flaky layers.
- 4Stir In the Wet Ingredients — Whisk the buttermilk, egg, and 1/4 cup (61g) of the pumpkin puree together, then pour into the flour mixture and stir with a spatula just until a soft dough forms. It should look slightly sticky but pull away from the bowl.
- 5Rest and Shape the Dough — Turn the dough onto a floured surface, pat it into a 1-inch-thick round, and cut into 6 wedges or rounds. Chill on the lined tray for 10 minutes so the butter firms up.
- 6Bake Until Golden — Bake at 375F (190C) for 18 to 20 minutes, until the tops are golden brown and the centers spring back when pressed lightly. An instant-read thermometer in the center should read 200F (93C).
- 7Make the Pumpkin Glaze — Whisk the remaining 1/4 cup (61g) pumpkin puree with 3/4 cup (90g) powdered sugar and a pinch of pumpkin pie spice until smooth and pourable. Brush it over the pastries while they are still warm so it soaks into the crust.
- 8Drizzle the White Glaze — Once the pastries are completely cool, whisk the remaining 1/2 cup (60g) powdered sugar with 1 to 2 tablespoons milk and a pinch of pumpkin pie spice until it ribbons off the spoon. Drizzle over the tops and let it set for 10 minutes before serving.
