Pumpkin Cheesecake Kolaches

Name: Pumpkin Cheesecake Kolaches
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 110 min
Ingredients: 2 tbsp all-purpose flour ((20g)); 2 tbsp water ((27g)); 4 tbsp whole milk ((60g)); 5 cups all-purpose flour ((600g) plus a bit more); 1 tbsp instant yeast ((9g)); ½ cup granulated sugar ((100g)); ¾ tsp kosher salt; ¼ tsp diastatic malt powder (optional); 1 ½ cups whole milk ((365g)); 1/4 cup vegetable oil ((54g)); ¼ cup unsalted butter (room temperature (56g)); 1 egg (room temperature); 3/4 cup pumpkin puree (canned (187g)); 1/4 cup brown sugar ((55g)); 1 egg yolk; 1 tbsp all-purpose flour ((10g)); 1 tsp Selefina Pumpkin Pie Spice; 1/2 tsp kosher salt; 8 oz cream cheese (softened (226g)); ¼ cup granulated sugar ((50g)); 1 egg (beaten); 1 tsp vanilla; ¼ cup flour ((30g)); 1/4 cup granulated sugar ((50g)); 2 tbsp butter; 1/4 tsp salt; ¼ cup unsalted butter (melted, for brushing)

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This Pumpkin Cheesecake Kolaches recipe yields pillowy soft brioche buns filled with pumpkin and cheesecake fillings and topped with posipka (streusel). I adapted this recipe from my Texas-Czech in-laws, while adding a few new techniques, such as the addition of a tangzhong paste.

pumpkin cheesecake kolaches piled on a rectangle cheese board covered in brown parchment

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When Selefina reached out hoping to highlight their pumpkin pie spice blend for early fall, I knew just the recipe. My favorite kolache flavors are always the ones with cream cheese. Pumpkin and cream cheese are a match made in heaven, so this felt like it was bound to happen eventually.

I took the base recipe from my Traditional Texas-Czech Kolaches and gave them a pumpkin upgrade. I love baking with pumpkin, because it lends flavor and moisture to desserts. My favorite pumpkin pastry is my Pumpkin Kouign Amann. If pumpkin isn't your thing, try my Poppy Seed Kolaches.

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Why you'll love this recipe
Ingredients
Substitutions and variations
How to make pumpkin cheesecake kolaches
Hot tips
Recipe FAQs
More recipes you'll love
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Why you'll love this recipe

The buns are pillowy soft.
The pumpkin filling is perfectly spiced.
These can be made without a stand mixer.

Ingredients

Pumpkin puree is the base of the pumpkin filling.
All-purpose flour is the base of the dough.
Vegetable oil brings richness and long-lasting moisture to the bread.
Brown sugar sweetens and flavors the pumpkin filling.
Whole milk provides moisture in the dough.
Instant yeast provides rise to the buns.
Kosher salt and vanilla bean paste balance the overall flavor profile.
Granulated sugar sweetens the dough, cheesecake filling and posipka.
Unsalted butter provides flavor and richness to the dough.
Pumpkin pie spice flavors the pumpkin filling.
Eggs bind the dough and the fillings.
Cream cheese is the base of the cheesecake filling.

See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

Substitutions and variations

Here’s how to customize these pumpkin cheesecake kolaches to your liking:

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No cheesecake — omit the cheesecake filling and double the pumpkin filling recipe for a pumpkin only kolache.
No pumpkin pie spice — if you don’t have a blend, use ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground ginger, ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg, small pinch of cloves and allspice.
Cottage cheese — use cottage cheese in the place of cream cheese, if desired.
No pumpkin — swap for a fruit jam or nutella.
Bake apart — bake farther apart on the baking sheet if you do not want the kolaches to touch. I did this for aesthetic purposes in the photos, but traditionally they are baked touching.
Icing — typically a kolache has either posipka or icing, but if you’d like both or just icing use the icing recipe from my base kolache recipe.

This recipe has not been tested with any substitutions or variations. If you try any, please let me know how it turned out by commenting below!

How to make pumpkin cheesecake kolaches

Step 1: Combine the tangzhong ingredients in a small saucepan set over medium heat. Whisk and heat until it becomes a thick paste. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl, thoroughly whisk together 2 cups of the flour (240g), the instant yeast, sugar, salt and diastatic malt powder, if using. Warm the milk to 100-110°F. Add the paddle attachment to the mixer and stream in the warm milk while mixing on the lowest setting. When combined, turn the mixer off and let sit for 5-10 minutes to activate the yeast. Add the tangzhong, oil, butter and egg and the rest of the flour (3 cups or 360g). Switch to the dough hook. Continue mixing. If the dough looks too wet and sticks to the sides of the bowl, add more flour 1 tablespoon at a time. Mix with the dough hook on medium speed for 6-8 minutes. When the dough starts looking smooth, conduct the windowpane test. Pinch off a small bit of dough. Slowly pull the dough out from the center with your fingers. If the dough is ready, you will be able to stretch it until it’s thin and translucent like a windowpane. If the dough tears, it’s not ready yet. Beat for 1 more minute, and test again. When the dough passes the test, transfer to a large greased bowl and cover. Let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.

Step 2: In a medium bowl, whisk together all of the pumpkin filling ingredients (¾ cup pumpkin puree, ¼ cup granulated sugar, 1 egg yolk, 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, ½ teaspoon kosher.) Set aside.

Step 3: Beat the cream cheese and sugar until there are no lumps. Add the egg and vanilla, beating until combined. Set aside. For the posipka (streusel), whisk together flour, sugar and salt. Cut butter into dry whisked ingredients with a pastry blender or two knives until you have a fine crumb. Set aside.

kolache dough balls with indents in the middles on a gold sheet tray

Step 4: Punch down the dough after rising. Pinch off egg-size sections of dough (about 40g each for smaller kolaches and 60g each for larger ones) and roll into balls. Place 20 balls per sheet in 4 rows of 5 on a greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Press down the centers of each kolache with thumbs or a tamper. Fill with about 1 tablespoon each of the pumpkin filling and cheesecake filling, swirling them together, if desired. Top with posipka (streusel). Cover with an inverted baking sheet and proof for 20 minutes before baking 15-18 minutes or until lightly golden in color. Brush edges with melted butter after baking. Let mostly cool before serving.

Hot tips

To roll the balls faster, place them on a countertop and place a greased hand lightly on top just barely making contact, moving your hand in a circular motion, maintaining contact with the countertop the entire time. Here’s a video tutorial.
Bake farther apart on the baking sheet if you do not want the kolaches to touch. I did this for aesthetic purposes in the photos, but traditionally they are baked touching.
I like to use a kitchen scale to measure the dough balls for uniformity.

Recipe FAQs

Can I skip the tangzhong?

Yes, skip the tangzhong if you’d like. It is very quick to do and helps the kolaches stay softer for longer though so I highly recommend it.

How do you store kolaches?

Store kolaches with creamy fillings in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or freeze for a few months. Unbaked kolaches can also be frozen. Thaw before baking like normal.

Can I skip the posipka?

Yes, you can skip the posipka and/or garnish with icing instead.

More recipes you'll love

Lastly, if you make this Pumpkin Cheesecake Kolaches recipe be sure to leave a comment or give it a rating. I love to see when people make my recipes, so please tag me @youthsweets on Instagram if you post!