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Brown Butter Pumpkin Crumble Buns with Maple Cream Cheese

Brown Butter Pumpkin Crumble Buns with Maple Cream Cheese

Brown Butter Pumpkin Crumble Buns stuffed with maple cream cheese, salted caramel, and a pumpkin spice crumble. Soft, bakery style, and the coziest fall bake!
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Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Resting Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Servings: 6 buns

Ingredients

For the Brown Butter (brown it all at once):

  • ½ cup unsalted butter

For the Pumpkin Buns:

  • ¾ cup whole milk warmed to 100 to 110 degrees F
  • 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
  • ½ cup pumpkin puree
  • 1 large egg
  • ¼ cup light brown sugar packed
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 tablespoons brown butter
  • 3 cups bread flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

For the Maple Brown Butter Cream Cheese Filling:

  • 8 ounces cream cheese room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon brown butter
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ cup powdered sugar

For the Pumpkin Spice Brown Butter Crumble:

  • 3 tablespoons brown butter
  • ½ cup light brown sugar packed
  • ½ cup all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

For Assembly:

  • 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon milk, for egg wash
  • ¼ cup salted caramel divided

Instructions

  • Brown the butter. Add unsalted butter to a light colored saucepan over medium heat. Let it melt, then keep swirling the pan as it foams and bubbles. After about 5 to 7 minutes, the milk solids on the bottom will turn golden brown and it will smell like toasted nuts. Pull it off the heat right away and pour it, browned bits and all, into a heatproof bowl. Let it cool for about 10 minutes, then divide it into three bowls: 3 tablespoons for the dough, 1 tablespoon for the filling, and 3 tablespoons for the crumble.
  • Activate the yeast. Warm 3/4 cup of whole milk to between 100 and 110 degrees F. Stir in the 2 teaspoons of active dry yeast and let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes, until it is foamy and bubbly on top. That means your yeast is happy and ready to work!
  • Mix the wet ingredients. To the bowl of your stand mixer, add the activated yeast mixture, 3 tablespoons of brown butter, 1/2 cup pumpkin puree, the egg, 1/4 cup light brown sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Mix until everything is fully combined and smooth.
  • Knead the dough. Add the bread flour, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice. Using the dough hook, knead on medium low for 8 minutes, until the dough is smooth, elastic, and just slightly tacky. It should pull away from the sides of the bowl. If it is still super sticky after a few minutes, add flour one tablespoon at a time.
  • Let it rise. Cover the bowl with a towel or plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm spot for 60 to 90 minutes, until doubled in size. This is the perfect time to make your filling and crumble!
  • Make the cream cheese filling. Beat together the room temperature cream cheese, 2 tablespoons maple syrup, 1 tablespoon brown butter, and 1 teaspoon vanilla until totally smooth. Add the powdered sugar SLOWLY and beat until light and fluffy. Transfer it to a piping bag and set aside.
  • Make the crumble. In a small bowl, mix 3 tablespoons brown butter, 1/2 cup light brown sugar, 1/2 cup all purpose flour, and 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice until it looks wet and comes together in big clumps. Set aside.
  • Shape the buns. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F and line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Punch down the risen dough and divide it into 6 equal balls. Mine are about 140 grams each, and anywhere between 120 and 140 grams is perfect. Roll each one into a smooth ball and place them on the sheet pan with plenty of space between them. These are BIG bakery style buns, so they need room to spread!
  • Make the wells. Press the bottom of a 1 cup measuring cup firmly into the center of each dough ball to create a deep, round well with a puffy border. Brush each bun all over with egg wash.
  • Fill and top. Pipe a generous amount of the cream cheese filling into each well, dividing it evenly so you use ALL of it. Drizzle with half of your salted caramel (about 2 tablespoons total), then sprinkle the pumpkin spice crumble around the edges of each bun.
  • Bake. Bake at 375 degrees F for 18 to 22 minutes, until the buns are deeply golden and your whole house smells like fall.
  • Finish and enjoy. Let the buns cool for about 10 minutes, then drizzle with the remaining salted caramel. Serve them warm and watch everyone go quiet after the first bite!