Celebrate pumpkin szn with these Savory Pumpkin Twists with puff pastry, pumpkin puree, fontina cheese, sauteed leeks, and spices! Warm, cheesy, and flaky, these babies are literally the perfect pumpkin appetizers for your Thanksgiving dinner or cozy weeknight dinner! People will *LOVE* these!
Savory Pumpkin Twists With Puff Pastry
Pumpkin szn is here and I just HAD to introduce you guys to my all-time favorite pumpkin appetizers: these Savory Pumpkin Twists made with pumpkin puree, Fontina cheese, sauteed leeks, and spices!
They’re very easy (and fun) to make but SO good! People usually inhale these… so snatch a few off the table before they arrive and eat them!!! Be selfish. These pumpkin twists are worth it.
I also love how pretty they look, I mean don’t they just belong on a holiday table?! Speaking of the Holidays… they’ll be kinda different this year (which is why I shared my “Pumpkin Pie For Two” recipe the other day) but I truly hope you’ll be able to spend them with your loved ones!
Me, I’m on a quest to bring some comfort with my food, so if you have any requests for Holiday recipes or questions about any of my recipes, I’m just a comment away! 💘
Ingredients
- Olive oil for sautéing, you can also use butter, margarine, or a different vegetable oil.
- Salt and pepper.
- Pumpkin puree. This is NOT pumpkin pie filling, it’s basically just pumpkin that you can steam, boil, or bake, and then mash into a puree. I would recommend making it at home but if you want to snatch a can of pumpkin puree, do it! Just make sure you’re not using pumpkin pie filling because it’s sweetened and made to go into pies!
- Paprika for the puree.
- Cinnamon for the puree.
- Nutmeg for the puree.
- Cloves for the puree.
- Puff pastry. Frozen and thawed.
- Leek. I like using leek for this recipe because they have a mild, almost sweet flavor as opposed to onions. Also, they’re in season so they really make these pumpkin twists extra cozy.
- Fontina cheese. I recommend Fontina cheese because it has a distinct warm, nutty flavor that really takes these to the next level. Similar cheeses: Gruyere, Provolone, Emmental, Gouda. I don’t recommend using simple cheeses like shredded mozzarella because they really don’t add anything to the dish flavor-wise.
- Parmesan cheese for extra flavor. You want to use grated Parmesan cheese.
How To Make Savory Pumpkin Twists With Puff Pastry
STEP 1: Saute the leeks until soft and fragrant.
STEP 2: Add the spices to your pumpkin puree.
STEP 3: Assemble. Spread the pumpkin pure over the top of the first puff pastry sheet, then add the sauteed leeks, fontina cheese, and parmesan cheese. Place the second layer of puff pastry sheet on top. Cut into strips using a pizza cutter. Grab each strip and twist the ends, then roll it up into a donut-like shape tucking the end underneath (use the step-by-step pictures below if you need help!).
STEP 4: Bake until golden and serve immediately!
HAPPY COOKING LOVES!! I hope you’ll love these Easy Pumpkin Appetizers as much as I do!
PS: Please leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating ⭐️ if you make it! I LOVE hearing from you! 💘
More Pumpkin Recipes You’ll Love:
- Homemade Pumpkin Pie for Two
- Pumpkin Bagels
- Autumn Corn Chowder with Roasted Pumpkin
- Healthy Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal

Savory Pumpkin Twists With Puff Pastry
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 leek (cleaned and sliced)
- 1 cup pumpkin puree (no pumpkin pie filling, this is just pumpkin that has been steamed, cooked, or roasted and mashed into a puree)
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika (or regular paprika)
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- Salt and pepper (to taste)
- 2 sheets puff pastry (frozen and thawed)
- 2 oz Fontina cheese (cut into small cubes)
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Sauté the leaks. In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add in the sliced leek and season with salt and pepper to taste. Sautee for 5-7 minutes or until soft and fragrant. Remove from heat and allow to cool down.
- Season the pureed pumpkin. Meanwhile, add the smoked paprika, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and pepper to your pumpkin puree. Mix and taste, adjust seasonings if desired.
- Preheat the oven to 350F (180C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Prepare the puff-pastry. Unroll the two layers of puff-pastry onto a lightly-floured surface. Use a rolling pin dusted with flour to roll out each puff-pastry layer (separately) into 1/8-inch thick (3 mm).
- Add the filling. Using a spatula, spread an even layer of pumpkin puree over the top of the first layer of puff-pastry. Sprinkle with sauteed leeks, cubed Fontina cheese, and grated Parmesan cheese. Top with the second puff pastry sheet.
- Shape. Using a pizza cutter or a knife, cut the rectangle into 1-inch strips (2.5 cm). Grab each strip and twist the ends, then roll it up into a donut-like shape tucking the end underneath it (use the step-by-step pictures provided in the blog post if you need help). Place the prepared twist on your baking sheet and repeat with the other strips. This process is a bit messy, it's okay if some of the leek or cheese falls out when you're twisting, just pop it back into the twist once you're done shaping it.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden and flaky! Do not allow the twists to turn brown! Serve immediately.
Notes
📷 DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?!
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