Anything that contains pumpkin is automatically perfect for Autumn. My simple pumpkin puff pastry recipe is a perfect quick dish for these long winter days. It’s packed with tasty yet straightforward flavours which the whole family will enjoy.
For quick, easy and satisfying meals, I do love working with puff pastry. I’m going to chat about how vegan puff pastry options in a bit. But if you don’t have time to read the recipe for my pumpkin puff pastry now, please PIN it for later or bookmark this page.
My roasted pumpkin puff pastry is lovely this time of year, and it’s incredibly versatile. I have paired my pumpkin with some roasted sweet potato, but many other root vegetables could work which I’ll chat more about in a minute.
The drizzles zesty sage pesto, and additions of caramelised onion and melted vegan cheese makes every bite delightful.
How do you make vegan pumpkin puff pastry?
As you’ll know, traditional puff pastry recipes aren’t vegan. They require butter, but you can easily sub this out for a dairy-free alternative.
There are plenty of benefits to going dairy-free – if you fancy reading more, then check out this article.
When choosing a vegan butter for this kind of baking, then you’ll want to select one that acts very similarly to dairy butter blocks. My current favourites are:
- Vegan Block by Naturli
- Flora’s Plant Butter
Both have a lovely flavour and work fantastic in cooking and baking. Also, I believe Stork’s Original Baking Block (not their margarine) is vegan.
As much as I love to get into making pastry, sometimes I want a quick cheat. So, if you’re like me and want a short-cut, then my favourite is pre-made puff pastry sheets. Most supermarket brands these days are accidentally vegan. Jus Rol and many supermarket-own brands are vegan – double-check the label when you’re next shopping.
How healthy is this roasted pumpkin puff pastry?
Topping puff pastry pizza with a variety of vegetables incorporates additional nutrition and essential vitamins as well as FLAVOUR.
I have paired my pumpkin with some sweet potato as it’s rich in fibre, vitamins C and A, and several antioxidants. There are a lovely bunch of other seasonal veggies that would work this time of year too:
- Beetroot
- Parsnip
- Squash
- Carrot
- Radish – mmm, finely sliced and sprinkled over the top would add some lovely texture
Root veggies are very seasonal this time of year and boast tonnes of nutrients. Most of them are packed with vitamin C and A, lots of fibre, nitrates and beta-carotene. Feel free to put your own stamp on this recipe.
Just a quick note on the choice of onion – I have used shallots as I feel the subtle sweetness works much better for this recipe. Red onion is also a great option. I would stick to these two for caramelising onions as their natural sweetness works better. You can use white onion; it will just taste a bit different.
Why do you par-cook the vegetables before topping them on the pumpkin pastry?
Firstly, roasting vegetables is a great way to savour their nutrients. For example, boiling vegetables may cause vital nutrients to leach into the water, leaving you with less in your dinner.
Secondly, these root veggies take longer to cook through in the oven than the puff pastry. Therefore, roasting them beforehand allows them to par-cook and soak up some seasoning. Then they’ll finish off cooking as toppings on the puff pastry. If you don’t par-cook them, they won’t cook through by the time the puff pastry cooks, and you’ll find the veggies a bit raw. Whereas, par-cooking provides an easy bite bursting with flavour.
- TIP: If you would like to cut your puff pastry, say if you’re making 2-6 individual pastries from one sheet, then cut the pastry while it’s still chilled.
- TIP: Left-over sage pesto? Please keep it in the fridge in an airtight container for a few days and whack it into some pasta sauces or salads. YUM!
I’d love to hear your feedback in the comments once you’ve tried my pumpkin puff pastry. I’m sure you will adore the taste and be delighted by how yummy a Life Without Meat can be.
If you love puff pastry, you might also like:
- 20 MINUTE Raspberry Puff Pastries
- Creamy Pesto Asparagus and Leek Tart
- Puff Pastry Pizza With Roasted Mediterranean Veggies
Much love, G x
Roasted Sweet Potato Pumpkin Puff Pastry with Sage & Caramelised Onion
A simple sweet potato and pumpkin puff pastry, infused with sage and caramelised onion. The perfect quick dish for these long winter days.
Ingredients
For the pumpkin puff pastry:
- 150g pumpkin, peeled and diced
- 1 medium sweet potato
- Olive oil
- Black pepper
- Salt
- Fresh thyme
- 1 puff pastry sheet
- 4 shallots
- 1 tsp light brown sugar
- 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
- Vegan mozzarella/feta
For the zesty Sage Pesto:
- 3 tsp of free from green pesto
- 10 sage leaves
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 3 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 190C and prepare your pumpkin and sweet potato. Peel and dice both into bitesize pieces. Place both on a baking tray and drizzle over a little olive oil—season well with salt, pepper and a sprinkling of fresh thyme. Roast for 20 minutes on the middle shelf of your oven until tender and they begin to brown.
- Next, roll out the pastry onto a baking tray. Score a large rectangle on the base of the pastry - this helps give you a definitive edge to work with.
- Halfway through the vegetables roasting, give them a toss and place them back in the oven to finish cooking. At this point, place the bare pastry on the top shelf of the oven for 7-8 minutes until lightly golden.
- While they cook, peel and slice our shallots into rings. Drizzle a little olive oil to a frying pan on medium heat. Start to fry off the shallots with the sugar and balsamic vinegar until they’re caramelised and soft (5 minutes). This takes about the same amount of time as it takes for the veggies and pastry to finish. The onions should be sweet, sharp and moreish. Set them aside.
- Take the veggies and pastry out the oven. Use the back of a spoon to push down the inner rectangle of pastry that should have puffed up - this will be where you lay your filling.
- Assemble the pumpkin pastry, starting with the caramelised onions, followed by the pumpkin, sweet potato and a sprinkling of vegan mozzarella or crumbled vegan feta. Pop it back in the oven for a further 8-10 minutes until the pastry is deeply golden, the filling has begun to get some colour, and cheese has melted.
- While your pastry is cooking, add all the pesto ingredients to a food processor, season well with salt and pepper. Sage can be quite bitter, so this is balanced out with the lemon juice.
- Drizzle the pesto over the tarts to serve. DEEEEEELISH!
Notes
Allergens: gluten (choose a gluten-free pastry instead), nuts (pesto)
Some vegan butter contains nuts.
