Fruit Filled Pastry

Using your favorite fruit pie filling, such as apple, cherry, or blueberry, create this delicious cream cheese pasty. It’s an easy recipe using Pillsbury’s Crescent Dough Sheet, canned fruit pie filling, and a cream cheese mixture. Delicious, easy, and fun to make. Fruit Filled Pastry can be made into 2 fun shapes, a basket or a flat braid, then they’re baked to a golden brown.

Basket shaped pastry filled with apple filling next to scoop of ice cream.

Because you need so few items for this recipe, it really is easy. Buying the crescent dough in sheet form by Pillsbury saves a lot of time measuring and mixing. It’s very easy to work with this dough, it stretches and doesn’t stick to your fingers.

Then you get to pick your favorite flavor of pie filling. Mine is apple, but I also love blueberry and cherry. Raspberry pastry filling or a lemon curd would also be delicious here, and let’s not forget strawberry. The only real mixing you have to do is the cream cheese layer, and even that’s only three ingredients.

A flat braided dessert with criss-crossed dough.

Using Pillsbury Crescent Dough Sheets

This dough is great. It’s already made, mixed, and flattened out, ready to use. So much work has already been done for you, plus they taste amazing.

Open two cans of the dough and decide what shape you want to make. I like options, so I made two as seen in the pictures. I used one sheet of dough for each shape.

If you look at the two pictures above, the top picture shows six basket shaped pastries made in a 6-muffin pan. Six in this shape uses one sheet of dough. If you want this shape for the full recipe, it will make 12, so you will need 2 sheets of dough and 2 muffin pans.

The other shape is more of a flat braid seen above. Again, I used one sheet of dough for each shape, but if you use this shape for the full recipe, it will make 2 braids approx. 15″ in length using 2 sheets of dough.

So, pick your shape or make one of each. The pie filling and cream cheese mixture is enough for 2 sheets of dough.

Of course, you can always cut the recipe in half and use only one sheet of dough, but I’m never sure what to do with half a can of pie filling.

The Basket Shape

Let me show you the process using both shapes. First is the basket shape. Roll out the dough and cut into 6 even pieces. Flatten each one out a bit more so that it’s more of a square than a rectangle. Place it in the pan sprayed with non-stick spray, then fill with the cream cheese, pie filling, a sprinkle of cinnamon, and optional nuts.

Take opposite corners and twist it 2 – 3 times, then pinch the ends together. Repeat with the other 2 corners.

Raw dough cut into rectangles, pastry cups before baking.

The Flat Braid Shape

Start by spreading the cream cheese mixture in the center 1/3 of the dough. Drop by dollops and spread by pushing down gently.

Next, the pie filling goes on top followed by a sprinkle of cinnamon, and optional nuts. I love pecans and walnuts!

I randomly cut about 15 slits along each side, but don’t cut too close to the cream cheese. We want the dough to create a solid side to hold in all that yumminess.

From there, twist each slit 2 – 3 times, then criss-cross them and pinch the ends together.

Raw dough with cream cheese and apple pie filling, slits cut into sides, then twisted.

Baking Fruit Filled Pastry to a golden brown

The last step before baking is to crack open an egg, mix it up with a fork a bit, and brush it onto the dough. This egg wash gives the pastry that beautiful golden brown color.

Bake these little darlin’s in a 375° oven for 20 – 25 minutes.

They were delicious warm from the oven with a scoop of ice cream. Oh my!

One basket and one braid shaped dessert.

Storing Fruit Filled Pastry

After baking your new dessert, let it cool to room temperature. It should then be stored in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.

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5 from 3 votes

Fruit Filled Pastry

An easy recipe using Pillsbury Crescent Sheet Dough, pie filling, and a cream cheese mixture. Make into flat braid or basket shape.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cream cheese, crescent, pie filling, quick and easy
Servings: 12
Calories: 170kcal
Author: Sweet Ordeal

Ingredients

  • 2 8 oz. cans Pillsbury refrigerated crescent dough sheet (or crescent dinner rolls)
  • 8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp. lemon juice
  • 20 oz. can pie filling, apple, cherry, or blueberry
  • 2 tsp. cinnamon, optional (on apple only)
  • 1/4 cup nuts, optional (crushed pecans or walnuts)
  • 1 egg

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375°.
  • For braid shape: unroll both dough sheets onto parchment paper. If using dinner rolls, firmly press perforations and seams to seal so it resembles a solid sheet.
  • Using mixer, thoroughly mix cream cheese with sugar and lemon juice. Spread half of mixture down length of each sheet of dough and spread gently. Keep cream cheese mixture in center 1/3 of dough.
  • Spread half of pie filling over each cream cheese mixture. If using apple pie filling, sprinkle with cinnamon. Add optional nuts.
  • Using a knife or kitchen shears, cut about 15 slits up each side of dough to within 1/2" of filling. Twist each strip about 2 times, then criss-cross them across pie filling pinching the ends together. Roll up short ends 1/2" and pinch them into place so filling does not run out end.
  • Mix egg in a small bowl and brush evenly over dough on both braids. Place each braid onto baking sheet and bake for 20 - 25 minutes until golden brown. Enjoy!

Notes

To make into basket shape: using 2 6-muffin pans, (for a total of 12 muffins) spray with non-stick spray. Roll out both cans of dough and cut each sheet into 6 (for a total of 12). Using your hands, flatten each rectangle into a square and place into pan. 
Divide cream cheese mixture evenly into each dough cup. 
Divide pie filling evenly over cream cheese mixture. 
If using apple pie filling, sprinkle optional cinnamon.
If using nuts, divide evenly.
Take 2 opposite dough corners and twist 2 times, then pinch ends together. Repeat with remaining 2 corners. Do this on each cup.
Brush dough with egg wash and bake for 20 - 25 minutes.
If using apple pie filling: optional to chop apples into smaller pieces for a more uniform look. 

Nutrition

Calories: 170kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 34mg | Sodium: 90mg | Potassium: 74mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 288IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @sweetordeal or tag #sweetordeal!

Loving everything with cream cheese?

I can’t put it into words, I just love cream cheese for all that it is. It tastes delicious, it goes with so many different flavors, it’s smooth and creamy…ok, I guess I came up with a few words.

Here’s a few desserts that also use cream cheese in the recipe:

I hope you’ll follow me on Pinterest and post a picture of your delicious dessert, whichever one you make. Have a blessed day and happy baking!

Fruit Filled PastryFruit Filled PastryCopyright © Sweet Ordeal. All content and images are copyright protected. Do not use any images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, make sure to re-write the recipe in your own words and only list ingredients making sure to link back to this post for the original recipe and directions.

5 from 3 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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