Halloween is just a few days away, and the air is turning crisp. It's the perfect weather to stay inside, fire up the oven, and bake something cozy. These pumpkin spice stuffed conchas take the classic Mexican sweet bread up a notch with a spiced, crackly topping and a creamy pumpkin filling in every bite. Whether you're making a treat for a costume party, prepping a sweet start to Halloween morning, or just warming up after a breezy evening outside, now is the time to perfect your concha game before the big night arrives.

Pumpkin spice stuffed conchas

Soft Mexican sweet bread with a spiced crackly topping and a creamy pumpkin filling.

Makes: 12 conchas
Time: About 1 hour active, plus 2½–3 hours rising and chilling

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Ingredients

Dough

• 4 cups (500 g) all-purpose flour
• ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
• 2¼ tsp (1 packet) instant yeast
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ¾ cup (180 ml) warm milk, about 110°F
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 6 tbsp (85 g) unsalted butter, softened

Pumpkin pastry cream filling

• 1 cup whole milk
• ½ cup pumpkin purée (not pie filling)
• 3 egg yolks
• ⅓ cup granulated sugar
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1 tbsp butter
• ½ tsp vanilla extract

Concha topping

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• ¾ cup (95 g) all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup (90 g) powdered sugar
• ⅓ cup (75 g) butter or vegetable shortening, softened
• 1½ tsp pumpkin pie spice
• Orange food coloring (optional)

Instructions

Make the filling first

1. Heat the milk. Warm the milk and pumpkin purée in a saucepan over medium heat until steaming.
2. Whisk the yolk mixture. In a bowl, whisk the yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and spice until smooth.
3. Temper the yolks. Slowly whisk about half of the hot milk into the yolks. Then pour everything back into the pan.
4. Thicken. Cook while whisking constantly until the cream is thick and bubbling, about 2–3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and vanilla.
5. Chill. Press plastic wrap onto the surface and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. You can make this a day ahead.

Make the dough

1. Mix. In a stand mixer, combine the flour, sugar, yeast, salt, and cinnamon. Add the milk, eggs, and vanilla, and mix with the dough hook until a shaggy dough forms.
2. Knead. Add the butter one spoonful at a time. Knead on medium speed for 8–10 minutes, until the dough is smooth, soft, and slightly tacky.
3. First rise. Cover the dough and let it rise in a warm spot until doubled, about 1–1½ hours.

Make the topping

1. Mix the topping. Mix the flour, powdered sugar, butter, and spice into a smooth paste. Tint it orange if you like.
2. Portion it. Divide the paste into 12 balls.

Shape and bake

1. Shape the buns. Divide the dough into 12 pieces, about 80 g each. Roll each piece into a smooth ball and place 6 per parchment-lined baking sheet. Flatten each ball slightly.
2. Add the topping. Flatten each topping ball between plastic wrap into a 3½-inch disc. Lay a disc over each bun and press gently.
3. Score. Score the classic shell pattern with a sharp knife or concha cutter. For a Halloween twist, score curved vertical lines like pumpkin ridges.
4. Second rise. Cover loosely and let the buns rise until puffy, about 45–60 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
5. Bake. Bake for 18–22 minutes, until the bottoms are golden. The topping should stay mostly pale. Cool completely.

Stuff them

• Piped: Poke a hole in the side of each concha with a chopstick. Whisk the chilled filling until smooth, then pipe in about 2 tbsp.
• Sandwich style: Slice each concha in half horizontally and spread or pipe the filling inside.

Fun extras

• Pumpkin stems: Push a small pretzel piece or a green candy into the top after baking.
• Two-tone: Make half the topping orange and half plain or chocolate (swap 2 tbsp flour for cocoa powder).
• Extra cozy: Add a swirl of cajeta or dulce de leche to the filling.

Storage: Since they're filled with cream, keep them refrigerated and eat within 2 days. Unfilled conchas keep at room temperature for 2–3 days.