Sweet and Savory Pumpkin Cream Cheese Rangoons

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Last updated on March 14th, 2023 at 02:54 pm

These pumpkin cream cheese rangoons are a fall twist on a unique appetizer. The pumpkin cream cheese filling is a savory fall snack while the dip is a sweet spiced treat. And when combined they make a great appetizer for any fall gathering.

The pumpkin season is upon us – that means we can now make pumpkin treats and recipes galore. So, check out these sweet and savory rangoons. A savory pumpkin cream cheese filling encased in a crispy wonton wrapper is as perfect as it sounds.

If you’ve never tried making rangoons before, know that they are a bit of work. But with the help of this recipe, you can whip up these fun little treats in no time. I make these delicious, festive rangoons by mixing cream cheese with canned pumpkin, adding spices, and folding it all together in a wonton wrapper!

These snacks are not only fun and delicious to eat, but they also look great. So let’s get into all of the steps involved with making them.

What Are Rangoons?

Crab rangoons are typically fried appetizers found primarily in American Chinese restaurants. As far as I’m aware, its origin has been traced back to a Polynesian-style restaurant from San Francisco in the 1950s.

You may have heard them called crab puffs, crab pillows, crab cheese wontons, or cheese wontons. But I’ve always known them as crab rangoons.

Crab rangoons are made of wonton wrappers that are filled with sweetened cream cheese and a mixture of crab meat. The wonton wrappers are deep-fried and folded into some form of star or pouch, creating a pocket to hold the filling. They are typically served with some kind of sweet and sour dipping sauce to round out the experience.

So, I took this general appetizer idea and wanted to twist it into a fall-themed dish.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Rangoon Ingredients

These pumpkin cream cheese rangoons include a few different parts: the pumpkin cream cheese filling, the wonton wrappers, and the sweet dip.

To make this easier, we’re going to use store-bought wonton wrappers. You may be able to find some in either the fridge or freezer section of your grocery store. They are thin squares of dough that are roughly 3 inches on each side. If you’re really dedicated, you can make the wrappers yourself.

The main ingredients in the pumpkin cream cheese filling are cheese and pumpkin. Surprise! To complement it, we’ll add some garlic, shallots, salt, pepper, sage, oil, and maple syrup. This filling is a savory pumpkin treat. Similar to a filling you might make for homemade ravioli.

Since crab rangoons are typically served with a dipping sauce, I wanted to make one for this dish as well. In order to balance things out, the dip for these pumpkin cream cheese rangoons is sweet. I’m not going to lie, it is basically cream cheese frosting… so read on for that.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Filling

It’s not too hard to make pumpkin cream cheese filling.

Start with chopping the garlic, shallot, and sage. Then saute them together with olive oil in a pan until the shallot just becomes translucent.

Then add all of the other filling ingredients into a bowl and get to mixing. You can mix by hand or with a hand mixer. Just make sure to get everything thoroughly combined.

The filling itself is mostly savory. The sauteed mixture along with salt, pepper, cheese, and pumpkin all add to the creamy, delicious filling. And then a little bit of maple syrup helps bring in a bit of sweetness that will help the rangoons pair with the dipping sauce.

Once again, make sure you get a smooth consistency. We’ll be dolloping this out into the center of the wonton wrappers in order to fold and fry them. And you don’t want a rangoon that’s only cream cheese.

How to Fold Rangoons

I’ll be folding these into a kind of 4-point star formation that I’ve traditionally seen with crab rangoons. But you could just fold them in half, or like wontons, or really any way that seals it together. These instructions are for the star rangoons.

The goal is to fold them into a neat little package that will seal so no filling comes out while cooking. To start, set up a rangoon filling station. Have your wonton wrappers, pumpkin cream cheese filling, and a small bowl of water ready to go. Also, make sure there’s space to hold a bunch of uncooked rangoons.

It may take a few tries to really learn it, but It’s easy to fold rangoons.

Start by setting out a single wonton wrapper (step 1). Then add about 3/4 of a tablespoon of filling to the center of the wrapper. Dip a finger in the bowl of water and trace the outside edges of the wonton wrapper, rewetting as needed (step 2). It is hard to see in the photo, but the entire edge is dragged with water. This helps the edges stick and seal when folded together.

Now take the midpoints between each corner and pull them up and together so that all four midpoints meet at the center of the wrapper (steps 3-5). Try to keep things even so that edges line up. Then gently press all of the edges together so that they seal together.

When done correctly you should end up with a rangoon that looks like step 5, though you may have a few gaps in the seal at the edge or center. They don’t need to be perfect.

Cooking Methods: Fry, Bake, or Air Fry

Now we need some heat. So what kind of cooking method should you use? There are a few options: deep frying, air frying, or baking.

My preferred method is deep frying these pumpkin cream cheese rangoons. They get more crunch and better overall texture this way. The biggest con is that it is definitely the worst for your health. But sometimes, sacrifices must be made in the name of flavor…

You can also opt to bake them in an oven. This will take longer, and I think it lends itself to the filling overflowing and the corners of the rangoons over-browning.

Air frying is basically like a midpoint between deep frying and baking. I think it crisps up better than straight baking but not as much as air frying. And it is still prone to overflowing and over-browning. Note that for both baking and air frying I suggest spraying a bit of canola oil over the rangoons to help them cook.

Sweet Cream Cheese Dip

I’m not gonna lie, this dip is basically just a cream cheese frosting. A cream cheese frosting with a whole lot of fall flavors mixed in. And I know that sounds strange, but trust me the combo of savory rangoons with a sweet dip is divine.

A cream cheese frosting is essentially cream cheese mixed with something sweet and any flavors you’d like. For this appetizer dip, we’re sweetening with maple syrup and flavoring with cinnamon, cloves, and fresh thyme. The thyme brings in a bit of the savory flavors found in the rangoons, but the rest is pure, sweet fall flavor.

And, just like the pumpkin filling, it’s super easy to make. This dip has similar flavors to my brown sugar pumpkin spice butter.

Just chop up the thyme and then combine all 5 dip ingredients in a bowl. Then mix it thoroughly until combined.

I used a hand mixer for this. But you can also use a stand mixer or any old spoon. Just make sure that whatever method you use, it is all mixed together without any clumping cream cheese.

Sweet cream cheese dip is a fantastic dipping food. It’s tangy and creamy. And best of all, it’s incredibly easy to make.

What to Serve with Pumpkin Cream Cheese Rangoons

These pumpkin cream cheese rangoons are best served as an appetizer.

Obviously, I serve the rangoons with the sweet dip that I include in the recipe. I think this dip is key to bringing together the sweet and savory flavors. They aren’t quite the same without it.

If you are looking for meals to serve with this appetizer, look at any of the following:

• Creamy Two-Cheese Pear Ravioli
• Silky Smooth Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
• Pecan and Apple Salad with Mustard Maple Dressing
• Simple Risotto Side Dish

However you serve it, just know you’re in for a delicious combination of sweet and savory fall flavors.

How did yours turn out?

I’d love to hear when you try out these pumpkin cream cheese rangoons! Take a pic of your food and share your success with me by adding it to your Instagram stories or feed, and tagging me @doyouroux, or by using #doyouroux.

Plus, leave a rating to let me know how you liked the recipe. It helps me out a lot to know how things worked out… or didn’t.

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