Today we’re making pumpkin conchas, or conchas de calabaza from scratch!

I shared these pumpkin conchas as an Instagram reel in September, and I did not expect for them to be a huge hit. We have a few weeks left before Thanksgiving, so I want to make sure I share this recipe before it gets here. Did I mention these pumpkin conchas are great with a cup of my pumpkin atole?

Since writing Chicano Bakes, conchas are now one of my favorite projects to turn to whenever I’m having a rough week. They help me refocus my energy, and melt my stress away. It’s a recipe that requires a couple of hours, and a good bit of attention. I also like that the give me the opportunity to get creative with different color combinations for the streusel topping.

Here’s a few tips to keep in mind when making pumpkin conchas from scratch:

What are conchas?

Conchas are a type of traditional Mexican pan dulce. They are pastries, consisting of a sweet bun topped with a sweet crunchy streusel. The topping is scored with a seashell design, which is how they get their name! Conchas are great with a cup of coffee, atole, or warm cup of Mexican chocolate.

Today we’re making pumpkin conchas, where we’re lacing the bun with pumpkin puree and aromatic fall spices! The addition of the pumpkin puree not only turns the dough a pretty orange color, but it also adds plenty of moisture, so you end up with really soft and fluffy conchas.

How to make Pumpkin Conchas from Scratch:

I am going to repeat this every time I share a baking recipe with you—baking by weight is the way to go!

Use a scale to weigh out your ingredients. It will ensure that you get the same result every single time! Not only will it give you consistent results, it’ll help avoid from adding too much flour to your dough. You can find food scales for a reasonable price, this is the one I personally use-OXO 5lb Food Scale

Proof your dough in a warm place.

Whenever I need to proof dough, I like to preheat the oven to 350 degrees for 2-3 minutes, then I turn it off. This ensures that the dough will be proofing in a warm place.

The dough should feel slightly sticky.

Yes, the dough will feel a little sticky, but don’t add any extra flour to the dough. Make it easier to work with and add a little bit of oil to your hands to prevent it from sticking.

Tips to make the Concha Streusel Topping:

Once you are done making the concha dough, start on the streusel.

It’ll keep you from getting overwhelmed later. You can have it made and you can portion it out so it’s ready to be pressed as soon as the main dough is done proofing.

If you’re not using any food coloring in your streusel topping, add more vanilla extract.

I left the topping just a little under hydrated to account for food coloring. 2 1/2 teaspoons shouldn’t be too crumbly but using 1 whole teaspoon of vanilla extract will be the perfect amount for well hydrated topping.

Fix sticky or crumbly concha topping!

If you add too much food coloring and the streusel topping is sticky, toss it back into the stand mixer bowl. Add 1 teaspoon of flour at a time until it’s no longer sticky to the touch. Add one to two drops of food coloring at a time to prevent it from becoming too wet.

Get creative with the streusel topping colors.

I recommend using gel food coloring for great color payoff without adding too much moisture. Here are some great classic color options, and these neon colors are also fantastic! I’m using the neon orange and classic yellow colors for the conchas in the photos.

I hope you try these pumpkin conchas (conchas de calabaza). If you’ve never made them before, they might not be perfect the first time you make them and that’s totally okay! Take your time and have fun with the process. If you have any questions, send me a comment on here, or send me a DM on Instagram .

I’ve got two more recipes to share with you before Thanksgiving arrives, and I’m especially excited for the next one coming up because it’s a twist on one of my favorite desserts. I hope you have a great rest of the week, y nos vemos pronto!

Pumpkin Concha Video Tutorial

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  Today I’m sharing a recipe for sweet pineapple tamales, from the Chicano Bakes cookbook! If you are looking for more tamal recipes, make sure to pick up a copy of Chicano Bakes. It is currently on sale for about $15 over on Amazon, and the book has many recipes for tamales, including sweet strawberry tamales, sweet corn tamales, as well as red beef and green chicken tamales, and tamales de rajas con queso. I made sure there was something for everyone! What are tamales? Tamales are a traditional Mexican dish typically comprised of a corn dough, or masa, made from nixtamalized corn flour, as well a filling, either chicken, pork, beef, fish or vegetables, wrapped in a corn husk or banana leaf, which is then steamed.  What are sweet tamales? On the other hand, sweet tamales, incorporate a sweet fruit puree into the dough, and sometimes will fold in fruit as well. Popular sweet tamal flavors include strawberry, sweet corn, pumpkin, and pineapple, which is what we’re making today.
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4.19 from 11 votes

Pumpkin Conchas (Conchas de Calabaza)

Course Bread

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword conchas, Pan Dulce, pumpkin conchas, pumpkin recipes

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 22 minutes minutes

Proofing 3 hours hours

Total Time 3 hours hours 37 minutes minutes

Servings 12

Calories 537kcal

Ingredients

For the Dough

• ⅓ cup Whole Milk (78 g)
• 1 tablespoon Active Dry Yeast
• 5⅓ cups All-Purpose Flour (666 g)
• 8 oz Pumpkin Puree (226 g)
• ½ cup Unsalted Butter (8 tablespoons/ 115 g)
• ⅔ cup Dark Brown Sugar (138 g)
• ½ cup Granulated Sugar (100 g)
• 2 Large Eggs , at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt , or ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
• ¾ teaspoon Ground Cardamom
• ½ teaspoon Ground Ginger
• ¼ teaspoon Ground Nutmeg

For the Egg Wash

• 1 Egg , beaten

For the Topping

• 1 cup All-Purpose Flour (125 g)
• 1¼ cups Powdered Sugar , sifted (125 g)
• ½ teaspoon Baking Powder
• ¼ teaspoon Kosher Salt , or pinch of fine sea salt
• ½ cup Butter Flavored Shortening (96 g)
• 2½ teaspoons Vanilla Extract
• Gel Food Coloring , (optional)

Instructions

Make the Dough

• In a heatproof measuring cup, mix together the whole milk and 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar. Pop it into the microwave for 20 seconds, until this mixture is just slightly hot to the touch. Stir in the yeast then set aside to let the yeast bloom for 10 minutes until nice and bubbly.
• In a standmixer bowl, whish together the flour, remaining ½ cup of granulated sugar, dark brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, nutmeg and salt.
• In a large measuring cup, whisk together the pumpkin puree and melted butter, then mix in the eggs.
• Snap on the dough hook and turn the mixer speed to low, and pour in the yeast mixture. Once incorporated, beat in the pumpkin mixture. Increase the speed to medium-low and let the dough come together for about 2 ½ minutes. Turn the mixer off, scrape down the sides of the bowl, then let the dough mix on medium-high speed for a final 4 minutes.
• Lightly mist a large bowl with cooking spray then scrape the dough into the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough sit in a dark warm place to proof for about 2 ½ hours, until doubled in size.

Make the Concha Topping

• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, powdered sugar, baking powder and salt.
• Add the shortening to a clean stand mixer bowl, and snap the paddle attachment on. Turn the speed to low and beat the shortening for a minute. Incorporate the flour mixture 1/3 cup at a time, then add in the vanilla extract. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then beat the topping at medium speed  for a final 2 minutes until it comes together. Add in any food coloring at this time, making sure not to add too much to prevent the topping from becoming too sticky.
• NOTE: If you are leaving the topping white, add in an extra 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract (use a total of 1 tablespoon). I left the topping just a little under hydrated to account for food coloring, 2 1/2 teaspoons shouldn't be too crumbly but using 1 whole teaspoon of extract should be the perfect amount for well hydrated topping.
•  Divide the topping dough into 12 equal portions (about 25 grams each), place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out.

Assemble the Conchas

• Once the dough has proofed, remove the plastic, punch the dough down and let it rest for 5 minutes.
• Line 3 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
• With clean hands, divide the dough into 12 equal sized portions (about 110 grams each). The dough will feel slightly sticky, add a few drops of oil to your hands to make it easier to work with, but do not add any extra flour to the dough.
• Arrange 4 balls of dough on each baking sheet, then brush each portion of dough with the egg wash.
• Take a gallon-sized plastic Ziploc bag and cut down the seams so you have two large squares of plastic. Place a portion of the topping in between the plastic squares, then take a plate and gently press down on the topping to flatten it into a circle with a 3.5-4 inch radius. Gently peel off the topping and place it over each portion of concha dough, then use a stencil or knife to score a shell design into the topping. Repeat with the remaining portions of topping dough.
• Let the conchas proof one last time for about an hour until doubled in size.
• 30 minutes before the conchas are done proofing, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F then bake for 20-22 minutes at 350 degrees, until the buns are nice and browned.
• Let cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes before serving.