Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
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Posted: 11/05/23
Updated: 12/20/24
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Warm up this fall on chilly mornings with a batch of delicious Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls. Light, fluffy pumpkin dough with cinnamon swirl and cream cheese icing makes these homemade rolls so delicious. This is an easy recipe for cinnamon rolls that anyone can make!
Pumpkin cinnamon rolls? I’ll take the whole pan please! This ooey gooey fall breakfast creation will stop you in your tracks. Made entirely from scratch, these pumpkin spice cinnamon rolls are the coziest way to start your day. They are bursting with pumpkin flavor and the homemade cream cheese frosting is so could I could eat it straight from the bowl!
Cinnamon roll lovers will rejoice over this pumpkin twist on a classic favorite. But the fun doesn’t stop there! You’ve got to try these incredible apple cinnamon rolls too.
Make the most flavorful fall breakfast treats to warm your heart and your belly on those chilly mornings. Perfect for a fun weekend breakfast or a brunch during the holiday season!
Why You’ll Love Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Rolls
- These delicious rolls can be eaten for breakfast, or served as a tasty dessert. They’re adaptable and great for any meal! You could even bring them to a bake sale because people would go nuts over a pumpkin inspired classic.
- Homemade cinnamon rolls taste much better than store-bought ones. If you’re looking for stellar flavor, then you need to give this easy recipe a shot.
- This is a bakery quality treat that even the most novice of bakers should be able to make. The recipe seems super involved, but just follow the instructions and you’ll have easy pumpkin cinnamon rolls complete in no time!
Ingredients for Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
- All purpose flour – All purpose flour is the base of the dough for these yummy cinnamon rolls.
- Whole milk – You can use 2% milk if you prefer, but I find I get the best results with whole milk.
- Active dry yeast – Use dry yeast to create a rise in the dough for these delicious pumpkin rolls.
- Granulated sugar – Granulated white sugar will be used in both the rolls and the pumpkin cinnamon roll filling.
- Unsalted butter – You will need melted butter for the dough, and softened butter for both the filling and the frosting. So make sure you have plenty of butter on hand.
- Egg – Allow the egg to come to room temperature before adding it into the dough mixture. It will mix more easily than a cold egg!
- Pumpkin puree – Purchase 100% pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling. Pie filling is already sweetened and has spices added to it!
- Pumpkin pie spice – You can use store-bought pumpkin spice or make your own homemade pumpkin spice.
- Vanilla extract – Make sure you have plenty of extract because you will need it for the rolls, the filling and the frosting.
- Kosher salt – A bit of kosher salt is used in the dough for cinnamon rolls and the sweet cream cheese frosting.
- Brown sugar – Have some brown sugar on hand to use for the filling in the middle of these homemade rolls.
- Cinnamon – You can’t have cinnamon rolls without cinnamon!
- Heavy cream – Pour heavy cream over the cinnamon rolls after rising and before you bake them.
- Cream cheese – Allow cream cheese to soften before using it to make homemade frosting.
- Powdered sugar – Use powdered sugar to sweeten the cream cheese frosting that you’ll make to top your rolls
Helpful Tools
How to Make Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
Follow these simple steps with step-by-step photos to guide you. It may seem like a lot of work, but once you get into it, it’ll be a breeze! Here is what you’ll need to do:
Make the Dough
Begin by lining a 9×13 baking sheet with parchment paper and set it to the side.
Then heat milk in a microwave-safe mixing bowl for 30-40 seconds, just until the milk is lukewarm. Add in the active yeast and the sugar, then stir with a whisk until dissolved.
Cover the mixture with a clean dish towel and let the yeast proof for 10 minutes.
While the yeast is proofing, mix together the butter, sugars, cinnamon, pumpkin puree, pumpkin spice and vanilla in a medium mixing bowl. This is the filling, so set it to the side to be used later.
Once the yeast has proofed, whisk in melted butter, an egg, the pumpkin puree, pumpkin spice and vanilla extract. Whisk until well combined.
Add in the salt and then add 1 cup of flour at a time. Knead the dough slightly until it forms a ball. Or use a stand mixer with a dough hook to knead the dough.
Cover the ball of dough with a clean towel or plastic wrap and let it rest for 10 minutes.
Roll Out Dough
Lightly flour a clean work surface and a rolling pin. Then turn out the dough onto the floured surface.
Roll the cinnamon roll dough out into a large rectangle, about a 14” × 18” rectangle that is 1/4” thick.
Spread the previously combined filling over the top of the dough that is rolled out.
Then beginning at the long side, roll the dough up into a log. Use a serrated knife or unflavored dental floss to cut the cinnamon rolls into 12 even equal pieces.
Place the cinnamon rolls into the previously prepared baking dish, cut side down. Then cover with a clean dish towel and let the dough rise for 50 minutes in a warm place.
Bake Rolls and Make Frosting
While the rolls rise, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Once they’re ready to bake, drizzle the tops with heavy cream.
Bake the rolls for for 24-26 minutes, until the tops are slightly golden brown.
Add softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla extract and a pinch of salt to a medium mixing bowl. Combine the ingredients with a hand mixer or stand mixer until smooth and creamy.
After the rolls have cooled slightly, drizzle the frosting over the top and then serve immediately!
How to Store Leftover Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Rolls
Unfrosted cinnamon rolls can be stored in an airtight container, at room temperature, for about two days.
FRIDGE: Alternatively, frosted rolls can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to a week.
FREEZER: Unfrosted pumpkin spice cinnamon rolls can actually be frozen! Allow them to cool to room temperature, then wrap the baking dish tightly in plastic wrap or store them in a freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months and allow to thaw before reheating. Frost and then serve!
What to Serve with Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
This incredible fall breakfast treat can go with any of your breakfast favorites. Simply make scrambled eggs and bacon, or go all out and make this hearty Crescent Roll Breakfast Casserole
If you are serving these at brunch, mini quiche cups would be super elegant and go great alongside these rolls. You can also serve something like eggs benedict!
Don’t forget your morning coffee, a pumpkin spice latte would be the best pairing with a sweet fall cinnamon roll.
How do I Reheat Cinnamon Rolls?
You can simply pop a cinnamon roll or two into the microwave for 30 seconds or less. If you have a toaster oven, you can also reheat a leftover roll in the toaster oven! Feel free to even heat leftover rolls in the oven as well.
Why do you pour heavy cream over cinnamon rolls?
Pouring heavy cream or milk over cinnamon rolls makes them incredible moist and give s them that classic gooey center that everyone knows and loves!
Pro Tips!
- Don’t rush the multiple different rising times or your rolls will come out flat. Take your time with this process and make a pumpkin cinnamon roll recipe that is worth the effort!
- Use the whisk attachment on your mixer when making the cream cheese frosting.
- Before rolling out your dough, make sure the surface you are flouring is clean. Nothing is worse than your cinnamon roll dough collecting crumbs from the countertop.
You’re going to love this incredible pumpkin cinnamon rolls recipe! The best way to enjoy the fall season.
More Pumpkin Recipes You’ll Love
- The classic Pumpkin Pie is at every Thanksgiving gathering, so make the best one ever with this recipe.
- These Pumpkin Snickerdoodles are just delicious and so easy to make.
- Chocolate and pumpkin team up in this recipe to make the best Pumpkin Brownies ever!
- Make donuts all on your own with this recipe for Pumpkin Donuts!
Did you make this? If you snap a photo, please be sure tag me on Instagram at @julieseatsandtreats or #julieseatsandtreats so I can see your yummy treat!
Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
Tender, light and fluffy Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with cream cheese frosting are the perfect fall breakfast, brunch or afternoon snack.
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Ingredients
Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Dough
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 ¼ teaspoon active dry yeast or 1 packet
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup unsalted butter melted and slightly cooled
- 1 large egg room temperature
- ¾ cup pumpkin puree
- 1 Tablespoon pumpkin spice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 – 4 ½ cups all-purpose flour
Filling
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- ½ cup brown sugar packed
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 Tablespoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup heavy cream room temperature, for pouring over rolls after rising, but before baking
Cream Cheese Frosting
- ¼ cup unsalted butter softened
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch kosher salt
Instructions
- Line a 9×13” baking dish with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large microwave-safe bowl, heat milk for 30-40 seconds, until the milk is lukewarm. Add in yeast and sugar and stir with a whisk until dissolved. Cover with a clean dish towel and let the yeast proof for 10 minutes.
- While your yeast is proofing, combine the filling ingredients; softened butter, sugars, cinnamon, pumpkin puree, pumpkin spice, and vanilla in a medium mixing bowl. Set aside.
- After the yeast has proofed, whisk in melted butter, egg, pumpkin puree, pumpkin spice and vanilla, until fully combined.
- Add in salt and flour, 1 cup at a time. Knead it slightly until the dough forms a ball. Cover the bowl with a clean towel or plastic wrap. Rest the dough for 10 minutes.
- Lightly flour a surface and a rolling pin. Roll the dough out until it is approximately a 14” × 18” rectangle that is 1/4” thick.
- Spread filling over the entire surface of the dough.
- Beginning at the long end, roll the dough up.
- Use a serrated knife to cut the dough into 12 rolls.
- Place cinnamon rolls in the pan, cut-side down. Cover with a clean dish towel and let rise for about 50 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Drizzle the tops of the rolls with heavy cream. Bake for 24-26 minutes until the tops are slightly golden brown.
- For the frosting, add softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt to a medium-sized bowl. Mix with a hand mixer until combined and smooth. Frost cinnamon rolls and serve warm!
Tips
Unfrosted cinnamon rolls can be stored in an airtight container, at room temperature, for about two days.
FRIDGE: Alternatively, frosted rolls can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to a week.
FREEZER: Unfrosted pumpkin spice cinnamon rolls can actually be frozen! Allow them to cool to room temperature, then wrap the baking dish tightly in plastic wrap or store them in a freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months and allow to thaw before reheating. Frost and then serve!
Nutrition Information
Serving: 1roll, Calories: 547kcal (27%), Carbohydrates: 77g (26%), Protein: 7g (14%), Fat: 24g (37%), Saturated Fat: 15g (94%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 78mg (26%), Sodium: 150mg (7%), Potassium: 173mg (5%), Fiber: 3g (13%), Sugar: 39g (43%), Vitamin A: 3186IU (64%), Vitamin C: 1mg (1%), Calcium: 83mg (8%), Iron: 3mg (17%)
Elaine says
Love this twist on cinnamon rolls!
Andrea says
The dough was an absolute nightmare to work with. Very sticky and wet compared to my go to cinnamon roll recipe. I made it work although they were not pretty going into the oven or even coming out. I had to cook them an extra 10 minutes. They ended up being tasty but the there has to be a way to make the dough better. I didn’t want to keep adding flour and make them too dense.
Courtney says
I did not have that issue when making these! Sorry to hear that.