Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls Recipe - soft, pillowy pumpkin dough rolled up with a brown sugar cinnamon filling and finished with a tangy cinnamon cream cheese frosting. This is the recipe that finally made me stop apologizing for how much butter is in my kitchen.
I did not set out to make the world need another pumpkin recipe. Fall bakers are already drowning in pumpkin bread, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin everything by the third week of September. But every single one of my homemade cinnamon rolls was missing a proper pumpkin version, and that felt like a personal failing I couldn't ignore any longer. Everyone needs a genuinely good pumpkin cinnamon roll dough in their back pocket, one that's actually soft the next morning and not just an excuse to eat frosting off a fork (though I would never judge that either). This one took a few rounds of testing to get the dough tender instead of dense, but once it clicked, it clicked hard.
If you love this one, you'll want to bookmark my Pumpkin Caramel Cinnamon Rolls next, along with the Pumpkin Caramel Cookies for when you want the same flavors without turning on the mixer for an hour, and the Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake if you're the type who thinks "more pumpkin, more butter" is a completely reasonable life philosophy.
Why You'll Love This Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls Recipe
- The dough is enriched with real pumpkin puree, not pumpkin spice dust pretending to be pumpkin
- A cold overnight second rise means you can do the hard part the night before and just bake the next morning.
- The filling is creamed into a spreadable layer instead of loose butter and sugar, so it stays put instead of leaking out the sides.
- A full cream cheese frosting instead of a thin glaze, because a cinnamon roll without real frosting is really just bread.
- Bakes up fluffy pumpkin cinnamon rolls that hold their softness the next day, not just fresh out of the oven.
Ingredients
Nothing here is exotic, which is exactly the point. You want pumpkin cinnamon rolls that taste like a proper cinnamon roll, with pumpkin doing quiet, supportive work in the background rather than pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg, and ginger shouting over it.
- Pumpkin puree - adds moisture and color to the dough. Use plain puree, not pumpkin pie filling, unless you enjoy oversweet, oddly spiced bread
- Instant yeast - If active dry yeast is what you have, proof it a few extra minutes in the warm milk, it just needs a little more time to wake up
- Whole milk, egg, and melted butter - the butter goes in softened for the dough itself, melted only for a couple of finishing touches.
- Bread flour - if you only have all purpose flour on hand that will also work just fine!
- Brown sugar, granulated sugar, and salt - brown sugar and cinnamon make up the filling, creamed with softened butter into a paste.
- Heavy cream - the liquid poured over the rolls right before they go in the oven, more on that below
- Cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla - the frosting, which should be thick enough to hold its shape when piped
What One Ingredient Trick Improves Cinnamon Rolls?
Pour warm heavy cream over your rolls right before they go into the oven. It sounds like a small thing and it is, in the sense that it takes fifteen seconds and dirties one extra bowl. But that liquid soaks down between the rolls as they bake, which is what gives you that soft, almost custardy bottom layer instead of a dry, bready one. It is the difference between regular cinnamon rolls you eat because they're there and pumpkin cinnamon rolls you think about two days later.
How to Make This Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls Recipe
Instructions, in short:
- Warm the milk to about 105-115 degrees and whisk in the yeast with a pinch of sugar, then let it sit in a warm spot until foamy, about 5 to 10 minutes
- In a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, add the remaining granulated sugar, egg, cinnamon, flour, pumpkin puree, softened butter, and salt, then knead until the yeasted dough is smooth, elastic, and just slightly tacky
- Transfer to a greased bowl, cover, and let the dough's first rise go for about an hour at room temperature
- Do one stretch and fold, then chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, or overnight, which is my preference
- On a floured surface, roll the chilled dough into a large rectangle with a rolling pin and spread on the creamed brown sugar cinnamon filling
- Cut the dough into strips rather than one long log, then roll each strip individually into a tight spiral and arrange the rolls in a greased pan
- Let the rolls have their second rise until puffy, then pour warm cream over the top right before they go into the oven
- Bake hot for the first 10 minutes to get some oven spring, then drop the temperature to finish baking until golden brown without over browning the tops
- Let the rolls cool slightly before frosting, unless you enjoy watching frosting slide directly onto the pan
Common Mistakes
- Skipping the chill time. The cold second rise is what makes this sticky dough workable and also builds real flavor, don't rush it
- Over flouring the work surface out of panic. This dough is supposed to be tacky, add just enough flour to keep it from sticking, not so much that you end up with a dense roll
- Cutting uneven strips, which bakes up into rolls of wildly different sizes and one very smug, oversized roll in the corner
- Frosting the rolls while they're still hot, which just melts your frosting into a glaze you didn't ask for
- Using pumpkin pie filling instead of plain pumpkin puree, which throws off both the sweetness and the spice balance
- Using cold, straight-from-the-fridge butter or egg, which won't incorporate properly into the dough or the frosting. Use room temperature butter and let your egg sit out while the yeast blooms
What Are Some Tips For Making Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls?
- Weigh your flour if you can. Cup measurements vary too much for a dough this sensitive to hydration
- Keep your rolled dough rectangle even on all sides so every slice bakes at roughly the same rate
- If your kitchen runs cold, find a genuinely warm spot for that first rise rather than rushing it with high heat
- Tent the pan loosely with foil in the last stretch of baking if the tops are browning faster than the centers are cooking
- Let the frosting soften just enough to spread easily, but chill it briefly if it gets too soft to hold its shape
- Want a change of pace from the classic cream cheese frosting? A simple maple icing swapped in on top works nicely with the pumpkin, if you're after something a little less rich
Frequently Asked Questions
Here's what tends to come up most from readers making this pumpkin cinnamon roll recipe for the first time.
- Can I make the dough ahead of time? Yes, that's actually the plan. Let it cold proof in the fridge overnight and shape it the next day
- Can I freeze the baked rolls? Yes, unfrosted. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap before moving them to the freezer, then frost after thawing for the best texture
- Do I have to use fresh pumpkin puree? No, canned pumpkin puree works great and is what I use every time
- Why did my rolls turn out dense? Most likely under proofing during the first or second rise, or too much added flour during rolling
- Can these be made into pumpkin spice cinnamon rolls instead? If you want a warmer, more spiced version, stir a bit of nutmeg and ginger into the filling along with the cinnamon, though I happen to like this version's simplicity
- Can I make these without the cream poured on top? You can, but I really don't recommend skipping it
Storing and Freezing
To store, keep any leftover frosted rolls in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Let them come to room temperature, or give them a short turn in the microwave, before serving again so the dough doesn't taste stiff straight from the fridge.
To freeze, bake and cool the rolls completely, then wrap them tightly in plastic wrap or tuck them into an airtight container before moving them to the freezer, unfrosted, for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, warm gently in the oven or microwave, then make the frosting fresh and finish them right before serving.
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Recipe
Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls Recipe
Ingredients
For the pumpkin dough
- 1 cup lukewarm milk 240g
- 1 ½ teaspoons instant yeast 5g
- ½ teaspoon granulated sugar 6g
- ½ cup granulated sugar 100g
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 5 ¾ cups all purpose flour plus more for dusting 720g
- 1 cup pumpkin puree 220g
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened (113g)
- 2 ¼ teaspoons salt 14g
To Pour on Before Baking
- ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
Filling
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- ¾ cup unsalted butter softened to touch
Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 oz cream cheese softened
- ¾ cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the lukewarm milk, instant yeast, and ½ teaspoon sugar. Let sit for 5-10 minutes, or until slightly foamy.1 cup lukewarm milk, 1 ½ teaspoons instant yeast, ½ teaspoon granulated sugar
- Add the remaining ingredients, granulated sugar, eggs, ground cinnamon, all purpose flour, pumpkin puree, softened butter, and salt.½ cup granulated sugar, 3 large eggs, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 5 ¾ cups all purpose flour plus more for dusting, 1 cup pumpkin puree, ½ cup unsalted butter, 2 ¼ teaspoons salt
- Using the dough hook, mix on low speed until the dough comes together, then increase to medium speed and knead for 6-8 minutes, or until the dough is smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky. It should pull away from the sides of the bowl but still cling lightly to the bottom.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl. Cover and let rise at room temperature for 1 hour.
- After 1 hour, perform one stretch and fold (lift one side of the dough and fold it over itself, repeating on all four sides). Cover again.
- Place the covered dough in the refrigerator and chill for 2 hours or up to 12 hours overnight. This cold proof develops flavor and makes the dough easier to work with when rolling out.
Shaping and Filling
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer, cream together the brown sugar, ground cinnamon, and unsalted butter on medium speed until smooth and well combined. You want it fluffy to easily spread! Set aside.1 cup packed brown sugar, 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon, ¾ cup unsalted butter
- Lightly flour a clean work surface. Roll the chilled dough into a large rectangle, about 10x16 inches in size. You want about ¼ inch thick. You will need to flour the top of the dough because the dough is very sticky. Flour as needed so the dough doesn't stick to the table. Try to keep the edges as even as possible so the rolls bake uniformly.
- Spread the filling mixture evenly over the dough, using an offset spatula or the back of a spoon to get it all the way to the edges. Leave about ½ inch of dough bare on one long side to help seal the log.
- Starting with the long edge farthest from you, cut the dough into 12 even strips using a sharp pizza cutter. Each piece should be about 1⅓ inches wide. Take your time to keep the cuts straight so the rolls bake up evenly.
- Working one at a time, roll each strip into a tight spiral, starting from the bottom edge and rolling upward until you reach the top. As you roll, gently tuck in any filling that tries to escape and keep light, even pressure so each roll stays compact and uniform. Once rolled, pinch the end seam lightly so it stays closed.
- Lightly grease or line a 9x13-inch baking pan with parchment paper before adding the rolls.
- Repeat with the remaining strips until all 12 rolls are shaped, then place them in the prepared pan, leaving a little space between each one to allow room for their final rise. Let them proof/rise for 45-60 minutes.
Baking Instructions
- Once the rolls have finished their second rise, preheat the oven to 375°F. Warm the heavy whipping cream just until it loses its chill (microwave for about 15-20 seconds). Gently pour the cream evenly over the tops of the risen rolls, letting it soak down into the layers.¼ cup heavy whipping cream
- Place the pan in the oven and bake at 375°F for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and continue baking for 20-25 minutes, until the rolls are deep golden brown on top.
- If the rolls begin to brown too quickly, loosely tent the pan with foil during the last 10 minutes of baking.
- Remove the pan from the oven and let the rolls cool for at least 15 minutes before frosting
Cream Cheese Frosting Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter and cream cheese on medium speed for 2 minutes. Scrape the bowl, then beat for 2 more minutes until smooth and fluffy.4 oz cream cheese, ¾ cup unsalted butter
- With the mixer on low, add powdered sugar, then vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. Mix until combined.1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 3 cups powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, Pinch of salt
- Increase speed to medium-high and beat 2-3 more minutes until light and fluffy.
Assembly
- Once the cinnamon rolls have cooled slightly, spread the cream cheese buttercream evenly over the tops of the rolls. I did dollops with a piping bag for a pretty look, but you can do whatever you like! Serve warm or at room temperature.
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