These pumpkin cinnamon rolls are pillowy soft, perfectly gooey, and packed with your favorite pumpkin fall flavors.
Looking for more fall recipes? I’ve got you covered:
Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Ingredients
Flour: I’m using King Arthur AP Flour
Pumpkin puree: Both for the dough (as-in), and the filling (patted dry)
Milk: Warmed
Active dry yeast: Can use instant
Unsalted butter: Most at room temp. Some melted.
Pumpkin pie spice: For the dough, filling, and frosting
Large egg: At room temp
Sugar: Both brown sugar and white sugar
Vanilla extract: To give a little depth
Cream cheese: At room temp
Lemon juice: Fresh and just a touch
Powdered sugar: For the frosting
How to Make Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
Step 1: Make the dough
Add a little bit of the granulated sugar (about a tsp) and the yeast to the warm milk. Stir and let bloom for a few minutes. Meanwhile, combine the flour, remaining granulated sugar, salt, and pumpkin spice in the bowl of a standing mixer. When the milk is ready, pour it in along with the pumpkin, vanilla, and egg.
Turn on the mixer (use the dough hook attachment). Start on low, and gradually increase to medium-high. Mix until everything is combined and a somewhat sticky dough has formed.
When it’s there, add a little bit of flour to a work surface and add the dough. Work just for a minute or so to form it into a dough ball. Add it to an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel. Let rise in a warm place (I use the oven with the light on) for about 2 hours, or until doubled in size.
Step 2: Make the filling
Start by adding the pumpkin to a plate and patting it dry. I use a paper towel about 2-3 times. When ready, add it to a bowl along with the brown sugar, softened butter, and pumpkin spice. Mix really well with a fork until it forms a sugary paste. Set aside.
Step 3: Make the cinnamon rolls
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. When the dough is ready, add some flour to a clean work surface. Roll the dough out into a rectangle about ¼ inch thick. I cut the side with a pizza cutter to make it even, but that’s not necessary.
Spread the filling all over the dough. If doing a classic log, roll it lengthwise and then use kitchen twine to cut out your rolls. You can also use the pizza cutter to cut 1-inch strips and roll it that way. Once done, add them all to a baking dish lined with parchment paper, leaving a little room for the next rise, like this:
Now cover them loosely with plastic wrap and a paper towel. Let them rise on the counter for about 45 minutes, or until they’re risen a bit and are touching, like this:
Melt a tablespoon of butter and brush it on top. Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes, or until they’re a bit golden on top, like this:
Step 4: Make the frosting
While the rolls are baking, make the frosting by combining the cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, lemon juice, and pumpkin spice. Whip for about 5-10 minutes, or until it reaches your desired fluffiness.
Step 5: Frost the rolls
I add a bit of frosting when the rolls are fresh from the oven because I like it to get a little melty. You can do this, or wait until they’ve cooled. Totally up to you!
Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
Equipment
- 1 8"x8" baking pan
Ingredients
For the dough
- 2 cups King Arthur AP flour
- ⅓ cup pumpkin puree
- ¼ cup milk warmed
- 3 tbs unsalted butter very soft, parts can be melty (plus 1 tbs melted for later)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 ⅛ teaspoon active dry yeast
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Splash vanilla extract
For the filling
- 4 tbs unsalted butter room temperature
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 tbs pumpkin pie spice
- Pinch kosher salt
For the cream cheese frosting
- 4 oz cream cheese room temperature
- 4 tbs unsalted butter room temperature
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ tsp fresh lemon juice
- Pinch kosher salt
Instructions
- Combine the warm water with the yeast and about 1 teaspoon of the granulated sugar. Let sit to bloom four about 5-10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, combine the flour, salt, pumpkin spice, and the remaining granulated sugar in the bowl of a standing mixer. When the milk is ready, add that in along with the egg, melted butter, pumpkin, and vanilla. Using the dough hook attachment, start at a slow speed and then increase to medium-high. Do this until a somewhat sticky dough has formed, about 5 minutes.
- Add a little flour to a clean work surface and pour the dough out. Work it for just about a minute or so, or until it pulls together into a dough ball. Add it to an oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel. Let rise in a warm place (I use the oven with the light on) for about 2 hours, or until doubled in size.
- While that's rising, make the filling. First pat the pumpkin dry by spreading it on a plate and using a paper towel. Then combine it with the brown sugar, butter, and pumpkin spice. Mix until a paste forms and set aside.
- When the dough is ready, remove it and preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Add a bit of flour to a clean work surface and add the dough. Roll it out to a rectangle about ¼ inch thick. Spread the filling all over. Make your rolls the classic way by rolling the dough lengthwise into a log, using kitchen twine to cut out your rolls. Or you can use a pizza cutter to cut long strips and roll them that way. Either way, add them all to the baking dish, making sure there's a little room for them to rise. Cover with plastic wrap and let them rise for about 45 minutes, or until they're touching slightly. Before baking, melt that tablespoon of butter and brush it on top of the rolls.
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes, or until they're lightly golden. While baking, make the cream cheese frosting by whipping all of the ingredients together for 5-10 minutes, or until fluffy.
- Remove the rolls and add a bit of the frosting while they're still warm.
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