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Pumpkin cinnamon rolls are so soft and fluffy, filled with all the goodness of fall. These are wonderful for all your fall entertaining, and they make such a beautiful gift!
Homemade pumpkin cinnamon rolls have the most delightful gooey filling! With the perfect balance of sweet cinnamon and pumpkin flavors, these are such a crowd pleasing breakfast.
Pumpkin spice lovers rejoice! If you love cinnamon rolls and you love pumpkin pie, you’ll love this recipe.
If you don’t love cinnamon rolls, I’m not sure we can be friends. Is there anything better than a sweet, soft and fluffy homemade cinnamon roll?
One of our favorite traditions at the lake is to pick up fresh hot cinnamon rolls from a bakery in town. They are so decadent and delicious, and they always feel like the best kind of weekend treat.
Much like my classic cinnamon rolls, these pumpkin rolls are decadently gooey and topped with the best cream cheese icing for cinnamon rolls.
With the addition of pumpkin spice, this recipe is the best update to a traditional classic, just like our reader-favorite apple cinnamon rolls!
Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
If you’re looking for a special, crowd pleasing breakfast or brunch treat this fall, you’re in the right place. Let’s make these pumpkin cinnamon rolls together!
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
Ingredients and Substitutions
For the Rolls
- Milk – Full fat is always best for decadent rolls, but whatever you have on hand will work.
- Butter – Unsalted. If using salted butter, eliminate the added salt in the dough.
- Active Quick Rise Yeast – If you need tips for learning about yeast, be sure to read my complete guide to baking with yeast! It’s full of can’t-miss tips and tricks!
- All-Purpose Flour – No sifting required.
- White Granulated Sugar – To sweeten the dough.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice – Store bought or your own homemade spice blend.
- Salt – For a little balance to all the sweet flavors.
- Canned Pumpkin – Don’t use pumpkin pie filling here, just regular canned pumpkin.
- Egg – Unless otherwise indicated, always use large eggs for baking.
For the Filling
- Butter – Unsalted, melted.
- Brown Sugar – Packed. I use light brown sugar but if you’ve got dark, that works too.
- Cinnamon – Good quality ground cinnamon is imperative here!
- Pumpkin Pie Spice – It’s so easy to make your own.
- Heavy Cream – This is the secret of all secrets! Don’t skip it!
For the Icing
Variations
Want to avoid baking with yeast? Try my cinnamon rolls made with crescent rolls and follow the steps in this recipe for the filling and cream cheese icing.
How to Make
An overview, visit the printable recipe card for complete ingredients and instructions.
- In a saucepan over medium heat, add milk and butter. Stir until melted and remove from heat.
- In a mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients. Add warm milk mixture, pumpkin and egg. Sprinkle yeast over the top of this mixture.
- Knead while gradually adding more flour until the dough forms.
- While the dough is resting (we like to cover with a clean dish cloth), preheat oven as directed and prepare baking dish.
- Roll out dough into a rectangle.
- Spread melted butter on top. Combine filling ingredients and sprinkle over the top. Cut strips. Roll and place in a baking dish or cast iron skillet.
- OPTIONAL: allow rolls to rise again (inside the oven that was warming).
- Cover rolls in heavy cream. Bake as directed, until slightly golden.
- Combine all ingredients for frosting until smooth. Pour over the warm apple cinnamon rolls to serve.
Tips
- Use a stand mixer for ease, or you can also knead by hand. Kneading by hand will take about 10-12 minutes and in a mixer it will take around eight minutes.
- Want a thinner cream cheese glaze? Just add a little more cream.
- If you’re making larger rolls (as pictured in this post), allow the extra 25 minutes for the dough to rise.
Frequently Asked Questions
You may have seen this trick in viral videos lately, but it’s been around for a long time. The heavy cream in the bottom of the pan heats as the rolls bake, and the liquid is absorbed into the yeasty rolls. This makes them eve more moist and creates a bit of a syrupy finish.
Yes, they should be touching, but not crowded into your dish. This dough is stretchy and yeasty, and as it bakes, it expands. Unless you’d like your rolls to have harder edges, you want them to touch a little in the pan!
Make Ahead
- Pumpkin cinnamon rolls are wonderful to make ahead. Make the rolls the day before, (don’t add the cream into the baking dish yes). You can then cover the rolls tightly, unbaked, and keep them in the fridge overnight.
- The next morning, pour the cream over them and place them into your pre-heated oven, following the steps as mentioned.
- To reheat them after they’ve been baked and iced, place a roll individually in the microwave for 20 seconds, or in your baking dish in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for five minutes.
How to Store
- Room Temperature – Store at room temperature in an airtight container up to two days.
- Refrigerate – Store in an airtight container up to five days.
- Freeze – You can also freeze cinnamon rolls, storing in an airtight container covered in plastic wrap to avoid any freezer odor up to three months.
Dietary Considerations
- Vegetarian
- Nut Free
- To make Gluten Free, simply use a 1 to 1 gluten free flour in this recipe.
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Rolls
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In a saucepan over medium heat, add milk and butter. Stir until melted and remove from heat.
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In a mixing bowl, combine 2¼ cups flour (holding remaining cup back), sugar, pumpkin pie spice and salt. Add yeast and lukewarm milk mixture, and combine. Add pumpkin and egg until just combined.
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Using the dough hook attachment on your mixer (or hands), knead while gradually adding in the remaining 1 cup of flour, until the dough forms a ball and pulls away from the edges of the bowl.
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Let dough rest for 10 minutes. Preheat oven to 350℉.
Fill
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On a floured surface, roll dough into a rectangle. Spread melted butter on top. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice. Sprinkle on top. Using a knife or pizza cutter, cut into 10 strips. Roll and place in a baking dish or cast iron skillet.
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Turn oven off. Cover rolls with a damp towel and allow to rise for 25 minutes inside the warmed oven. Remove from oven, preheat again to 350℉.
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Cover rolls in ¼ cup heavy cream. Bake 15-20 minutes, or until slightly golden.
Icing
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In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together to combine cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar and heavy cream (and optional pumpkin spice seasoning) until smooth. Drizzle over rolls.
Tips
- Use a stand mixer for ease, or you can also knead by hand. Kneading by hand will take about 10-12 minutes and in a mixer it will take around eight minutes.
- Want a thinner cream cheese glaze? Just add a little more cream.
- If you’re making larger rolls (as pictured in this post), allow the extra 25 minutes for the dough to rise.
Calories: 467kcal | Carbohydrates: 68g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 68mg | Sodium: 156mg | Potassium: 153mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 34g | Vitamin A: 2568IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 71mg | Iron: 3mg
Estimated nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is not guaranteed.
