Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

Soft and gooey homemade pumpkin cinnamon rolls with cream cheese frosting are the coziest fall breakfast! My from-scratch recipe is beginner-friendly but produces bakery-style results.

Recipe includes a how-to video!

Course: Bread, Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 28 minutes minutes

Rising Time: 2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 3 hours hours 23 minutes minutes

Cinnamon Rolls

• ▢ ½ cup (118 ml) whole milk
• ▢ 2 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons + 1 teaspoon granulated sugar divided
• ▢ 1 cup (240 g) pumpkin puree
• ▢ ¼ cup (57 g) unsalted butter melted
• ▢ 1 egg + 1 egg yolk room temperature preferred
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
• ▢ 1 ½ teaspoons table salt
• ▢ 4 cups (500 g) bread flour (you may need more or less depending on dough consistency)

Filling

• ▢ ½ cup (100 g) light brown sugar firmly packed
• ▢ 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ▢ ⅛ teaspoon table salt
• ▢ 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter softened

Icing

• ▢ 2 oz (56 g) cream cheese softened
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons (28 g) butter unsalted butter, softened
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ ⅛ teaspoon table salt
• ▢ 1 cup (125 g) powdered sugar
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon milk or heavy cream

Cinnamon Rolls

• Heat milk in a small saucepan or in the microwave to 110-115F (43-46C).

  ½ cup (118 ml) whole milk

• Pour warmed milk into a large mixing bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, and add yeast and a teaspoon of your sugar. Allow mixture to sit for 5-10 minutes until yeast is foamy (if yeast doesn’t foam after 10 minutes it is likely dead and you will need to start over).

  2 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast

• Once yeast is foamy, add remaining 2 Tablespoons sugar, pumpkin, melted butter, egg and egg yolk, pumpkin pie spice, salt, and 2 cups (250g) of bread flour. Stir until well-combined.

  1 cup (240 g) pumpkin puree, ¼ cup (57 g) unsalted butter, 1 egg + 1 egg yolk, 1 Tablespoon pumpkin pie spice, 1 ½ teaspoons table salt

• Gradually add remaining flour as needed until dough is soft and tacky, but not sticky and begins to cling to itself and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.

• Knead dough with your stand mixer or transfer dough to a clean, lightly floured surface and knead by hand.. Knead until dough is smooth and elastic, adding more flour if dough becomes too sticky (typically about 10 minutes by hand, or 5 minutes with a stand mixer).

• Lightly grease a large bowl with oil. Place dough in bowl, turn to coat all over with oil, and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until dough has doubled in size, about 1-2 hours.

Filling and Assembly

• In a small bowl whisk together brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.

  ½ cup (100 g) light brown sugar, 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ⅛ teaspoon table salt

• Lightly grease a 13×9” (33x23cm) pan with butter, set aside.

• Once dough has finished rising, punch down to deflate and transfer to a clean, lightly floured surface. Use a rolling pin to form into a 20×8” (50x20cm) rectangle.

• Spread the surface of the dough evenly with your softened butter, leaving a ½” (1.5cm) perimeter around the edges.

  4 Tablespoons unsalted butter

• Sprinkle filling evenly over the surface and gently press it into the butter.

• Starting with the longer end, tightly roll the dough into a log, pinching the seam to seal.

• Use a sharp knife to cut into 12 even slices and transfer to prepared baking pan, evenly spacing slices. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise for 30-60 minutes, or until rolls are puffed. While rolls are rising, preheat oven to 350F (175C).

• Once rolls have risen, remove the plastic wrap and transfer to center rack of 350F (175C) preheated oven. Bake for 26-30 min, until edges of rolls begin to slightly brown. You can use an instant read thermometer to test the thickest part of an outer cinnamon roll and it should reach 185-190F (87C) when done. Prepare icing.

Icing

• Beat together cream cheese, butter, vanilla extract, and salt until creamy and smooth.

  2 oz (56 g) cream cheese, 2 Tablespoons (28 g) butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ⅛ teaspoon table salt

• Gradually add powdered sugar, stirring until combined.

  1 cup (125 g) powdered sugar

• Add milk or cream and stir well, until smooth and uniform.

  1 Tablespoon milk or heavy cream

• For a gooey glaze, allow rolls to cool only slightly (about 10 minutes) before applying frosting, for a thicker frosting allow rolls to cool completely before applying. Serve and enjoy!

Storing

Cover tightly and store at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. I recommend reheating rolls before serving (especially if you refrigerated them!).