Best Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls: Soft Fluffy Fall Baking Recipe

The Best Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls You’ll Ever Eat

Every October, the first cool morning sends me straight to the pantry for a can of pumpkin puree. These pumpkin cinnamon rolls have become the thing my family asks for before the leaves even turn, and once you pull a pan of them out of the oven, you will understand why.

The dough carries real pumpkin and a generous hit of pumpkin pie spice, and the whole batch finishes with a maple cream cheese icing that pools into every swirl.

This recipe is a pumpkin twist on the author’s original cinnamon roll recipe, created for her annual Pumpkin Week celebration. You get 12 soft, pillowy rolls that taste like fall without losing that classic cinnamon roll texture. Plan on about 3 hours of mixing, kneading, and rising time, plus 20 to 25 minutes in the oven.

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Here is the full walkthrough, from warming the milk to spreading the glaze:

1. Make the dough. Warm the milk to about 110 degrees F, until it feels like warm bath water. Add the warm milk and sugar to the bowl of an electric mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top. Stir in the pumpkin puree, the room temperature egg, and the melted butter until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Then stir in the bread flour, pumpkin pie spice, and salt with a wooden spoon until a dough begins to form.
2. Knead. Fit the mixer with the dough hook and knead on low speed for 8 to 10 minutes. The dough should come together into a nice ball and stay slightly sticky. No mixer? Knead by hand for the same 8 to 10 minutes on a well floured surface.
3. First rise. Move the dough ball to a large bowl greased with olive oil or nonstick cooking spray, cover with plastic wrap and a warm towel, and let it rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
4. Add the filling. Turn the dough out onto a well floured surface and roll it into a 14×16 inch rectangle. Spread the softened butter over the dough, leaving a 1/4 inch margin along the far side. Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl, sprinkle it over the buttered dough, then rub the sugar into the butter with your hands.
5. Roll and slice. Roll the dough up tightly starting from the 14 inch side, place it seam side down, and seal the edges as best you can. Trim about an inch off each end, since those ends are light on cinnamon sugar, then cut the log into 1 inch sections with a serrated knife. You should get 12 rolls.
6. Second rise. Place the rolls in a greased 9×13 inch baking pan, cover with plastic wrap and a warm towel, and let them rise again for about 30 minutes. Then preheat the oven.
7. Bake. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Remove the plastic wrap and towel and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the rolls are just slightly golden brown at the edges. Pull them out while the centers are still soft, then let them cool for 10 minutes before frosting.
8. Make the frosting. Beat the cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, maple syrup, and salt in a mixer or a medium bowl until smooth. Spread it over the warm rolls, sprinkle with a little cinnamon, and serve.

That is the whole process. The dough does most of the work while you go about your morning, and the reward is a pan of rolls that smells like a bakery.

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Ingredients in pumpkin cinnamon rolls

This recipe works best made as written, with real bread flour, butter, and sugar. Here is what you will need.

For the cinnamon roll dough:

• 3/4 cup milk (180g): whole, 2 percent, or almond milk all work.
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar (50g): sweetens the rolls and helps activate the yeast.
• 2 1/4 teaspoons quick rise yeast: one quarter ounce package.
• 3/4 cup pumpkin puree (183g): adds sweetness and moisture for fluffy rolls.
• 1/4 cup melted butter (57g): for the dough.
• 1 egg, at room temperature.
• 4 cups bread flour (480g): its higher protein level develops the gluten that makes these rolls soft and chewy.
• 2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice.
• 3/4 teaspoon salt: do not skip it, since salt controls the yeast and keeps the rolls from tasting flat.

For the filling:

• 2/3 cup dark brown sugar (142g): dark brown brings a more robust molasses flavor, and light brown sugar works if that is what you have.
• 1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon.
• 1/4 cup butter (57g), at room temperature.

For the cream cheese glaze:

• 4 ounces cream cheese (112g), at room temperature.
• 3 tablespoons butter, at room temperature.
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar (28g).
• 4 tablespoons pure maple syrup.
• Pinch of salt, optional.

For garnish: a sprinkle of ground cinnamon, optional.

Two ingredient notes are worth repeating. Bread flour is the right choice here, and it is sold at most grocery stores. Butter also shows up in the dough, the filling, and the glaze, so set it out ahead of time if you can. Salted butter is preferred, though unsalted is fine.

Can I make them vegan or dairy free?

Yes, and it is a simple swap. Leave out the egg and add 3 to 4 extra tablespoons of pumpkin puree to the dough.

Use almond milk in place of dairy milk, then swap in vegan butter and vegan cream cheese for the filling and the glaze. The rolls still bake up soft and tender.

Two types of yeast (and how to use them)

There are two types of yeast you will see on the shelf, and they behave differently.

• Active dry yeast needs to be dissolved, or proofed, in liquid before it goes into the dough.
• Instant yeast, also called quick rise, can be added straight to the dough without proofing. This recipe uses quick rise yeast, though the author still likes to dissolve it in a little warm milk and sugar to get it started.

Whichever type you use, the liquid matters. Add the yeast to milk that is between 105 and 115 degrees F. A little sugar helps activate either kind, which is why the sugar goes in with the milk before the flour does.

How to measure flour for cinnamon rolls

Too much flour is the fastest way to turn soft rolls into dense ones, so this step matters more than it sounds.

The most accurate method is a kitchen scale, and the gram weights are listed with each ingredient above. If you do not have a scale, use the spoon and level method.

Spoon flour into a dry measuring cup without packing it down or shaking the cup to settle it, which keeps air in the flour. Then level off the top with the flat edge of a knife or the back of a scoop.

Tips for making the best pumpkin cinnamon rolls:

A few small details separate good rolls from great ones.

• Keep the milk between 105 and 115 degrees F. Hotter liquid can kill the yeast and stop the rolls from rising. Dip a finger in the milk: it should feel like warm bath water, not hot. If it overheats, let it sit for a few minutes before you use it.
• Use room temperature butter in the filling, not melted butter. Melted butter leaks out during baking. Spread the softened butter, then rub the brown sugar and cinnamon into it with your hands.
• Use a room temperature egg. A cold egg can affect the yeast, and it can cause the melted butter in the dough to coagulate.
• Reach for bread flour. Its higher protein level gives you softer, fluffier rolls than all purpose flour.
• Flour the work surface and the rolling pin. A little extra flour on both keeps the dough from sticking and tearing as you roll it out.

Warm bath water, not hot. If the milk feels too warm on your finger, give it a few minutes to cool before the yeast goes in.

Tools you’ll need to make pumpkin cinnamon rolls from scratch

• A stand mixer with a dough hook makes kneading easy, though you can absolutely knead by hand.
• A wooden spoon for mixing the dough before it is kneaded.
• A rolling pin for rolling the dough into a rectangle. In a pinch, a floured wine bottle works.
• A serrated knife for cutting the rolled log into sections. Unflavored floss works too.
• A 9×13 inch baking pan, so the rolls fit snugly and bake evenly.

How to make overnight pumpkin cinnamon rolls

If you want warm rolls with breakfast and no early morning mixing, do the work the night before. Once the rolls are in the greased pan, cover them right away with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

In the morning, set the pan on the counter for 30 minutes to take the chill off, then preheat the oven. The second rise totals about 45 minutes before the rolls go in to bake as directed.

Storing tips

Keep leftover rolls covered at room temperature for 1 to 2 days, then move them to an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

A quick trip to the microwave brings back that fresh from the oven softness.

How to freeze pumpkin cinnamon rolls

These rolls freeze beautifully, before or after baking.

To freeze before baking: freeze after the first rise, once the dough has been rolled and cut. When you are ready to bake, thaw the rolls in the fridge, preferably overnight, then rest them in a warm spot for 30 minutes to 1 hour so the second rise can happen before they bake as directed.

To freeze after baking: let the rolls cool to room temperature first. Freeze the whole pan, well wrapped or in an airtight container, or freeze individual rolls.

To serve, defrost at room temperature, then warm them in a 350 degrees F oven for 10 to 15 minutes. Single rolls can go in the microwave for 20 to 30 seconds once defrosted.

The author prefers freezing the rolls before icing and frosting them when it is time to eat. The icing itself is freezer friendly too.

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The Best Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

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The Best Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls You’ll Ever Eat Every October, the first cool morning sends me straight to the pantry for a can of pumpkin puree. These pumpkin cinnamon rolls have become the thing my family asks for before the leaves even turn, and once you pull a pan of them out of the oven, you will understand why.

• Total Time: 200 min
• Yield: 12 cinnamon rolls 1x

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For the cinnamon roll dough:
3/4 cup milk, 180g; whole, 2% or almond milk
1/4 cup granulated sugar, 50g
2 1/4 teaspoons quick rise yeast, 1/4-ounce package yeast
3/4 cup pumpkin puree, 183g
1/4 cup melted butter, 57g
1 egg, at room temperature
4 cups bread flour, 480g
2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice
3/4 teaspoon salt

For the filling:
2/3 cup dark brown sugar, 142g
1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/4 cup butter, 57g; at room temperature

For the cream cheese glaze:
4 ounces cream cheese, 112g; at room temperature
3 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup powdered sugar, 28g
4 tablespoons pure maple syrup
salt, pinch

For garnish:
ground cinnamon, sprinkle

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Instructions

1-Make the dough: Make the dough: Warm milk to around 110 degrees F. Transfer warm milk and sugar to the bowl of an electric mixer and sprinkle yeast on top. Stir pumpkin puree, room temperature egg and melted butter, mixing until smooth and well combined and creamy. Next stir in bread flour, pumpkin pie spice and salt with a wooden spoon until a dough begins to form.
2-Knead the dough: Knead the dough: Place dough hook on mixer and knead dough on low speed for 8-10 minutes. Dough should form into a nice ball and be slightly sticky. (If you don’t want to use an electric mixer, you can use your hands to knead the dough for 8-10 minutes on a well-floured surface.)
3-First rise: First rise: Transfer dough ball to a large bowl greased with olive oil or nonstick cooking spray, then cover with plastic wrap and a warm towel. Allow dough to rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
4-Add the filling: Add the filling: After dough has doubled in size, transfer dough to a well-floured surface and roll out into a 14×16 inch rectangle. Spread softened butter over dough, leaving a ¼ inch margin at the far side of the dough. In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar and cinnamon. Use your hands to sprinkle mixture over the buttered dough, then rub the sugar into the butter.
5-Roll & slice the dough: Roll & slice the dough: Tightly roll dough up the dough, starting from the 14-inch side (the smaller side) and place seam side down making sure to seal the edges of the dough as best you can. You will probably need to cut off about an inch off the ends of the dough as the ends won’t be as full of cinnamon sugar as we’d want it to be. Then cut into 1 inch sections with a serrated knife. You should get 12 rolls.
6-Second rise: Second rise: Place cinnamon rolls in a greased 9×13 inch baking pan. Cover with plastic wrap and a warm towel and let the cinnamon rolls rise again for about 30 minutes, then preheat your oven.
7-Bake: Bake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Remove plastic wrap and towel and bake the cinnamon rolls for 20-25 minutes or until just slightly golden brown on the edges. Allow them to cool for 10 minutes before frosting.
8-To make the frosting: To make the frosting: In the bowl of an electric mixer or in a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, maple syrup and salt. Beat until smooth. Spread over the pumpkin cinnamon rolls and serve! Sprinkle cinnamon rolls with a little cinnamon for a pretty look.

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• Prep Time: 180 min
• Cook Time: 20 min
• Method: bake