These Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls are the kind of thing that fills your entire house with a smell so good that people wander into the kitchen before they're even out of the oven. The dough has pumpkin puree worked directly into it - slightly orange-tinted, tender, and more flavorful than a standard cinnamon roll dough. The filling is brown sugar, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice over melted butter. And the frosting is a brown sugar cream cheese situation that goes on while the rolls are still warm and melts into every single layer.
These take time - the dough rises twice and the bake is 30 to 40 minutes - but the hands-on work is genuinely straightforward. If you've made yeast bread before, you know the rhythm. If you haven't, this is a forgiving place to start because the dough is very workable and the result is deeply satisfying. Prep is 30 minutes, rise time is 2 hours total, bake time is 30-40 minutes. The batch makes 10 to 12 rolls. Store leftovers in the fridge and reheat before serving - they come back beautifully.
The brown sugar in the frosting instead of powdered sugar is a deliberate choice that gives the whole thing a caramel-adjacent flavor that pairs perfectly with the pumpkin spice in both the dough and the filling. These are the rolls you make on a slow fall Saturday when you have nowhere to be and you want the whole house to smell incredible. If you love cozy fall baking, also try these Pumpkin Desserts and these Pumpkin Desserts for a full fall baking weekend.
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Ingredients
For the dough
- Warm milk (under 110°F)
- Brown sugar
- Sugar
- Instant yeast
- Pumpkin puree
- Egg
- Flour
- Pumpkin pie spice
- Salt
- Unsalted butter, softened
For the filling
- Brown sugar
- Cinnamon
- Pumpkin pie spice
- Butter, melted
For the frosting
- Cream cheese, softened
- Unsalted butter, softened
- Brown sugar
- Vanilla
- Salt
- Heavy cream
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Preparation: Whisk together warm milk (under 110°F), brown sugar, sugar, and instant yeast in a medium bowl. Allow to rest for at least 2 minutes.
Step one: In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the pumpkin puree, egg, and yeast mixture. Mix well. Add flour, pumpkin pie spice, and salt, then switch to the dough hook and mix for 2-4 minutes until combined. Add softened butter and continue mixing for about 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and slightly tacky. Let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Step two: Combine brown sugar, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice for the filling in a bowl and melt the butter in a separate small bowl. On a lightly floured surface, punch down the dough and roll out to an 18x24-inch rectangle. Brush the entire surface with melted butter, edge to edge. Sprinkle the sugar mixture over almost the entire surface, leaving a 1-inch strip along one long edge bare
Step three: Starting from the opposite long edge, tightly roll the dough into a log and seal the seam at the bottom. Use a serrated knife to cut into 1 to 1½-inch rolls. Place cut-side up in a greased baking dish. Let rise again until the gaps fill in and rolls are level with the top of the dish, about 1 hour.
Step four: Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake rolls for 30-40 minutes until edges are golden brown and centers are set.
Step five: While the rolls bake, beat together softened cream cheese, softened butter, brown sugar, vanilla, salt, and heavy cream in a stand mixer on low until combined. Increase to medium and whip until smooth and fluffy. Spread generously over warm rolls immediately after baking.
Hint: Frost while warm - the frosting melts into the top layer of the rolls and creates that glossy, bakery-style finish. Waiting until they're fully cooled means the frosting just sits on top instead of soaking in.
Recipe Tips for Success
- Warm milk should be warm to the touch but not hot - over 110°F will kill the yeast and the dough won't rise. Use a thermometer if you're unsure.
- The 10-minute knead with the butter is important - don't cut it short. It builds the dough structure that gives you those fluffy, pull-apart layers.
- A serrated knife (or unflavored dental floss slid under and crossed over the top) gives clean cuts without compressing and squishing the rolls flat.
- These reheat beautifully - cover loosely with foil and warm in a 300°F oven for about 10 minutes, or microwave individual rolls for 20-30 seconds.
Storage
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat before serving - cover loosely with foil and warm in a 300°F oven for 10 minutes, or microwave individual rolls for 20-30 seconds. Milk temperature is critical: too hot kills the yeast, too cold and it won't activate. Aim for 100-110°F. Frost while rolls are still warm so the frosting melts into the layers. The 10-minute butter knead is essential for proper dough structure - don't cut it short.
Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
For the dough
- 1 c warm milk under 110°F
- ¼ c brown sugar
- ¼ c sugar
- 1 t instant yeast
- ⅔ c pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie filling
- 1 egg
- 3 & ¾ c flour
- 2 t pumpkin pie spice
- 1 t salt
- 5 t unsalted butter softened
For the filling
- 1 & ½ c brown sugar
- 1 t cinnamon
- 2 t pumpkin pie spice
- ¾ butter melted
For the frosting
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- ½ c unsalted butter softened
- 1 c brown sugar
- 1 t vanilla
- ½ t salt
- 3 t heavy cream
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the warm milk, brown sugar, sugar, and instant yeast. Allow to rest for at least 2 minutes.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the pumpkin puree, egg, and yeast mixture. Mix well, scraping the sides often.
- Add the flour, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Switch to the dough hook and mix for 2-4 minutes until combined.
- Add the softened butter and mix for about 10 minutes until the dough is thoroughly combined and smooth.
- Allow the dough to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour depending on kitchen temperature.
- For the filling, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice in a bowl. Melt the butter in a separate small bowl.
- On a lightly floured surface, punch down the dough and roll out to an 18x24-inch rectangle.
- Brush the entire surface with melted butter, edge to edge. Sprinkle the sugar mixture over almost the entire surface, leaving a 1-inch strip along one long edge bare.
- Starting from the opposite long edge, tightly roll the dough into a log. Seal the seam at the bottom.
- Use a serrated knife to cut into 1 to 1½-inch rolls.
- Spray a baking dish with non-stick spray. Place the rolls cut-side up in the dish. Allow to rise again until gaps are filled and rolls are even with the top of the dish, about 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake for 30-40 minutes until edges are golden brown and centers are set. Allow to cool slightly before frosting.
- While rolls bake, make the frosting: beat together the softened cream cheese, softened butter, brown sugar, salt, vanilla, and heavy cream on low until combined. Increase to medium and whip until smooth and fluffy.
- Spread frosting evenly over the warm rolls.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is just an estimate and may vary based on specific ingredients used.
