The Best Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls You’ll Ever Eat Recipe
These pumpkin cinnamon rolls combine the cozy warmth of pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice with a soft, fluffy dough and a sweet cinnamon-sugar filling. Topped with a rich cream cheese glaze flavored with maple syrup, these cinnamon rolls offer the perfect balance of fall flavors and indulgence, making them an irresistible treat for breakfast or dessert.
- Author: Maya
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 12 cinnamon rolls 1x
- Category: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
For the cinnamon roll dough:
- ¾ cup (180g) milk (whole, 2% or almond milk will all work)
- ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 2 ¼ teaspoons quick rise yeast (1/4-ounce package yeast)
- ¾ cup (183g) pumpkin puree
- ¼ cup (57g) melted butter
- 1 egg, at room temperature
- 4 cups (480g) bread flour
- 2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice
- ¾ teaspoon salt
For the filling:
- ⅔ cup (142g) dark brown sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup (57g) butter, at room temperature
For the cream cheese glaze:
- 4 ounces (112g) cream cheese, at room temperature
- 3 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
- ¼ cup (28g) powdered sugar
- 4 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- Pinch of salt
For garnish:
- Sprinkle of ground cinnamon
- Warm milk and activate yeast: Warm milk to about 110°F using a microwave or stovetop until it’s like warm bath water. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine warm milk and granulated sugar, sprinkle yeast on top, and stir to combine.
- Mix wet ingredients and form dough: Add pumpkin puree, room temperature egg, and melted butter to the yeast mixture, mixing until smooth and creamy. Stir in bread flour, pumpkin pie spice, and salt using a wooden spoon until a dough begins to form.
- Knead the dough: Using a dough hook on low speed, knead the dough for 8-10 minutes until it forms a slightly sticky ball. Alternatively, knead by hand on a floured surface for the same amount of time.
- First rise: Transfer the dough ball to a large greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and a warm towel, and allow it to rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size, adjusting time based on your home’s humidity and temperature.
- Roll out dough: On a floured surface, roll the risen dough into a 14×16 inch rectangle. Spread softened butter over the dough, leaving a ¼ inch margin at the far side.
- Prepare filling and spread: Mix brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl, then sprinkle the mixture over the buttered dough, pressing it gently into the butter with your hands.
- Roll and cut: Starting from the shorter 14-inch side, tightly roll up the dough. Seal the edges well. Cut off about an inch from each end because those ends won’t be as full of filling. Then slice the roll into 12 one-inch sections using a serrated knife, marking dents beforehand to ensure even rolls.
- Second rise: Place the rolls seam side down in a greased 9×13 inch baking pan lined with parchment paper. Cover with plastic wrap and a warm towel, and let the rolls rise again for about 30 minutes while preheating your oven.
- Bake: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Remove covers and bake the cinnamon rolls for 20-25 minutes until they are just slightly golden brown on the edges to keep the centers soft. Allow them to cool for 10 minutes before frosting.
- Prepare cream cheese glaze: In a mixer or medium bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, maple syrup, and salt until smooth and creamy.
- Frost and garnish: Spread the cream cheese glaze over the warm cinnamon rolls. Sprinkle with a bit of ground cinnamon for a decorative touch and serve immediately. Enjoy your delicious pumpkin cinnamon rolls!
Notes
- Use whole, 2% milk, or almond milk; all yield great results.
- If you don’t have an electric mixer, kneading by hand works just fine.
- Make sure your milk is not too hot to avoid killing the yeast — just warm bath temperature.
- Line the baking pan with parchment paper to avoid filling leakage and ease cleanup.
- Underbaking slightly keeps the rolls soft and chewy in the center.
- Let the rolls cool a bit before frosting to prevent the glaze from melting off.
- This recipe yields 12 perfectly sized cinnamon rolls.
Keywords: pumpkin cinnamon rolls, pumpkin spice rolls, cinnamon rolls with pumpkin, pumpkin dessert, fall desserts, cream cheese glaze cinnamon rolls