Description
These pumpkin cinnamon rolls are soft, fluffy, and filled with warm fall spices. The dough is enriched with butter, eggs, and pumpkin puree, giving it a tender texture and subtle earthy sweetness. A brown sugar cinnamon filling melts into gooey swirls as the rolls bake, and they’re finished with a maple vanilla cream cheese icing that ties everything together. These can be made ahead overnight or frozen for later baking.
Equipment:
- Stand mixer with dough hook (or large mixing bowl and wooden spoon)
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Rolling pin
- Sharp knife or unflavored dental floss for cutting rolls
- 9×13 inch baking dish
- Mixing bowls
- Spatula
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 3/4 cup whole milk, warmed to 110°F
- 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast (one packet)
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 4 cups bread flour (plus more as needed)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
For the filling:
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
For the icing:
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Warm the milk until just above body temperature. Add yeast and a teaspoon of the sugar. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine pumpkin puree, remaining sugar, egg, melted butter, salt, pumpkin pie spice, and foamy yeast mixture. Mix to combine.
- Add flour one cup at a time and mix with the dough hook until the dough is smooth and slightly tacky, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add a spoonful of flour if it sticks too much.
- Transfer dough to a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- Lightly flour a work surface. Roll the dough into a large rectangle about 12×16 inches. Spread softened butter across the surface. Mix brown sugar with cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. Sprinkle evenly over butter.
- Starting from the long side, roll the dough tightly into a log. Slice into 12 equal rolls using a sharp knife or dental floss.
- Arrange the rolls in a greased 9×13 inch pan. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise again until puffy, 40 to 50 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake the rolls for 22 to 25 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through.
- While rolls bake, beat together cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add powdered sugar, maple syrup, vanilla, and salt. Beat until creamy.
- Spread icing over warm rolls and serve right away.
Notes
Make Ahead Instructions: Prepare the rolls through step 7. Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, let the rolls come to room temperature for 45 minutes before baking.
Freezing Instructions: Baked rolls can be cooled completely, wrapped tightly, and frozen up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then warm in a 300°F oven before serving.
Storage: Rolls keep covered at room temperature for 2 days or in the refrigerator for 5 days. Warm briefly before eating to restore softness.
The maple vanilla cream cheese icing is the unique element that sets these apart from most pumpkin cinnamon roll recipes. The maple adds a deep autumn sweetness that balances the tang of cream cheese, while vanilla rounds out the flavor with warmth. Most recipes use plain cream cheese icing or maple alone, but the blend of both makes these rolls memorable without overpowering the pumpkin flavor.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Cinnamon Roll
- Calories: ~392
- Fat: ~14.8 g
- Carbohydrates: ~58.5 g
- Protein: ~6.7 g
