Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

Soft, fluffy and buttery, these pumpkin cinnamon rolls are packed with fall flavours of pumpkin, layered in cinnamon pumpkin spice sugar with a generous drizzle of cream cheese icing on top. Every single roll is so soft and moist in the centre. You may want to make a double batch of this cozy fall treat because they do not last long. Luckily, they are actually quite easy to make, making it one of my favourite weekend baking projects to take on.

So it's official, these are the best cinnamon rolls that we have made. If you are a fan of regular cinnamon rolls, like the flavours in our cinnamon roll twist bread, then you will love this fall version.

Ingredients

• all-purpose flour
• active dry yeast 
• pumpkin puree 
• sugar 
• milk 
• butter
• egg
• salt 
• cinnamon roll filling - butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice blend.
• cream cheese topping - cream cheese icing made with cream cheese, milk, honey (or maple syrup), and confectioners' sugar.

You will also need a rolling pin and an 8-inch square pan.

How to Make the Best Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in milk, and stir to mix together. Let the mixture rest for 5 minutes to activate the yeast. Then, add in pumpkin puree, flour, softened butter, egg and salt. Stir well with a spatula until no dry flour particles are visible. Make sure to scrape off any remaining flour from the sides of the bowl.

Transfer the dough mixture onto a clean and dry surface. Knead the dough for 5 minutes until it turns into a soft and smooth dough ball. Because of the high fat content (butter and milk) in this recipe, the dough is much easier to knead by hand and does not require a stand mixer.

Transfer the dough back into the mixing bowl, lightly grease the dough ball with vegetable oil and cover with a lid. Let it rise at room temperature for 1 hour or until it doubles in size. Covering the dough with oil will help prevent the dough from losing moisture and drying out.

How to Shape Cinnamon Rolls

1. Roll out the dough. Transfer the dough onto a floured surface and roll it out into a rectangle of about 20x12 inches wide using a rolling pin.
2. Add buttery pumpkin spice layer. Gently spread softened butter evenly over the rolled dough. Then, whisk together brown sugar, ground cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice blend in a small bowl. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the top of the butter. 
3. Shape the cinnamon rolls. Roll up the dough tightly into a log and pinch the end edges to seal. Cut into 9 even pieces using a knife or bench scraper, about 2 inches wide each. Arrange the rolls flat on their side into a greased 8-inch square pan.

Then, cover the pan with plastic wrap (or seal it in a large Ziploc bag) and let it rise (second rise) for 1 hour or until the rolls double in size. Optionally, you can let the rolls rise slowly in the sealed Ziploc bag in the refrigerator overnight and bake it straight away in a preheated oven the next day.

To bake, preheat the oven to 350 F. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 30 minutes, until golden brown. Let it cool for 10 minutes.

How to Make Cream Cheese Icing

Combine cream cheese, milk, honey and confectioners' sugar in a bowl and mix well with a handheld mixer (or with a whisk) until the mixture becomes smooth. Drizzle the cream cheese icing over cinnamon rolls and serve.

How to Store Cinnamon Rolls

Pumpkin cinnamon rolls are best served fresh out of the oven with a fresh coat of cream cheese glaze on top that literally melts from the warmth. To store, store the cinnamon rolls and cream cheese glaze separately:

• cinnamon rolls: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave, air fryer or oven.
• cream cheese icing: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.

You can also freeze the cinnamon rolls in an airtight container for up to 3 months in the freezer.

More Pumpkin Recipes

• Small Batch Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread
• Pumpkin Pie Granola
• Classic Thanksgiving Pumpkin Pie
• Pumpkin Pie Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Glaze
• Mini Glazed Pumpkin Scones

Print

Recipe