Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls (Printer-friendly)

Soft, pillowy rolls infused with pumpkin, swirled with cinnamon sugar, and topped with luscious cream cheese frosting.

# What You Need:

→ Dough

01 - 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
02 - 1 packet (2 ¼ tsp) active dry yeast
03 - ⅓ cup granulated sugar
04 - ½ cup whole milk, lukewarm
05 - ¾ cup canned pumpkin purée
06 - ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
07 - 1 large egg, room temperature
08 - 1 tsp vanilla extract
09 - ½ tsp salt
10 - 1 tsp ground cinnamon
11 - ½ tsp ground nutmeg

→ Filling

12 - ⅔ cup brown sugar, packed
13 - 2 tbsp ground cinnamon
14 - ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened

→ Cream Cheese Frosting

15 - 4 oz cream cheese, softened
16 - ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
17 - 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
18 - ½ tsp vanilla extract
19 - Pinch of salt

# Steps:

01 - In a large bowl, combine warm milk and yeast. Let sit for 5 minutes until foamy.
02 - Add sugar, pumpkin purée, melted butter, egg, and vanilla. Mix until smooth.
03 - Gradually add flour, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Knead for 6–8 minutes until a soft, elastic dough forms. Add a bit more flour if sticky.
04 - Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
05 - Punch down dough and roll out on a floured surface to a 16x12-inch rectangle.
06 - Spread softened butter over dough, leaving a ½-inch border. Mix brown sugar and cinnamon, then sprinkle evenly over buttered dough.
07 - Roll up tightly from the long side. Slice into 12 even rolls.
08 - Arrange rolls in a greased 9x13-inch baking dish. Cover and let rise for 30–40 minutes until puffy.
09 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake rolls for 22–25 minutes, until golden and cooked through.
10 - For frosting, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt; beat until creamy.
11 - Spread frosting over warm rolls. Serve fresh.

# Top Tips:

01 -
  • The dough is pumpkin-infused but never overpowering—it whispers autumn rather than shouts it.
  • You can make these the night before and bake them fresh in the morning, which means you look like a breakfast hero with minimal effort.
  • The cream cheese frosting melts slightly into the warm rolls, creating this dreamy texture that tastes like comfort.
02 -
  • Don't skip sifting the powdered sugar for the frosting—unsifted sugar will make lumpy frosting that looks homemade in the wrong way.
  • The dough will be slightly sticky compared to bread dough, and that's exactly what you want; it makes the rolls tender and soft rather than dense.
  • Bring all your ingredients to room temperature, especially the cream cheese and butter for frosting—cold ingredients won't incorporate smoothly and will leave you beating the mixer forever.
03 -
  • Use dental floss or a thin knife dipped in water to slice the rolls—it's gentler on the dough than sawing motions and gives you cleaner edges.
  • If your kitchen is cold, turn your oven on to its lowest setting for just a minute, then turn it off and use that warm environment for rising the dough.
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