If you want to really show your family how much you love them, make them a batch of warm cinnamon rolls for breakfast or brunch! And if it’s pumpkin spice season, make a pan of these easy and delicious Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls instead. These seasonal sweet rolls are soft, gently spiced with all the right flavors, and topped with a thick, sweet, cream cheese maple glaze. There is pure pumpkin mixed right into the dough, which makes them extra tender and melt-in-your-mouth amazing!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
If you’ve never made cinnamon pumpkin rolls or sticky buns before, you’ll be so happy that you found this recipe! I’ll explain and break down the steps that you need to take to make these pumpkin cinnamon rolls, and show you that it’s not as hard as you might think! You’ll need to have a little bit of patience to allow the dough to rise properly, and you should definitely follow along with the recipe and pay attention to each step. They’re all important, but none of them are particularly difficult.
Key Ingredients in Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
Here’s what you need to make this tasty fall version of cinnamon buns. There are three parts to the recipe: The dough, the filling, and the frosting.
For the Dough
Whole Milk: Because we’re working with yeast, it’s important to warm the milk so that it’s between 105° and 115°F. This will “bloom” or wake up the yeast so that it’s active and working for us. Yeast: I’ve designed this recipe using instant yeast. Using this type of yeast is a bit of a shortcut and makes the process take less time. Pumpkin: You’ll need half a can of pure pumpkin puree for the dough. Be sure not to buy pumpkin pie filling. You can also use homemade pumpkin puree if you have it. Butter: Melted unsalted butter adds fat and flavor to the cinnamon roll dough. Flour, light brown sugar, an egg, and salt
For the Filling
Butter: First we’ll spread softened butter over the rolled-out dough. Be sure that your butter is very soft, but not melted for this part. Brown Sugar: Light brown sugar adds delicious sweetness. Spices: Ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and ground cloves go perfectly with pumpkin.
For the Icing
Cream Cheese: There’s something about the tangy richness of cream cheese frosting and pumpkin desserts. They’re made to go together! Powdered Sugar Optional Sweetness: Add a bit of maple syrup or honey to the glaze if you prefer it to be extra sweet. Otherwise, you can just use a tablespoon of milk.
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
How To Make Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
Frosting For Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
Cinnamon Roll Recipe Tips
Plan Ahead. You’ll need about 3 hours to make this recipe, including hands-off time for the dough to rise. If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can make the dough by hand. Use a whisk and a spatula to mix the ingredients together, then knead the dough by hand on a lightly floured surface. Don’t squish the rolls. You’ll want to be careful when slicing the cinnamon rolls. A good serrated knife works well, as does a sharp kitchen knife used in a sawing motion. You can even use unflavored dental floss to cut the dough! Add toppings! Chopped walnuts or pecans are delicious on these cinnamon rolls.
Storing Tips
These cinnamon rolls with pumpkin are going to be the most delicious if they are eaten shortly after they’ve been baked and frosted. If by some chance there are leftovers, store them in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Enjoy them cold, or gently reheat them before eating.
To Make Cinnamon Buns with Regular Yeast
If you’d like to use Active Dry Yeast instead of Instant in this recipe, you can! They can be substituted in a 1:1 ratio. There’s just a bit of a change in how you should mix the ingredients. With active dry yeast, you should first add the yeast to the warm milk in a bowl. Stir gently and allow the mixture to sit for 5 to 10 minutes, or until foamy. Then, add the rest of the dough ingredients to the yeast and continue on as directed in the recipe. You may find that the first rise takes a bit longer too, so keep that in mind. These are the best pumpkin cinnamon rolls, and you’re sure to have success with this easy recipe. Don’t forget to pin the recipe, and to pick up some pumpkin on your next shopping trip! © Little Sunny Kitchen
