These are truly the best pumpkin cinnamon rolls you'll eat this fall season. The rolls are pillowy soft, fluffy, and have real pumpkin in the dough. The pumpkin flavor shines with every bite between the pumpkin puree and homemade pumpkin pie spice, and the cinnamon cream cheese icing on top adds a sweet cozy touch.
Why You'll Love These Cinnamon Rolls
- Filled with pumpkin flavor. The best pumpkin desserts like these pumpkin cheesecake cookies and psl cupcakes are bursting with pumpkin. Both pumpkin puree and pumpkin spice are used in the dough and filling of these sweet rolls.
- Extremely soft dough. The best cinnamon rolls have a pillowy-soft and buttery dough that's surrounded by sweet cinnamon filling.
- A perfect fall treat. I love cinnamon rolls so much, especially during the cozy fall season. They're perfect for breakfast, brunch, or any holiday. These apple pie cinnamon rolls are a great autumn treat too!
- Cinnamon cream cheese icing. The cinnamon icing on top compliments every bite of these pumpkin rolls.
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Although homemade cinnamon rolls is a little more time consuming to make, every home baker should know how, because the flavor is so worth it!
Whether you make these pumpkin ones for Thanksgiving or you make these gingerbread cinnamon rolls or salted caramel cinnamon rolls for Christmas, you can never go wrong with a warm cinnamon roll.
Ingredients For Homemade Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
- Milk: You need warm milk that has been heated to about 110 degrees fahrenheit so the yeast can rise.
- Butter: This needs to be at room temperature for both the filling and icing.
- Yeast: I used active rise yeast. You could also use instant yeast or active dry yeast.
- Eggs: Two large eggs are needed for the dough.
- Pumpkin Spice: If you do not have pumpkin pie spice at home, you can easily make your own. Here is my recipe for how to make your own pumpkin spice.
- Pumpkin Puree: Feel free to use your favorite brand. Just be sure to not use pumpkin pie filling, for they are not the same.
- Flour: I used all-purpose flour.
- Cream Cheese: Use the block-style cream cheese, not the spreadable kind.
See the recipe card for the full ingredients list and the exact amounts.
How To Make The Best Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
Step 1: In a small bowl, heat the milk and cubed butter for about 30 seconds.
Pour into the bowl of a stand mixer and mix in the yeast, sugar, beaten eggs, blotted pumpkin puree, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin spice with a fork or whisk.
Step 2: Using the dough hook attachment, add in the flour and mix on low speed until the dough starts to form.
Increase to medium speed and knead until the dough is soft and slightly tacky.
Step 3: Place the dough into a lightly greased large bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let it rise for 1 hour in a warm place.
Step 4: Beat the softened butter, blotted pumpkin, brown sugar, cinnamon, and pumpkin spice on high speed until completely combined.
On a lightly floured surface using a rolling pin, roll out the dough to ¼ inch thick large rectangle. Spread the pumpkin cinnamon filling all over the dough.
Step 5: Roll the dough into a log and use a serrated knife to cut and make 15 rolls.
Step 6: Place into a prepared 9x13 inch baking pan, cover, and let the dough rise for 20 minutes.
Step 7: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and bake the rolls for 15-20 minutes, or just until lightly golden brown on top.
Make the icing as the cinnamon rolls bake.
Step 8: Beat the cream cheese and butter together until combined. Then mix in the powdered sugar, milk, vanilla extract, and cinnamon.
Immediately frost the hot cinnamon rolls with the icing and serve immediately.
Storing Tips
Refrigerator: Keep any leftover rolls in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Reheat: Place one cinnamon roll on a plate and heat for 20-25 seconds in the microwave.
Professional Home Baking Tips
- Baking Pan: These rolls are baked in a 9x13-inch baking dish. I used a glass pan. Be sure to spray the pan with cooking spray as well.
- Measuring Flour: To help ensure you don’t add extra flour, follow these three simple steps: 1) Fluff up the flour using a fork. 2) Spoon the flour into your measuring cup. 3) Scrape a knife across the top of the measuring cup to level out the flour.
- Rising Method: If possible, I recommend the first rise to happen in the oven. If you can't, then the dough can rise on the counter. I prefer the oven method when I can.
- Room Temperature Ingredients: For best results, I recommend removing the butter, eggs, and cream cheese 1 hour before you want to start baking.
- Bake Time: Be careful not to over bake the cinnamon roll dough. If over cooked, the dough will be hard and not soft.
- Icing: As soon as the rolls come out of the oven, spread the icing over the top. That way it'll melt into all of the cracks, which is the best part!
Recipe FAQs
I used a serrated knife to gently cut through the dough. You could also use unflavored dental floss to slice the rolls as well.
This can happen if you added too much flour (be sure to properly measure your flour) or you over baked them. This dough should turn out super soft for you.
It might need a little more flour. If the dough sticks to your fingers when trying to remove it, mix in 1 tablespoon of flour at a time until it doesn't.
More Cinnamon Roll Recipes
It brings me so much joy to see you make my recipes. 🙂
Happy Baking!
📖 Recipe
The Best Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
Equipment
- 9x13 Glass Baking Pan
- Electric Stand Mixer
- Rolling Pin
- Mixing Bowl
Ingredients:
Pumpkin Dough
- 1 cup milk, warmed to 110°F
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed
- 2 packets active rise yeast (4 ½ teaspoons)
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2 large eggs, beaten room temperature preferred
- ½ cup pumpkin puree, blotted
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon pumpkin spice
- 4 ½ cups all-purpose flour
Pumpkin Cinnamon Filling
- ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- ⅓ cup pumpkin puree, blotted
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon pumpkin spice
Cinnamon Cream Cheese Icing
- 3 ounces block-style cream cheese, room temperature
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions:
Pumpkin Dough
- Measure out the pumpkin puree and place into a small bowl. Use a folded paper towel and press into the pumpkin repeatedly to extract the moisture. Do this at least 3 times, or until the amount of moisture on the paper towel is very minimal. Set aside.
- In a microwaveable-safe bowl, heat the milk and cubed butter for 30-40 seconds, or until around 110°F. Pour into the bowl of a stand mixer and mix in the yeast, sugar, beaten eggs, blotted pumpkin puree, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin spice with a fork or whisk.
- Using the dough hook attachment, add in the flour and mix on low speed until the dough starts to form. Once formed, increase the speed to medium and knead until the dough is soft and slightly tacky (2-3 minutes). If the dough sticks to your fingers when trying to remove it, mix in 1 tablespoon of flour at a time until it doesn't (I needed to add 2 tablespoons).
- Transfer the dough to a lightly greased large bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees and once preheated turn it off, place the bowl in the oven, and keep the door slightly open. Allow the dough to rise in that warm space for 1 hour.*If you can't do this in your oven, let the dough rise on the counter.
Pumpkin Cinnamon Filling
- Just like for the dough, blot the pumpkin using paper towels.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, beat the softened butter, blotted pumpkin, brown sugar, cinnamon, and pumpkin spice on high speed until completely combined. It might look chunky and that's ok! Set aside.
Assemble
- After the dough has risen, roll it out on a lightly floured surface to ¼ inch thick and into a rectangle. Use a rubber spatula to spread the pumpkin cinnamon filling all over the dough.
- Starting on the long end, roll the dough up as tightly as you can into a log shape (it will be slightly messy). Use a serrated knife and cut off the uneven ends. Then cut the log into 15 rolls (about 1 inch wide).
- Spray a 9x13-inch pan with non-stick spray and place the rolls inside of it. Cover with a towel and rise for 20 minutes on the counter.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and bake for 15-20 minutes, or just until the rolls are lightly golden brown on top and the center of the rolls are cooked through.
Cinnamon Cream Cheese Icing
- In the bowl of an electric stand mixer using the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter on high speed until combined and creamy (2-3 minutes).
- Add the powdered sugar, milk, vanilla extract, and cinnamon and beat on low speed for about 30 seconds. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat for an additional 1-2 minutes until smooth and creamy.
- Spread the icing over the hot cinnamon rolls and sprinkle on extra pumpkin spice (optional). Serve immediately.
- Keep any leftover cinnamon rolls in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
If you love cinnamon rolls, you have got to try this pumpkin version! Perfect for welcoming in the fall season.