Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls – Deliciously soft and fluffy pumpkin cinnamon rolls filled with buttery cinnamon sugar and topped with sweet, creamy cream cheese icing. The perfect cosy autumn treat!
There’s nothing quite like warm, freshly baked cinnamon rolls on a chilly autumn morning! These Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls are wonderfully soft and fluffy, with pumpkin purée and a delicious blend of cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg mixed into the dough. Each roll is generously swirled with a buttery cinnamon sugar filling and topped with smooth, sweet cream cheese icing.
These homemade cinnamon rolls are surprisingly simple to make from scratch, and the pumpkin gives the dough a beautiful colour and wonderfully tender texture. They’re perfect for a cosy weekend breakfast, a special autumn brunch, or enjoying warm with a cuppa. You can even prepare them the night before, ready to rise and bake fresh in the morning!
Looking for more delicious autumn bakes? Try my Easy Cinnamon Rolls, Cream Cheese Swirl Pumpkin Bread, or Pumpkin Cheesecake Streusel Bars.
Happy baking,
Marsha x
Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 1 ½ cups (360ml) whole milk, warmed to 43C/110F
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 4 ½ teaspoons (14g) dry active yeast
- ½ cup (115g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 2 large eggs + 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
- 1 cup (220g) canned pumpkin puree
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 6 ¼ cups (780g) bread flour
- ¾ teaspoon salt
For the Filling
- ½ cup (115g) unsalted butter, partially melted
- 1 cup (200g) light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
For the Topping
- 4 oz (113g) cream cheese, softened
- 2 tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup (125g) icing/powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
For the Dough
- In a large measuring jug, stir together the milk, sugar, and yeast. Set aside and allow the yeast to foam and bubble up – about 10 minutes.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the milk mixture, butter, eggs, yolk, pumpkin, and spices, and whisk until combined.
- Add the flour and salt, and mix until a sticky dough forms.
- Transfer the dough to a well floured surface and knead for about 5 minutes until smooth, elastic, and tacky. Your hand will stick to the dough when kneading, but should come off completely clean.
- NOTE: If the dough gets too sticky to knead, sprinkle 1 teaspoon of flour at a time onto the dough or work surface until it becomes more manageable. Do NOT add more flour than you need because this will result in dry, dense rolls.
- Place the dough into a lightly greased large bowl, cover with clingfilm or a tea towel, and leave to rise in a warm place for 1 – 2 hours, or until doubled in size.
- TIP: Preheat the oven to 43C/110F. Once heated, turn the oven off. Place the covered dough inside, and allow to rise in this warm environment.
For the Filling
- In a medium mixing bowl, mix together the butter, sugar, and cinnamon until combined. Set aside.
- Once the dough has doubled in size, gently deflate with your fist and transfer to a lightly floured surface.
- Roll out to a large rectangle, about 1/4-inch thick, making sure the long side is facing towards you. Slice off the edges to make a 12 x 18 inch rectangle.
- Spread the filling all over the dough.
- Using a pizza cutter, cut the dough into twelve 1.5-inch-wide strips. Roll up each strip and place them into a greased 9×13-inch baking pan.
- Cover with clingfilm or a tea towel, and leave to rise again in a warm place for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/350F/Gas 4.
- Remove the clingfilm/tea towel and bake the rolls for 30 – 35 minutes, or until golden brown on top and the internal temperature of the rolls reach 88C – 93C (190F – 200F).
- Allow to cool in the pan on a wire rack whilst preparing the topping.
For the Topping
- In a medium mixing bowl, mix together the cream cheese and butter until combined.
- Add the icing sugar and vanilla, and mix until smooth and combined.
- Spread the icing evenly over the warm cinnamon rolls.
A great fall twist to a classic!
Cinnamon rolls are a staple in my house. The pumpkin gave it a nice fall twist! We really enjoyed them!
This is absolutely delicious! I love that it’s such a crowd pleaser for the whole family.
Would this dough work as a loaf of bread baked in a loaf pan as opposed to rolls?
Yes, you can. I would halve the dough and use 2 loaf pans. Enjoy!