Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

Pumpkin cinnamon rolls are soft cinnamon rolls swirled with buttery cinnamon sugar and finished with a rich cinnamon cream cheese frosting for the ultimate fall breakfast.

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 40

Rising 1

Total Time 2 5

Servings servings

Calories 406kcal

Author Kate @ I Heart Eating

Equipment

9x13 pan

Ingredients

Dough

1 cup whole milk
½ cup granulated sugar divided
2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
1 cup pumpkin puree
2 large eggs room temperature
½ cup unsalted butter melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
4 ½ - 5 ½ cups all purpose flour
½ teaspoon kosher salt

Filling

6 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

Cinnamon cream cheese filling

8 ounce package cream cheese at room temperature
¼ cup unsalted butter at room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon kosher salt

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Pour the milk into a microwave-safe measuring cup. Microwave in 30-second intervals until it reaches about 105 - 110 degrees F. (If it gets too hot, let it sit on the counter for a few minutes to come down in temperature)
1 cup whole milk
Add warm milk, ¼ cup granulated sugar, and yeast to the bowl of your stand mixer. Use a fork to lightly stir it all together. Let sit for 5 minutes for yeast to bloom.
2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
Add pumpkin, eggs, remaining ¼ cup sugar, ½ cup melted butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice. Use the fork again to lightly beat the eggs.
1 cup pumpkin puree, 2 large eggs, ½ cup unsalted butter
Pour in 4 cups flour and ½ teaspoon salt. Use a paddle attachment on your stand mixer to combine the ingredients, then switch to the dough hook. With the dough hook, knead the flour into the liquid ingredients until combined. Continue to knead with the dough hook for another 8 - 10 minutes, or until the dough forms a ball and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. If the dough seems too sticky, you can add additional flour in 1/4 cup intervals up to 1 cup more flour.
Grease a clean bowl lightly with oil. Remove dough from the mixing bowl and place it in the greased bowl, turning to coat in oil on all sides. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and set in a warm place to rise for about 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
In a medium bowl, add ½ cup granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon cinnamon, and 1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice.
In a separate bowl, add 6 tablespoons butter. Microwave for about 15 seconds to soften the butter without melting it. Set aside.
Lightly flour a clean surface and roll the dough out into a rectangle until it’s about ½ an inch thick.
Spread the softened butter all over the dough and sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture evenly on top.
Working from the longer side of the rectangle, cut 12 2-inch strips out of the dough. Roll each strip tightly into itself to create a spiral roll.
Place the rolls, swirl-side up, in the greased baking dish.
Cover with the same clean dish towel and allow to sit in a warm place for another 30 minutes.
While waiting for the rolls to rest, clean the bowl of your stand mixer.
Beat together cream cheese and ¼ cup butter with the paddle attachment.
8 ounce package cream cheese
Add in powdered sugar, ½ teaspoon vanilla, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Beat again until smooth and creamy.
2 cups powdered sugar
Bake cinnamon rolls for 40 - 45 minutes, or until baked in the center and golden brown on top. If the tops begin to brown too quickly, tent with aluminum foil.
Remove from the oven and let cool for about 10 minutes.
Spread cinnamon frosting on top of warm rolls.

Video

Notes

Milk: Using whole milk will give you a dough that’s a little softer and a little richer.
Yeast: You can use either instant yeast or active dry yeast. Just make sure that if you use active dry yeast that the yeast foams. If the yeast doesn’t foam, start over as the rolls won’t rise if it doesn’t foam.
Butter: To use salted butter, omit the kosher salt in the recipe.
Sugar: You can substitute half of the granulated sugar for brown sugar. This will make the filling a bit more gooey.
Pumpkin pie spice: You can make your own homemade pumpkin spice blend with this recipe.
Nutrition values are estimates.

Nutrition