Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

My new favourite thing to bake in the fall, these Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls are so daamn good. It is made with real pumpkin puree and you’ll love the pumpkin spice in every bite. Topped with a brown-butter and maple cream cheese icing, it really is the most perfect fall treat!

I use an enriched dough for this recipe that provides a tender crumb texture and gives a pillowy softness to the rolls. It also is stuffed with pumpkin puree and pumpkin spice which makes these cinnamon rolls so full of flavour.

The brown butter gives a hint of nuttiness to the cream cheese icing. I also love adding maple syrup into it, which pairs so beautifully with all the fall spices in this pumpkin cinnamon roll.

Ingredients for making pumpkin cinnamon rolls

Here is everything you will need for making the best Pumpkin Cinnamon rolls at home:

• Flour: I use only good quality all purpose flour for this recipe.
• Milk: Use lukewarm whole milk or alternate with almond milk.
• Brown sugar: I am using brown sugar both in the filling as well as in the dough. However, you can feel free to add white granulated sugar in the dough instead. Both light and brown sugar works perfectly for the cinnamon sugar filling.
• Active dry yeast or Instant yeast
• Spices: You will need pumpkin spice mix and cinnamon powder
• Salt
• Pumpkin puree: You can either use canned pumpkin puree or a homemade pumpkin puree but make sure to strain off any excess liquid so it’s not too watery.
• Eggs: It helps to enrich the dough and give it a good structure
• Butter: Also helps to enrich the dough and give it a brioche-like texture. Butter is also an important ingredient for the cinnamon roll filling.
• For the Brown Butter Maple Icing: Salted butter, cream cheese, maple syrup, icing sugar and vanilla extract are the only 5 ingredients you will need to make the icing. You can enhance it further with a sprinkle of cinnamon or pumpkin spice.

Step by Step: How to make Pumpkin Cinnamon rolls at home

Step 1: Prepare the dough using a Stand mixer with a hook attachment.

Step 2: Cover the dough and let it rise for 1-2hrs. This will be the first rise.

Step 3: Make the Cinnamon Sugar Filling

Step 4: Roll out the dough into a rectangle, spread the filling and slice dough into rolls using a serrated knife

Step 5: Add rolls in a baking pan, cover and let it sit for a second rise

Step 6: Bake in a pre-heated oven

Step 7: Prepare the maple brown butter icing and spread on top of the baked rolls. Enjoy!

Can I make pumpkin cinnamon rolls overnight?

Yes, you can make these cinnamon rolls the night before and bake it the next morning. Just follow the above steps until Step 5 or until you make the rolls and place them in a baking pan. Cover it with cling and transfer into the fridge. The next day, you can take it out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature. Then, give it additional time to rise until it almost doubles in size. All this may take about an hour. Once risen, you can bake and follow the next steps as usual.

Storing and Freezing

These pumpkin cinnamon rolls can be stored covered at room temperature for about 1-2 days and refrigerated for upto a week. You can microwave them to make it warm and soft again before consuming. If you’re unable to consume it all sooner, these rolls can also be kept in the freezer for a few months. Just defrost it completely and give it a microwave or air-fry individual rolls for 3-5 minutes before you indulge.

If you like this recipe, try my other cinnamon roll variations:

Classic Cinnamon Rolls
Blueberry Orange Rolls
Nutella and Chocolate Rolls

This cozy fall dessert needs to be on your list to try this fall/winter. You can also serve it for breakfast as an indulgent treat to enjoy during the chilly mornings with a warm cup of chai or a pumpkin-spiced latte. I am honestly so excited for the cooler months and I will definitely continue baking these soft, fluffy rolls on repeat!

RECIPE for making Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Brown Butter Maple Icing:

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

Recipe by Aysha SaihaCourse: DessertsDifficulty: Easy

Servings

12-15

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Baking time

30

minutes

Resting Time

1

hour 

30

minutes

Total time

2

hours 

30

minutes

Ingredients

• Pumpkin roll dough

• 3 and 1/2 cups flour

• 1/4 cup light brown sugar

• 2 and 1/4 tsp active dry yeast

• 1 tsp pumpkin spice mix

• 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder

• 1 tsp salt

• 3/4 cup whole milk, lukewarm

• 100gm pumpkin puree

• 2 whole eggs, at room temperature

• 100gms unsalted butter, softened at room temp

• Cinnamon Sugar Filling

• 115gm unsalted butter, softened

• 1 and 1/4 cup light brown sugar

• 2 tbsp cinnamon powder

• 1 tsp pumpkin spice mix

• 1/4 tsp salt

• Brown Butter Maple Icing

• 5 Tbsp salted butter

• 160gm cream cheese, at room temperature

• 1/3 cup maple syrup

• 1-2 cups powdered icing sugar

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

• Start by preparing the Pumpkin roll dough
• Add in flour, brown sugar, yeast, pumpkin spice, cinnamon powder and salt into a bowl of a stand mixer and using a spatula just gently mix it up. Pour in your lukewarm milk, add the pumpkin puree and using a hook attachment, let the dough slightly come together on a low speed setting.
• While the dough is still heterogeneous, add in your eggs and mix for another minute. Start adding the butter in the dough, one tablespoon at a time, until it all perfectly comes together and forms a smooth dough. If the dough is too soft or sticky, you can add a little more flour. Continue kneading for atleast 3-5minutes on a medium-high setting.
• Transfer dough into a large, lightly greased bowl. Cover with a kitchen towel and let it sit for 1-2hrs or until it doubles in size.
• Make Cinnamon Sugar Filling
• In a mixing bowl, add softened butter, brown sugar, cinnamon powder, pumpkin spice and salt. Whisk it all together until it is evenly combined. Set aside.
• Prepare Cinnamon rolls and Bake
• Once the dough has risen, punch it down, and then roll it out into a long rectangle on a well floured surface, approximately 1 cm thick. Using an offset spatula, layer the cinnamon sugar filling on it. Tightly roll the dough from the longest side until it forms into a log. With a serrated knife, divide them into 12-15 equal rolls.
• Transfer rolls into a large greased pan, (or 2 medium sized pans) swirl-side facing up. Keep one inch distance between the rolls. Cover pan/s with a kitchen towel for a second rise for upto 30minutes until it puffs up a little.
• Preheat oven to 180°C or 350°F. Once the oven is ready, bake your cinnamon rolls for about 25-30mins or until the top turns golden brown and is properly cooked through. Let it cool.
• Ice the rolls with Brown Butter Maple Icing
• To prepare the icing, first brown up the butter in a saucepan on medium heat. Let it melt, and let the milk solids toast up a little. The colour will change to a light brown shade. This will take about 3-5minutes. Make sure it cools completely before you add it in the icing.
• Transfer the brown butter in a mixing bowl with cream cheese and maple syrup. Whisk it well and then sift in the icing sugar and whisk again. Mix in vanilla extract.
• Spread on top of the pumpkin cinnamon rolls and enjoy the fall flavours in every delicious bite!