Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Rolls

Autumn has never felt more comforting with these Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Rolls. With detailed instructions and step-by-step photos, this recipe is easy to nail for any culinary level. These rolls pair perfectly with a piping hot cup of coffee and the crisp smell of fallen leaves.

When I’m craving warm comfort in the form of sweets, I can’t help but gravitate to homemade cinnamon rolls. Pillowy soft dough, sugary, crunchy bottoms, and the best part: silky cream cheese icing. It’s the perfect treat in my books and is somehow acceptable to eat for breakfast. Score!

This pumpkin-spiced rendition is perfect for those of us who unapologetically adore the seasonal flavor combination. Pumpkin puree in the dough, the filling, and pumpkin spice in both the filling and icing. I went all out and I am NOT sorry!

Ingredients

Click “Jump to the Recipe” at the top of the page or scroll down to the recipe card for ingredient amounts and the recipe instructions. Below you’ll find all the information you need to make perfect pumpkin cinnamon rolls.

• Yeast – I used active dry yeast, however, you can use instant yeast instead. You can skip the first step in that case, but it’s a step I like to do regardless of the type of yeast I’m using. It’ll ensure it’s still alive!
• Milk – Any type you have! Even non-dairy alternatives will work
• Sugar – You’ll need both granulated sugar and icing sugar, aka powdered sugar or confectioner’s sugar.
• Pumpkin puree – Homemade or store-bought. The puree will be used in the dough and filling.
• Eggs – I always use large eggs for baking.
• Vanilla – Extract or paste will work best.
• Flour – I used all-purpose. You can use bread flour as a 1:1 substitute.
• Salt – Feel free to use less or more if you prefer.
• Butter – I like to use unsalted butter to have complete control over the salt content. You can’t exactly taste-test raw dough!
• Cinnamon & pumpkin pie spice – I find using 100% pumpkin pie spice for the rolls ends up with way too much clove and nutmeg as they are powerful flavors. The ratio I’ve used is just right! However, you can add more or less if you like.
• Cream cheese – You can substitute the cream cheese icing for these rolls with a regular glaze if that’s your preference. I still recommend whisking in some extra pumpkin pie spice!

How to make pumpkin spice cinnamon rolls

Dough

1. Bloom the yeast: Whisk the yeast, milk, and 1 tbsp of the sugar together in a medium-sized bowl. Let the mixture sit for 5-10 minutes, or until the yeast begins to get foamy.
2. Start the dough: Whisk the pumpkin puree, eggs, and vanilla into the yeast mixture. Stir the flour, salt, and remaining sugar in the bowl of your stand mixer, then add the yeast mixture and softened butter.
3. Finish the dough: Attach the dough hook to your mixer. Mix on medium-low speed until a shaggy dough forms, then increase the speed medium-high. Continue to knead for 5-10 minutes, or until the dough is soft and elastic. It should be slightly sticky to the touch while still pulling away from the sides of the bowl.*
4. Rise: Lift the dough from the bowl, then lightly spritz the bowl with cooking spray. Place the dough back into the bowl, then spritz the top of the dough as well. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm, draft-free environment for 1-2 hours, or until doubled in size.
5. Roll out the dough: Punch the dough down and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough out into a rectangle about 12″ long and 16″ wide.

Filling

1. Spread the pumpkin butter: Beat the butter and pumpkin puree until well combined and soft. Spread the mixture, edge-to-edge, over the rolled-out dough.
2. Spiced sugar filling: Mix the brown sugar, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice together. Spread the mixture evenly over the butter to the edges. Reserve any cinnamon sugar that may fall over the edges.
3. Roll roll roll: Starting from the end closest to you, tightly roll the dough. I like to start in the middle and use my hands to slowly roll out to the sides. Repeat this method until you get to the end of the dough. Pinch the end of the dough back onto the roll to seal it completely.
4. Slice the roll:Use a sharp knife to mark the center of the roll. Mark the center of each half, then mark each quarter into thirds. This should give you 12 equally-spaced marks along the roll. Wrap a piece of dental floss around the roll on your first mark. Pull each end to slice all the way through. Repeat through the rest of the roll.
5. Prepare baking dish and rise: Generously butter a 9×13″ casserole dish and sprinkle any excess cinnamon sugar over the bottom, then arrange the sliced rolls into the dish. Cover the dish with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel. Preheat the oven to 350F and let the rolls rise for 20-30 minutes as the oven comes to temperature.

Bake & icing

1. Bake: Remove the towel or plastic wrap from the dish. Transfer to the oven and bake for 18-22 minutes, or until the rolls begin to turn golden brown.
2. Cream cheese icing: Add all the icing ingredients to a bowl and beat until smooth and creamy. Spread the icing over the rolls once they are warm, not hot. Slice between each roll and serve.

Troubleshooting your dough

Yeast

The yeast must rise to the top and foam up in step 1. No foam = inactivated yeast = dense, dry rolls. Stop now and read this section to find out what went wrong and how to solve it:

• The temperature of the milk: If it’s too cold, the yeast won’t be able to thrive and come to life. If it’s too hot, it may kill the yeast. The water should be around 110F/40C; just warm to the touch. Like testing baby formula. I microwave it at 10-15 second intervals and dip my finger just until it feels warm.
• Your yeast has died: Keep in mind that yeast is a living organism. Even if your container is within the expiry date, it can die and be ineffective. Time to grab a new batch from the store!
• Your yeast hasn’t been stored properly: Yeast holds best in an airtight container. I like to buy jars of yeast for that twist-to-seal-lid. Individually portioned packets are good too. Yeast will also last much, much longer stored in the freezer.

Dough

The first step for perfect dough: the texture. Every environment is different! Maybe you live somewhere humid or somewhere bone-dry like me. Maybe your cups of flour have ended up slightly more or less densely packed. Regardless, your perfect texture is easy to achieve:

• If it feels sticky: Add 1 tbsp of flour, mix it in completely, and repeat as necessary until the texture is perfect.
• If it feels dry: Mix in a splash of milk, mix it in completely, and repeat as necessary until the texture is perfect.

Now we’re here. The yeast bloomed beautifully, the texture is dreamy, but the dough doesn’t seem to be rising as expected. Here’s what you can do to fix that issue:

• Even when I’m not shooting for the blog, I’ll take a before photo of my dough for comparison. If there has been some action, just be patient and give it time. It’ll rise!
• Your dough will rise beautifully in a warm, draft-free environment. Slow risers are often a cause of a cold room. I usually preheat my oven to the lowest temperature, turn it off, and voila. It’s a perfectly toasty spot for your dough to rise.

Tips for making perfect pumpkin spice cinnamon rolls

• New to making yeast doughs? Read through the entire section above, “Troubleshooting Your Dough“, before you get started!
• Check out this recipe for homemade pumpkin pie spice. You just might have everything you need to make your own without adding another item to your grocery list!
• Even if you’re using instant yeast, follow the first step. This will let you know that your yeast is still alive and will give you glorious, fluffy, soft rolls.
• Let the rolls cool for about 10-15 minutes before spreading the icing, but make sure they’re still warm. The icing will melt into the centers and make each bite extra delicious.

How to store pumpkin spice cinnamon rolls

If they’re already slathered with icing, your pumpkin spice cinnamon rolls will last about 3 days stored in the fridge. You can keep the rolls in the baking dish and cover them well with plastic or bees wrap to store without dirtying a container. If you only have a few rolls left, transfer them to an airtight container.

Want to freeze your rolls? You can freeze them unbaked or baked:

• Unbaked: After arranging the rolls in the baking dish, wrap it well with both plastic wrap and foil. Try to do this quickly before they have much of a chance to rise! Transfer the dish to the freezer for up to 2 weeks. To bake, remove the foil and plastic wrap and cover the dish with a clean kitchen towel. Let the rolls thaw completely at room temperature for 1-2 hours. This will also act as their second rise before baking.
• Baked: Let the rolls cool, without icing, completely to room temperature. You can either wrap the baking dish well with plastic wrap and foil or transfer them to an airtight container. They will last for up to 6 weeks frozen.

If you plan on freezing your rolls, either baked or unbaked, keep the icing off and whip it up fresh to serve. Cream cheese icing doesn’t bode well in the freezer.

Did you love this recipe? Give these a try:

• Orange Rolls with Cream Cheese Icing
• Classic Cinnamon Rolls
• Cinnamon Roll Blondies
• Homemade Brioche Recipe
• Maple Bacon Donuts

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