Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls for Lazy Fall Mornings

Buying three cans of pumpkin puree in August like an absolute maniac and watching my pantry stage an intervention is exactly what led to these pumpkin cinnamon rolls at 7 AM on a Sunday. Tackling yeast dough before I have had my coffee usually ends in tears and flour on the ceiling, but these rolls stay shockingly forgiving.

I once forgot about the dough during the first rise, went to Target for just one thing, and came back two hours later to a dough that had practically taken over my kitchen counter. It still baked up incredibly well. If you want a fall cinnamon roll recipe that makes your house smell better than a pricey candle and forgives your chaotic baking schedule, you are in the right place. Here is exactly how I do it.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• The smell. It makes your entire house smell like a cozy autumn cabin, masking the fact that you haven’t folded laundry in a week.
• Real pumpkin in the dough. It makes the bread incredibly soft and moist, so they stay good for days.
• Make-ahead friendly. You can let them rise in the fridge overnight and just bake them in the morning when you are barely awake.
• The icing. It is a maple cream cheese situation that I have been known to eat directly from the mixing bowl with a spoon.

Tools You’ll Need

Nothing fancy, I promise.

• stand mixer You can knead this by hand, but a mixer saves you five minutes of sticky arm workout.
• 9×13 baking dish. Glass, metal, or ceramic works, just make sure it stays heavily greased so you do not spend an hour scrubbing baked-on sugar.
• Rolling pin. Or an empty wine bottle if you are desperate, we have all been there.

Ingredients

For the Pumpkin Dough

• 1/3 cup whole milk – Nondairy works, but whole milk makes the dough richer.
• 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter – Melted just enough to be warm, not hot enough to murder your yeast.
• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin – Not pumpkin pie filling, just the plain pureed stuff.
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar – To feed the yeast and make it happy.
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg – Adds a little kick right into the dough itself.
• 1/2 teaspoon salt – Do not skip this or your dough will taste like cardboard.
• 1 large egg – Brings it all together.
• 2 1/4 teaspoons instant or active dry yeast – One standard packet. Check the expiration date!
• 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour – Plus a little extra for dusting, but do not go crazy or the rolls will be dry.

For the Filling

• 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter – Softened to room temperature, not melted into a puddle.
• 1/2 cup brown sugar – Light or dark, whatever is hiding in your pantry.
• 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon – The star of the show.
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg – For that cozy fall vibe.
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice – Trust me on this one.
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger – Adds a tiny bit of warmth.
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves – A little goes a long way.

For the Maple Cream Cheese Icing

• 4 ounces cream cheese – Full-fat brick style, softened so you do not get lumpy icing.
• 3 Tablespoons pure maple syrup – The real stuff, not pancake syrup.
• 1 Tablespoon whole milk – To thin it out.
• 2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar – Sifted if you have the patience, I usually do not and just whisk aggressively.
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon – Optional, but highly recommended.

How To Make Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

Do not let the yeast intimidate you; this dough is basically a golden retriever—eager to please and very forgiving.

1. Make the dough: Warm the milk and butter until lukewarm, then whisk with the pumpkin, sugar, nutmeg, salt, egg, and yeast. Add the flour and mix. Tip: If your milk is hot enough to burn your finger, it will kill the yeast, so let it cool down a bit first.
2. Knead the dough: Knead for about 5 minutes until soft and slightly tacky. If a few sticky bits cling to your hands, that is totally fine, just resist the urge to dump in a whole extra cup of flour.
3. First rise: Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover it, and let it rise for about 2 hours until doubled. This is your cue to walk away and watch an entire movie.
4. Roll it out: Punch the dough down and roll it into a 10×14-inch rectangle on a floured surface. If it keeps springing back like a rubber band, let it rest for 10 minutes to relax the gluten before trying again.

1. Add the filling: Spread the softened butter over the dough, then sprinkle the brown sugar and spices evenly on top. Roll it up tightly and cut into 10-12 slices.
2. Second rise: Place the rolls in a greased pan, cover, and let rise for 1 hour.
3. Bake: Bake at 350°F (177°C) for 22-28 minutes. Tent them with foil after 15 minutes I learned this the hard way after pulling out rolls that looked like charcoal briquettes on top.
4. Make the icing: Beat the cream cheese, maple syrup, milk, powdered sugar, and cinnamon together, then smear it over the warm rolls.

Make it yours

• Pecan crunch version. You sprinkle chopped toasted pecans over the spiced sugar filling for extra texture in this fall cinnamon roll recipe.
• Orange zest version. You add orange zest to the dough for a brighter citrus twist on this homemade pumpkin cinnamon roll recipe fall.

Perfect Pairings

These go perfectly with a lazy Thanksgiving morning when everyone is hovering around the kitchen asking when the turkey goes in.

• Crisp bacon balances out all that sweet, spiced goodness.
• A cold glass of milk satisfies the kids or you, since I do not judge.

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

These pumpkin cinnamon rolls prove that a genuinely impressive fall breakfast pastry can come together with nothing more than a stand mixer, a 9×13 pan, and a few pantry staples. This homemade pumpkin cinnamon roll recipe fall relies on real pumpkin in the dough and a maple cream cheese icing to avoid the dry, dense texture that ruins so many other yeast roll attempts. Whether served on a lazy Thanksgiving morning or sliced for a Sunday treat, this fall cinnamon roll recipe earns a permanent spot in the regular rotation.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 3 hours hrs

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 3 hours hrs 25 minutes mins

Servings: 10 servings

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

Pumpkin Dough

• 1/3 cup (80ml) whole milk*
• 2 Tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup (115g) canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
• 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg
• 2 and 1/4 teaspoons (7g) instant or active dry yeast (1 standard packet see note)
• 2 and 2/3 cups (335g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled) plus more as needed for hands and work surface

Filling

• 6 Tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter softened to room temperature
• 1/2 cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar
• 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Maple Cream Cheese Icing

• 4 ounces (113g) full-fat brick cream cheese softened to room temperature
• 3 Tablespoons (45ml) pure maple syrup
• 1 Tablespoons (15ml) whole milk
• 2/3 cup (80g) confectioners’ sugar sifted
• optional: 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Equipment

• stand mixer
• 9×13 baking dish
• Rolling Pin

Method

 

1. Warm the milk and butter together over the stove or in the microwave. Warm the two together until the butter is *just* melted. You want the mixture lukewarm (105°F (41°C)-115°F (46°C)), not scorching hot. Set aside. Whisk the pumpkin puree, sugar, nutmeg, and salt together in a large bowl or in the bowl of your stand mixer.

   Whisk in the warmed milk/butter, egg, and yeast until combined. Using the dough hook or paddle attachment on low speed or mixing by hand using a silicone spatula or wooden spoon, mix in 1 cup of flour. Mix for 1 minute, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add 1 and 2/3 cups more flour and beat for 1 more minute.
2. Keep the dough in the mixer (and switch to the dough hook if using the paddle) and beat for an additional 5 full minutes, or knead by hand on a lightly floured surface for 5 full minutes. (If you’re new to bread-baking, my How to Knead Dough video tutorial can help here.) If the dough becomes too sticky during the kneading process, sprinkle 1 teaspoon of flour at a time on the dough or on the work surface/in the bowl to make a soft, slightly tacky dough. Do not add more flour than you need because you do not want a dry dough.

   After kneading, the dough should still feel a little soft. Poke it with your finger if it slowly bounces back, your dough is ready to rise. You can also do a “windowpane test” to see if your dough has been kneaded long enough: tear off a small (roughly golfball-size) piece of dough and gently stretch it out until it’s thin enough for light to pass through it.

   Hold it up to a window or light. Does light pass through the stretched dough without the dough tearing first? If so, your dough has been kneaded long enough and is ready to rise. If not, keep kneading until it passes the windowpane test.
3. Lightly grease a large bowl with oil or use nonstick spray. Place the dough in the bowl, turning it to coat all sides in the oil. Cover the bowl with aluminum foil, plastic wrap, or a clean kitchen towel.

   Allow the dough to rise in a relatively warm environment for 2 hours or until double in size. (I always let it rise on the counter and it takes about 2 hours. For a tiny reduction in rise time, see my answer to Where Should Dough Rise? in my Baking with Yeast Guide.)
4. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9-inch square baking dish, 9-inch round baking dish, 9×13-inch baking dish, or 11×7-inch baking dish. This recipe yields 10-12 rolls and they can fit into any of those size pans.
5. Punch down the dough to release the air. Place dough on a lightly floured work surface and using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll dough into a 10×14-inch rectangle. Make sure the dough is smooth and evenly thick. If the dough keeps shrinking as you roll it out, stop what you’re doing, cover it lightly, and let it rest for 10 minutes to relax the gluten. When you return to the dough, it should stretch out much easier.
6. Spread softened butter evenly on top of the rolled-out dough. Combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, and spices into a small bowl. Sprinkle all over the top. Roll it up tightly. Using a very sharp knife, cut into 10-12 even rolls. Arrange rolls in the prepared pan.
7. Cover the rolls tightly and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour. (Or use the overnight option below.)
8. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C).
9. Bake rolls for about 22-28 minutes or until they are lightly browned on top. After about 15 minutes, tent a piece of aluminum foil over the top of the pan to prevent the tops from browning too quickly and baking unevenly. Remove pan from the oven and place pan on a wire rack for about 10 minutes as you make the icing.
10. Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the softened cream cheese in a medium bowl on medium speed until smooth. Add the maple syrup and milk and beat on high until smooth. Add the confectioners’ sugar (and cinnamon, if using) and beat on medium speed until creamy. Spread on warm cinnamon rolls.
11. Cover leftover frosted or unfrosted rolls tightly and store at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Recipe Notes

Overnight Instructions:
Prepare the rolls through step 6, then cover and refrigerate for up to 14 hours instead of letting them rise. The next day, let them sit at room temperature for about 1 hour, or until nearly doubled, then bake as directed.

Freezing Instructions:
Freeze cinnamon rolls for up to 3 months. Freeze shaped rolls before the second rise, then thaw overnight and let rise for 1 1/2–2 hours before baking. You can also par-bake for 10 minutes, cool, freeze, then thaw overnight and finish baking for 15–20 minutes.

Milk:
Whole milk gives the softest, richest rolls. Lower-fat or nondairy milk also works.

Yeast:
Use active dry or instant yeast. Active dry yeast may need slightly longer rising times.

Filling Spices:
Use 1 tablespoon cinnamon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice. The pumpkin pie spice replaces the nutmeg, allspice, ginger, and cloves.