Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls Recipe

Pumpkin cinnamon rolls are everything a classic cinnamon roll should be, just warmer and more deeply spiced. Pumpkin puree keeps the dough soft and tender, and the cream cheese frosting ties it all together.

I have been looking for the perfect pumpkin cinnamon roll! I have found recipes that claim to be pumpkin but always fall short. This recipe was perfectly pumpkin and perfectly sweet. The dough was pretty easy to work with considering all the pumpkin puree! Thank you for my new fall cinnamon roll recipe!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Renata

All the flavors of pumpkin pie packed into a light, airy cinnamon roll. A soft pumpkin dough, made with a full cup of pumpkin puree and generously spiced with pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon — wraps around a light brown sugar and cinnamon filling with extra pumpkin spice, all finished with a soft, lightly tangy cream cheese frosting.

These are a natural weekend bake and work just as well for a holiday brunch table as they do for a quiet Saturday morning. They are adapted from my strawberry cinnamon rolls, so if you have made those, you already know what to expect from the dough. Looking for more pumpkin brunch ideas? Check out these pumpkin pancakes!

Ingredients & Substitutions

• Pumpkin Puree: Use canned pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling, as pie filling contains added sweeteners and spices that will throw off the balance of the recipe.
• Milk: A small amount of milk loosens the dough just enough to bring it together. Keep it at exactly the amount listed, as adding more will mute the pumpkin and spice flavor, which is the heart of this recipe.
• Pumpkin Pie Spice (dough): This warm spice blend flavors the dough itself, so the spice runs through every layer of the roll. If you prefer to mix your own, my pumpkin spice recipe gives you the exact blend and ratios I use.
• All-Purpose Flour: Unbleached all-purpose flour gives the dough enough structure to hold the filling while staying soft enough to pull apart easily. Because of the pumpkin’s high moisture content, the dough will feel sticky at first. Resist adding extra flour, as it will make the rolls denser and dull the flavor.
• Instant Dry Yeast: Instant dry yeast goes directly into the dough with no dissolving required, which keeps this recipe straightforward. If you only have active dry yeast, double the amount and dissolve it in the warm milk first, and expect a slightly longer rise.
• Light Brown Sugar (filling): Brown sugar gives the filling its warm, caramel-like sweetness that pairs so well with the spices. Stick to light brown sugar here. Dark brown sugar will intensify the molasses flavor.
• Ground Cinnamon (filling): Cinnamon is the backbone of the filling and gives these rolls their classic aroma. Use a fresh jar if you can; older ground cinnamon loses its punch.
• Unsalted Butter (filling): Soft, spreadable butter is what turns the sugar and spice into a cohesive filling that stays inside the roll. It should be soft enough to spread easily with the back of a spoon or your fingers
• Cream Cheese: Cream cheese provides the tangy contrast that keeps the frosting from tasting flat against such a sweet filling. Use full-fat, room temperature cream cheese for the creamiest, most stable result.
• Powdered Sugar: Powdered sugar sweetens and thickens the frosting, giving it a spreadable consistency. Add a little more if you want it thicker, or a splash of milk to loosen it.

Variations for Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

• Use a different frosting or topping: You could use a regular cinnamon roll cream cheese frosting like the one in my sourdough cinnamon rolls or even just a dusting of powdered sugar. Don’t be afraid to get creative like in these cereal milk cinnamon rolls!
• Sticky Bun Style: Press extra brown sugar, pecans, and butter into the bottom of the pan before adding the rolls, similar to my pecan sticky buns. The notes caution that more than ¾ cup of brown sugar in the filling tips the filling toward sticky-bun territory, so this variation leans into that on purpose.
• Add additional flavors! Like these sweet potato cinnamon rolls, you could add marshmallows or some apple pie filling. An apple pumpkin cinnamon roll sounds like the epitome of fall baking to me!

Professional Tips for Perfect Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

• Use a stand mixer. The dough for these pumpkin cinnamon rolls is intentionally soft and sticky thanks to a full cup of pumpkin puree, so I highly recommend using a stand mixer for kneading. If you’re tempted to add extra flour to counteract stickiness, resist! Adding too much flour or milk can mute the pumpkin-spice flavor, so keep the milk at ¼ cup for the best results.
• Pan size significantly affects your bake time. A true 9×13 inch cake pan presses the rolls tightly together, producing taller rolls that hold the filling inside, but it needs closer to 35 minutes. A roomier baking dish bakes faster, in around 25 minutes, but yields more separated rolls. Whichever pan you use, pull the rolls at an internal temperature of 185°F, or when a tester inserted into the center roll comes out clean.
• Cool the rolls about 90% before frosting. Frosting warm rolls melts the cream cheese topping into a thin, greasy puddle rather than a soft, set layer. The rolls only need to cool until they are just barely warm to the touch, which takes 20 to 30 minutes depending on your kitchen.
• Go by visual cues for the first proof, not the clock. Timing in the recipe is based on specific test conditions, and your kitchen temperature will shift it. The dough is ready when it has clearly doubled and feels light and airy when you press into it gently. A cold kitchen can push the first proof well past 2 hours, and that is completely fine.

How to Make Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

Use these instructions to make soft, spiced pumpkin cinnamon rolls with a pillowy crumb and a tangy cream cheese frosting. Further details and measurements can be found in the recipe card below.

Mix the Dough

Step 1: Add all the dough ingredients to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook and mix on low speed for about 1 minute to combine. The mixture will look shaggy and a little rough at first, which is completely normal. Once everything comes together, increase to medium speed and knead for 5 minutes. You are looking for the dough to pull away from the sides of the bowl and cling to the hook, and for it to stretch apart when you pull at it without tearing immediately. (photos 1 & 2)

First Rise

Step 2: Lightly spray a large bowl with cooking spray or rub it with a thin layer of vegetable oil. Shape the dough into a rough ball with lightly oiled hands and place it in the bowl, turning once to coat all sides. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and set in a warm spot to rise for 1½ to 2 hours, until the dough has clearly doubled in size. When you press a floured finger gently into the surface, the indent should hold rather than spring back immediately. (photos 3&4)

Proof times vary depending on your kitchen temperature. A cooler kitchen (around 65°F) can push this rise closer to 2 hours or a bit beyond. Trust the visual cue of a fully doubled, domed dough over the clock.

Make the Filling

Step 3: Combine the light brown sugar, cinnamon, pumpkin spice mix, and soft butter in a medium bowl. Mash everything together with the back of a wooden spoon until the mixture is uniform and spreadable, like thick frosting. (photos 5 & 6)

Set it aside at room temperature while the dough finishes its rise. You want it soft enough to spread without tearing the dough.

Step 4: Generously butter a 9×13-inch baking dish. A full tablespoon of butter coats the bottom and sides well and helps the edges of the rolls lift cleanly after baking.

Assemble

Step 5: Shape the Dough. Turn the risen dough out onto a lightly floured surface and use your hands to gently press it into a rough rectangle with the long side facing you. Dust the surface and rolling pin lightly as you go, adding a little more flour if the dough sticks, but keep it minimal. Roll the dough into an approximately 18×13-inch rectangle, pressing evenly from the center outward. (photo 7)

Step 6: Spread the Filling. Spread the cinnamon filling over the rolled dough, leaving a clean ½-inch gap along one of the long edges. A small offset spatula works well here, but the back of a spoon or even your fingers will get the job done.(photo 8)

Step 7: Roll the Dough. Starting at the long end without the gap, roll the dough tightly around the filling, keeping the tension firm and even as you go. Stop rolling when you are about 2 inches from the far edge. Take that bare strip of dough and pull it up and over the top of the log, then pinch firmly along the seam to seal it closed.(photos 9 & 10)

Step 8: Slice and Arrange. Using a serrated knife, slice the log into 12 even pieces. Arrange them cut side up in the buttered dish, staggering them slightly so they have room to expand. (photos 11 & 12)

Scrape up any filling that escapes onto the work surface (a bench scraper makes quick work of this) and dollop it over any rolls that look light on filling or tuck it into the gaps between rolls.

Final Proof

Step 9: Cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap and let the rolls proof at room temperature for 30 minutes. The yeast is active and working at this point, so the rise happens quickly. While the rolls proof, preheat the oven to 350°F with the convection fan off. (photo 13)

Bake

Step 10: Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick or instant-read thermometer inserted into the center roll comes out clean or reads 185°F. Pan choice affects timing here: a true 9×13-inch cake pan with rolls packed tightly together will need closer to 35 minutes, while a roomier baking dish with more space between the rolls will be done around 25 minutes. Turn the pan halfway through if your oven runs unevenly. (photo 14)

Step 11: Let the rolls cool in the pan until they are about 90% cooled before frosting. Frosting too early means the cream cheese topping will melt straight into the rolls and disappear, which is a shame.

Make the Frosting

Step 12: Stir together the softened butter, cream cheese, vanilla, pinch of salt, and powdered sugar in a small bowl using a silicone spatula until smooth. Add 1 to 2 teaspoons of milk to loosen the frosting if it feels stiff. Spread generously over the tops of the cooled rolls. (photo 15 & 16)

Recipe FAQs

Before You Go

If these pumpkin cinnamon rolls have you in a baking mood, there is plenty more where that came from. Browse our Breakfast & Brunch Recipes or make this apple coffee cake next!