My pumpkin cinnamon rolls with cream cheese frosting are the softest, fluffiest cinnamon rolls I’ve ever had. Incredibly light and packed with flavor, this quick cinnamon rolls recipe has warm pumpkin spice filling paired with sweet, tangy cream cheese frosting. I’ll show you how to make them from scratch!
Soft and fluffy pumpkin cinnamon rolls put a fall spin on my original homemade cinnamon rolls recipe. If you’re craving another cozy breakfast idea, try my pumpkin coffee cake!
While my grandmother’s original overnight cinnamon rolls are great for making ahead, today’s pumpkin cinnamon rolls need only 1 hour of rising time on a fall morning. They have sticky, gooey pumpkin spice filling wrapped in the fluffiest homemade cinnamon roll dough, flavored with pumpkin purée and smothered with tangy cream cheese frosting.
About This Easy Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls Recipe
- Straightforward method. I’ll show you how to prepare my soft pumpkin cinnamon rolls with cream cheese glaze step-by-step. It’s easier than you think!
- Rapid-rise magic. With a 60-80 minute rising time, this is a quick way to enjoy fresh, homemade pumpkin cinnamon rolls. Yes, you’ll need yeast, but rapid-rise instant yeast cuts the preparation time in half.
- Real pumpkin flavor. With a combination of pumpkin puree is the dough and pumpkin pie spice for the filling, you’re getting that true pumpkin flavor in every bite.
Ingredient Notes
I make these quick and easy pumpkin cinnamon rolls with simple ingredients, including canned pumpkin, brown sugar, and my homemade pumpkin pie spice. The icing I use for this recipe is a variation of my cream cheese frosting.
The following are notes on the key ingredients, including possible substitutions. Refer to the printable recipe card below the post for the complete recipe details, amounts, and step-by-step instructions.
- Milk – I tested my cinnamon rolls recipe with whole milk and 2% milk, and the results were the same.
- Pumpkin Purée – Make sure it’s 100% pure pumpkin purée (store brand is fine). Note that canned pumpkin purée is not the same product as pumpkin pie filling, which contains sweeteners. They aren’t interchangeable in recipes.
- Instant Yeast – You’ll need one packet (2 ¼ teaspoons) of Fleischmann’s Rapid Rise Instant Yeast. Instant yeast doesn’t need to be activated before adding it to the dough, and the rising time is significantly shorter than that of regular active dry yeast.
- Light Brown Sugar – I didn’t test my recipe with dark brown sugar, but it may work the same since you’ll use it only in the cinnamon roll filling. I would still recommend light brown sugar as the safest option.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice – I blend my own pumpkin pie spice for the filling and dough, see below for the amounts you’ll need for each. Otherwise, store-bought pumpkin pie spice also works.
Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice
This pumpkin pie spice recipe is a simple blend of pantry spices. You’ll need about ¼ less pumpkin pie spice for the dough than you’ll need for the filling, though the ratio of spices remains the same.
- For the pumpkin cinnamon roll filling, combine 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon with 1 teaspoon ground ginger, 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg, and ½ teaspoon ground allspice.
- For the dough, you’ll need ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground ginger, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, and just a pinch of ground allspice.
Julianne’s Tip
Scale up this recipe and make a big batch of pumpkin pie spice to keep it in the pantry to use in more baked treats like homemade pumpkin pie, pumpkin snickerdoodles, and pumpkin muffins.
How to Make Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls From Scratch
All in all, this homemade pumpkin cinnamon roll recipe takes a little over 2 hours from start to finish. This includes the 20-minute baking time. It’s much faster than traditional overnight cinnamon rolls, and these are just as soft, fluffy, and flavorful as ever.
Cinnamon Roll Dough
To start things off, you’ll prepare a quick, yeasted cinnamon roll dough with pumpkin purée following the method below.
- Dissolve the sugar in warm milk. First, warm the milk to 115°F-120°F (about 45 seconds in a standard microwave) and stir in the sugar until it’s fully dissolved. If the milk is too hot, it’ll kill the yeast when you combine the dough ingredients. Too cold, and the yeast won’t activate. Use a thermometer if you’re unsure.
- Mix the dough ingredients. Next, melt butter and whisk it with the pumpkin purée and egg. Add the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and yeast to the wet ingredients, and stir that in to make a crumbly dough.
- Add the milk. Using your mixer and dough hook attachment, mix the dough on low while slowly streaming in the warm milk and sugar mixture. Afterward, increase the speed to medium and knead the dough for 5 minutes until it pulls away from the sides of the bowl and forms a large ball. The dough should feel springy and a little tacky.
Julianne’s Tip For Sticky Dough
- Measure the flour correctly. It’s crucial to measure flour correctly when baking, using a digital kitchen scale or by spooning the flour from the bag and into the measuring cup before leveling it off. Overmeasuring (i.e., scooping directly from the bag) results in dry, crumbly cinnamon roll dough.
- Adjust the dough. If the dough feels very sticky when it’s mixing, add extra flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough is only slightly tacky and forms a large ball. Don’t add too much flour, however, or the dough will be too dry and fall apart when you knead it.
- Avoid tears in the dough. If the dough starts to tear when you press it into a rectangle, bring the dough together and knead again for an extra minute or two.
- Knead by hand. Now, turn out the dough onto a floured work surface. Knead using your hands for another 5 minutes until the dough is smooth and stretchy.
- Roll out the dough. Lastly, shape and then roll your cinnamon roll dough into a large, 12×18-inch rectangle approximately ¼-inch thick. Set this aside while you prepare the pumpkin spice filling.
Brown Sugar Filling With Pumpkin Spice
I like to mix the brown sugar and spice blend with butter to make a spreadable filling for my pumpkin cinnamon rolls. This also makes it easy to cut the rolls into individual strips, roll them up, and arrange them in the pan.
Alternatively, you can spread the butter over the rolled-out dough and sprinkle the brown sugar and spice on top (pictured below).
- Mix the filling. Combine softened, unsalted butter with brown sugar and pumpkin pie spice to make a thick paste.
- Add the filling. Spread the brown sugar filling evenly over the flattened cinnamon roll dough. You’ll want to leave a ½-inch border along one long edge of the rectangle. This way, you can seal the rolls closed.
Need to Soften Butter Quickly?
The butter you use to make your cinnamon roll filling should be room temperature so that it’s easy to mix. If you forget to take your butter out of the fridge ahead of time, you can soften it quickly, either in the microwave for a few seconds or using the following method:
- Pour boiling or very hot water into a glass or ceramic bowl. Make sure the bowl is large enough to fit over the butter.
- Wait 5 minutes, then dump out the water. Place the warm, empty bowl over the butter, wait another 5-10 minutes, and the butter should soften up in the residual heat from the bowl.
This same method works if you need to soften cream cheese for the cinnamon roll frosting.
Shape and Bake the Cinnamon Rolls
Once you’ve spread the filling over the dough, follow these steps for rolling, rising, and baking your pumpkin cinnamon rolls. When I cut cinnamon rolls, I prefer to cut the flat dough with a pizza cutter and then roll them individually to prevent squishing the dough too much.
- Cut and roll. Using a pizza cutter or a sharp knife, slice the dough lengthwise into 12 long strips, about 1 ½-inches wide. Then, tightly roll up the strips into cinnamon rolls. Another way to cut your rolls is to roll the whole rectangle into a long log and slice the log into individual cinnamon rolls. It’s up to you!
- Let the cinnamon rolls rise. Arrange your pumpkin cinnamon rolls in a 9×13-inch baking dish. Cover the rolls with plastic wrap and leave them somewhere warm to rise for 60-80 minutes, or until they’ve doubled in size.
- Bake. Last but not least, uncover the cinnamon rolls and bake them in a 375ºF oven for 20-22 minutes. They should be puffed up and lightly browned when they come out of the oven. Afterward, let the rolls cool for 10 minutes before you add the frosting.
Speed Up the Rising Process
If your kitchen is on the cooler side, you can help the dough rise by switching the oven to 200ºF for a few minutes, just enough to warm up. Then, switch it off and place the cinnamon rolls inside. Let the rolls rise for 30 minutes or so with the oven door closed. Afterward, remove the rolls and preheat the oven to 375ºF for baking. You can also run your clothing dryer for a few minutes, turn it off, and place your pan of unbaked pumpkin cinnamon rolls inside.
Add the Cream Cheese Frosting
While the cinnamon rolls bake, prepare your easy cream cheese frosting. Alternatively, you can frost these pumpkin cinnamon rolls with maple glaze, like the one I use for my pumpkin bundt cake, or drizzle the baked rolls with salted caramel sauce.
- Make the frosting. Beat softened cream cheese with melted butter, milk, and vanilla extract, then add powdered sugar until you reach a smooth consistency. If you need to thin out your frosting, add more milk. To thicken it up, add more powdered sugar.
- Frost the cinnamon rolls. Spread the frosting over the cinnamon rolls while they’re still warm. Enjoy right away, or wait for the rolls to cool completely before storing them in the fridge. See below and the recipe card for detailed storage instructions.
How to Store
- Store the rolls airtight. The unfrosted pumpkin cinnamon rolls can be kept airtight at room temperature for up to 2 days. Frosted cinnamon rolls must be kept refrigerated due to the milk and cream cheese. They’ll last for up to 4 days in the fridge.
- Reheat. These cinnamon rolls are delicious at room temperature, or you can warm them up in the microwave before serving.
More Pumpkin Recipes
Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 22 minutes
- Total Time: 52 minutes
- Yield: 12 cinnamon rolls
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
These soft, fluffy pumpkin cinnamon rolls made with real pumpkin purée, warm spices, and silky cream cheese frosting are perfect for fall mornings!
Ingredients
For The Cinnamon Rolls
- ¾ cup (175ml) whole milk
- ¼ cup (48 grams) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- ½ cup (122 grams) pumpkin puree
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 3 ⅔ cups + 3 tablespoons (466 grams) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting a surface
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (optional, but adds a little more flavor to the dough)
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 packet (2 ¼ teaspoons) instant yeast
Pumpkin Spice Filling
- ½ cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup (111 grams) light brown sugar, packed
- 2 tablespoons (11 grams) pumpkin pie spice
Cream Cheese Frosting
- ½ cup (113 grams) full-fat cream cheese, softened
- 2 tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) milk (any type)
- 1 teaspoon (5ml) pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup (130 grams) powdered sugar
Instructions
For the Cinnamon Rolls:
- Heat the milk in a small, microwave-safe bowl or measuring cup for 45 seconds or until the milk is between 115°F and 120°F. Stir in the sugar until it dissolves.
- Whisk the melted butter, pumpkin puree, and egg in a stand mixer bowl until just combined. Add the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and yeast, and stir until the dough is dry and crumbly.
- Attach the bowl to the stand mixer along with a dough hook. Mix at low speed (1) and pour a slow stream of the milk mixture into the dough. Once all of the milk has been added, scrape down the sides of the bowl, then increase the speed to medium (5). Let the dough mix for 5 minutes or until it has formed into a large ball, and the majority of it has pulled away from the sides of the bowl. It should spring back slowly when poked and be a tiny bit tacky.
- Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface, and knead for another five minutes or until it can stretch without tearing too quickly. Add more flour to the surface if it starts to stick.
- Press the dough into a large rectangle with your hands, then use a floured rolling pin to roll the dough into a 12×18 rectangle that’s about ¼ inch thick.
Pumpkin Spice Filling:
- In a small bowl, stir together the butter, brown sugar, and pumpkin pie spice until a thick paste forms.
- Spoon the filling over the flattened dough, and spread it out evenly with the back of a spoon or offset spatula. Leave about ½ an inch of one of the long sides of the dough without the filling so you can seal the cinnamon roll closed when you roll it.
- Use a pizza cutter or a large, straight-edge knife to slice the dough along the long edge into 12 equal strips about 1.5 inches wide. Tightly roll each strip and press the end into the roll to close it off. Alternatively, you can tightly roll up the long edge into one big log, then use a sharp knife or floss to cut the log into 12 equal rolls.
- Place the rolls into a greased 9×13 baking pan or dish, cover the pan with plastic wrap, and store somewhere warm for 60-80 minutes or until the rolls have doubled in size.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Remove the plastic wrap from the rolls, and bake for 20-22 minutes, or until the rolls are lightly browned on top and have filled the pan completely. Let the rolls rest for 10 minutes.
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- Beat the softened cream cheese until it’s free of lumps. Add the melted butter, milk, and vanilla extract, and mix until combined. Next, add the powdered sugar and beat until smooth. For a thicker frosting, add more powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the desired consistency is reached. For a thinner frosting, add more milk, 1 tablespoon at a time.
- Spread the frosting over the warm cinnamon rolls and serve. Let the cinnamon rolls cool to room temperature before storing them in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
Notes
Storage Instructions
- Counter: Unfrosted pumpkin cinnamon rolls may be stored covered or in an airtight container on the counter for up to 2 days. Do not leave these at room temperature after you add the frosting due to the milk and cream cheese.
- Refrigerator: Store the rolls in an airtight container and keep them in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Warm in the microwave or bring to room temperature before serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Roll
- Calories: 436
- Sugar: 23.8 g
- Sodium: 200 mg
- Fat: 21.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 55.3 g
- Fiber: 1.7 g
- Protein: 6.3 g
- Cholesterol: 71.4 mg
