Soft Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Icing

I can’t even tell you how much I love these Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls, but obviously, I’m going to try! These cinnamon rolls are warmly spiced, super soft, full of pumpkin, and smothered in an incredible cream cheese icing.

If I could have one of these Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with my morning coffee every morning from September to December, I’d be a very, very happy person.

I wanted to create a traditional-feeling cinnamon roll – but with pumpkin and lots of pumpkin spice goodness. So we’ve got pumpkin + spices in the dough AND pumpkin and spices in the filling – lots of pumpkin everywhere!

I think these pumpkin cinnamon rolls would make an incredible special breakfast treat for Halloween or Thanksgiving breakfast. Because they’re full made from scratch, they’re not effortless, but honestly the hands-on time is pretty minimal. Most of the time is left to rising.

Plus, these pumpkin cinnamon rolls are super easy to make ahead of time. Just cover and place the cinnamon rolls in the fridge prior to the second rise, then when you’re ready to bake them, pull them out and do it!

Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Recipe Ingredients

For the roll dough:

• Yeast – You’ll need one packet, or 2 1/4 teaspoons, of active dry yeast. Not instant!
• Milk – It’s important to warm the milk to the appropriate temperature first. Too cold, and the yeast won’t activate. Too hot, and it will kill the yeast! I aim for around 110°F, knowing it will cool down a bit once it hits the bowl of the stand mixer.
• Sugar – Granulated white, for sweetening the dough (and helping to feed, thus activate, the yeast).
• Butter – I prefer to use unsalted butter so that I can control the salt content.
• Pumpkin – You can use canned pumpkin puree or make your own pumpkin puree.
• Salt – I like to use fine-grain sea salt for baking. Table salt will work too.
• Vanilla – Pure vanilla extract. I like to buy mine at Costco for the best value.
• Pumpkin pie spice – You can find it pre-made in the baking aisle at most grocery stores or make your own pumpkin spice mix.
• Flour – Plain old white all-purpose flour.

For the filling:

• Butter
• Brown sugar – I like light brown sugar, but if you want to use dark that’s okay too.
• Salt
• Pumpkin pie spice
• Pumpkin puree

For the frosting:

• Cream cheese
• Butter
• Powdered sugar
• Vanilla
• Salt
• Milk

How to Make Them

1. First, activate your yeast by warming the milk, mixing in the sugar, and the yeast, and letting it sit until bubbly.
2. Mix in the pumpkin puree, butter, salt, and vanilla.
3. Add the first two cups of flour, then the remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time, stopping when the dough is still a little sticky to the touch and falling off of the hook when lifted.
4. First rise: Cover and let the dough double in size. Depending on how warm your kitchen is, this can take 60-90 minutes.
5. Roll the dough into a rectangle, about 12″ by 18″ in size.
6. Mix together the filling ingredients. It should be a thick paste.
7. Spread the filling over the rectangle of dough and roll it up.
8. Cut into 12 even rolls and arrange in your 9″ x 13″ pan.
9. Second rise: Let the cinnamon rolls rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.
10. Bake JUST until starting to turn golden.
11. Remove from oven and let cool for about 10 minutes before frosting.

Jump to full, printable recipe

These pumpkin cinnamon rolls are impossibly soft, totally decadent, and the BEST treat for fall. Oh, and they’re going to make your house smell divine! 🎃

Soft, pillowy, and infused with cozy fall spices, these Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls are the ultimate seasonal treat. The pumpkin puree in the dough makes them extra tender and slightly sweet, while the pumpkin-spice filling swirls warm cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and ginger into every bite. Finished with a creamy, buttery icing, they’re perfect for breakfast, brunch, or a cozy afternoon.

I hope you love these Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls as much as we do!

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Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

Prep: 2 hours hrs 25 minutes mins

Cook: 35 minutes mins

Total: 3 hours hrs

Author: Karen

Yield: 12 rolls

Soft, fluffy, autumn-scented cinnamon rolls with pumpkin and spices, stuffed with pumpkin spice brown sugar filling, and topped with a generous smear of cream cheese frosting.

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Ingredients

For the pumpkin cinnamon roll dough:

• 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (1 packet, 8 g)
• 3/4 cup milk (2% or whole; warmed to between 95-105°F, 187 g)
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar (50 g)
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter (melted and cooled; 1/2 stick; 57 g)
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree (120 g)
• 1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt (3 g)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (5 g)
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (2 g)
• 3.5-4.5 cups all-purpose flour (460 g, or about 3 3/4 cups, is the sweet spot for me)

For the filling:

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter (softened/room temp; 57 g)
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar (packed; 104 g)
• 1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt (3 g)
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (4 g)
• 2 tablepsoons pumpkin puree (31 g)

For the frosting:

• 1/2 cup cream cheese (softened/room temp; 60 g)
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter (room temp; 58 g)
• 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar (280 g)
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (2 g)
• 1/8 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
• 2 tablespoons 2% or whole milk (or more; as need to thin out the icing)

Equipment

• stand mixer with dough hook
• 1 9×13 baking dish

Instructions

For the dough:

• To the bowl of your stand mixer add the dry active yeast, warmed milk, and sugar. With the dough hook attached (or even with a spoon), stir to combine. Allow the mixture to sit for about 5 minutes. You’ll notice bubbles start to form.
• Add the melted cooled butter, pumpkin salt, and vanilla extract. Stir to combine. Note: Leave the other half stick of butter out on your counter so that it's softened perfectly when it's time to mix together your filling.
• Add 2 cups of flour and the pumpkin pie spice. Stir with the dough hook until combined, scraping down the sides with a spatula if needed
• Slowly add the remaining flour by adding about 1/2 cup of flour at a time, incorporating the flour fully between each addition. You'll know you have enough added when the dough is still slightly sticky and pulling away from the sides of the bowl. For me, 3 3/4 cups, or 460 grams, is the sweet spot.
• Set the stand mixer to medium and allow to knead for 5 minutes. The dough will becoming soft and just a little shiny.
• Cover and allow the dough to rise until doubled in size, 60-90 minutes.

Make the filling & prep pan:

• Add the filling ingredients to a small bowl. Use a spatula to mash the ingredient together, stirring until well-combined. It should be a nice thick paste; you don't want it too runny or it will squeeze out of the cinnamon rolls when you slice them. Set aside.
• Line a 9×13 baking dish with a piece of parchment paper and lightly spray with some baking spray.

Assemble the cinnamon rolls:

• Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough into a thin rectangle that's about 12 inches by 18 inches by 1/2 inch thick.
• Turn the filling onto the rolled rectangle of dough then gently spread it in a thin layer with a butter knife or offset spatula so that it covers the entire rectangle of dough.
• Starting from the bottom, roll the dough up into a log. With a sharp knife, cut the dough into 12 equal pieces and arrange in your baking dish.
• Cover with a towel or plastic wrap and let the cinnamon rolls rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.

Bake pumpkin cinnamon rolls:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Once heated, uncover the cinnamon rolls and place in the oven. Bake until the edges are just golden brown but the centers still look soft, 35-40 minutes.
• Remove from oven and allow to cool for 15-20 minutes before frosting.

Make the frosting:

• In the clean bowl of the stand mixer, place the butter and cream cheese. With the whisk attachment, blend together until well-combined. Add the powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla. Mix on low speed (so that the powdered sugar doesn't spray all over), gradually increasing the speed until well-combined. While mixing, add the milk 1 tablespoon at a time until the frosting is spreadable consistency.
• Spread the cream cheese frosting over the tops of the cinnamon rolls.

Notes

Recipe time includes rise time.

Storage:

Keep cooled rolls in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. If the rolls haven’t been topped with frosting you can leave them out at room temperature covered for up to 4 days.

Reheating:

Warm individual rolls in the microwave for 15–20 seconds or in a 300 degrees F oven for 8–10 minutes.

Freezing (Baked Rolls):

Cool completely, wrap individually in plastic wrap, and store in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat before serving.

Freezing (Unbaked Rolls):

Assemble and slice rolls, place in a greased pan, and freeze before the second rise. Once frozen, wrap well. When ready to bake, thaw overnight in the fridge, let rise until puffy, and bake as directed.

Make-ahead:

Instead of the second rise, cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Let them sit at room temperature for about an hour before baking.

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 1roll, Calories: 423kcal, Carbohydrates: 66g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 16g, Saturated Fat: 10g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Trans Fat: 0.5g, Cholesterol: 42mg, Sodium: 260mg, Potassium: 121mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 36g, Vitamin A: 2126IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 52mg, Iron: 2mg