Made with pumpkin in the dough and filled with a gooey pumpkin spice cinnamon swirl, these pumpkin cinnamon rolls hit the spot on chilly fall mornings. They’re topped with maple cinnamon cream cheese icing and you can choose other frosting options if desired! (See right above the recipe for details.) If you’d like to get started ahead of time, use my overnight or freezing instructions below.
I originally published this recipe in 2013 and have since added new photos and a few more success tips.
These aren’t just classic homemade cinnamon rolls with pumpkin spice in the filling. Rather, these are pumpkin cinnamon rolls with real pumpkin IN the dough. Unraveling each soft and flaky pumpkin coil and tasting the melty pumpkin spices inside is the definition of fall breakfast bliss! Pumpkin pie lovers, meet your new favorite breakfast.
One reader, Sarah, commented: “I just made these today for the first time and they were DIVINE. So perfect. All my friends were raving about them. I wish I made 2 batches!!! The dough came out perfectly and the flavor was just out of this world. I’ve made Sally’s regular cinnamon rolls several times and they’re always a crowd favorite, but these are on another level!! ★★★★★“
Another reader, Ariana, commented: “By far the most outstanding cinnamon rolls, they’re perfect EVERY time. ★★★★★“
Why You’ll Love These Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
- Soft and fluffy
- Real pumpkin in the yeasted dough
- Filled with warm and cozy fall spices
- Topped with maple cream cheese icing
- Perfect for crisp fall mornings
- Total comfort food
- You can use homemade pumpkin pie spice in the filling
Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Dough
This is a rich dough, which means that it’s prepared with fat like milk, butter, and an egg. Rich doughs make soft breads such as monkey bread, homemade cinnamon rolls, and this giant cinnamon roll cake. Lean doughs, on the other hand, are made without much fat and produce crusty bread such as artisan bread, homemade bagels, and pizza dough.
You need 9 ingredients for pumpkin cinnamon roll dough:
- Milk: Liquid activates the yeast. Nondairy or low fat milks are fine, but whole milk produces phenomenal flavor and texture.
- Butter: Butter promises a flavorful dough.
- Pumpkin: Pumpkin puree adds real pumpkin flavor and lots of moisture for incredibly soft rolls. It’s also a very heavy ingredient which weighs down the dough, so we go light on the butter (which can also weigh down dough).
- Sugar: Sugar feeds the yeast, increases its activity, and tenderizes the dough. I used to make these rolls with brown sugar in the dough, but regular white sugar doesn’t weigh down the dough as much. (I find the rolls are a bit fluffier using white granulated sugar.) We still use brown sugar in the filling, though.
- Nutmeg: A pinch of ground nutmeg enhances the pumpkin flavor and adds a little something extra to these pumpkin cinnamon rolls.
- Salt: You can’t make flavorful bread without salt!
- Egg: 1 egg provides structure and flavor.
- Yeast: You can use active dry yeast or instant yeast. I recommend Red Star Platinum Superior Baking Yeast, which is an instant yeast blended with natural dough improvers.
- Flour: All-purpose flour is the structure of the dough.
Notice That There is No Cinnamon IN the Dough
Did you know that cinnamon can inhibit yeast activity in dough? This spice can limit dough’s ability to rise, but you’d have to use quite a lot of cinnamon in order for that to happen. Still, with pumpkin being such a heavy ingredient that also weighs down the dough, we skip the cinnamon simply because we don’t want another ingredient holding down the dough’s rise. Nutmeg adds wonderful wonderful flavor to the dough and don’t worry, there’s PLENTY of cinnamon in the filling!
Overview: How to Make Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
- Make & knead the dough. If you’re new to baking with yeasted doughs, or if you want a quick refresher, my How to Knead Dough video tutorial will be helpful with this step. The dough will be very soft. After kneading, place the dough into a greased bowl and turn the dough around in the bowl so all sides of the dough are coated.
- 1st rise. Cover the dough and let it rise.
- Make the pumpkin spice filling. Combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, and spices.
- Add the filling & slice into rolls. Roll the dough out into a 10×14-inch rectangle. Spread the softened butter and sprinkle brown sugar filling evenly on top. Roll it up tightly and use a sharp knife to cut into 10-12 pieces. Arrange rolls into your greased pan.
- 2nd rise. Let the shaped rolls rise. This rise is shorter than the 1st.
- Bake. Cover them with aluminum foil after 15 minutes to prevent over-browning.
- Make the icing and spread onto warm cinnamon rolls.
By the way, if you love pumpkin for breakfast, you’ll definitely enjoy sinking your teeth into this pumpkin French toast casserole, a stack of pumpkin spice waffles, or a batch of mini cinnamon sugar pumpkin muffins. And don’t forget homemade pumpkin coffee creamer for your coffee! If you are craving cinnamon rolls right now, and just can’t wait for dough to rise, try these no yeast cinnamon rolls.
Toppings for Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
I love topping these cinnamon rolls with maple cinnamon cream cheese icing—just 5 ingredients: cream cheese, maple syrup, milk, sifted confectioners’ sugar, and cinnamon. So simple yet so good! Feel free to skip the cinnamon in the icing if desired. You could also try plain cream cheese icing from these regular homemade cinnamon rolls, salted caramel frosting, the maple icing from maple cinnamon rolls, the caramel icing from apple cinnamon rolls, or this vanilla icing.
More Cinnamon Roll Varieties:
- Cinnamon Rolls
- Apple Cinnamon Rolls
- Blueberry Sweet Rolls with Lemon Glaze
- Raspberry Sweet Rolls (my favorite!!)
- Overnight Cinnamon Rolls
- Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls
- Maple Pecan Sticky Buns
- Lemon Sweet Rolls
- Orange Sweet Rolls
- Birthday Cake Cinnamon Rolls
Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
- Prep Time: 3 hours
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours, 25 minutes
- Yield: 10-12 rolls
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Soft pumpkin cinnamon rolls filled with a gooey cinnamon swirl and topped with maple cream cheese icing.
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
Instructions
- Make the dough: 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.
- Knead the dough: 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.
- 1st Rise: 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.)
- 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.
- Roll out the dough: 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.
- Add the filling: 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.
- 2nd Rise: Cover the rolls tightly and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour. (Or use the overnight option below.)
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C).
- 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.
- Make the icing: 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.
- 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.
Notes
- Overnight Instructions: Prepare the rolls through step 6. Instead of allowing the cut rolls to rise in a warm environment in step 7, place the pan in the refrigerator and allow the rolls to rest for up to 14 hours before baking. When it’s time to bake the next day, bring the rolls to room temperature and rise for 1 hour on the counter, or until almost doubled in size. Then bake as directed.
- Freezing Instructions: You can freeze cinnamon rolls for up to 3 months, and I recommend a few different methods for freezing cinnamon rolls. The first method is to freeze them after shaping, before they’ve had their 2nd rise (step 6). Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then let rise for 1.5–2 hours at room temperature before baking. The second method is to par-bake the risen rolls for 10 minutes, let cool completely, then cover and freeze. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking. Finish baking for 15–20 minutes. You can also freeze fully baked cinnamon rolls. See How to Freeze Cinnamon Rolls for more details about all of these methods.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Stand Mixer or Large Glass Mixing Bowl | Silicone Spatula or Wooden Spoon | Whisk | 9-inch Square Baking Dish, 9-inch Round Baking Dish, 9×13-inch Baking Dish or 11×7-inch Baking Dish | Rolling Pin | Cooling Rack | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand)
- Milk: For super soft rolls, I recommend whole milk. Nondairy or lower fat milks work too, but the rolls may not taste as rich and fluffy.
- Yeast: You can use active dry or instant yeast in this recipe. Follow all of the same instructions. If using active dry yeast, the rise times are usually *slightly* longer, but not much. Reference my Baking with Yeast Guide for answers to common yeast FAQs.
- Spices in Filling: If needed, you can use 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon and 1 and 1/2 teaspoons store-bought or homemade pumpkin pie spice in the filling. The pumpkin pie spice replaces the nutmeg, allspice, ginger, and cloves.
Reader Comments and Reviews
These rolls are wonderful! The dough was so nice to work with and the flavor is delicious. I opted to split into two smaller pans, and I froze one for later using the insurrections in the recipe notes. Will definitely be making these again!
Soft, great texture; maple cream cheese frosting was amazing! Pumpkin flavor was a little light. Thanks for the great recipe!
Delicious and super easy to follow! They turned out perfect, and I will now be making these every fall!
As a cinnamon roll super fan I certify these as absolutely delicious. The filling/pastry ratio was perfect. The pumpkin comes through without being too overwhelming. This recipe is also great if you have a little bit of left over pumpkin puree you need to use up. Also the maple cream cheese frosting is a big time winner.
I made these in the middle of fall and they were perfect!! I love the pumpkin flavor, and the icing. My family loved them! I also added chopped pecans in the dish before I baked them, and it was a really good addition, like sticky buns!! Highly recommend! Also, super simple recipe and directions. Thanks Sally, delicious recipe!
Perfect for Halloween and fall! I made the overnight version and didn’t feel the need to let them rise for an hour or come to room temperature. They turned out perfectly.
Easy to follow recipe for delish rolls! Loved trying with pumpkin, has been on my bake list. I would add a bit more pumpkin pie spices next time. Frosting was excellent but a bit thin so added more powdered sugar. Overall a great recipe that I would make again!
I’ve always wanted to try making cinnamon rolls from scratch, and this was just the recipe to do it with! Directions were easy to follow, making a somewhat-intimidating project much less so, and the results were seasonally delicious!
These were so good and fun to make!! Perfect since it’s finally starting to feel like fall!
The rolls were a little dry, and the icing was too runny. The flavour was very nice. It is certainly a fall dessert!
I made these today with fresh pumpkin from our garden and they were so delicious! My brother asked if he could pay me to make them for him for work!
Soft, Fluffy, and taste is exactly what you’d expect from a Pumpkin cinnamon roll.
The Maple cream cheese frosting pairs wonderfully with the rolls.
These are so good! They are fluffy and have the best pumpkin flavor! Such a perfect fall dessert!
If Heaven were a cinnamon roll, then I have just seen paradise. OMG! Where have these been all my life? The perfect blend of pillowy soft dough, warming spices, and a not-too-sweet icing that will keep you coming back for more. I will be making these again….and again. Thanks for such a wonderful recipe.
What is the best way to make these smaller.. mini size?
Hi Mich, we haven’t tried making these into mini rolls but might start by shaping the dough into two 6×18 inch rectangles and try rolling them that way. You won’t get as much of the filling in each roll though!
Fantastic!! Easy and so delicious!!! We ate them as dessert after dinner.
Can pureed (roasted) sweet potatoes be used for this recipe? If so, would you recommend any adjustments or substitute entirely?
Hi LaShawn, we have not tested it for this particular recipe, but typically a sweet potato puree will work in place of pureed pumpkin. If you decide to try it, please do let us know how it goes!
These were so yummy!
I didn’t make the frosting. They tased AMAZING by themselves!
Thank you so much for this recipe!
I will definitely be making again.
can you add some apple pieces like in the apple cinnamon rolls?
Hi Ana, we can’t see why not! Let us know if you try it.
These pumpkin cinnamon rolls were so soft and delicious! I loved them and ate three in one sitting. I made regular icing for it.
These cinnamon rolls were ooey gooey and delicious! I’ve been working on yeasted recipes and was delighted that these turned out so well! I would say they were a bit sweet for my taste, but all the more reason to give the sticky bun recipe a go!!
These are pillowy, pumpkin perfection! So, so yummy! The maple cream cheese icing is the perfect compliment to the pumpkin. I’ve been working through baking some fall treats and these are a favorite for sure!
These were surprisingly fall, flavored and pumpkin flavored for how little pumpkin was used. I think it was the perfect balance not too pumpkin-ey. I loved all the spices used in the filling. The tip to prep it and bake it. The next morning in the notes was key for me so I didn’t have to wake up early to make them from scratch in the morning. They were easy to make and delicious and fluffy and perfect.
Sally and team have done it again! These pumpkin cinnamon rollls are so delicious. The dough is so fluffy and tender and the pumpkin puree really comes through. Warming spices and the maple cream cheese frosting are the perfect complement; it is the perfect way to start a weekend. I used homemade pumpkin puree and used the overnight method for the 2nd rise, both which worked very well. Highly recommend to take the time to make these pumpkin cinnamon rolls, the effort is worth the reward!
So yummy. Worth the Rise Time wait. I used my own homegrown, home massacred pumpkin. I also simmered it down on the stove for a bit, to evaporate more water.
I do have a question or two though:
Have you ever tried or would it work with Bread flour? I want to try it, but then forgot to use it.
Also, have you though to, or would it work, with Evaporated Milk? That’s what I use in my pumpkin pie.
Just curious.
Thanks for the recipes. Pumpkin isn’t just for pie anymore.
Hi Cyndie, You can definitely use the same amount of bread flour here instead. We haven’t tried these with evaporated milk but let us know how they turn out if you do!
My house smells so good! These are super flavorful and tender. The maple cream cheese frosting is the perfect complement. This recipe is a keeper!
Hi! These look great. Could I substitute pumpkin pie spice for the spices in the filling? Also, could I use my bread machine to mix the dough?
Hi Laurie, you can use 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon and 1 and 1/2 teaspoons store-bought or homemade pumpkin pie spice in the filling. The pumpkin pie spice replaces the nutmeg, allspice, ginger, and cloves.
Hi! I was just wondering whether or not I could use homemade pumpkin puree? I know that it can have a higher water content than store bought, so I was wondering if this would affect the rise of the dough at all.
Thank you!
Hi Sarah, you can use homemade pumpkin puree if needed. Other readers have reported making fresh pumpkin puree this way: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/pumpkin-puree-recipe-1922629
Absolutely delicious! Recipe was super easy to follow. I did have an issue with the icing ingredients not all being room temp. My maple syrup is in the fridge, and even though my cream cheese was room temp. It didn’t mix as well with the fridge, temp milk and syrup. I also should’ve let it rise longer, but I had hungry kids waiting. I used the overnight fridge method for the second rise, and they didn’t quite double in size taking them out of the fridge for an hour.
These Pumpkin Cinnamon rolls are so ooey, gooey, delicious! I made two batches. The first went unbaked, into the freezer. The second went into the fridge overnight, taken out, allowed to rise, and baked up for a wonderful breakfast treat! Thank you, Sally!
Excellent recipe! So yummy and melt in your mouth soft!
the pumpkin cinnamon rolls are absolutely delicious, and the recipe is very easy to follow.