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
As usual, I can always count on Sally for a fabulous recipe. I am a seasoned home baker but cinnamon rolls and breads have always been a challenge for me. I watched the video and read the notes on the recipe and super glad I did. I wasn’t kneading the dough long enough and Sally’s advice on when to stop was right on point. These were absolutely delicious and now are a favorite in my house. Thank you Sally for sharing your advice and your recipes. You are my go to baker!
When I first started making bread I made the yeast bloom separately. Here you have the yeast bloom mysteriously in the dough? Sometimes I have bad luck when baking and I’m worried it won’t rise.
Hi Alex, Instant yeast doesn’t typically need to be proofed. However, we often do it anyway just to be certain it’s alive and active. (And so it can dissolve a bit.) Feel free to proof the yeast here before proceeding with the recipe if you wish. Hope you enjoy the cinnamon rolls!
Does the method in the recipe work for active dry yeast?
Hi Alex, yes, we have used active dry yeast in the same way, but again, you can take a few extra minutes to proof if you wish. Hope this helps!
Can the pumpkin sweet rolls be frozen?
Marsha, yes! See the recipe notes for freezing instructions!
Every tip was perfect and these tasted amazing! Great recipe and directions to follow!
These were incredible!! They were my first ever homemade cinnamon rolls. I thought about adding heavy whipping cream before baking but I’m glad I didn’t because these were already pillowy soft without it. Thank you for giving me confidence back in baking!! My husband also loved them haha.
Hello! I’m thinking about making this recipe, and I have some pure maple syrup from Canada that I got as a gift. Can I still use the same amount of syrup for the icing?
Hi Hershey, yes, you can use that syrup in the icing. Enjoy!
THESE WERE AMAZING!! My 1st time trying to make cinnamon rolls. I love your recipes I’ve been using them for years! Thankyou
I haven’t finished these yet so not sure what my thoughts are yet but I could’ve sworn I used to follow a pumpkin cinnamon roll recipe from you that was a brioche dough and the instructions were very different and the filling had pumpkin puree in it too. I used the recipe for years and now I can’t find the same one, and I almost exclusively use your recipes so I’m so confused. Am I making this up?
Hi Lexi! We’ve never have a pumpkin cinnamon roll recipe with a brioche dough, or with pumpkin in the filling. It is very possible it exists, but just not from our site. Hope you love these!
Delicious, soft rolls with beautiful pumpkin color. Directions were easy to follow. I made these without a stand mixer by hand and they still turned out beautifully.
I loved this recipe so much! I plan on making them again for xmas, so you think i can roll the dough into smaller pieces to make mini rolls instead?
Thanks!
Hi Maya, 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!
These pumpkin cinnamon rolls converted my British partner to both, cinnamon rolls and pumpkin
Thank you Sally for another 10 out of 10 recipe.
I love that these rolls can be frozen. Would you be able to freeze the baked rolls with the icing on them, or do you recommend making the icing fresh? Thank you for the help!
Hi Mary, You can freeze them iced, or add the icing after thawing.
Can you use a bread machine to make this recipe?
Hi Lisann, we haven’t tested this dough in a bread machine but please let us know how it goes if you do!
Would lining a glass baking dish with parchment paper help with even browning of the rolls? I noticed instructions say to grease the pan. I am concerned my rolls will burn/harden too much in the glass baking dish? Thank you!
Hi Mary, we’ve never had an issue with the rolls getting too hard. Let us know if you give this recipe a try!
I make these for Thanksgiving every year since probably 2015! We love them! I was wondering what size round baking dish you used in the updated photos? I am trying to find one similar so if you have a suggestion, I’d be interested!
Hi Sarah, It’s a 9 inch dish. So glad you love these!
Is it possible to partially bake the night before, similar to the freezing method but without freezing? Or would I be better off to completely bake and reheat the next morning? My kids don’t want to wait for the second rise in the morning. Thank you!
Hi Katherine! We would bake and reheat in the morning. Enjoy!
Your soft dinner rolls recipe doesn’t come up. Just a blank white screen.
Hi Kris! It’s working for us – could you try again or try a different browser? Feel free to shoot us an email if the problem persists: sally@sallysbakingaddiction.com
Not sure if I missed a detail, but should the pumpkin puree be heavily blotted like in the pumpkin chocolate chip cookie recipe, or can it be used directly out of the can. Also, any thoughts on incorporating toasted pecans into the rolls?
Hi Mark, blotting the pumpkin is not required in this recipe. If you want to add toasted pecans, I would coarsely chop them, and then sprinkle them over the top of the cinnamon-sugar filling before rolling up the dough. Let us know how they turn out!
Delicious recipe! The dough texture is a little more dense and less “springy” than regular cinnamon roll dough, but it still rises beautifully and has a delicate, soft texture in the final product (reminds me a bit of pumpkin muffins!) The recipe for the frosting made a little more than needed to top the rolls, but the flavor is delicious! They were a huge hit, and I’m sure they’ll be all eaten up in no time.
Can I make this recipe without a stand mixer (either using a hand mixer or just mixing by hand)?
Thanks!
Hi Megan, yes! If you do not have a stand-mixer, mix the dough together in a large mixing bowl with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula.
These were DELICIOUS! I added cinnamon to my spice filling, and used the full 8 oz of cream cheese in the icing (but didn’t change the amount of the other ingredients) for a more cream cheesy tasting icing. Will be making these again!
I thought the cinnamon rolls turned out great!! Both my daughter (3.5 years old) and I thought they turned out great! However, I struck out on the frosting. It tasted good, but it was pretty lumpy and runny and no amount of beating and adding powdered sugar seemed to help. When I double checked the recipe and the video- it almost seems as though a full 8 oz of cream cheese is added in the video but the recipe only calls for 4 oz. Did I miss something? Otherwise, it’s a great recipe!!
Hi Emily, 4 oz. of cream cheese is correct for this frosting recipe. Did you sift the powdered sugar? Cream cheese fully warmed to room temperature will make it smoother and easier to incorporate into the rest of the frosting mixture. Trying a different brand of powdered sugar and cream cheese could also be helpful. Some simply give better results than others. Hope this helps and thank you for giving this recipe a try!
I am no trained baker but I have been baking for almost 60 yrs.i
make cinnamon rolls that everyone loves so I guess they are edible!! I have been wondering about the differences in the 2 recipes. Mine calls for almost the same amount of flour( 3c)but has 1c of mashed potatoes plus 2TBSP yeast (active dry that I bloom) & 2eggs. The dough is beautiful & light & tender. It bakes beautifully. I wonder about the pumpkin in this one as it can make the dough heavier. Still there is only 2 1/4 tsp of yeast. Should I use instant yeast?? These look super good & I would love to make them.
Hi Marilyn, 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. Hope you enjoy them!
I am not a cinnamon roll person, but this recipe is incredible! Usually they are way too sweet and underbaked, but these are not! They have a lovely variety in texture from pillowy soft to caramelized sugar chewy crunchy. Highly recommend.
Super yum- thank you! Do you have nutrition info?
Hi Bryttany, we’re glad you enjoyed them! We don’t usually include nutrition information as it can vary between different brands of the same ingredients. Plus, many recipes have ingredient substitutions or optional ingredients listed. However, there are many handy online calculators where you can plug in and customize your exact ingredients/brands. Readers have found this one especially helpful: https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076
I made these as a test treat for the upcoming Halloween holiday. I accidentally forgot the egg in the recipe, and they still ended up tasting delicious! My friends were impressed that it still held up as a dough and in taste, they’re definitely going on Halloween night’s menu (this time with the egg, haha!)
Great recipe! Easy to follow, didn’t alter any ingredients! Turned out incredible, made some icing by omitting the cream cheese and also made the cream cheese icing. Both flavorful and a perfect addition to these moist fluffy cinnamon rolls.
Good but no pumpkin flavor at all. Needs less cinnamon and more “pumpkin pie spice”
Hi Nancy, you can increase the spices in the filling for an even stronger pumpkin flavor. Thanks for giving these cinnamon rolls a try!
lol so I added the whole can of pumpkin I was wondering why the dough was so sticky for so long! I added sooo much more flour than the recipe called for, but I think they still turned out great!
Hi! I was wondering if I could do everything the same if i’m going to double the recipe? Thank you! Can’t wait to try it!
Hi Ryleigh, we recommend making separate batches instead of doubling for best results. Happy baking!
I made these Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls—because who can say no to cinnamon rolls for breakfast, right? I also wanted to test out my new smart oven, and let’s just say both the oven and the rolls passed with flying colors.
Thank you, Sally, for another successful recipe!