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The Best Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
4.5 from 195 votes

The Best Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

The Best Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls combine a soft dough flavored with pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice, filled with a brown sugar and cinnamon mixture, and topped with a creamy cream cheese glaze. These rolls have a tender crumb and warm autumnal flavors, ideal for breakfast or dessert during cooler months.

Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
17 mins
Rise Time
3 hrs
Total Time
3 hrs 47 mins
Servings: 22
Calories: 306 kcal
Course: Breakfast, Bread
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Dough
  • 3 ¼ cups all-purpose flour or as needed
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice
  • 2 ¼ teaspoons instant dry yeast one 1/4-ounce packet, I use Red Star Platinum
  • pinch salt to taste
  • ½ cup butter melted (1 stick, unsalted
  • ½ cup buttermilk
  • ½ cup pumpkin puree
  • 1 egg lightly whisked, large
Filling
  • 6 tablespoons butter 3/4 of 1 stick, very soft - let it sit out while dough rises, unsalted
  • 1 to 1 ¼ cups light brown sugar packed
  • 2 cinnamon I used 3+
Cream Cheese Glaze
  • 4 ounces cream cheese lite is okay, softened - let it sit out on the second rise or while rolls bake, brick-style
  • 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
  • pinch salt optional and to taste (helps balance the sweetness)
  • half-and-half or as needed for consistency, or cream

Instructions

Make the Dough:
    Cup of Yum
  1. To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook (or use a large mixing bowl and wooden spoon and your hands), add 3 1/4 cups flour, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, yeast, salt; set aside.
  2. In 2-cup glass measuring cup or microwave-safe bowl, and the butter and heat to melt, about 1 minute on high power.
  3. Add buttermilk and pumpkin to melted butter and warm to temperature, about 45 seconds on high power in the microwave. If the milk separates or gets a little funny looking after being warmed, whisk it to smooth it out. ** (see note below)
  4. Add butter-buttermilk-pumpkin mixture to the dry ingredients in mixing bowl.
  5. In a small bowl, crack and lightly whisk the egg, and add egg to mixing bowl.
  6. Turn mixer on low speed and allow it to knead dough for about 7 minutes (about 7 to 10 minutes by hand using a wooden spoon and then switching to your hands). 3 1/4 cups of flour and 7 minutes is perfect for me, but if after 5 minutes your dough is very sloppy, wet, and won’t come together, add up to 1/4 cup flour, or as needed until it does come together. However, the more flour added, the denser and heavier the rolls will be; wetter dough is preferred to overly dry. If dough is dry or crumbly, drizzle in buttermilk until it comes together.
  7. Remove dough from the mixing bowl, spray a large bowl with cooking spray, place the dough in the bowl, and flip it over once so it’s lightly oiled on both top and bottom.
  8. Cover bowl with plastic wrap (spray it with cooking spray in case dough rises high enough to touch it) and place bowl in a warm, draft-free place to rise for about 2 to 2 1/2 hours, or doubled in size. I keep my bowl inside a powered-off oven that I preheated for 1 minute to 400F, then it’s powered off. Do not, repeat do not, keep the oven on. The pre-heated, warm oven creates a nice 85F-ish environment, ideal for yeast. If your rising spot is cold, rising will likely take longer than 2 1/2 hours.
  9. While dough rises, line a 9×13-inch aluminum pan with aluminum foil, spray with cooking spray; set aside.
Rolling Out the Dough:
  1. After dough has doubled in size, punch it down.
  2. Turn dough out onto a Silpat or floured countertop. With a rolling pin, roll it out to about 26-by-13-inches. Use the 13-inch side of the 9-x13 pan to eyeball it, no need use a ruler.
For the Filling:
  1. Using a knife or spatula, evenly spread butter over dough, leaving a 1/2-inch bare margin.
  2. Evenly sprinkle the brown sugar and then the cinnamon over the top, and lightly pat it down with your fingertips to help it adhere.
Slicing the Dough:
  1. Starting with a long edge (the 26-inch side), roll the dough into a tightly wound log, with the seam side down.
  2. Using a knife, make small hash marks about 1 to 1 1/2 inches apart (yields 20 to 24 rolls); or make bigger rolls and yield 12 to 16. Hash marks create less guesswork once you start slicing and things get messier and harder to eyeball where to slice; the hash marks are nice place-markers.
  3. Use plain, unwaxed dental floss to slice the rolls. I highly recommend slicing the rolls with floss, not knives. Floss does not squish or compact the log like knives do. Visual here.
  4. Arrange the rolls in the prepared pan (I made 5 rows of 4 or 5 rolls across, and not all rows have same number of rolls; crowding is okay). Cover with plastic wrap.
  5. If Making Straight Through...
  6. Let rise in a warm, draft-free place until the rolls have nearly doubled in size, about 1 hour.
  7. If Making as Overnight Rolls... 
  8. Don’t let rolls rise after they’ve been sliced and placed in covered pan. Place pan in refrigerator for up to 16 hours.
  9. Before baking, let the rolls rise at room temperature until they have nearly doubled in size, about 1 hour.
To Bake:
  1. For either version, bake at 375F for about 15 to 17 minutes, or until lightly golden on top and cooked through (ovens, dough, and climates vary and so will baking duration, but 1 to 2 minutes matters in this recipe). Watch rolls like a hawk and don’t overbake or they won’t taste nearly as good. At 15 1/2 minutes my rolls were barely done and on the doughy side but I prefer this because it reminds me of Cinnabons; if you like less doughy rolls, bake longer.
Make the Cream Cheese Glaze:
  1. In a medium bowl, add cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar, optional salt, 3 tablespoons cream, and whisk or beat with a handheld electric mixer until smooth and combined. Add cream as needed until desired consistency is reached.
  2. Evenly pour glaze over rolls, lightly spreading with a spatula as necessary.
  3. Serve immediately.

Notes

  • Use a digital thermometer to heat buttermilk and butter mixture according to your yeast's recommended temperature (typically 95–130°F depending on brand).
  • Store baked rolls at room temperature, preferably airtight, for up to 4 days; avoid refrigeration to prevent drying.
  • Freeze baked rolls for up to 6 months, thaw and glaze before serving for best results.
  • Allow rolls to cool slightly before glazing, letting cream cheese soften for easy spreading.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1 Calories 306kcal (15%) Carbohydrates 44g (15%) Protein 4g (8%) Fat 13g (20%) Saturated Fat 7g (35%) Polyunsaturated Fat 5g (29%) Cholesterol 36mg (12%) Sodium 99mg (4%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 23g (46%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 22 Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 306

% Daily Value*

Serving 1
Calories 306kcal 15%
Carbohydrates 44g 15%
Protein 4g 8%
Fat 13g 20%
Saturated Fat 7g 35%
Polyunsaturated Fat 5g 29%
Cholesterol 36mg 12%
Sodium 99mg 4%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 23g 46%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.