The Best Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Icing

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It’s Fall – that means pumpkin-everything. I am not a PSL girl, but I do love the heartiness and warmth you get from meals that include pumpkin. Pumpkin cinnamon rolls just scream Fall to me. They make me cozy and are the perfect addition to a slow rainy Saturday morning.

Add in a mug of hot chocolate or herbal tea and I won’t be going anywhere. What I love about this recipe is that I can make the dough and then I have a few days to decide when I want to make the actual rolls.

These pumpkin cinnamon rolls are a classic favorite with a nutritional boost (if you can say that about a cinnamon roll). Pumpkin puree adds a little richness and depth to every bite – think of it as an elevated rustic version of a cinnamon roll.

Plus, this recipe makes your kitchen smell AMAZING. Everyone will love diving into these fluffy Fall treats. They aren’t relegated to breakfast either, these are perfect for an afternoon pick-me-up, or a luscious bedtime snack.

Want to use your own homegrown pumpkin? Try out our guide on How to Roast Pumpkins for Puree, Simple Pumpkin Seeds, or try making Maple Pumpkin Custards or Pumpkin Cookies.

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Supplies:

• KitchenAid Mixer with Dough Hook
• Bowls
• Plastic wrap
• Spatulas
• Baking pan(s)/Pie Pans
• Grain Mill
• Danish Whisk
• Rolling Pin
• Dough Scraper
• Measuring Spoons
• Small Saucepan
• Oil/fat for greasing
• Rice Flour for dusting
• Hand Mixer

Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Dough

Dough Ingredients:

• 745g Freshly Milled Hard Wheat Flour (or whole wheat flour from the store)
• 80g Warm Water
• 200g Sourdough Discard
• 425g Pumpkin Puree (or 1 can)
• 33g Olive Oil
• 2 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Pumpkin Spice
• 1 tsp Vanilla
• 4 tsp Active Yeast
• 3/4 Cup Heavy Cream, warmed (needed day you bake rolls)

Dough Instructions:

1. Add sourdough discard, pumpkin, and water to a bowl and mix together until uniform
2. Add flour and mix into a cohesive dough for 1-2 minutes in mixer
3. Cover dough with a damp towel for 30-45 minutes to rest
4. Add salt, pumpkin spice, vanilla, olive oil, and yeast to bowl and knead about 5 minutes
5. Shape dough into a nice tight ball and transfer to another lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap
6. Place dough in fridge for 24 hours, and up to 3 days

When ready to make Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls:

1. Remove the dough from the refrigerator, grease a baking pan, and set out cream cheese to soften.
2. Lightly flour work surface and dump dough out of the bowl, shaping it into a brick shape
3. Make a batch of filling (see below for the recipe) and set it aside
4. Press dough into a large rectangle block shape, then roll out into a large flat rectangle (about 24″ by 16″), until dough is about 1/4″ thick
5. Spread filling onto the large rectangle, leaving 1/2″ border around the edges
6. Roll the dough up tightly on the long side into a log, keeping tension and pinching the seam closed
7. Use a dough scraper or sharp knife to cut rolls (I cut mine into 16 pieces)
8. Place rolls in baking pan and cover with plastic wrap
9. Let rise for 30 minutes (longer if your house is cool)
10. When almost done rising, preheat oven to 375 degrees
11. Warm heavy cream in pot or in microwave and pour over top of rolls
12. Bake for 20-22 minutes
13. While baking, make icing (see below for recipe)
14. Top rolls with icing while still hot

Notes:

• I use a KitchenAid Professional Mixer with a dough hook attachment that can handle whole-grain doughs (they can be a bit stiffer). If you don’t have one, or it is smaller feel free to knead by hand, it may just take a few more minutes
• Dough can stay in fridge for up to 3 days before using, just make sure the plastic wrap stays on so it doesn’t dry out
• Dough may be a bit tough to roll right out of the refrigerator because it is cold, it will warm up and become softer once you start rolling a bit
• You can bake these rolls in pie pans if you don’t have a big roasting pan
• You can make the rolls up and freeze the ones you don’t want to cook for another day (when you are ready to use frozen ones, just let rise for an hour or two before baking)
• If you don’t want to roll a giant log, you can use a pizza cutter to cut long strips of dough and then roll each one up individually
• You’ll know your rolls are done rising when you press a finger or knuckle into the dough and it doesn’t bounce back
• Store leftover rolls in the refrigerator, sealed tightly so they don’t dry out (when reheating, you can add a tablespoon of cream)

Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Filling

Filling Ingredients:

• 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
• 1/4 Sugar
• 1 Tbsp Cinnamon
• 1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter, Softened
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Vanilla

Filling Instructions:

• Soften butter if needed
• Mix in all ingredients until you have a sugary paste
• Set aside until ready to use

Notes:

• You can replace all of the cinnamon with pumpkin spice for more of that flavor
• Use a straight-sided silicone spatula for best spreading, be careful if you use a butter knife as it may rip the dough

Pumpkin Spice Cream Cheese Icing

Icing Ingredients:

• 8oz Cream Cheese, softened
• 4 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
• 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
• 1 tsp Vanilla
• 1/2 tsp Pumpkin Spice
• Pinch of Sea Salt

Icing Instructions:

• Melt sugar and butter over medium-low heat, bringing to a slight simmer
• Stirring constantly so it doesn’t burn, cook until it starts to pull away from the pan when you stir
• Remove from heat
• Add vanilla, pumpkin spice and salt (be careful, it may bubble up), and mix well
• Add mixture to softened cream cheese
• Beat with a hand mixer until it reaches a creamy and smooth consistency

Notes:

• You can add a couple tablespoons of milk to the icing for a thinner consistency (we just prefer it super thick)
• Add another 1/2 -1 teaspoon of pumpkin spice for extra flavor

How to Make Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls from Scratch

Start with the Dough

Begin by adding sourdough discard, pumpkin, and water to a bowl and mix together until uniform.

Add flour and mix into a cohesive dough for 1-2 minutes in mixer. Cover dough with a damp towel for 30-45 minutes to rest.

Add salt, pumpkin spice, vanilla, olive oil, and yeast to bowl and knead about 5 minutes.

Shape dough into a nice tight ball and transfer to another lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Place dough in the fridge for 24 hours. When ready to make Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls, remove the dough from the refrigerator, grease a baking pan, and set out cream cheese to soften.

Filling Time

Next, make your filling. Soften butter if needed and mix in all ingredients until you have a sugary paste, then set aside.

Lightly flour work surface and dump dough out of the bowl, shaping into a brick shape first.

Press dough into a large rectangle block shape, then roll out into a large flat rectangle (about 24″ by 16″), until dough is about 1/4″ thick.

Spread filling onto the large rectangle, leaving 1/2″ border around the edges. Peep my youngest son helping. This job is perfect for little hands.

Roll the dough up tightly on the long side into a log, keeping tension and pinching the seam closed.

Use a dough scraper or sharp knife to cut rolls (I cut mine into 16 pieces). Place rolls in baking pan and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise for 30 minutes (longer if your house is cool). Meanwhile, with dough almost done rising, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Warm heavy cream and pour over top of rolls.

Bake for 20-22 minutes. While rolls are baking, make your icing.

Whip Up that Icing

While still warm, add the mixture to softened cream cheese and beat with a hand mixer until it reaches a creamy and smooth consistency.

Finally, top rolls with icing while still hot and serve warm.

I hope I have helped you capture those Fall vibes with this Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll recipe! Add your own twist to the recipe by adding chopped pecans to the filling, or maple syrup to the icing.

We like to eat ours alongside chili (I know, super strange!), or with a cup of hot chocolate. Let us know how you like to enjoy your cinnamon rolls in the comments.