Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls (Printable)

Soft, pillowy rolls with pumpkin-infused dough, cinnamon sugar swirl, and creamy frosting—an ideal autumn indulgence.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Dough

01 - 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
02 - 1 packet (2 ¼ teaspoons) active dry yeast
03 - ⅓ cup granulated sugar
04 - ½ cup whole milk, lukewarm
05 - ¾ cup canned pumpkin purée
06 - ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
07 - 1 large egg, room temperature
08 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
09 - ½ teaspoon salt
10 - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
11 - ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

→ Filling

12 - ⅔ cup brown sugar, packed
13 - 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
14 - ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened

→ Cream Cheese Frosting

15 - 4 oz cream cheese, softened
16 - ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
17 - 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
18 - ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
19 - Pinch of salt

# Directions:

01 - Combine warm milk and yeast in a large bowl. Let sit for 5 minutes until foamy.
02 - Add sugar, pumpkin purée, melted butter, egg, and vanilla to the yeast mixture. Mix until smooth.
03 - Gradually add flour, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Knead for 6–8 minutes until a soft, elastic dough forms. Add additional flour if sticky.
04 - Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place until doubled, approximately 1 hour.
05 - Punch down dough and roll out on a floured surface to a 16x12-inch rectangle.
06 - Spread softened butter over dough, leaving a ½-inch border. Mix brown sugar and cinnamon, then sprinkle evenly over buttered dough.
07 - Roll up tightly from the long side. Slice into 12 even rolls.
08 - Arrange rolls in a greased 9x13-inch baking dish. Cover and let rise for 30–40 minutes until puffy.
09 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake rolls for 22–25 minutes until golden and cooked through.
10 - Beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt; beat until creamy.
11 - Spread frosting over warm rolls. Serve fresh.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The pumpkin in the dough creates an incredibly tender texture that stays soft even the next day, something I discovered completely by accident.
  • These rolls make your home smell better than any autumn candle could, and the cream cheese frosting melts just enough to create little pockets of creamy goodness between the layers.
02 -
  • If your kitchen is cold, your dough will rise slowly, so I turn on the oven light and place the dough nearby, which creates just enough ambient warmth without cooking it.
  • The rolls are done when they reach 190°F internally, which I discovered after years of either doughy centers or dried-out edges before investing in a simple kitchen thermometer.
03 -
  • The butter for the filling should be soft enough to spread easily but not melted, otherwise it will leak out during baking instead of creating those luscious swirls.
  • Letting the rolls cool for exactly 5 minutes before frosting gives you that perfect balance where the frosting slightly melts into the top but doesnt completely disappear into the rolls.
Go Back