Pumpkin cinnamon rolls

by Andrea Gámez

These pumpkin cinnamon rolls are perfect for the season. There is no better dessert for fall. They have all the ingredients we absolutely love. They call for cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, pumpkin, vanilla and cream cheese.

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They are perfect for lounging on the sofa with a blanket watching a movie, and eating them with a hot chocolate, coffee or tea. I love to make them and keep them in the fridge and eat them in the morning or afternoon as a treat.

When people found out that we were going to make a pumpkin cinnamon rolls recipe, they asked us if they had pumpkin in the filling or in the dough, and the truth is that these have pumpkin both in the filling and in the bread itself, that is, they have pumpkin everywhere. That’s what we like, for the recipes to taste like the ingredients they are made of.

If you like the classic cinnamon rolls (which we love) then you have to try these, because this recipe is going to become one of your favorites from now on. To decorate, and to balance out the flavors, we put a cream cheese frosting on top, which is spectacular.

One thing to mention is that it is crucial, as with most breads, to wait for the yeast to activate. So you have to mix the yeas with the milk and sugar and then let it sit so it activates, and make sure the milk is not too hot nor too cold, as it would kill the yeast.

Now, making cinnamon rolls is not difficult but it’s not really easy either. In this case we use two tricks to make them much more moist when they are baked and not too dry. To achieve this, one of the key things is to use a pan that is not too big, and with high walls. Cinnamon rolls in general have to be close to each other, and in fact, they have to stick to each other while they are in the oven, because that keeps them soft, fluffy and moist, and that is how any cinnamon roll should be.

The second thing, which is optional, is to pour in some whipping cream halfway through baking. That is, you take them out of the oven after a little while and pour it on top, and then put them back in the oven. This gives them a lot of richness, texture and moisture, which then results in a kind of caramel under the cinnamon roles, which tastes great! Check out to recipe to find out how to do this.

If you like this recipe you have to check out our cinnamon rolls, which are the classics, you will love them!

Pumpkin cinnamon rolls

Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Resting Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 50 minutes
Course Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 12

Ingredients
  

For the dough:

  • 1 C (8.11 fl oz) (240 ml) whole milk, warm
  • 2 1/4 tsp (0.24 oz) (7 gr) dry active yeast
  • 1/2 C (3.52 oz) (100 gr) white sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp (0.17 fl oz) (5 ml) vanilla extract
  • 1/2 C (3.95 oz) (112 gr) unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 C (8.50 oz) (240 gr) pumpkin puree, unsweetened
  • 5 1/2 C all purpouse flour, sifted
  • 1 tsp (0.17 oz) (5 gr) salt
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp ground clove
  • 1/2 C (4 fl oz) (120 ml) whipping cream, for baking

For the filling:

  • 1/2 C (3.95 oz) (112 gr) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 3/4 C (2.80 oz) (80 gr) pumpkin puree, unsweetened
  • 1 C (7 oz) (200 gr) brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp (0.56 oz) (16 gr) cornstarch
  • 2 tbsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp ground clove

For the glaze:

  • 3/4 C (6 oz) (170 gr) cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 1/4 C (1.97 oz) (56 gr) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1/2 C (2.11 oz) (60 gr) confectioners sugar, sifted
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 tsp (0.17 fl oz) (5 ml) vanilla extract
  • 2 tbsp (1 fl oz) (30 ml) whole milk

Instructions
 

For the dough:

  • In a large bowl place the milk with the yeast and half of the sugar. Mix with a spoon and let it sit for 20 minutes for the yeast to activate.
  • After it has rested, add the rest of the sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, butter, pumpkin puree and mix until everything is integrated.
  • Mix in the flour, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and mix with a wooden spoon or using your hands until a very sticky dough forms.
  • Place the dough on a clean surface and knead by beating and folding over itself for 20 minutes until it forms into a dough better, and holds more its shape (the whole kneading process can also be done in a mixer with the dough hook). This will take long, do not keep adding too much more flour, just as needed. The kneading will make the dough not as sticky.
  • Once ready, form a ball with the dough and put it in a clean bowl with a little oil so that it does not stick. Cover it with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and let the dough rise for 1 hour and a half to double its size.

For the filling and assembly:

  • To make the filling, in a medium bowl mix with a fork the brown sugar with the cornstarch, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves.
  • Once the dough has doubled in size, place it on a clean, previously floured surface and roll it out with a rolling pin to form a large rectangle approximately 60 cm long x 40 cm wide.
  • To fill them, spread with a kitchen brush or a spatula all the softened butter on the surface of the stretched dough and then sprinkle the brown sugar mixture on top. At the end, add spoonfuls of the pumpkin puree on top and spread it evenly to the edges using the same spatula.
  • Roll the dough lengthwise to form a roll and then pinch the edges a little to try to bring them together. Using a very sharp knife or a piece of string or thread, cut the roll into 12 equal-sized portions.
  • Place the roles (leaving only 1 cm between each one) in a greased rectangular baking pan with high walls with parchment paper underneath.
  • Cover the pan with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and let the rolls rest for 1 hour to double in size.
  • Preheat the oven to 356º F (180° C) and, once the rolls have doubled in size (they will stick together, which is vital for the dough to keep its softness), bake them for 10 minutes. When this time has passed, take them out of the oven and evenly pour the whipping cream or milk over the top of the roles, which will prevent them from drying out.
  • Return the roles to the oven and continue baking for another 20 minutes or until lightly browned.
  • Once ready, remove the roles from the oven and allow them to cool down slightly before adding the glaze.

For the glaze:

  • In a large bowl, add the cream cheese with the butter and beat with a hand whisk for 2 minutes until the mixture is smooth.
  • Add the powdered sugar with the salt, vanilla extract and milk and beat for 1 more minute until the glaze or frosting is light and smooth.
  • Pour all the mixture on top of the pumpkin cinnamon rolls and spread evenly.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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