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September 15, 2010

The Best Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls (with Cream Cheese Frosting)

From the Kitchen of Katie Kick
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Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls are the perfect fall treat! Pumpkin spice dough is rolled with plenty of cinnamon and sugar, and then slathered with cream cheese frosting. You’ll love all the pumpkin flavor that these cinnamon rolls offer!

overhead photo of pumpkin cinnamon rolls with cream cheese frosting in a white cast iron pan

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Creating This Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls Recipe

It’s fall now, I’m all about the pumpkin recipes, and these pumpkin cinnamon rolls are absolutely sinful. Forget just eating one. Say goodbye to your diet and hello to indulgence.

This is my new favorite breakfast treat. And I can’t wait to make these delicious pumpkin cinnamon rolls again, but I knew I better share the recipe with you first.

What actually inspired the creation of this recipe was my recipe for Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal. That recipe has been hands down over time THE most popular recipe on the blog. I knew there had to be other fun ways to make recipes that tasted like pumpkin pie that were a little bit different than usual.

And I’m pretty confident that is what I’ve achieved here with these pumpkin cinnamon rolls.

photo of ingredients to make pumpkin cinnamon rolls

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls Ingredients

This recipe for pumpkin cinnamon rolls has three parts: the pumpkin yeast dough, the cinnamon roll filling, and the cream cheese cinnamon roll frosting. Here’s what you’ll need to make the three parts:

For the pumpkin cinnamon roll dough, you’ll need:

  • Warm water
  • Active dry yeast
  • Whole Milk
  • Egg
  • Pumpkin puree
  • Melted butter
  • All-purpose flour
  • Whole wheat pastry flour
  • Brown sugar
  • Salt
  • Spices

Can I Omit the Whole Wheat Pastry Flour?

Yes, you can make these pumpkin cinnamon rolls using only all-purpose flour if desired. Your cinnamon roll dough may have a slightly different consistency than mine, but your homemade cinnamon rolls should turn out fine nonetheless!

For the pumpkin cinnamon roll filling, you’ll need:

  • Butter
  • Brown sugar
  • White sugar
  • Spices

And for the cream cheese cinnamon roll frosting, you’ll need:

  • Cream cheese
  • Butter
  • Vanilla extract
  • Lemon juice
  • Powdered sugar

For the complete ingredient list and detailed instructions, scroll to the bottom of this post for the FREE printable recipe card.

For the complete ingredient list and detailed instructions, scroll to the bottom of this post for the FREE printable recipe card.

How to Make Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

Check out these step by step photos that will visually detail the process of making this recipe.

The below is simply a quick summary of this recipe. Check out the full recipe in the free printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for all the detailed instructions.

Make the Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Dough

You’ll first need to make the cinnamon roll dough, then let it rise in a greased bowl until it’s doubled in size. While the dough rests, stir together the cinnamon roll filling ingredients; set aside in a small bowl.

step by step images showing how to make pumpkin yeast dough for this pumpkin cinnamon roll recipe

Roll the Cinnamon Roll Dough and Add Filling

Once the dough has doubled in size, roll it out into a large rectangle on a floured surface using a rolling pin and brush it with melted butter. Sprinkle the filling mixture over the top before rolling up the dough and slicing it.

step by step photos showing how to add butter and cinnamon sugar filling to pumpkin cinnamon roll dough before rolling the dough into a log

Slice and Let Rise Again

Slice the cinnamon rolls, then place the raw cinnamon rolls into a greased pan and let them rise a second time until nearly doubled in size.

step by step photos showing how to cut pumpkin cinnamon rolls before adding to a baking pan

Bake and Add Frosting

Once they’ve risen for a second time, bake the pumpkin cinnamon rolls until golden brown on top. After you’ve taken these easy homemade cinnamon rolls out of the oven, slather them with the cream cheese frosting and serve.

step by step photos showing how to frost baked pumpkin cinnamon rolls

Tips for Making the Dough for this Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Recipe

Baking with yeast is definitely something that many people struggle with. So I thought I’d share my top tips for yeast bread baking because they definitely come in handy when making these easy homemade cinnamon rolls.

Let the Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Dough Rise Until Doubled in Bulk

Rising times are just guidelines. My main concern: has the pumpkin cinnamon roll dough doubled in bulk? That is how you know the rise is complete when making the dough for these pumpkin cinnamon rolls.

Test the Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Dough to Make Sure It’s Risen

Now, you’re probably wondering: how do I know if my dough has doubled in bulk?

The simplest method that I have learned over the years is to dust my fingers in flour and plunge them into the dough as the “guideline” recipe rising time nears. The hole that you make in the cinnamon roll dough will quickly collapse if it is not ready.

Give it another 10 minutes and try again. If the dough is ready, the indentations will remain.

photo showing an example of pumpkin yeast dough that has doubled in bulk after rising

Use Fresh Yeast to Make the Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Dough

I always make sure to check the expiration date on my yeast. If I don’t remember purchasing it, then it could have been in the pantry for months (or longer).

Old yeast doesn’t yield reliable rising results. If you don’t think you’ll be baking regularly, buy packets rather than jars of yeast to eliminate waste. Additionally, you can lengthen the life of yeast by storing it in the refrigerator.

Just make sure you let it come to room temperature before starting this recipe for pumpkin cinnamon rolls.

Use Your Hands to Knead the Pumpkin Dough

You don’t need fancy equipment to bake these Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls. Yes, a bread machine, a stand mixer, and a food processor are all nice to have and they do make the process easier, but your own two hands work just as well if you don’t have a stand mixer.

Try This Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Recipe Again

We all have our flops. Cinnamon rolls that don’t rise enough and taste like yeasty rocks. I’ve learned that you can’t let failure keep you from giving it another go.

Practice makes perfect! And there is no better way to practice than with this pumpkin spice cinnamon roll recipe.

photo of pumpkin spice cinnamon rolls in a pan

Tips for Making the Best Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

  • If you like, make your own pumpkin puree: How to Make Homemade Pumpkin Puree.
  • Make sure you use warm milk. You can gently warm it on low heat on the stove or for a few seconds in the microwave.
  • You can also prepare this recipe in the bowl of an electric mixer using paddle attachment and dough hook attachment
  • If you have a proof or dough setting on your oven, that is a nice, warm place to let the pumpkin dough rise.

Can this Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Recipe Be Prepared in Advance?

Yes! To prep these pumpkin cinnamon rolls the night before, prepare the rolls up to the point where you roll and place in the pan. Then, cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

  • I like to make a double batch of this pumpkin cinnamon roll recipe so I can freeze half of them to enjoy later on.
  • I recommend using full-fat, brick-style cream cheese to make the icing. It will result in a richer, thicker icing.
  • Once baked and glazed, you can store the cinnamon rolls at room temperature for up to three days. Note that they dry out over time.

In the morning, remove the pan from the fridge and proceed with the instructions where you left off. Rising time may be slightly longer than noted in the recipe due to the dough being cold vs room temp.

photo of woman serving pumpkin cinnamon rolls

Save this recipe for Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls to Pinterest!

Does this Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Recipe Freeze Well?

Freezing pumpkin spice cinnamon rolls is a great way to prepare for your brunch ahead of time or keep this delicious recipe on hand for a later date. You can freeze the cinnamon rolls baked or unbaked. Here’s how I freeze them:

How to Freeze Unbaked Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

  1. Prepare the recipe as instructed through the step that details how to roll and slice the dough.
  2. Place the sliced pumpkin rolls in a freezer safe container with a lid. Transfer the container to the freezer and freeze until solid.
  3. You can store the frozen cinnamon rolls in the container in your freezer if you like, but I prefer to transfer them to a vacuum seal bag to help prevent freezer burn (note: you can’t vacuum seal them until they’ve frozen solid first, otherwise they’ll be smashed). Store the rolls in the freezer for up to 3 months.

To Bake the Frozen Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

Remove the frozen pumpkin cinnamon rolls from their freezer storage container and thaw overnight in the refrigerator in the pan you plan to bake them in (cover the pan with foil so they don’t dry out).

In the morning, remove the foil and cover the baking pan with a damp towel or plastic wrap and let rise draft-free place until doubled in size (this is the second rise in the instructions).

Bake and frost according to the remaining instructions.

How to Freeze Baked Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

  1. Prepare the recipe as instructed through the baking steps, let them cool completely, but do not frost them yet.
  2. Place rolls in a freezer safe airtight container with a lid. Transfer the container to the freezer and freeze until solid.
  3. Store the cinnamon rolls in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Thawing and Frosting the Frozen, Baked Rolls

Take the frozen pumpkin cinnamon rolls out of the freezer just before bed and thaw overnight on the counter. In the morning, transfer the thawed rolls to a baking dish and transfer to a warm oven to reheat.

Alternatively, you can reheat the rolls one at a time in the microwave on partial power for 30-45 seconds each. After reheating the cinnamon rolls, frost as instructed. (Cream cheese icing is best prepared day of serving)

photo of a pumpkin cinnamon roll on a white plate with a fork

What to Serve with this Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Roll Recipe

These these Fluffy Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls are the perfect cinnamon rolls for a fall or winter brunch. Here are some of my suggestions for serving alongside this delicious treat:

Why Readers think these are The Best Cinnamon Rolls

You don’t have to take my word for it! Check out these reviews from readers who have made this recipe:

“Took these to dinner at my dad’s straight from the oven and slathering icing all over them. They’re officially a winner. He didn’t want me to take any of them home…” -Ally

“Hello there, I tried out this recipe – and it was out of this world! I’ve never had a roll come out this soft before. Maybe it was the pumpkin that did it? Anyway, this roll was a great success and my husband’s response has made me make this a fixed item on our breakfast for Sunday menu planner. Thank you so much for your great recipes.” -Dhilma

“I’ve made these twice now and they are sooo delicious. My family loved them when I made them for Christmas breakfast. Thanks for the recipe! They are now my go-to cinnamon rolls.” -Abber

“Oh my goodness! I’ve never tasted anything so heavenly. You were absolutely right – there’s no way you can eat just one.” -Jackie

photo of a woman eating a pumpkin cinnamon roll

More Pumpkin Recipes:

Looking for some more tasty ways to enjoy your pumpkin spice this fall? Check out some of these favorite pumpkin recipes, or browse these 25 Pumpkin Recipes to Try this Fall for even more great recipe ideas:

Pumpkin Sugar Cookie Bars are a kid favorite. Kids love the classic sugar cookie made into bars. They’re perfect for fall with hints of pumpkin spice flavors. 

This Easy Pumpkin Pudding is the perfect way to celebrate fall with your kids!  It is easy to prepare, super creamy and full of all your favorite fall spices.

Easy Pumpkin Spice Chai Latte, featuring real pumpkin, can be whipped up in just a few minutes for you to enjoy and warm up with this fall.

A toasted cinnamon swirl bagel is delicious slathered in this Whipped Pumpkin Cream Cheese. This is a great way to use up leftover pumpkin puree.

Pumpkin Spice Salted Caramel Sauce with Real Pumpkin is so easy to make at home. It is over the top good thanks to the addition of real pumpkin puree and plenty of pumpkin pie spices.

Orange Spice Pumpkin Muffins with Pecan Streusel freeze well, so make a double batch and keep some on hand for busy mornings. 

For a chocolatey after dinner treat, try these homemade Pumpkin Pie Truffles. They are also perfect for holiday gifting!

This Pumpkin Oatmeal Breakfast Smoothie is easy to prepare, super healthy, and full of all your favorite fall spices. What isn’t to love about a smoothie recipe that tastes like pumpkin pie?

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Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

Yield: 15 rolls
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Rising Time: 4 hours
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 5 hours

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls are the perfect fall treat – pumpkin spice dough is rolled with plenty of cinnamon and sugar, and then slathered in cream cheese frosting.

Ingredients

For the Pumpkin Dough

  • 1/4 cup warm water (not hot, about 110 degrees)
  • 1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast
  • 1/3 cup warm milk
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • 3/4 cup pumpkin puree, either fresh or canned
  • 1 tablespoon melted butter
  • 2 cups (approximately) All-Purpose Flour
  • 1 1 /4 cup Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

For the Filling

  • 1 stick butter
  • 2/3 cup white sugar
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 4 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 3/4 teaspoon allspice
  • 1 teaspoon ginger
  • 1 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 3/4 teaspoon cloves
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch

For the Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 4 ounces cream cheese
  • 1 stick (4 ounces) butter, softened
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3/4 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 2-3 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

For the Pumpkin Dough

  1. Stir yeast into water to soften in a large bowl.
  2. Allow to rest for 5 minutes before stirring to combine. Stir in the milk, eggs, pumpkin, butter, 1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cardamom to yeast mixture.
  3. Beat vigorously for 2 minutes.
  4. Slowly add the rest of the flour (all purpose), a bit at a time, until the dough is stiff enough to knead. Begin with 1 1/2 cups of flour and increase if necessary.
  5. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead, adding flour as necessary, until you have a smooth, elastic dough. 
  6. Place the dough into a greased bowl.
  7. Turn the dough in the bowl to coat the entire ball of dough with oil.
  8. Cover with plastic wrap and rise until doubled, approximately 1 hour.

For the Filling

  1. Combine the white sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and cornstarch in a another bowl, set aside. 

Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Assembly

  1. Transfer the risen dough to a lightly greased work surface, and pat or roll it into a 16" x 12" rectangle.
  2. Spread softened butter over dough and then sprinkle with the sugar mixture. 
  3. Roll the dough into a log the long way; it'll stretch to about 20" long as you roll.
  4. Using a very sharp knife, slice the log into 15 slices. In order to cut down on drag, it helps to rinse the blade in hot water, and wipe it off, between slices.
  5. Place slices in a greased 9x13 inch baking pan (or in two 8 or 9 inch round cake or pie pans).
  6. Cover with a towel and let rise until almost doubled, about 45 minutes.
  7. Bake in a preheated 375°F oven.
  8. Bake the rolls till they're brown around the edges and beginning to turn golden brown across the center, about 20-30 minutes.

For the Cream Cheese Frosting

  1. While rolls bake, prepare the cream cheese frosting.
  2. Add the cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and lemon juice to a small food processor.
  3. Blend until smooth and combined.
  4. Add the powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time, blending in between, until well mixed and desired consistency is reached. (I used 2 cups powdered sugar)
  5. Frost warm rolls with the cream cheese frosting and serve immediately.

Notes

For night before prep:

Prepare the rolls up to the point where you roll and place in the pan. Then, cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, remove the pan from the fridge and proceed with the instructions where you left off.

Note: Rising time may be slightly longer than noted in the recipe due to the dough being cold vs room temp.

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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 15 Serving Size: 1 cinnamon roll
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 622Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 42mgSodium: 252mgCarbohydrates: 120gFiber: 8gSugar: 63gProtein: 12g

GoodLifeEats.com offers recipe nutritional information as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although GoodLifeEats.com makes every effort to provide accurate information, these figures are only estimates.

Did you make this?

I’d love it if you let me know what you think! Snap a photo and tag me on Instagram at @goodlifeeats with the hashtag #goodlifeeatsrecipes so I can see what you’re cooking up in your kitchen!

© Good Life Eats
Cuisine: American / Category: Breads

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Updated: November 9, 2023

Reader Interactions

  1. Oooh sooo yummy!

  2. I made these last night/this morning and they are fantastic!!!!!!!!!

    Mine used a lot more flour, almost 4 cups i think and I still had a quite soft dough. They were still delicious.

    I also added a little maple flavoring to the frosting.
    🙂

    • That’s interesting on the flour. Maybe it has to do with air moisture (we are very dry) or the flour itself. I know measuring cups aren’t really that accurate for things like flour. Weighing flour is much more accurate. Glad you liked them!

  3. i am OBSESSING over these. i made one batch for my family and some house guests last weekend, and since then i’ve made two more batches to take around to neighbors. they’re the talk of the town and are the perfect thing for a cool fall morning. thanks for the great recipe! these are, hands-down, my new favorite fall treat!

    • I love hearing this! Thanks so much for sharing the love with your friends and neighbors. I hope you’ll send them to http://www.goodlifeeats.com as well. Have a great day!

  4. The rolls are delicious! I just used pumpkin pie spice, though, since that’s what I had on hand. The cream cheese frosting is tasty too, but way too much. I had a good bit left over and still the frosting flavor over powered the flavor of the rolls. Next time I will either halve the frosting recipe, or just make a simple powdered sugar icing to drizzle over them. Thanks for the great recipe!

  6. My goodness, thank you for such posting a great recipe! I actually am vegan but these enticed me enough to veganize them I will be posting them tomorrow! SO yum! I just finished eating one whilst drinking Pecan-flavored coffee.

    • Awesome! Looking forward to seeing your version!

  7. i made these yesterday, and what a dream! light and fluffy and pumpkiny and absolutely yummy.

    i followed the recipe exactly, but next time i might go double on the spices – i love the spiced flavour of pumpkin desserts and this needed just a bit extra.

    thanks for sharing!! really really good!

  8. I reviewed this recipe on my blog. This is a wonderful recipe. These cinnamon rolls were different enough from an ordinary cinnamon roll. The recipe worked flawlessly. Only thing I did differently is I used my own icing, instead of the cream cheese frosting (just not a big cream cheese frosting person).

  9. So looking forward to making these this weekend. Along with pumpkin soup and pumpkin cheese cake! I love the fall! Plus it is Thanksgiving here in Canada!

  10. hi katie! these look amazing, i was just wondering what you mean by “2 cups (approximately)” of flour? do you mean less or more? thanks!

    • it depends on the flour. every cup can easily measure a different amount. start with 1 1/2 cups then work your way up if you need to. here’s an excerpt from the directions that should help explain. sorry it wasn’t more clear.

      Gradually add remaining flour, a little at a time, until you have a dough stiff enough to knead. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead, adding flour as necessary, until you have a smooth, elastic dough.

      I’ve edited the recipe slightly so it hopefully is more clear.

  11. Hi! These were great! I made them for breakfast this morning. I shared my veriosn of your treats over at my blog and linked back to you. http://twoshortpeople.blogspot.com/ Thanks so much for posting!!

  12. Just made these! They are so delicious. I added chopped pecans to the sugar/spice mixture, and on top of the icing as well 🙂 SO GOOD!

    • So glad you liked them! I wanted to use chopped pecans too, but my son would have balked at that so I left them out. Next time I’ll add them to part of the recipe. Enjoy!

  13. Made them. Loved them. Will save the recipe forEVER! Thank you for your inspiration!

  14. Can you freeze these before actually baking them? I’m pregnant and would love to add these to my freezer meals if possible.

    • Yes – just freeze them before the second rise. Once you’ve rolled, cut and placed them in the pan they will bake in you can stick the pan in the freezer (wrapped or sealed in some way). Then when you go to bake them – defrost and rise till doubled in bulk and proceed with baking. Does that make sense? Let me know if you have any questions.

  15. Oh my….if I make these, I might never hear the end of it from my husband! They look even more sinful then regular cinnamon rolls, which I didn’t think possible! Gorgeous photos as well!

  16. Looks like a fabulous recipe! I can’t wait to try it. Helpful hint for cutting rolls…take a piece of thread, slide it under the roll to where you want to slice then bring it up and crisscross and pull. Slides right through the dough without any crushing!

    • Great tip, Tracey. I used a very sharp serrated knife and cut with a sawing motion and didn’t have problems crushing the rolls, but I imagine if your knife wasn’t sharp that would be an issue.

    • I use dental floss and it does the trick so nicely, and I can use it over and over and over again. Just avoid the mint kind or you may have minty cinnamon rolls!

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