Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls (Print-Friendly)

Soft pumpkin-infused rolls swirled with cinnamon sugar and topped with cream cheese frosting. Perfect autumn treat.

# What You'll Need:

→ Dough

01 - 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
02 - 1 packet (2 ¼ tsp) 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 tsp vanilla extract
09 - ½ tsp salt
10 - 1 tsp ground cinnamon
11 - ½ tsp ground nutmeg

→ Filling

12 - ⅔ cup brown sugar, packed
13 - 2 tbsp 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 tsp vanilla extract
19 - Pinch of salt

# How To Make It:

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 more flour if sticky.
04 - Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 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 Advice:

01 -
  • The pumpkin in the dough creates this incredibly tender texture that standard cinnamon rolls simply cant match.
  • Theres something quietly impressive about setting out a pan of these spiral beauties at brunch, especially when everyone discovers the unexpected hint of autumn spices.
02 -
  • If your kitchen is cold, these rolls will take significantly longer to rise, so be patient rather than rushing them into the oven too early.
  • Using dental floss instead of a knife to slice the roll gives you clean, uncompressed cuts that help the rolls maintain their perfect spiral shape.
03 -
  • The temperature of your ingredients matters enormously, cold eggs or butter can prevent proper dough development, so take everything out of the refrigerator at least an hour before starting.
  • When spreading the filling, leave a 1/2 inch strip along one long edge completely bare, this creates a proper seal when you finish rolling so the filling doesnt escape during baking.
Return