Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls have Pumpkin both in the dough and the filling. Soft pumpkin brioche is rolled up with a pumpkin brown sugar filling. The rolls are baked and then finished with a coffee maple cream cheese icing.
Table of contents
- Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
- Why these are the BEST Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
- Why should I reduce down my pumpkin puree?
- What to use instead of Canned Pumpkin Puree
- Steps for Making Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
- How to get Neat Cuts in Cinnamon Rolls
- FAQ / Troubleshooting guide for Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
- Frosting Variations for Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
- For more Pumpkin Recipes, Check Out:
- Made this recipe and love it?
- A note on salt and oven temperature
- Why is this recipe in grams?
Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
Hi hi! I hope you are all well - I am just popping in to share the recipe for these Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with you! I have a whole bunch of Cinnamon Roll recipes tucked up my sleeve in the lead up to the holidays, starting with these bad boys!
These are what would happen if Pumpkin Spice Lattes and Cinnamon Rolls had a baby. I added some reduced pumpkin puree (more on that in a second) to the dough, and also to the filling. Then I finished them off with a maple coffee cream cheese icing. These Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls are SO soft, and SO good. They are a fun variation on a regular cinnamon roll, and I hope that you give them a try!
Why these are the BEST Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
I tested these a bunch of times, and did a whole lot of research on other recipes online. Initially I only added pumpkin to the dough, but quickly realised that the taste gets drowned out a bit by the eggs and butter in the recipe. So I added it to the filling too - game changer.
- Soft Pumpkin Brioche - I reduced down some pumpkin puree, and added it into the dough. Adding pumpkin puree to the dough makes it super soft, and amazing to work with. The dough is lightly spiced with cinnamon and cardamom.
- Brown Sugar Pumpkin Filling - I added pumpkin to my regular brown sugar filling for Cinnamon Rolls, along with some cinnamon and cardamom. You could use pumpkin pie spice here too if you wanted to.
Why should I reduce down my pumpkin puree?
Reducing down the pumpkin puree takes out some of the moisture. It also concentrates the flavour. This step only takes a couple of minutes, but makes a big difference. It means you can add more pumpkin puree into whatever you are making, which intensifies the pumpkin flavour.
I reduced down one can total for this recipe, and then split it up to use in both the dough and the filling. This can be done ahead of time and the reduced puree stored in the fridge until you are ready for it.
All you need to do is to put your pumpkin into a small pot, and place over medium heat. Then you cook it, stirring constantly, until it has reduced in consistency and dried out a little, 3-4 minutes. Then you pop it into a bowl or container and leave to cool until you are ready to use it!
What to use instead of Canned Pumpkin Puree
You can make your own! Preheat the oven to 400°f / 200°c. Cut a pumpkin in half, remove the seeds, and place cut side down on a lined baking sheet, and roast until totally tender. This should take anywhere between 45 minutes to 1 hour 15 minutes. Scoop out the flesh and process in a blender or with a stick blender. You may not need to reduce it down depending on how wet it is if you make your own.
Steps for Making Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
You can break the workload up if you like, but here are the steps for making Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls!
- Reduce down your pumpkin, and leave to cool.
- Make your pumpkin brioche, and leave either at room temp or a few hours to overnight to proof in the fridge.
- Mix up your brown sugar pumpkin filling.
- Roll out your dough into a rectangle, and spread with the filling.
- Roll up into a log, then cut into rolls, and place into your pan.
- Rise again until puffy.
- Bake!
- Remove from the oven, and leave to cool.
- While the rolls are cooling, make the Coffee Maple Cream Cheese Icing.
- Ice the rolls, and enjoy!
How to get Neat Cuts in Cinnamon Rolls
There are a few tricks here. These cinnamon rolls in particular are a little sloppy, so I have a few things that help.
- The first is to chill down the log of dough. I like to roll it up, trim off the ends, then cut it in half. I then transfer that to a parchment paper lined baking sheet, and cover it with plastic. The dough logs get put in the freezer for 10-15 minutes. All this does is help firm up the dough and filling a little. This makes them easier to cut cleanly! You can skip this step if you like, particularly if you have made your dough ahead of time.
- I cut these with a nice sharp serrated knife, but you can also use unflavoured dental floss to cut them into neat rolls. Both these methods stop the rolls from getting squished when you cut them.
FAQ / Troubleshooting guide for Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
Nope! Leave it out if you want - it will work just fine!
I love making brioche ahead of time. It makes it a tiny bit easier to work with. Rolling out cold dough is a bit easier than room temperature dough. I like to prepare my dough either the night before or earlier in the day, and give it a minimum of 2 hours and up to overnight in the fridge. Don't leave it for more than 24 hours as the yeast won't be as effective.
You can! You can roll the dough out, fill, roll, up, then cut into rolls. Cover them lightly with plastic wrap and then pop into the fridge to do the second rise overnight. I would pull them out just to come to room temperature a little while the oven preheats!
I only tested these with reduced pumpkin, so not reducing your pumpkin will mean that it is wetter. This will lead to a wetter dough and a sloppier filling. Reduce it down - it only takes a few minutes!
Make sure you've got enough flour on your surface as you are rolling out. You don't need to drown it. Keep your dough moving as you roll it out, to make sure it isn't sticking. I like to flip it a few times if needed. Make sure that you also square off your dough as you are rolling it out. I use a bench scraper to make sure my dough is even as I am rolling it out, so that it gets as close to a rectangle as possible.
The finely ground instant coffee you get at the supermarket will work great!
If you want to freeze these Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls, you are best freezing them once baked, then leaving to thaw and refreshing slightly in the oven before eating. Finish with the icing once you have refreshed them.
Frosting Variations for Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
I originally just made these with a maple cream cheese frosting, but then decided adding some coffee would be a good idea. You can make them however you like!
- Maple Cream Cheese Frosting - Ditch the espresso powder.
- Coffee Cream Cheese Frosting - Leave out the maple syrup. You will likely need a little less powdered sugar if you do this. Start with 200g and see how you go.
- Regular Cream Cheese Frosting - Use this recipe.
- Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting - Use this recipe.
For more Pumpkin Recipes, Check Out:
Made this recipe and love it?
I would LOVE for you to leave me a review below to let me know how you liked it! Make sure to tag me on Instagram if you make it!
A note on salt and oven temperature
It is important to note the type of salt that is called for in a recipe. I use Diamond Crystal salt throughout my recipes - if you use a different sort of kosher salt or regular table salt you will need to adjust accordingly as some salt is 'saltier' than others. Morton's salt is twice as salty, so you will need half the quantity. Same goes for a regular table salt. I am working to get gram measurements throughout my recipes for salt but still getting there.
All oven temperatures are conventional unless otherwise stated. If you are baking on fan, you will need to adjust the temperature. An oven thermometer is a great investment to ensure that your oven is the correct temperature.
Why is this recipe in grams?
I post my recipes in grams as it is the most accurate way to bake. Cups are not only inaccurate but they vary in volume worldwide. There is no way for me to provide one cup measure that works for everyone. However, posting in weight fixes this issue. If you would like the recipe in cups you are welcome to convert it yourself via google, but please do not ask me to do it for you as I am not comfortable providing a recipe using a method that I have not tested. Baking with a scale is easy, accurate, and also makes cleanup super simple. Here is the scale that I use if you would like a recommendation! Here's to accurate baking!
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Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
Description
Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls have Pumpkin both in the dough and the filling. Soft pumpkin brioche is rolled up with a pumpkin brown sugar filling. The rolls are baked and then finished with a coffee maple cream cheese icing.
Ingredients
Reduced Pumpkin
- One 425g can Pumpkin Puree (See body of post for making your own)
Pumpkin Brioche
- 2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast
- 150g whole milk, lukewarm
- 4 Tbsp (50g) brown sugar
- 565g all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground cardamom
- 140g reduced pumpkin puree
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten, at room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 120g unsalted butter, at room temperature
Brown Sugar Pumpkin Filling
- 225g unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 360g light or dark brown sugar
- 115g reduced pumpkin puree
- 2 Tbsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tsp ground cardamom
- pinch of salt
Coffee Maple Cream Cheese Icing
- 165g cream cheese, at room temperature
- 75g butter, at room temperature
- 275g powdered sugar, sifted
- 75g maple syrup
- 2 tsp espresso powder
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- 1 /2 tsp vanilla bean paste
Instructions
REDUCED PUMPKIN PUREE
- Place the pumpkin into a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, for 4-5 minutes until reduced slightly. Set aside to cool. Store in an airtight container until ready to use.
PUMPKIN BRIOCHE
- In a small bowl, combine the yeast, milk and 2 Tbsp of the sugar. Mix well, and leave to sit for 10-15 minutes, or until foamy.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the remaining 2 Tbsp sugar, flour, salt, cinnamon, and cardamom. Mix briefly to combine. Add the reduced pumpkin puree, eggs, vanilla, and foamy yeast mixture to the bowl. Mix on low for 2-3 minutes, until the dough is starting to come together. It may look slightly dry but do not worry - it will mix together nicely in the next steps. Increase the mixer speed to medium, and mix for another 5 minutes, until the dough is soft and smooth.
- Reduce the mixer speed to low, and add the butter a little at a time, waiting until it is fully incorporated into the dough before adding the next piece. This process should take 3-4 minutes. Once the butter is fully incorporated, increase the mixer speed to medium, and mix for a further 5 minutes, until the dough is very soft and smooth.
- Transfer to an oiled bowl, and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Place in the fridge for a minimum of 3 hours and up to overnight. Alternatively the first rise can be done at room temperature.
ASSEMBLY AND BAKING
- Line a baking dish (9”x13” or 23cm x 33cm) with parchment paper. In a small bowl, combine the butter, brown sugar, reduced pumpkin puree, cinnamon, cardamom, and salt. Mix to combine.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and roll into a rectangle that is 24” x 16” (60cm x 40cm), squaring off the edges often as you roll. Spread with the filling mixture, ensuring the filling is spread evenly over the surface.
- Starting with a long side, roll up into a tight spiral. Cut the log into two pieces and place them side by side on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and lightly sprayed with cooking spray. Lightly cover the dough logs with plastic wrap, and transfer to the freezer for 20 minutes in order to firm up slightly (this helps give a neater cut, you can skip this if your dough was chilled).
- Once the dough logs have chilled, remove from the freezer. Using a sharp knife, slice each log into 6 equal pieces (I like to use a ruler), and arrange on the prepared baking sheet or baking dish, evenly spacing between.
- Lightly cover the pan with plastic wrap, and leave to rise for 45 minutes to an hour, or until puffy, and a small indentation is left when poked gently with your finger.
- While the rolls are rising, preheat the oven to 350°f / 180°c.
- Bake the rolls for 35 to 40 minutes, or until deeply golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to stand for 15 minutes or so before icing with the Coffee Maple Cream Cheese Icing.
COFFEE MAPLE CREAM CHEESE ICING
- Place the cream cheese and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until well combined. Add in the powdered sugar, maple syrup, espresso powder, salt, and vanilla bean paste, and whip until light and fluffy.
- Spread onto the cinnamon rolls while they are still slightly warm.
- Store leftover cinnamon rolls in an airtight container at room temperature. Rewarm in the microwave before serving.
Notes
If you are worried your filling will be sloppy, reduce the butter to 175g butter, and add more as you need to get it to a nice spreadable consistency. This will depend on how reduced your pumpkin is!
Comments
The dough in these cinnamon rolls is perfect. Incredibly soft and delicious! I let the dough rise at room temperature for half an hour then put it in the fridge for four hours before rolling, filling and cutting the dough. I then let the cut rolls finish their final rise overnight in the fridge before baking them off for breakfast. The family devoured these rolls. My husband believes that we have finally found the perfect cinnamon roll recipe (I love them as well but admittedly I could use a little less sugar in the filling but I’m weird that way).
★★★★★
Eeeeee yayyyyyyy I am so glad that you like them! Thank you so, so much for your lovely review! I appreciate it so much x
Hi, I want to make this recipe but I would like to do a tang zhong but I don’t know how I could do it with this method,
★★★★
Hi, you would have to search the conversions online to convert. Just a note on star ratings - it really affects my ratings on google and you have marked my recipe down while asking for my advice on a recipe that you have not tried, which seems very unfair. Please keep this in mind in the future.
Sorry, i thought that i have to marked the rating but i did the recipe and it's delicious. A very soft dought that still soft the next day and the filling is very nice. Very easy to knead
★★★★★
I came to the comments specifically to see if someone did an overnight rise after the rolls are cut! Glad that technique worked, I will try it tomorrow (really trying to reduce prep time for anything I can Thanksgiving day). So excited to eat these!
Yay yesss I am so grateful people leave helpful comments like this! I haven't tried the overnight second rise myself (I need to) so I am so glad that it works! Happy Thanksgiving x
10/10 as always! The pumpkin brioche was so nice and easy to work with after a cold rise overnight!
★★★★★
Yayyyy I am so glad you enjoyed! xx
I made this over two days because I like taking my time with brioche. The dough was beautiful and smelled so good that I wanted to eat it raw. I reduced the cardamom and added some ground ginger because I was a little worried the others eating it wouldn’t like the cardamom and I love ginger with my pumpkin. I also reduced a little sugar in all the parts because I’m a weirdo who likes to bake my own treats so that I can adjust the sweetness. The extra chilling made everything super easy to work with (but I’m sure it would’ve been fine either way, since you test all your recipes so much). I love that there’s pumpkin in the dough and the filling because I’m a pumpkin fiend. Will probably halve the recipe and make it again soon (since 12 rolls is a bit excessive for 2 people) and it will be super easy since it’s all in grams.
★★★★★
Hi! Thank you so much for such a lovely review! I appreciate feedback like this so, so much, and am so happy you loved them : )
These were the best cinnamon rolls I’ve ever had in my life.
I want to use this dough to make cheddar rolls for thanksgiving, any ideas on a substitute I could use for the pumpkin?
★★★★★
Yayyyy! You can use any of my regular brioche recipes (which this one is based on) - Here is one! I also have cheese rolls which are really good!
I made these in one day and subbed honeynut squash for the pumpkin and they turned out perfectly! Also just wanted to say how much I appreciate that the recipe is in grams because it helps my baking come out perfectly every time!! 💕💕
★★★★★
Oh yayyyy I am so glad to hear it worked with squash! I bet that was so good! x
I ate them for days 🙂 sooooo good, and the frosting is perfect!
★★★★★
I made these on thanksgiving, and they were absolutely delicious! Such a beautiful recipe - the brioche dough was the best I’ve ever made!
★★★★★
Yayyy I am so glad you love! Isn't it so lovely and soft and nice to work with?!
Your recipe was so easy to follow and the buns came out successfully and so yummy. these pumpkin dinner rolls are so perfect. They just look like the original pumpkin. Awesome work. Thanks so much!
Larry Sclafani
http://nextbestreview.com/
★★★★★
Thanks! 🙂
Do you recommend using scalded milk when you call for milk in your recipes?
Nope, just lukewarm 🙂
I made these on a whim after deciding to make my own pumpkin puree and my bf loving pumpkin and cinnamon rolls, so this recipe seemed optimal and let me tell you they were a hit. He said they were "dangerous" and to get them out of the house so I have been giving it to friends from work who all now want the recipe which I state came from here and I give the link so needless to say super hit with everyone and probably will add to the list of those recipes to keep around.
★★★★★
Ah yayyy so happy you loved!
Can the dough be frozen to bake later?
★★★★★
I haven't tried it sorry! I would just make the dough and bake all in the one day 🙂
Oh my gosh, these were great. The recipe was easy to follow. I didn't have ground cardamom so I substituted with a 50/50 mix of allspice and nutmeg and both the dough and filling were delicious. I did the overnight dough rise in the fridge and prepped the filling the night before, then they were easy to assemble the next morning. Next time I'll try cutting the rolls and doing the second proof overnight. I agree with a previous commenter that I could go with less sugar in the filling, but my family absolutely LOVED these. I used the coffee maple frosting and it was so, so good. I was hesitant about the coffee taste (which my kids don't love) but it was subtle and just right with the rolls.
★★★★★
Have you tried doing this wth sourdough instead of yeast?
★★★★★
Hi! I haven't sorry!
I brought these in (along with the cinnamon bun twists) to share with my new co-workers on my first day of work. They were wonderful and everyone raved about them! I loved the combination of the pumpkin brioche with the maple espresso frosting....so delicious!
Delicious, delicious, delicious! Erin's doughs are my go to and this one is great. Fluffy and gooey in perfect harmony 🙌
Frosting was really runny for me, but I think it's because our cream cheese in the UK has a higher water content. Still incredibly tasty though, will use the flavours in a UK specific frosting recipe next time.
★★★★★
This is the best ever cinnamon roll! Love love love it. Perfect recipe!
I made this it was soft and delicious but the pumpkin flavor was not forthcoming. Maybe the puree adds to the soft texture so for that reason I would make it again and make the filling more of a pumpkin spice variety.
I am shocked by how delicious the frosting is. It’s just amazing. Perfect ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
★★★★★
These are truly exceptional! The pumpkin flavour is just right, not too hit you in the face strong, but definitely present, and the cardamon in the dough really takes it up a notch! This was my first time making a brioche dough and the directions were easy to follow, and they turned out great, even as a novice baker!
★★★★★
Fabulous recipe, the reduced pumpkin is a game changer. I made it with a stiff starter made with milk - 20g 100% hydration starter, 40g of milk, 80g of all purpose flour used at peak, reduced final milk and flour amounts to offset. I added 15g of powdered milk since I did use water for original starter. Proofed at room temp for 6 hours, 66 degree ambient, and the 12 hours in fridge for first rise. Rolled, filled, and cut and then proofed for 2 hours at room and additional 6 in fridge. Brought to room temp while oven heated. Used half sugar in icing. Was a huge hit at office for birthday celebration
★★★★★
Very happy with how they turned out. Let me just say the frosting is absolutely amazing. The hint of coffee really makes it.
★★★★★
Outstanding recipe!! I’ve been wanting to make pumpkin cinnamon rolls for many weeks now but could find a recipe that looked good, stumbled upon this recipe and gave it a try and let me tell you…AMAZING. The texture is pillowy and soft and the amount of pumpkin is just right! I didn’t make the coffee maple icing and made a standard cream cheese frosting with cinnamon. Everyone in my family loved them 🙂
★★★★★
I have made these twice now and they have been a huge hit every time! Erin is so concise and explains it simply and the recipe is easy to follow. I make these every year now for fall/Thanksgiving! They always turn out SO yummy.
★★★★★
This is the third year I am making these cinnamon buns! I have no reason to try any other recipe again. They are truly incredible and I can’t wait to share them with my family.
★★★★★
I just know Erin’s recipes are going to work and this was no exception. My only feedback is that it took me longer to reduce the pumpkin noticeably and still used the recommendation for the reduced 175g of butter in the filling. The frosting alone is worth making this. Huge hit at my Thanksgiving breakfast!
★★★★★