The leaves are changing and nothing says fall like pumpkin treats! Our soft and gooey Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Rolls are going to be your new favorite breakfast and brunch treat!

Fall is quite possibly my favorite season of the year. I love the laid-back nature of October, welcome the drop in temperature and have a huge desire to NEST. Buy all the harvest candles, bake up everything pumpkin and turn on the fireplace. It’s the most wonderful time of the year!

Our Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Roll is packed with over the top goodness! A soft pumpkin dough, filled with butter, spices and brown sugar, topped with a not-too-sweet maple and cinnamon glaze. If you want to fill your whole house with cinnamony goodness, you have to make this treat! This roll is best served warm, or within 8 hours of baking, so plan accordingly.

I love a good cinnamon roll. I’ve made so many varieties over the years. My go-to recipes are Raspberry Cream Cheese Cinnamon Rolls and Overnight Cinnamon Rolls. One of my criteria for a cinnamon roll to pass the test to make it onto the website is- would I eat this for dessert as well as breakfast/brunch? The answer is a definite yes with all three of these recipes!

Overnight Cinnamon Rolls
Overnight Cinnamon Rolls

Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Rolls are a natural this time of year! Get out a can of pumpkin puree (the same type you use to make pumpkin pie) and you’re halfway there. This recipe is simple but smells like you’ve been making a gourmet treat all day! The dough is soft and easy to shape and comes together in minutes.

Ingredients you need to make Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Rolls:

  • milk
  • yeast
  • granulated sugar
  • canned pumpkin
  • canola oil
  • unsalted butter
  • 1 egg +1 egg yolk
  • salt
  • bread flour
  • powdered sugar
  • mapeline or pure maple syrup
  • cream or half and half
  • pumpkin pie spice
  • cinnamon
  • vanilla

As you can see, all you need is few simple ingredients to create this spectacular brunch treat! I highly recommend using bread flour. It gives the cinnamon rolls a dense but not too heavy texture, and that just-right chewy consistency we love in sweet rolls. My go-to brands of bread flour are Lehi Mills bread flour and King Arthur bread flour.

How to make Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Rolls:

  • soften the yeast in warm milk with sugar
  • add all of the wet ingredients to the mixing bowl
  • add all of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients
  • mix and cover, let rise for one hour in a warm place
  • make the filling and the glaze while the dough is rising
  • roll out the dough and spread filling
  • cut into rolls, place in pan
  • let rise another hour
  • bake, frost and enjoy

Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Rolls

5 from 3 votes
Print Pin
Author: Si Foster
Course: Breakfast, brunch
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
rise time (twice) and shape: 1 hour 45 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 45 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
This pumpkin spice cinnamon roll is the best fall breakfast treat ever! Soft and gooey, with just the right texture!

Ingredients 

roll dough

  • 1/2 cup warm milk (skim, 1%, 2% or whole)
  • 2 1/4 teaspoons yeast (or one package)
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling
  • 1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 egg +1 yolk room temperature (large eggs)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3 cups bread flour + more if dough is too sticky

spice filling

  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon pumpkin puree
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
  • 2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice

maple cinnamon glaze

  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 1/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/2 to 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • dash salt
  • 1 teaspoon Mapleine (maple flavoring) or 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
  • 1-2 tablespoons cream or half and half or milk, if needed to thin

Instructions

  • Place the warm milk in a large bowl of a stand mixer, add yeast and 2 tablespoons of sugar. Let sit until mixture begins to bubble, about 1 minute.
  • Add all of the wet ingredients: pumpkin, oil, butter. Mix with the paddle attachment until blended. Add egg and egg yolk. Mix again.
  • Add 2 cups of the bread flour and salt. Mix until ingredients are incorporated. Switch to a dough hook if preferred. Slowly mix in the last cup of bread flour. Mix until the flour is incorporated and continue mixing for 1 minute on low.
  • Lightly spray or coat the sides of the bowl with oil and cover the dough with plastic wrap or a light, clean kitchen towel. Place in a draft free area that is 72-85 degrees for 1-1 1/2 hours.
  • While the dough is rising, prepare the filling and the icing.

filling

  • In a medium size bowl, using a fork, mix room temperature butter, 1 tablespoon pumpkin puree, vanilla, brown sugar and pumpkin pie spice. Set aside.

Maple Cinnamon Glaze

  • Mix all glaze ingredients together. If using pure maple syrup, you may not need to use milk or cream to thin. Set aside until ready to frost warm rolls.

Form rolls

  • When the dough is finished rising for the first time, punch the dough down and flour a clean surface. The dough should be soft, but not sticky. If the dough is sticky, add additional flour about 1/4 cup at a time until the dough is no longer sticky to the touch. Place the dough on the floured surface. Roll into a rectangle approximately 20×10".
  • Spread the filling over the surface of the dough leaving a 1/2 inch border around the edges. Roll the dough, starting with the long side, tucking in any filling that spills out over the edges.
  • Using a sharp knife, cut the rolled dough into half, then each half into 2 pieces, then each portion into 3 even rolls. You should have 12 rolls when finished.
  • Grease a 9×13 or 2-9×13 pans for baking. Place the rolls into the pans. let rise in a warm place for about 45 minutes.
  • While rolls are rising, preheat oven to 375 degrees and place the rack in the center of the oven.
  • After rising, bake the rolls for 15-18 minutes or until set on top and golden on bottom.
  • While rolls are still hot, top with a thin layer of icing. Let cool for about 10 minutes, then top with remaining icing and serve.

Notes

  • To make overnight cinnamon rolls: Follow instructions until rolling out and placing in pans. Cover with plastic wrap and place immediately in fridge. Next morning, Remove from oven to countertop for one hour. Preheat oven to 350 degrees for 15 minutes and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until done. 
  • Run your mixing bowl under warm water and wipe out before using. This helps to warm the bowl and give the dough a nice start to rising in a warm place!
  • Your room should be at least 72 degrees and draft free (no fans or wind blowing thru the room). Many ovens have a “proof” feature (80-85 degrees). If yours has one, use it! Cover the bowl and place in oven. 
  • Bread flour is highly recommended for this recipe. If you do not have bread flour, you may use all purpose flour. if using all purpose flour, you may need to increase the amount of flour to about 4 cups total. 
  • Melt the butter for the dough to ensure the butter is incorporated with rest of ingredients. In the filling, it is best to use room temperature butter to prevent the filling from spreading too much and separating. 
  • I like “Libby’s 100% Pure Pumpkin” for this recipe. Do not use Pumpkin Pie Filling. 
  • Using room temperature eggs will help the dough to rise faster!
  • Mapleine is used to make maple syrup and is found near the flavorings (vanilla, almond, etc) this recipe also works with pure maple syrup. 
  • Cinnamon rolls have a short shelf life, they are best eaten the same day. 
  • This recipe can easily be doubled. 
  • Do not use a dark pan for baking, this roll burns easily in a dark pan! 

Equipment

  • stand mixer, recommended

Did you make this recipe?

Be sure to leave a comment and give this recipe a rating, letting me know how you liked it. I’d love to see a photo, tag @abountifulkitchen on Instagram!