Cozy fall baking in my kitchen always begins with these pumpkin cinnamon rolls. They’re made with my softest bread-flour cinnamon roll dough, swirled with a gooey pumpkin pie–spiced filling, topped with buttery pie crumbs, and baked to sticky, golden perfection.
Pumpkin purée is folded right into the dough for a warm pumpkin flavor and an extra-soft crumb.
Finish with swirls of cinnamon cream cheese frosting after baking — that final touch turns them into a better-than-bakery fall treat you’ll want all season long.
If you’re more in an apple mood, try the soft and gooey apple cinnamon rolls with brown sugar apple pie filling — they use the same tender dough but tuck caramelized apples into every swirl.
Bake & Follow Along (with photos)
1
Make the tangzhong. This cooked roux gives the dough an exceptionally soft, fluffy texture. The finished tangzhong will be a paste-like, mashed-potato consistency.
2
Knead until a smooth dough ball forms. The dough should be soft and slightly tacky. Set it aside to rest before rolling.
When we want pumpkin fast, we sometimes make a quick soft chocolate chip pumpkin bread that delivers the same cozy flavor in less time.
3
Prepare the pumpkin pie–spiced filling. Mix pumpkin purée, butter, light brown sugar, flour, and pumpkin pie spice until smooth. Set aside.
4
Roll, fill, and cut the dough; then let the rolls rise until doubled. Don’t rush this rise — it creates the pull-apart, bakery-soft texture. On busy days, pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting are a quicker alternative.
5
Make the pie crumb topping. These crumbs bake into little buttery pieces that stay crisp against the frosting and add true pumpkin-pie texture on top.
6
Scatter the pie crumbs over the rolls. It’s fine if some crumbs fall between the rolls — they’ll bake into crunchy bits.
7
Make the cinnamon cream cheese frosting. For more pumpkin flavor, stir a little pumpkin purée into the frosting before spreading.
8
Frost and enjoy. Once the rolls are baked and slightly cooled, spread the frosting on top and let it melt into the centers before serving.
Pumpkin purée tip: I use Libby’s. If you don’t use the whole can, reserve the rest for soft pumpkin snickerdoodle cookies — cinnamon-sugar, ultra-soft, and beloved by many readers.
If you try this recipe, please let me know how it went in the comments — I love hearing from readers! Don’t forget to leave a star rating if you enjoyed it.
Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
Tangzhong
- 2/3 cup water
- 1/4 cup bread flour
Pumpkin Dough
- 3 2/3 cups bread flour
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons instant yeast
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon heavy cream, room temperature
- 2/3 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- Tangzhong from above
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cool room temperature
Pumpkin Pie Filling
- 2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose or bread flour
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
Pie Crumb Topping
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 cup all-purpose or bread flour
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
- 3 ounces cream cheese, cold
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 4 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
-
Whisk the water and bread flour in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, for 4–5 minutes until the mixture becomes a paste-like slurry. Scrape into a bowl and set aside.
-
In a stand mixer bowl, combine the bread flour, granulated sugar, instant yeast, and salt. Add the heavy cream, pumpkin purée, egg, and the prepared tangzhong. Knead on low speed with the dough hook until a rough dough forms.
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With the mixer running on low, add the softened unsalted butter 1/2 tablespoon at a time, letting each addition incorporate fully. Continue kneading for 8–10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.
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Remove the dough, pull the sides underneath to shape a tight round, place it back in the bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rest for 30 minutes.
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To make the filling, combine the butter, light brown sugar, pumpkin purée, flour, and pumpkin pie spice until smooth.
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On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a 15×21-inch rectangle with the long side facing you. Spread the pumpkin filling over the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch clean border at the top.
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Use a pizza cutter to divide into twelve 1 3/4-inch strips. Roll each strip away from you and transfer to a parchment-lined 9×13-inch baking pan.
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Cover the pan with plastic wrap and let the rolls rise 1–2 hours, or until doubled. Preheat the oven to 325°F (162°C) while they rise.
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When ready to bake, combine the pie crumb ingredients until crumbs form and spread them evenly over the rolls.
-
Bake 30–40 minutes, until a thermometer inserted into the center reads 180°F.
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While the rolls bake, make the frosting: beat the cold cream cheese and room-temperature butter until combined. Add powdered sugar and beat on low until light and fluffy, then mix in the heavy cream, vanilla, and cinnamon.
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Let the pan cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then spread the cinnamon cream cheese frosting over the rolls and serve warm.
Notes
Storage/reheating: Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for 2–3 days or in the refrigerator up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave or a 350°F oven until warmed through.
The calorie information is an estimate and not guaranteed to be exact.
This recipe was created and tested by a real person
AI recipes are taking over the internet, and they can’t be trusted.