Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Rolls

These Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Rolls are soft, fluffy, and loaded with real pumpkin flavor, not just pumpkin spice. They’re everything you want in a fall breakfast treat: tender homemade dough, buttery cinnamon filling, and a silky pumpkin cream cheese frosting that melts right in.

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Krissy’s Notes

I won’t sugarcoat it. These rolls take time. But if you’ve ever wanted to make pumpkin cinnamon rolls from scratch that taste like they came from a bakery, this recipe is worth every minute.

Yeast dough takes patience and a little faith, but there’s something deeply satisfying about watching it double in size, filling your kitchen with that warm, spiced aroma. You’ll get your hands messy, dirty a few bowls, and question your life choices somewhere between rolling and slicing, but when those golden spirals come out of the oven, you’ll forget all about it.

I first brought these to work years ago, and my friend Scott told me they were the only “pumpkin spice” treat that actually tasted like pumpkin. He was right! That’s what makes these unique. You taste the pumpkin and the spice, not just one or the other.

If you love these, you’ll probably want to try my Homemade Cinnamon Rolls or Beet Cinnamon Rolls.

What You’ll Need To Make Them

You can find the complete recipe in the card below, but here’s a quick look at what makes these rolls so good.

• Pumpkin puree: Adds real pumpkin flavor and moisture. You can use canned or you can roast a pumpkin in the oven and mash it.
• Pumpkin pie spice: The perfect blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger.
• Buttermilk: Makes the dough rich and tender. I use buttermilk in my Pumpkin Pancakes too. You’ll never find my refrigerator without it.
• Pumpkin seeds: Add a bit of crunch for texture and color.
• Pumpkin cream cheese frosting: Creamy, slightly tangy, and perfectly sweet. It ties everything together.

I used pumpkin-flavored cream cheese from Trader Joe’s for this recipe, but regular cream cheese with a bit of pumpkin pie spice works just as well.

How to Make Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Rolls

Complete directions are in the recipe card below, but here’s a quick overview of the process.

1. Make the dough. Warm buttermilk, oil, and brown sugar, then proof the yeast. Mix in pumpkin puree and flour until soft and elastic. Let rise until doubled.
2. Prepare the filling. Spread melted butter over rolled-out dough, then sprinkle a mix of brown sugar, granulated sugar, and pumpkin pie spice.
3. Add crunch. Scatter pumpkin spiced pumpkin seeds evenly over the filling.
4. Shape and rise. Roll tightly, cut into rounds, and place in buttered pans. Let rise again before baking.
5. Bake and frost. Bake until golden, then frost while warm so the icing melts into every swirl.

Make Ahead, Storage, and Reheating

To make ahead: You can refrigerate the shaped rolls overnight and bake them in the morning. Let them come to room temperature and rise slightly before baking.

To store: Keep leftovers covered at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerate for up to 5.

To reheat: Warm individual rolls in the microwave for about 15 seconds or in a low oven until soft again.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are a few questions I’ve gotten from my readers.

Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Rolls

Prep2 hours hrs

Cook18 minutes mins

Total2 hours hrs 18 minutes mins

Servings 8 servings

Author Krissy Allori

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These super soft and delicious homemade from scratch Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Rolls are made with real pumpkin and have an added pumpkin seed crunch.

Ingredients  

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Dough ingredients

• ▢ 3/4 cup buttermilk
• ▢ 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• ▢ 1/4 cup brown sugar
• ▢ 1/4 ounce active dry yeast 1 packet = 0.25 ounce
• ▢ 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
• ▢ 2 1/2 cups bread flour divided, plus more for flouring, sprinkling and rolling
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon salt

Filling ingredients

• ▢ 4 tablespoons melted butter
• ▢ 1/4 cup brown sugar
• ▢ 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• ▢ 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• ▢ 3/4 cup pumpkin spiced pumpkin seeds these are found at Trader Joes, can use plain pumpkin seeds instead

Icing ingredients

• ▢ 4 ounces softened pumpkin flavored cream cheese I used Trader Joe's. You can substitute plain cream cheese and 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• ▢ 2 tablespoons softened butter
• ▢ 1 cup powdered sugar
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla

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Instructions 

For the dough:

• In a large saucepan, combine the 3/4 cup buttermilk,1/4 cup vegetable oil and 1/4 cup brown sugar. Warm the mixture to 105-115°F – do not allow it to boil or go above this amount. Sprinkle 1/4 ounce active dry yeast over the surface of the liquid and allow it to sit for 5 minutes. It should start to look foamy.
• Once yeast has proofed, stir in 3/4 cup pumpkin puree until combined.
• Combine 2 cups of the 2 1/2 cups bread flour (reserving the remaining amount) with the 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice. Add it into the saucepan and stir well to mix all of the ingredients. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes until the texture becomes more elastic and smooth. Cover the saucepan with a dish towel and set in a warm place free of any drafts for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. *see note.
• After 1 to 1 1/2 hours, the mixture should be very puffy and at least doubled in size. Combine the remaining flour with 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and sprinkle the mixture over the dough. Mix until well combined. Add additional flour, as needed, in order to just barely handle the dough without it sticking to your hands.
• Preheat the oven to 375°F. Heavily grease two 8 inch cake pans with butter.
• Turn out the dough onto a floured surface and press it into a rectangular shape. Use additional flour if it is still too sticky. Roll the dough into a large rectangle that's about 3/4 inch thick.

For the filling:

• Drizzle 4 tablespoons melted butter over the dough and spread it all over the surface of the dough.
• In a small bowl, mix together 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, and 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice. Sprinkle this mixture all over the surface of the dough, covering all the melted butter. Add 3/4 cup pumpkin spiced pumpkin seeds in a thin layer.
• Roll the dough into a large log and pinch the end seam to seal. Use a sharp knife to cut the log in half, one for each cake pan. Cut each log into 6-9 pieces, depending on how tall you want your cinnamon rolls and place them in the buttered cake pans. Loosely cover with towel and allow to rise for 20 minutes.
• Bake in preheated oven until the rolls are nice and golden brown around the edges, about 15 to 18 minutes.

For the frosting:

• In the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together 4 ounces softened pumpkin flavored cream cheese and 2 tablespoons softened butter until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add 1 cup powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla, then blend until smooth. Thin with additional vanilla or milk, if desired.
• Frost the rolls when they come out of the oven so that they are hot and the frosting will partially melt.

Notes

To help my dough rise in a cold house, I found it best to preheat my oven to 200°F. Once it reached temperature, I turned it off, and cracked the door to release some heat, and once it cooled to a nice warm temperature, I set the dough inside. I kept the door cracked while the dough was in there.  Ideally you want a space that is 78-80°F for the dough to rise.

Nutrition

Calories: 496kcal, Carbohydrates: 70g, Protein: 7g, Fat: 22g, Saturated Fat: 14g, Cholesterol: 41mg, Sodium: 258mg, Potassium: 188mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 37g, Vitamin A: 4065IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 77mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Did you make this? Leave me a comment below