These Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Rolls are the perfect fall treat made with real pumpkin and infused with fragrant spices! They’re soft and moist and topped with an easy cream cheese glaze and caramel sauce!
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*I first shared these Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Rolls way back in November 2015. I’m re-sharing the recipe today with some updated photos and a brand new video tutorial so it’s even easier for you to make them yourself!
‘Tis the season for pumpkin and spice and just about every food blogger I know (myself included) has posted a pumpkin-spice-something-or-other recipe this fall (like this one, or this one).
And aside from its trendiness, the combination of pumpkin and spice is just so unbelievably delicious and unmistakably autumnal. I’ve already shared a few of my favourite pumpkin spice recipes with you this fall, like this Slow Cooker Pumpkin Spice Latte, or these Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chip Cookies, and I’m back with another favourite pumpkin spice recipe today that you are going to LOVE!
I threw these Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Rolls together one rainy day on a whim and 5 minutes after I posted a photo on my Instagram account I was already being badgered for the recipe by so many of my amazing readers! And of course, because these Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Rolls are simply amazing, I’m more than happy to oblige. The addition of pumpkin to a basic cinnamon roll dough creates a super soft and moist texture, and the sweet pumpkin fragrance and the beautiful orange colour just take them over the top!
When I share these Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Rolls with friends I top them with a cream cheese glaze and a drizzle of my favourite caramel sauce, but when I make them for a quick and easy breakfast option or a warm fall snack on a cool day we enjoy them without the glaze and caramel sauce (to avoid the added sugar!).
As far as cinnamon rolls go, these Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Rolls are actually on the healthier side if you can believe it. They still contain sugar of course, but they’re lower in fat than a traditional cinnamon roll because they’re moistened with pumpkin instead of heaps of butter.
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Just look at that spiral!! Isn’t it simply gorgeous!? These cinnamon rolls are SO moist and the fragrance from the spices and the pumpkin is warm and irresistible. These Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Rolls may just be the best pumpkin spice recipe you try this season!! Trust me, if you have even the faintest obsession with pumpkin spice you are going to LOVE these!!
I really hope you enjoy this recipe! Let me know in the comments below, what’s your favorite way to enjoy a cinnamon roll? Toasted? Fried? Warm from the oven?
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Looking for even more delicious pumpkin spice recipes?? Check out the ones I have linked below:
- Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Easy Pumpkin Bundt Cake
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Slow Cooker Pumpkin Spice Latte
- Easy Pumpkin Cranberry Cake
- Pumpkin Swirl Skillet Brownies
- Pumpkin Spice Streusel Muffins
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Recipe Video
Watch the video below to see exactly how I make this fall recipe. You can find more delicious recipe videos on my YouTube channel.
Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
For the rolls:
- 1/4 cup water slightly warmer than room temperature
- 2 1/4 tsp instant yeast
- 2 tbsp white sugar
- 3/4 cup pureed pumpkin
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp melted butter
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp sea salt
For the filling:
- 3 tbsp melted butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 3 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
For the glaze:
- 2 oz. low fat cream cheese softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp + 2 tsp whole milk
- 1/4 cup of your favourite caramel sauce to drizzle over the top optional
- a little butter for greasing the pan
- 1/4 cup maple syrup for the bottom of the pan
Instructions
- Add the warm water, the yeast and the 2 tbsp sugar to the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment. Stir the mixture gently with a fork just until all the yeast is moistened and then set the yeast mixture aside for 3-5 minutes.
- Into a separate bowl, measure the flour, sea salt, cinnamon and nutmeg and mix them together with a wire whisk until they're combined.
- Once you've noticed the yeast has begun to grow, add the pumpkin puree, the egg, the 1/4 cup sugar, and the melted butter to the yeast mixture. Dump the dry ingredients into the bowl of the mixer as well, right over top of the wet ingredients. Turn the mixer on low and let the dough hook go to work combining the ingredients and forming a soft, sticky dough. Once the dough begins to form increase the speed just slightly and let the machine knead the dough for about 5 minutes. It's a good idea to keep an extra 1/4 cup of flour on hand, just in case your dough is a little too sticky and you need to add a little here or there to keep the dough together.
- Remove the dough hook and form the dough into a ball with your hands, returning it to the bowl of the stand mixer and covering the bowl with plastic wrap. Place the dough in a warm, dry place in your kitchen and let the dough rise for 90 minutes or until it has more than doubled in bulk.
- Roll the dough out on a floured surface into a large square, about 18 inches by 18 inches.
- Combine the filling ingredients (sugar and spices) in a small bowl and spread the filling evenly over the surface of the dough. Starting with the end closest to you and rolling away from you, roll the dough up gently and as tightly as you can, creating a spiral pattern on the inside. Slice the log you've created into 8 rolls that are equal in size.
- Grease a round cake pan with some butter.
- Drizzle the maple syrup into the bottom of the greased pan and arrange the 8 rolls in the cake pan. Cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap to get the rolls ready for their last rise.
- Now here's the best part about this recipe: you can easily turn it into an "overnight" recipe by completing all the steps up to this point in the evening and placing the rolls in the fridge to complete their last rise while you get your beauty sleep. The cool temperature of the fridge retards the yeast so it rises very slowly all night long. When you wake up in the morning, set your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and place the rolls in the COLD oven (plastic wrap removed, of course). Because the rolls have been in the cold refrigerator all night they'll complete the last bit of their rise in the oven as the oven heats up. Once the oven reaches 350 degrees, set the timer for 25-30 minutes and the rolls will be perfectly done after that time.
- Alternatively, if you'd rather get the whole recipe over with in one day, feel free to let the rolls rise at room temperature for another 30 minutes after you've placed them in the greased pan. Be sure to cover them with plastic wrap while they complete this last rise, and remove the plastic wrap before placing them in the oven that's been preheated to 350 degrees. The baking time is the same - 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees. The only difference is that you'll wait to put the rolls in the oven until the oven has reached the correct temperature rather than placing the rolls in the cold oven.
- While you're waiting for the rolls to cool, add the softened cream cheese and the powdered sugar to a mixing bowl and cream them together with a rubber spatula. Once the mixture is creamy and smooth, add the milk a few teaspoons at a time until the glaze has reached a consistency that's somewhere between spreadable and drizzle-able (and now I'm making up words...). Once the rolls have cooled almost completely (it's okay if they're still a bit warm), pour the glaze over the top of the rolls and spread it around evenly with a rubber spatula. Drizzle the caramel sauce over the top and dig the heck in!!
Notes
Nutrition
Amanda | The Cinnamon Scrolls says
These look fabulous! I love the amazing colour they have – looks just like fall on a plate! I love cinnamon rolls (clearly, my blog is named after them), and pumpkin spice ones are at the top of the list! Looking forward to trying these soon 🙂
Chrissie says
Thanks Amanda! I love the orange colour of the dough 🙂 I hope you enjoy the recipe!
Determined Weight Watcher Momma says
Yum! I have to make these soon!!
Chrissie says
Thanks! Hope you enjoy them! 🙂
Lauren Gaskill says
Girlllll, these cinnamon rolls are off the hook! So good!
Chrissie says
Thanks Lauren!!
Megan @ MegUnprocessed says
These look SO tasty!
Chrissie says
Thanks so much Meg!
Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes) says
Wonderful dessert for the fall!!
Chrissie says
Thanks Jocelyn!
Krissy Allori says
That looks like pumpkin heaven. WOW!
Chrissie says
These rolls are DEFINITELY pumpkin heaven!!
Sandy Hagen says
I have been trying to make a treat for my husband’s office every Friday. I made these last week and they were fabulous!!! Everyone in his office loved them!!! Yup, even the guy who doesnt like pumpkin, but didn’t know they were pumpkin….he came back to tell my husband those were the best rolls he had ever had!! I changed up the frosting to more of a thicker cream cheesy frosting and omitted the caramel. It reminded me so much of a pumpkin roll that I make around the holidays! I have tried a few of your other recipes and they have all been delish!!! This recipe was so easy even as a mother of a 15 month old and the owner of a 17 week Great Dane puppy had time to make these!!! Lol
Thanks for the recipe!!
Chrissie says
WOW! So glad you loved the recipe so much! And yes, the recipe is pretty simple!!
Ashika | Gardening Foodie says
These look so delicious, the perfect comfort food to go with coffee…absolutely love it!!
The recipes on your blog are amazing. Thank you for sharing!!
Chrissie says
Thank so much for the positive feedback! 🙂
Karen Ocegueda says
I’m afraid the maple syrup might make it to pancakeish/breakfastish. Do I have to add it?
Chrissie says
The maple syrup flavour actually disappears – it really only serves to create that sticky bottom that’s so irresistible! 🙂
Carolina says
I made it today and the were the best cinnamon rolls I ever had!!! Best recipe ever! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Chrissie says
Thanks so much for the positive feedback!! So glad you loved them as much as we do! 🙂
Carolina says
Definitely I will made them many more times :). A tip, I made them with coconut sugar and the flavor is delicious 😉
Chrissie says
Thanks so much! So glad you liked them!
Bradley says
Looks wonderful and trying to make this before work… but there is a problem with time. Total Time says 1 he 20 minutes but step 4 alone is 1 hr 30 minutes…???
Chrissie says
Thanks for pointing that out! Rise times do vary though, so be careful! I hope you enjoy them!
Rachael says
If I wanted to freeze these a few days before, say, xmas or thanksgiving, what step would I do that? Thanks! I can’t wait to try!!!
Chrissie says
Great question! You can freeze them after they’re baked (cool them completely first), just be sure to freeze them in something airtight (like a ziploc bag or plastic container) and thaw them completely at room temperature before serving. You can also freeze them right in the baking tray, if you wish, and then reheat slightly in the oven after they’ve thawed. Hope you enjoy them as much as we do!
Shelise says
What do you use for your caramel drizzle? So excited to try these!
Chrissie says
I use a store-bought caramel sauce sometimes, and other times I make a homemade recipe. Stay tuned, I’ll be sharing that recipe on the blog soon!
Sally says
I made three batches of these yesterday so learned a few things with each successive effort. They are super easy, letting the mixer do all the work. I made the following changes. Roll to 12 x 18 and use a parchment to facilitate the roll. Making 8 rolls out of the 18×18 batch = 2.25″ per which is too tall. Also, I rolled over the sugar mixture to help it stick and prevent it from falling out the sides of the roll. Lastly they are wonderfully Rich and pumpkin-y, no need to add caramel in addition to the glaze! I would add a drop of vanilla to the glaze.
Chrissie says
Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment! Glad you liked them!!
Jessica says
Is it really just a quarter cup of water not one and a quarter cup?!?
Chrissie says
Yes, it’s just 1/4 cup. The pumpkin adds so much moisture.
Tahsin Hyder says
These are my favorite to make!! Can you freeze the dough? I’m hoping to try to freeze a bunch !
Chrissie says
Great question! I’d personally freeze them after baking, and then defrost on the counter overnight and reheat in the oven before serving. 🙂
Rebecca says
Lovely recipe and very easy! Love the addition of maple syrup to the bottom 9f the dish. I also added a tsp of vanilla to the glaze because I love vanilla. To Thank you!!! This will be added to our family traditions for the holidays.
The Busy Baker says
So glad you love them as much as we do! Thanks for the positive feedback! 🙂
Kayla says
I just made these today and I’m super excited to try them – however one note: make sure you put a baking sheet underneath your round pan! I didn’t and now my oven is on self clean to try to mop up the mess of maple syrup that exploded out of the pan and onto the bottom of the oven. Maybe my pan was packed too tight, but I did everything as written! Regardless, thanks for the recipe!
Chrissie says
Thanks for the tip! 🙂
Ally says
Could I substitute half the flour with white whole wheat flour?
The Busy Baker says
You sure can! Enjoy!
LOIS E WARD says
I made these on Sunday. They are amazing.
I would probably increase the cinnamon in the dough to 2 tsp. just because I love it.
Otherwise….wonderful and easy.
Thanks so much
The Busy Baker says
Feel free to add some more cinnamon, as you wish, and thanks for the great review Lois!
Donna says
I have some left over pumpkin purée and I thought I’d give your pumpkin cinnamon rolls a try. They look awesome. However, in the directions it states to roll out dough 18 x 18 inches. Is this correct? Thanks.
The Busy Baker says
Yes, it is!