These cinnamon rolls are incredibly soft and fluffy, with a cozy fall flavor from cinnamon and pumpkin. A pour of heavy cream makes them gooey for an extra-indulgent treat you won’t be able to stop eating. Try out these soft pumpkin cinnamon rolls for the fall season.
Why You’ll Love This Soft Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls Recipe
Soft and fluffy: These pumpkin cinnamon rolls have a tender, pillowy texture that stays soft and delicious.
Perfectly spiced: Pumpkin and warm cinnamon come together for the perfect cozy fall flavor.
Gooey cinnamon filling: Each roll is packed with buttery brown sugar and cinnamon for a deliciously gooey center.
Creamy frosting: A simple cream cheese frosting adds the rich sweetness on top.
Cinnamon Roll Origin
Cinnamon rolls have roots in Northern European baking traditions. However, the cinnamon roll we know today is strongly associated with Sweden, where it is often enjoyed with coffee. Cinnamon rolls later became popular in the U.S., where they evolved to include sweet toppings like cream cheese frosting.
Ingredients
Dough
- ½ cup whole milk, warmed to 100–110°F
- 1 packet (7 g) instant yeast
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup canned pumpkin puree
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Cinnamon Filling
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup packed brown sugar
- 2 tbsp ground cinnamon
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1–2 tbsp heavy cream, as needed
Click on the images for the direct link to the ingredients/tools I used:
Instructions
In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the flour, salt, sugar, cinnamon, and instant yeast. Mix briefly to combine.
Add the pumpkin puree, melted butter, warm milk, eggs, and vanilla extract.
Using the dough hook, knead on low speed for 7–10 minutes, until the dough is soft, smooth, and slightly tacky. If kneading by hand, knead for about 10–12 minutes.
The dough should be slightly sticky but still manageable. If it’s too sticky to handle, add flour 1 tablespoon at a time, kneading well between additions. Avoid adding too much flour, as this can make the cinnamon rolls dense.
Lightly grease a bowl and transfer the dough to it. Cover and let it proof for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
While the dough is proofing, mix the butter, brown sugar and cinnamon together.
Once the dough has doubled in size, transfer it to a lightly floured surface and roll it into an approximately 8×12-inch rectangle.
Spread the cinnamon sugar.
Starting from the long side, tightly roll the dough into a log. Roll it snugly without stretching or squeezing the dough.
Using unflavored dental floss or a piece of clean string, cut the log into 8 equal pieces.
Place the rolls in a greased 9×9-inch baking pan.
Cover and let proof for another 30 minutes, or until the rolls are noticeably puffy.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Pour ¼ cup heavy cream over the tops of the rolls.
Bake for 22–25 minutes, or until lightly golden on top and cooked through.
Remove from the oven and let cool slightly while you prepare the frosting.
Add the softened cream cheese to a bowl and whisk until smooth.
Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract and whisk until creamy.
For a thicker frosting, use it as is. For a thinner, more spreadable frosting, add heavy cream 1 tablespoon at a time until you reach your desired consistency.
Spread the cream cheese frosting over the warm cinnamon rolls.
Serve warm and enjoy!
Soft Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls Tips
Use room-temperature ingredients: Let the eggs and butter come to room temperature for a smoother mixed dough.
Don’t overheat the milk: Keep the milk around 100–110°F so it’s warm enough for the yeast.
Don’t add too much flour: The dough should be soft and slightly tacky. Adding too much flour can make the cinnamon rolls dense and dry.
Let the dough rise fully: Give the dough enough time to double in size for light and fluffy rolls.
Don’t overbake: Remove the rolls once they are lightly golden and cooked through. Overbaking can make them dry.
Frost while slightly warm: Let the rolls cool for a few minutes before spreading the cream cheese frosting so it melts slightly into the rolls.
Storage Tips
Fridge: Store in an airtight container for up to 4-5 days.
Reheat: Microwave for 20 seconds.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use active dry yeast instead of instant yeast?
Yes. Active dry yeast can be used in the same amount, but it may require a little more time to activate and rise.
Can I freeze pumpkin cinnamon rolls?
Yes. Freeze unfrosted rolls in an airtight container for up to 2–3 months. Thaw and warm before serving, then add the frosting.
Ingredient Substitutions
Instant yeast: → Active dry yeast, using the same amount
Cream cheese: → Mascarpone for a milder, creamy frosting
Heavy cream: → Whole milk or half-and-half
What to Serve With
Coffee: → Hot coffee
Breakfast meats: → Turkey sausage, chicken sausage, or bacon
Eggs: → Scrambled eggs
Fall drinks: → Apple cider, hot chocolate, or a warm chai latte
Most Common Mistakes
Using hot milk: → Milk that is too hot can kill the yeast. Keep it around 100–110°F.
Adding too much flour: → Too much flour can make the dough dry and dense.
Not letting the dough rise: → Skipping the rise can result in dense cinnamon rolls.
Rolling the dough too tightly: → Roll the dough firmly but not too tight so the rolls have room to expand.
Overbaking: → Baking too long can dry out the rolls.
Frosting immediately: → Let the rolls cool for a few minutes before adding the frosting so it doesn’t completely melt off.
Soft Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
- Dough
- ½ cup whole milk warmed to 100–110°F
- 1 packet 7 g instant yeast
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup canned pumpkin puree
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- ¼ cup unsalted butter melted
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Cinnamon Filling
- ¼ cup unsalted butter softened
- ¾ cup packed brown sugar
- 2 tbsp ground cinnamon
- Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 oz cream cheese softened
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 –2 tbsp heavy cream as needed
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the flour, salt, sugar, cinnamon, and instant yeast. Mix briefly to combine.
- Add the pumpkin puree, melted butter, warm milk, eggs, and vanilla extract.
- Using the dough hook, knead on low speed for 7–10 minutes, until the dough is soft, smooth, and slightly tacky. If kneading by hand, knead for about 10–12 minutes.
- The dough should be slightly sticky but still manageable. If it’s too sticky to handle, add flour 1 tablespoon at a time, kneading well between additions. Avoid adding too much flour, as this can make the cinnamon rolls dense.
- Lightly grease a bowl and transfer the dough to it. Cover and let it proof for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
- While the dough is proofing, mix the butter, brown sugar and cinnamon together.
- Once the dough has doubled in size, transfer it to a lightly floured surface and roll it into an approximately 8×12-inch rectangle.
- Spread the cinnamon sugar.
- Starting from the long side, tightly roll the dough into a log. Roll it snugly without stretching or squeezing the dough.
- Using unflavored dental floss or a piece of clean string, cut the log into 8 equal pieces.
- Place the rolls in a greased 9×9-inch baking pan.
- Cover and let proof for another 30 minutes, or until the rolls are noticeably puffy.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Pour ¼ cup heavy cream over the tops of the rolls.
- Bake for 22–25 minutes, or until lightly golden on top and cooked through.
- Remove from the oven and let cool slightly while you prepare the frosting.
- Add the softened cream cheese to a bowl and whisk until smooth.
- Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract and whisk until creamy.
- For a thicker frosting, use it as is. For a thinner, more spreadable frosting, add heavy cream 1 tablespoon at a time until you reach your desired consistency.
- Spread the cream cheese frosting over the warm cinnamon rolls.
- Serve warm and enjoy!
If you enjoyed this soft pumpkin cinnamon rolls recipe, you might also like my pumpkin cheesecake bites or my pumpkin cream cheese mufins.
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