These soft & fluffy pumpkin cinnamon rolls are made with a yeast pumpkin dough swirled around softened butter, cinnamon sugar, and canned pumpkin puree. Baking twine and cinnamon sticks gives them an adorable mini pumpkin look, perfect for a cozy Fall breakfast.
I Want These Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Rolls on Repeat
Every fall, my kitchen turns into a pumpkin patch, but not the kind you'd expect. You can usually find me shaping little pumpkin-shaped dinner rolls, a tradition that's become as much a part of the season as the leaves changing outside. Recently I wanted to take that same shape and turn it into something sweeter, which is how these pumpkin cinnamon rolls came to be. They've got all the pillowy, spiced comfort of a classic cinnamon roll, shaped into the coziest little pumpkins you've ever seen!
What makes these different from other cinnamon rolls is that the pumpkin isn't just an accent. It's woven into every layer. First it goes into the dough itself, giving the rolls a gorgeous orange color. Then it goes into the filling, so you get tiny pockets of soft, gooey pumpkin in almost every bite. After that comes the fun part: baking twine tied around each bun creates those signature pumpkin ridges, and once they're baked and cooled, a cinnamon stick pressed into the center creates the "stem".Â
While many pumpkin cinnamon roll recipes reach for cream cheese icing, I wanted the pumpkin spice to be the star, not something buried under a thick layer of frosting. So instead, these get a light drizzle of vanilla glaze, just enough to add sweetness without hiding that beautiful pumpkin shape you worked to create. I kept these simple, but if you've got pecans or walnuts on hand, they add a lovely crunch when spread on top of the cinnamon sugar filling. Just keep them small, or they'll leave gaps in your spirals when you roll everything up.
Whether you're making these to fill your kitchen with that first real scent of fall, or you're creating a centerpiece-worthy bake for a holiday brunch table, I think you're going to love how these come together. And for another cozy spiced bake this season, my apple pie cinnamon rolls should definitely be next on your list!
Let's Bake Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls Together!
For the full step-by-step directions, scroll down to the recipe card.
How to Prep These Ahead of Time
For a slow holiday morning, do the work the night before! I tested an overnight fridge rise for the dough itself, but it just didn't get the same lift as a room-temp rise. So let the dough rise at room temperature first, then shape, add the twine, and let the rolls do their second rise overnight in the fridge (right on the baking sheet, or split across a few plates if space is tight). By morning, all that's left is baking and a drizzle of glaze!
My Baking Tips for Pumpkin Pie Cinnamon Rolls
- Resist the urge to add more flour as you knead. This dough is sticky on purpose, which makes these bake up light and fluffy, so if you add a lot of extra flour, they'll come out dense and heavy. I prefer kneading mine in the stand mixer, but when I knead by hand, I keep my hands wet with cold water to make the stickiness manageable (and just accept some dough will end up on the counter).
- Roll your spirals tight. Any gaps in the roll can cause lopsided baking or leaking filling, so snug is the goal here.
- Tie the twine loose, not tight. It should just barely rest on the dough (no pulling or squeezing) so it doesn't tear the rolls once baked. Let the rolls cool for about 10 minutes, then cut and pull away the string slowly and gently.
- Skip the shaping if you want to simplify these. Just arrange them in a greased 9x13 baking dish for classic round cinnamon rolls. But tying the twine takes just a few extra minutes and they're too cute not to try at least once!
- I always reach for active dry yeast. That 10-minute activation step is my insurance policy to confirm the yeast is alive and not expired.
- Don't blot the puree for the dough, but do blot it for the filling. I've already accounted for the extra moisture the pumpkin puree adds to the dough. But for the tiny filling dollops, spread the puree on a plate and blot with a few paper towels first, or things can get soggy.
Glazed Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
developed & tested by:
Equipment
Ingredients
Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Dough
- ½ cup milk
- 2¼ teaspoon active dry yeast (one packet)
- â…“ cup brown sugar
- â…” cup canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon salt (use table salt or fine sea salt)
- 1½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (or cinnamon)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4¾ cups all purpose flour
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 6 cinnamon sticks, cut in half (for the stems)
Pumpkin Pie Filling
- ¼ cup dark brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon pumpkin pie spice (or cinnamon)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- ¼ cup canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
Vanilla Glaze
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2-3 Tablespoons milk
Instructions
Mix the Dough & Let it Rise
- Warm the milk in the microwave for 45-60 seconds, until it's between 105°F to 115°F (40°C to 46°C).
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the warm milk, active dry yeast, and brown sugar. Set aside for 10 minutes until it's frothy on top, to activate the yeast.
- Add the pumpkin puree, egg, salt, pumpkin pie spice, and vanilla extract and mix.
- Add the flour and mix with a large spoon until it forms a shaggy, stiff dough.
- Cut the softened butter into small squares & add it to the dough. Mix it either in the mixing bowl with a large spoon or with a dough hook attachment in a stand mixer until it starts to form a sticky dough, after 1-2 minutes.
- Knead by hand on a work surface dusted with flour for 8 minutes, or knead in a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment for 5-6 minutes, until the dough springs back to its original shape when you indent it with your finger.
- Shape the dough into a ball. Place the dough ball back in a clean mixing bowl, and cover with a kitchen towel or dinner plate. Let it rest in a warm spot (like in the oven with the light off) for 2 hours, until it doubles in size.
Prepare the Filling & Shape the Rolls
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut 12 strands of baking string, each at least 3 feet long.
- Optional: Spread ¼ cup pumpkin puree on a plate and blot away excess moisture with several paper towels. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, mix brown sugar filling by combining the brown sugar, granulated sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and salt in a bowl. Set aside.
- On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough with a rolling pin to a 24-inch by 15-inch (61cm by 38cm) rectangle.
- Spread 4 tablespoons of softened butter evenly over the dough. Then sprinkle the sugar + spice mixture evenly on top, gently pressing it down into the dough with your hands.
- Optional: Dollop tiny spoonful's of the blotted pumpkin puree on top.
- Cut the dough into twelve 2-inch (5cm) long strips. (Cut along a long edge, not a short edge. I find a pizza cutter is much easier than a knife for this.)
- Roll each strip of dough in a spiral. Aim for rolling it pretty tight so it doesn't have any gaps, but not so tight that the center pops up when it expands & bakes.
- Place one bun in the middle of a piece of baking string. Bring the ends of the string over the bun, cross them, turn 90°, and bring them down so it divides the ball into quarters.
- Tuck the string under the bun and bring the ends back up, to divide the ball into six equal sections. Tie the string in a double knot and trim off the excess. Repeat with the remaining buns & arrange them on your prepared baking sheet.
Proof, Bake, and Decorate
- Loosely cover the rolls with a kitchen towel and let them proof at room temperature for 30 minutes, until they puff up.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake the rolls for 15-20 minutes, until they're puffed up and golden.
- While the rolls bake, make the glaze by mixing the powdered sugar, salt, vanilla extract, and 2 tablespoons of milk until it's smooth. Add another teaspoon of milk at a time until it's thin enough to drizzle.
- Let the cinnamon rolls cool for a few minutes, then cut and gently remove the baking string. Press the cinnamon sticks into the top of each roll to create the pumpkin stem and drizzle with glaze.
Notes
- Storing: Once fully cooled, keep the rolls covered tightly at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the fridge for up to 5 days. For longer storage, you can freeze the baked rolls unglazed for up to 3 months, then thaw and glaze fresh.
- Pumpkin Puree: In a pinch you can swap in pumpkin pie filling if that's all you can find, but I designed this recipe with the sugar & spice levels to use pumpkin puree, so your bakes will end up noticeably sweeter.Â
- If you're baking these in a cold kitchen (hello, Fall!) I recommend letting them rise in the oven (turned off) with the oven light on, which provide a warm, draft-free environment, perfect for rising dough.Â
- How to roll and slice cinnamon rolls evenly: I find it easier to roll out the dough, use a ruler to gently mark 2-inch intervals along a long edge, then use a pizza cutter to cut the dough into long, even strips. Then I roll each strip individually. I do roll up the whole dough and use dental floss to slice it for other cinnamon roll recipes, but this pizza cutter route is way more beginner-friendly.Â
- Stems: I cut cinnamon sticks in half to form the stems, or you could leave them off or swap in pretzel sticks.
Nutrition
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