Glazed Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
developed & tested by:
These fluffy pumpkin-shaped cinnamon rolls are made with a yeast pumpkin dough swirled around butter, cinnamon sugar, & pumpkin puree.
Equipment
Ingredients
Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Dough
- ½ cup milk
- 2¼ teaspoon active dry yeast (one packet)
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- ⅔ 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.
Sprinkle a little flour on the counter as needed while kneading the dough to prevent it from sticking to the counter. The dough should be pretty tacky and still grabbing (not sticking) to your fingers and the counter at the end of kneading. I prefer kneading this dough in my stand mixer to avoid adding excess flour. Keep extra flour in a small bowl, to avoid putting dough-covered hands into your flour bag and getting it all dirty.
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.
Make sure you sprinkle flour on your counter before rolling out the dough, otherwise it'll stick and be really difficult to roll up.
The string should gently rest against the dough. If it’s tied too tightly, the rolls with tear when you remove the string after baking.
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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Stems: I cut cinnamon sticks in half to form the stems, or you could leave them off or swap in pretzel sticks.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 roll (of 12)Calories: 350kcalCarbohydrates: 60gProtein: 7gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 35mgSodium: 262mgPotassium: 144mgFiber: 2gSugar: 21gVitamin A: 3189IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 47mgIron: 3mg
Did you make this recipe?Leave a comment below - I love hearing from you!