Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Maple Cream Cheese Icing

Name: Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Maple Cream Cheese Icing Recipe
Prep time: 3 h
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 3 h 25 min
Yield: 12
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1/3 cup milk; 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter; 1/2 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling); 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar; 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg; 1/2 teaspoon sea salt; 1 large egg; 2 and 1/4 teaspoons instant active yeast; 2 and 2/3 cups all-purpose flour; 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room temperature; 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar; 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon; 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg; 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves; 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice; 4 oz full-fat cream cheese, softened to room temperature; 1/4 cup Vermont Maple Syrup; 2 Tablespoons whole milk; 1 cup sifted powdered sugar

Published: Sep 20, 2021 · Updated: Feb 3, 2024 by Carlos Leo · 31 Comments

Jump to Recipe

5 from 14 reviews

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls are the next big thing. We're talking about cinnamon rolls, a comforting breakfast icon, under a seasonal light with all the fall spices we love. Soft pumpkin dough is rolled up with warm spices like nutmeg, clove, allspice, and cinnamon. The maple cream cheese icing is the final touch for a baking treat with all the holiday's spirit. Read on to learn some cinnamon roll history, step-by-step photos, and some pro tips.

close up of pumpkin cinnamon rolls with glaze in large white baking dish — *Recipe post may have affiliate links; read our* *disclosure policy*. *Photographs ©Carlos Leo, Spoonabilities*

Hello my friends. With the holiday season upon us, I thought we should revisit a breakfast staple, the cinnamon roll. You'll find plenty of recipes and articles about how to make cinnamon rolls. Still, our contemporary fusion with pumpkin puree turned the popular coiled up treat into a new seasonal classic. Pumpkin spice meets sticky buns for a fall recipe ideal for those chilly mornings.

The secrets behind this pumpkin cinnamon roll recipe are, one, the rich pumpkin cinnamon roll dough, and two, the sticky sweet filling. We'll use solid pack pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling) for the pumpkin cinnamon roll dough, a fair amount of brown sugar, good instant yeast, butter, an egg, and some all-purpose flour. We want a bouncy, airy dough that will lend itself to be rolled up into buns.

baked cinnamon rolls without cream cheese icing on top

The filling for this cinnamon roll recipe is where all the flavors come in. The season's dream team: cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, and brown sugar come together once again for that awesome pumpkin spice seasoning topping the soft spread butter.

The maple cream cheese icing is not to be understated. It contrasts the spices with some creaminess in every nicely balanced bite. We are using pure maple syrup, and we're using the good stuff, Vermont Maple Syrup, which you can get with 15% off from our gracious food products supplier!

If you've never rolled up your own cinnamon rolls, I guarantee you'll have a blast. They're so hands-on and crafty, especially today's pumpkin cinnamon rolls. Your whole kitchen will smell like the very essence of the season, like Starbucks in the morning, but better.

Before we start, I thought we could pay homage to cinnamon rolls, which, interestingly, have a very long history.

Where do Cinnamon Rolls come from?

Dr. Ronald Wirtz, from the American Institute of Baking (yes, that's a thing), spent quite some time looking for the origin of the famous breakfast sticky buns. The expert followed the spice trade from cinnamon's ancestral home in Sri Lanka to Medieval Europe.

His findings took him to Germany, and eventually to a small Philadelphia suburb called Germantown. Immigrants there baked a treat called "Schnecken," which means "snail" as early as the 1900s. A schnecken was a rolled-out coffee cake covered in sugar, cinnamon, currants, and almonds, covered with melted butter. This recipe goes back to over one hundred years! And don't tell me this doesn’t sound like cinnamon rolls to you. Geoffrey is originally from the Philadelphia area and his aunt has her original "sticky buns" recipe which we'll be bring you here soon too.

Pumpkin bread goes back further in time as it was a Native American staple. Who invented pumpkin cinnamon rolls? That's hard to tell, but I'm proud to say we've done a pretty good job with our own recipe.

pumpkin cinnamon roll on a plate with cream cheese icing and more icing in cup on the side

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How to Make Homemade Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

Before you start making the pumpkin dough, take the butter out of the refrigerator to soften to room temperature.

Making the Pumpkin Dough

Warm the milk and butter just until the butter is melted and the mixture is lukewarm.
In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment add the pumpkin puree, nutmeg, brown sugar, and sea salt. Beat at medium speed.
Add the warm milk-butter mixture, and mix until combined. Then add the egg and instant yeast. Keep beating at low speed. PRO TIP: If you use active dry yeast the rolls may take longer to rise.
With the stand mixer at low speed add the flour, and mix until combined. The pumpkin dough will be very soft.
Place the dough in a greased bowl and make sure the dough is coated with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let the pumpkin dough rise in a warm place.

PRO TIP for raising your dough in a warm place: Turn on the oven light and place the pumpkin dough inside with the door slightly open. I use an oven thermometer to make sure the temperature doesn’t go over 75 degrees. If you don’t have a thermometer, don’t worry. If you keep the door slightly open, the temperature will not go over 75 degrees.

just kneaded dough on the left photo and risen pumpkin cinnamon roll dough on the right

Knead and Shape the Pumpkin Dough

After the dough has risen, uncover the bowl and gently punch the dough down to deflate it.
Turn it onto a lightly oiled surface, and knead with a rolling pin to form a 18x10 rectangle. It took me around 10 minutes to get it to the right shape. The dough will be quite elastic, and it will contract back a few times until you get it to the right shape.

PRO TIP on kneading the dough: I prefer to have an oily surface than flour. With the oily surface your dough will never stick to the surface or the rolling pin.

Add Cinnamon Pumpkin Spice Filling & Roll Up the Dough

In a small bowl, mix to combine the brown sugar, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice.

PRO TIP: You can make the filling while the dough is resting and have it ready for this step.

Spread the softened butter evenly on top of the shaped pumpkin dough. Sprinkle the brown sugar spice mixture all over the top. Roll the dough up tightly, starting from the shorter side. Follow the picture instructions. Using a sharp knife, cut 11-12 pieces.

flatten the dough, spread filling and cinnamon sugar

Cutting PRO TIP: Measure out the rolls with a measuring tape and mark the dough with a knife. Then, you don’t have to worry about uneven rolls.

In a greased baking dish, arrange the pumpkin cinnamon rolls and leave some space in between. If you see the photo, it looks pretty spacious but after they rise they will be tight. Baking dish size: Anything around 11”-13” length and 7”-8” width.

cinnamon rolls cut up and placed in baking dish

Letting the Pre-Baked Rolls Rise

Same day: Cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm place in your kitchen. Set the timer to 1 hour. See PRO TIP above for finding a warm place in your kitchen.
Overnight: Cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator overnight or at least for 14 hours. The next day pull the pumpkin cinnamon rolls out of the refrigerator a least one hour before baking to allow the rolls to come up to room temperature.

Baking and Storing your Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

Preheat oven to 350 F. Bake uncovered for 13 minutes and then cover with aluminum foil for 15 minutes. Total baking time 28 minutes. We cover with tin foil to prevent over browning.
Storage: The unglazed rolls are freezer friendly up to two months. The icing is not freezer friendly. If you leave it outside on the counter, cover tightly and just for one day.

These pumpkin cinnamon rolls are amazingly fluffy, soft, and delightfully delicious, filled with a gooey cinnamon pumpkin spice swirl, and topped with maple cream cheese glaze. Your family will love this as breakfast during a cozy fall morning, a "hope nobody catches me" snack, and a special autumn dessert. This is real comfort food at its best.

pumpkin cinnamon rolls with cream cheese glaze

Make the Maple Cream Cheese Icing

In a glass mixing bowl, beat softened cream cheese until smooth.
Add Pure Organic Vermont Maple Syrup and milk. Beat on high until it becomes smooth. PRO TIP: use whole milk for a richer icing and softer roll.
Add the powdered sugar and beat at medium speed until gets creamy and velvety. Drizzle or spread over the warm pumpkin cinnamon rolls.

The maple cream cheese icing is a joyful, sweet treat with a beautiful combination of creamy, sweet, and tangy taste. You can use it as icing, glaze, or frosting (with a few adjustments😊) on cupcakes, cakes, and cookies.

I couldn't wait for you to try making these pumpkin cinnamon rolls with maple cream cheese icing. Did you make this or another recipe? Tag @Spoonabilities on Instagram or add a comment or photo on Pinterest, so we can find you! And we love to hear from you in the comment section below.

Carlos Leo
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Check out our most recent Sweet Pumpkin Recipes:

a pumpkin cinnamon roll in a white plate taken from a baking dish full of cinnamon rolls with icing

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Maple Cream Cheese Icing Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 14 reviews

Author: Carlos Leo
Total Time: 3 hours 25 minutes
Yield: 12 1x

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Description

Pumpkin cinnamon rolls are a fluffy and soft pumpkin dough rolled up to hold the most warming brown sugar, cinnamon, and pumpkin spice mix filling, finished with a pretty maple cream cheese icing. These are some cinnamon rolls you'll want to make every year throughout the year!

For this recipe adapted from Sally’s Baking Addition, we used Vermont Maple Syrup

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Ingredients

Units Scale

Pumpkin Dough:

⅓ cup milk
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
½ cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
¼ cup packed light brown sugar
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 large egg
2 and ¼ teaspoons instant active yeast
2 and ⅔ cups all-purpose flour

Roll Filling

6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
½ cup packed light brown sugar
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon ground allspice

Maple Cream Cheese Icing:

4 oz full-fat cream cheese, softened to room temperature
¼ cup Vermont Maple Syrup
2 Tablespoons whole milk
1 cup sifted powdered sugar

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Instructions

Make the dough:

Warm milk and butter over the stove just until the butter is melted, and the mixture is lukewarm.
Beat: In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, add the pumpkin puree, nutmeg, brown sugar, and sea salt. Beat at medium speed.
Add the warm milk-butter mixture, and mix to combine. Then add the egg and instant yeast. Keep beating a low speed.
Mix: Add one cup of flour. Mix for about one minute until combined, then with a flexible spatula scrape the sides and the bottom of the bowl. Add the rest of the flour and mix for about a minute. The pumpkin dough will be very soft.
Place the dough in a greased bowl and turn the dough around the bowl to make sure all the sides are coated with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and allow the pumpkin dough to rise in a warm place in your kitchen. Set the timer to 1-½ hours.

Knead and shape the pumpkin dough:

Deflate: After the dough has risen, uncover the bowl and gently punch the dough down to deflate it. Turn it onto a lightly oiled surface.
Knead the dough with a rolling pin to form a 18x10 rectangle. (It took me around 10 minutes to get it to the right shape.) The dough will be quite elastic, and it will contract back a few times until you get it to the right shape.

Add cinnamon pumpkin spice filling:

Combine in a small bowl the brown sugar, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice. Mix to combine. You can make the filling while the dough is resting and have it ready for this step.
Spread the softened butter evenly on top of the shaped pumpkin dough. Sprinkle the brown sugar spice mixture all over the top.
Roll the dough up tightly, starting from the shorter side. Follow the pictures instructions.
Cut: Using a sharp knife, cut 11-12 pieces (around 1.5” thick each). Before cutting the pumpkin rolls, measure to get equal sizes and leave a mark using the knife.
Arrange: In a greased baking dish, arrange the pumpkin cinnamon rolls and leave some space in between. If you see the photo, they look pretty spacious but after they rise they will be tight. Baking dish size: Anything around 11”-13” length and 7”-8” width.

Rising the dough:

Same day: Cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm place in your kitchen. Set the timer to 1 hour.
Overnight: Cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator overnight or at least for 14 hours. The next day pull the pumpkin cinnamon rolls out of the refrigerator at least one hour before baking to allow the rolls to come up to room temperature.

Bake:

Preheat oven to 350 F.
Bake uncovered for 13 minutes and then bake covered with aluminum foil for 15 minutes. Total baking time 28 minutes.

Maple Cream Cheese Icing:

Cream: In a glass mixing bowl, add the softened cream cheese and beat until the cheese is smooth. Add the Pure Organic Vermont Maple Syrup and milk, and beat on high until it becomes smooth. Then add the powdered sugar and beat at medium speed until gets creamy and velvety.
Drizzle: Drizzle the icing over the warm pumpkin cinnamon rolls.

Notes

Finding a warm place for dough rising: Turn on the oven light and place the pumpkin dough inside with the door slightly open. I use an oven thermometer to make sure the temperature doesn’t go over 75 degrees. If you don’t have a thermometer, don’t worry. If you keep the door slightly open, the temperature will not go over 75 degrees.

Kneading the dough: I prefer to have an oily surface than flour. With the oily surface your dough will never stick to the surface or the rolling pin.

Before cutting the pumpkin cinnamon rolls, measure equal parts with a measuring tape and mark where you’re going to cut with a knife. Then you don’t have to worry about uneven rolls.

Milk: Use whole milk for the icing for a richer and softer roll.

Storage: The unglazed rolls are freezer friendly up to two months. The icing is not freezer friendly. If you leave it outside on the counter, cover tightly and just for one day.

Yeast: If you use active dry yeast, the rolls may take longer to rise.

Aluminum foil: During baking, cover with tin foil to prevent over browning.

Prep Time: 3 hours
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Category: Dessert/breakfast
Method: baking
Cuisine: American

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Where do Cinnamon Rolls come from?