The Best Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

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The Best Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls — Super soft, fluffy pumpkin spice cinnamon rolls topped with a cream cheese glaze! Move over, Cinnabon, these are better!!

a glazed pumpkin cinnamon roll on a white plate

Best Ever Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls Recipe

These are the best pumpkin cinnamon rolls I’ve ever made! I prefer these over Cinnabon, and that’s a big statement coming from a former Cinnabon junkie.

They’re soft, light, fluffy and there’s just enough pumpkin flavor to notice, but not so much that it overwhelms the inherent beauty of classic cinnamon rolls. Topped with cream cheese glaze, they’re totally irresistible.

I have a habit of donating most of what I bake after my family has a bite or a piece since we don’t need entire cakes, multiple pans of bars, and dozens of cookies, every week. My daughter asked, “Mom, how many of these pumpkin cinnamon rolls did you make?” And I said an entire pan and she said, “Good, don’t donate any of them!”

She said they’re the best cinnamon rolls I’ve ever made and that the center bites are the best because they’re so soft and juicy. I agree.

a glazed pumpkin cinnamon roll on a white plate

I used my favorite yeast roll recipe as the jumping off point and worked in pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, and plenty of cinnamon and brown sugar for these pumpkin cinnamon rolls.

The glaze is a simple glaze of cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar, and a splash of cream. It makes more than the average person may want on their rolls, but it keeps for weeks in the fridge. I’m a dip, glaze, and frosting-aholic, and can never have too much. I keep a little cup on the side of my plate so I can double-dip.

The glaze soaks into the nooks and crannies and adds even more moisture and softness. Total gooey, cinnamon-and-sugary, juicy perfection.

a pan of glazed pumpkin spice cinnamon rolls

Ingredients for Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

Homemade cinnamon rolls require fairly few ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need for this pumpkin cinnamon rolls recipe: 

  • All-purpose flour
  • Granulated sugar
  • Pumpkin pie spice
  • Instant dry yeast
  • Salt
  • Unsalted butter
  • Buttermilk
  • Pumpkin puree 
  • Egg
  • Light brown sugar
  • Cinnamon
  • Cream cheese
  • Confectioners’ sugar
  • Half and half (or cream) 

Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.

a glazed pumpkin cinnamon roll on a white plate with a fork

How to Make Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls 

I’ve given very detailed instructions in the recipe card below on how to make these pumpkin spice cinnamon rolls. Here’s a broad overview of the process: 

  1. Make the cinnamon roll dough. See my tips in the recipe card on how to activate the yeast and make the dough. 
  2. Transfer dough to a greased mixing bowl, cover with a towel, and let rise at room temperature for about 2 hours or until it doubles in size. 
  3. Once the dough has risen, roll it out to about 26 by 13 inches. 
  4. Spread softened butter over the dough, then sprinkle with the brown sugar cinnamon mixture. 
  5. Roll and slice the dough, then place in a foil-lined 9×13-inch baking dish. 
  6. Let the dough rise a second time. 
  7. Bake until golden brown. 
  8. Top with cream cheese frosting while still warm. 
cream cheese frosting being poured over cinnamon rolls

How to Slice Cinnamon Rolls 

To shape cinnamon rolls, you need to roll the dough into a long log. Then, use a knife to make small hash marks about 1 to 1 1/2 inches apart.

Hash marks create less guesswork once you start slicing and things get messier and harder to eyeball where to slice — the hash marks are nice place-markers.

Use plain, unwaxed dental floss to slice the rolls. I highly recommend slicing the rolls with floss, not knives. Floss does not squish or compact the log like knives do.

a pumpkin cinnamon roll with cream cheese frosting

Make-Ahead Instructions

Yes! There’s an option to make the pumpkin cinnamon rolls as overnight rolls (I’ve given detailed instructions on how to do so in the recipe card below).

Start the dough at night, roll and shape it, and refrigerate the coiled rolls until you’re ready to bake the next morning.

That way you don’t have to get up at 5am to have these ready with your first cup of coffee.

The Best Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls — Super soft, fluffy pumpkin spice cinnamon rolls topped with a cream cheese glaze! Move over, Cinnabon, these are better!!

Recipe FAQs

Why do you put buttermilk in cinnamon rolls?

The dough for this pumpkin cinnamon roll recipe is buttermilk-based. Although I’ve made non-buttermilk sweet rolls, for the softest, lightest, and most tender rolls, I swear by buttermilk. Between the buttermilk, butter, and egg, the dough rises beautifully and it’s my favorite dough base.

Check out my other Buttermilk Recipes if you’re looking for ways to use the rest of your buttermilk!

Can the buttermilk be substituted in this recipe?

I use liquid regular buttermilk from Trader Joe’s but you can use powdered  buttermilk or make your own by adding 1/2 tablespoon white vinegar to 1/2 cup 2% or whole milk.

Can the cinnamon rolls be made with homemade pumpkin puree?

Theoretically, yes. However, homemade pumpkin puree often contains more moisture than canned puree. To prevent the pumpkin spice cinnamon roll dough from being too wet, thoroughly blot the pumpkin puree to remove any excess moisture.

Can this recipe be made without a stand mixer?

Of course! You can also work the dough by hand in a large mixing bowl using a wooden spoon and some elbow grease. I do NOT recommend using a handheld electric mixer in place of a stand mixer, as it likely won’t be powerful enough to handle the dough.

Can the cinnamon rolls be made in a smaller pan?

If you don’t have a 9×13-inch pan, you’ll need to mix and match smaller baking pans to fit all of the cinnamon rolls (two 8×8-inch pans would work perfectly, otherwise use what you have).

Whatever you do, do NOT attempt to squish all of the cinnamon rolls into a single, smaller pan. The rolls will puff up, overflow, and you’ll have a mess on your hands.

The Best Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls — Super soft, fluffy pumpkin spice cinnamon rolls topped with a cream cheese glaze! Move over, Cinnabon, these are better!!

Tips for Making Pumpkin-Filled Cinnamon Rolls 

To activate the yeast, you need to warm the buttermilk before adding it to the dough mixture. Note that different yeast brands recommend heating the milk to different temperatures.

Red Star Platinum yeast calls for warmer temperatures than most, 120 to 130F; other brands and yeast call for much lower temperatures, about 95 to 105F. Heat the mixture according to manufacturer’s recommendations on the packaging.

I swear by that yeast and personally it’s all I use but you can experiment with other brands. 

Taking the temperature with a digital thermometer is highly recommended, but if you’re not, make sure the milk is warm, not hot. Err on the cooler rather than hotter side so you don’t kill the yeast.

Lastly, the recipe looks long, but I’ve written every last detail so the rolls turn out perfectly for you. Read the recipe at least twice before starting! 

The Best Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls — Super soft, fluffy pumpkin spice cinnamon rolls topped with a cream cheese glaze! Move over, Cinnabon, these are better!!

Storage Instructions

These pumpkin cinnamon rolls are best warm and fresh, but will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 4 days. Reheat them in microwave for about 5 seconds to re-soften or as desired.

I am comfortable keeping glazed rolls at room temp and do not recommend storing them in the fridge because they will dry out.

Rolls can be made and baked to completion, and then frozen for up to 6 months; unthaw and glaze immediately prior to serving. I recommend baking them from start to finish and then freezing, rather than trying to freeze unbaked dough, if you want to make in bulk in advance.

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4.53 from 65 votes

The Best Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

By Averie Sunshine
Super soft, fluffy pumpkin spice cinnamon rolls topped with a cream cheese glaze! Move over, Cinnabon, these are better!!
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 17 minutes
Rise Time: 3 hours
Total Time: 3 hours 47 minutes
Servings: 22
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Ingredients  

Dough

  • 3 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, or as needed
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice
  • 2 ¼ teaspoons instant dry yeast, one 1/4-ounce packet, I use Red Star Platinum
  • pinch salt, to taste
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, melted (1 stick)
  • ½ cup buttermilk
  • ½ cup pumpkin puree
  • 1 large egg, lightly whisked

Filling

  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, 3/4 of 1 stick, very soft – let it sit out while dough rises
  • 1 to 1 ¼ cups light brown sugar, packed
  • 2 + tablespoons cinnamon, I used 3+

Cream Cheese Glaze

  • 4 ounces brick-style cream cheese, lite is okay, softened – let it sit out on the second rise or while rolls bake
  • 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
  • pinch salt, optional and to taste (helps balance the sweetness)
  • about 3 to 4 tablespoons half-and-half or cream, or as needed for consistency

Instructions 

Make the Dough:

  • To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook (or use a large mixing bowl and wooden spoon and your hands), add 3 1/4 cups flour, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, yeast, salt; set aside.
  • In 2-cup glass measuring cup or microwave-safe bowl, and the butter and heat to melt, about 1 minute on high power.
  • Add buttermilk and pumpkin to melted butter and warm to temperature, about 45 seconds on high power in the microwave. If the milk separates or gets a little funny looking after being warmed, whisk it to smooth it out. ** (see note below)
  • Add butter-buttermilk-pumpkin mixture to the dry ingredients in mixing bowl.
  • In a small bowl, crack and lightly whisk the egg, and add egg to mixing bowl.
  • Turn mixer on low speed and allow it to knead dough for about 7 minutes (about 7 to 10 minutes by hand using a wooden spoon and then switching to your hands). 3 1/4 cups of flour and 7 minutes is perfect for me, but if after 5 minutes your dough is very sloppy, wet, and won’t come together, add up to 1/4 cup flour, or as needed until it does come together. However, the more flour added, the denser and heavier the rolls will be; wetter dough is preferred to overly dry. If dough is dry or crumbly, drizzle in buttermilk until it comes together.
  • Remove dough from the mixing bowl, spray a large bowl with cooking spray, place the dough in the bowl, and flip it over once so it’s lightly oiled on both top and bottom.
  • Cover bowl with plastic wrap (spray it with cooking spray in case dough rises high enough to touch it) and place bowl in a warm, draft-free place to rise for about 2 to 2 1/2 hours, or doubled in size. I keep my bowl inside a powered-off oven that I preheated for 1 minute to 400F, then it’s powered off. Do not, repeat do not, keep the oven on. The pre-heated, warm oven creates a nice 85F-ish environment, ideal for yeast. If your rising spot is cold, rising will likely take longer than 2 1/2 hours.
  • While dough rises, line a 9×13-inch aluminum pan with aluminum foil, spray with cooking spray; set aside.

Rolling Out the Dough:

  • After dough has doubled in size, punch it down.
  • Turn dough out onto a Silpat or floured countertop. With a rolling pin, roll it out to about 26-by-13-inches. Use the 13-inch side of the 9-x13 pan to eyeball it, no need use a ruler.

For the Filling:

  • Using a knife or spatula, evenly spread butter over dough, leaving a 1/2-inch bare margin.
  • Evenly sprinkle the brown sugar and then the cinnamon over the top, and lightly pat it down with your fingertips to help it adhere.

Slicing the Dough:

  • Starting with a long edge (the 26-inch side), roll the dough into a tightly wound log, with the seam side down.
  • Using a knife, make small hash marks about 1 to 1 1/2 inches apart (yields 20 to 24 rolls); or make bigger rolls and yield 12 to 16. Hash marks create less guesswork once you start slicing and things get messier and harder to eyeball where to slice; the hash marks are nice place-markers.
  • Use plain, unwaxed dental floss to slice the rolls. I highly recommend slicing the rolls with floss, not knives. Floss does not squish or compact the log like knives do. Visual here.
  • Arrange the rolls in the prepared pan (I made 5 rows of 4 or 5 rolls across, and not all rows have same number of rolls; crowding is okay). Cover with plastic wrap.
  • If Making Straight Through...
  • Let rise in a warm, draft-free place until the rolls have nearly doubled in size, about 1 hour.
  • If Making as Overnight Rolls... 
  • Don’t let rolls rise after they’ve been sliced and placed in covered pan. Place pan in refrigerator for up to 16 hours.
  • Before baking, let the rolls rise at room temperature until they have nearly doubled in size, about 1 hour.

To Bake:

  • For either version, bake at 375F for about 15 to 17 minutes, or until lightly golden on top and cooked through (ovens, dough, and climates vary and so will baking duration, but 1 to 2 minutes matters in this recipe). Watch rolls like a hawk and don’t overbake or they won’t taste nearly as good. At 15 1/2 minutes my rolls were barely done and on the doughy side but I prefer this because it reminds me of Cinnabons; if you like less doughy rolls, bake longer.

Make the Cream Cheese Glaze:

  • In a medium bowl, add cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar, optional salt, 3 tablespoons cream, and whisk or beat with a handheld electric mixer until smooth and combined. Add cream as needed until desired consistency is reached.
  • Evenly pour glaze over rolls, lightly spreading with a spatula as necessary.
  • Serve immediately.

Notes

**Yeast Notes: Based on the type of yeast used, temperatures will vary. Red Star Platinum yeast calls for warmer temperatures than most, 120 to 130F (always check current packaging recommendations though!). Other brands and yeast call for much lower temperatures, about 95 to 105F. Heat the mixture according to manufacturer’s recommendations on the packaging. Taking the temperature with a digital thermometer is highly recommended, but if you’re not, make sure the milk is warm, not hot. Err on the cooler rather than hotter side so you don’t kill the yeast.
Storage: Rolls are best warm and fresh, but will keep airtight at room temp for up to 4 days; reheat in micro for about 5 seconds to re-soften or as desired. I am comfortable keeping glazed rolls at room temp and do not recommend storing them in the fridge because they will dry out. Rolls can be made and baked to completion, and then frozen for up to 6 months; unthaw and glaze immediately prior to serving. I recommend baking them from start to finish and then freezing, rather than trying to freeze unbaked dough, if you want to make in bulk in advance.
Recipe adapted from The Best Glazed Orange Sweet Rolls and Overnight Buttermilk Soft and Fluffy Cinnamon Rolls.

Nutrition

Serving: 1, Calories: 306kcal, Carbohydrates: 44g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 13g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g, Cholesterol: 36mg, Sodium: 99mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 23g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

More Cinnamon Roll Recipes:

ALL OF MY CINNAMON ROLL RECIPES! 

Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Bake — Every bite tastes like the super SOFT, gooey CENTER of a cinnamon roll!! Spiked with pumpkin and flooded with icing, this EASY recipe is an automatic WINNER!!

The Best Glazed Orange Sweet Rolls — The softest, lightest, and most irresistible rolls ever! Try them and you’ll be a believer, too! I adapted this recipe for today’s rolls.

Overnight Buttermilk Soft and Fluffy Cinnamon Rolls — For soft, fluffy, pillowy, perfect cinnamon rolls when you need a larger batch, it’s my go-to. Readers who’ve tried it write with high praise and success and it’s been pinned over 100k times.

Strawberry Sweet Rolls with Vanilla Cream Cheese Glaze – Soft, glazed rolls filled with sweet strawberry jam.

One-Hour Homemade Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting – Make soft, light, fluffy cinnamon rolls from scratch in 1 hour.

Nutella Cinnamon Rolls with Vanilla Glaze (Shortcut Recipe) – A can of crescent rolls never tasted so good as when they’re stuffed with Nutella and rolled up. Ready from start to finish in 15 minutes.

Caramel Apple Cinnamon Roll Bake — This cinnamon roll recipe with apples and caramel sauce is easy, ready in 30 minutes, and you don’t even have to make scratch cinnamon roll dough. 

Overnight Eggnog Cinnamon Rolls — The SOFTEST and FLUFFIEST cinnamon rolls with an overnight MAKE-AHEAD option and eggnog frosting adds the perfect touch!! These would be a great make ahead Christmas breakfast option! 

Overnight Eggnog Cinnamon Rolls - The SOFTEST and FLUFFIEST cinnamon rolls with an overnight MAKE-AHEAD option and eggnog frosting adds the perfect touch!! If you like Cinnabon rolls, you'll LOVE THESE!! 

Originally posted September 26, 2014 and reposted October 28, 2022 with updated text. thou

About the Author

Welcome to AverieCooks! Here you’ll find fast and easy recipes that taste amazing and are geared for real life. Nothing fussy or complicated, just awesome tasting dishes everyone loves!

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Please note: I have only made the recipe as written, and cannot give advice or predict what will happen if you change something. If you have a question regarding changing, altering, or making substitutions to the recipe, please check out the FAQ page for more info.

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Comments

    1. You would do it by hand, with a big bowl and a wooden spoon, and then elbow grease kneading the dough. A handheld electric mixer even if you have one just isn’t really strong enough to be effective and I doubt you’d get very far with it.

  1. I’m curious- why do you say total time for the recipe is 47 minutes when the dough takes over three times that long to rise?