I am obsessed with cinnamon rolls because I love the gooey cinnamon swirl topped with cream cheese frosting. These pumpkin cinnamon rolls are so tasty because these rolls are like eating pumpkin pie in a gooey cinnamon roll.
I made these for Thanksgiving dessert to switch up the traditional dessert rotation I bake for the holidays. I always bake an apple pie, a pecan pie, and a chocolate cake for Thanksgiving. Don't get me wrong these are great desserts but I needed to try something new this year.
As a kid, I would spend many afternoons at the mall shopping for clothes and buying a cinnamon roll at Cinnabon. I use to beg my mom to go to the mall so I could devour a warm cinnamon roll. Baking these homemade cinnamon rolls reminds me of my childhood. These rolls taste even better than the store-bought ones because it has the extra pumpkin spice flavor. Of course, the pumpkin and spices make these rolls taste like fall and a festive holiday! I love frosting so I doubled the frosting recipe to make sure I had the perfect frosting to bun ratio. Enjoy making these! They taste amazing and they will last a few days in your fridge as leftovers.
Did you know that cinnamon rolls originated from northern Europe? In Sweden, a kanelbulle (literally means "cinnamon bun" is a traditional breakfast sweet. I have never traveled to Sweden to try a kanelbulle but hopefully I will soon!
Here are a few tips for this recipe because it is a time-consuming baking adventure. It is so worth the wait but a yeasty dough can be temperamental to make. Double proofing is key to this recipe. Don't skip this step because it allows for the dough to form the perfect consistency. Mixing lukewarm milk, sugar, and yeast in the first step is essential because this activates the yeast. Bread flour will make a fluffier cinnamon roll as it has higher gluten content however you can use all-purpose flour. Also, If you don't have all the spices in your cabinet you could buy a premixed pumpkin spice mixture and add 2 tablespoons to the dough. You can easily make this a vegan cinnamon roll by leaving out the egg and making a vegan cream cheese frosting.
Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
Serving size: 6
Total Time: 30 minutes
Source: Adapted from Ambitious Kitchen.
For the cinnamon roll dough:
3/4 cup milk (whole is preferred)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 1/4teaspoons quick-rise yeast (1 package of yeast)
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup melted butter
1 egg, at room temperature
4 cups bread flour (you can use all-purpose flour)
1 tablespoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cardamon
3/4 teaspoon salt
For the filling:
2/3 cup dark brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/4 cup butter, at room temperature
For the cream cheese glaze:
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
3 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup powdered sugar
4 tablespoons pure maple syrup
Pinch of salt
For garnish:
Sprinkle of ground cinnamon
Step 1: Warm milk to around 110 degrees. To do this place milk in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave it for 45 seconds. It should be like warm bathwater. Transfer warm milk and sugar to the bowl and sprinkle yeast on top. Stir pumpkin puree, room temperature egg, and melted butter, mixing until smooth and well combined and creamy. Next stir in bread flour, spice mixture, and salt with a spatula until a dough begins to form.
Step 2: Knead the dough by hand for 8-10 minutes on a well-floured surface. You can also do this with an electric mixture and the dough hook.
Step 3: Transfer the dough ball to a large bowl greased with olive oil, then cover with plastic wrap and a warm towel. Allow dough to rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size. If you want the dough to rise faster it should be placed in a warm environment. I do this by placing my bowl on top of a preheated oven at a low temperature.
Step 4: After the dough has doubled in size, transfer the dough to a well-floured surface and roll it out into a 14x16 inch rectangle. Spread softened butter over dough.
Step 5: In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar and cinnamon. Use your hands to sprinkle the mixture over the buttered dough, then rub the sugar into the butter.
Step 6: Tightly roll the dough up the dough, starting from the 14-inch side (the smaller side), and place seam side down making sure to seal the edges of the dough. The dough should be in the shape of a log with a cinnamon swirl inside. Cut into 1-inch sections with a knife. You should get 12-18 rolls. if you prefer thicker buns you can make them larger.
Step 7: Place cinnamon rolls in a greased 9x13 inch baking pan. Cover with plastic wrap and a warm towel and let the cinnamon rolls rise again for about 30 minutes, then preheat your oven. This is a key step that should not be skipped.
Step 8: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake the cinnamon rolls for 20-25 minutes or until just slightly golden brown on the edges. You want to underbake them a little so they stay soft in the middle, that’s why we want them just slightly golden brown. Allow them to cool for 10 minutes before frosting.
Step 9: To make the frosting: In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, maple syrup, and salt. Beat until smooth. Spread over the pumpkin cinnamon rolls and with a little cinnamon. Enjoy!
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