Fluffy Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting

The Main Ingredients

This recipe for pumpkin cinnamon rolls has three parts: the pumpkin yeast dough, the cinnamon roll filling, and the cream cheese cinnamon roll frosting. A full list of ingredients with their measurements can be found in the recipe card below, but here are a few notes on the key items.

• Active dry yeast — You’ll need 1 packet for this recipe, and you’ll need to activate it in warm (not hot!) tap water before adding to the mixing bowl.
• Whole milk — This isn’t a recipe that you want to use low-fat dairy products in! Whole milk adds more moisture and flavor than 2% or non-fat.
• Egg — Binds the cinnamon roll dough together.
• Pumpkin puree — If making your pumpkin puree from scratch, strain it well in a cheesecloth lined mesh sieve to remove as much excess moisture as possible (otherwise your dough will be too wet to shape).
• Flour — I used a blend of all purpose flour and whole wheat pastry flour. You can absolutely make this recipe using just all-purpose flour if desired. Your cinnamon roll dough may have a slightly different consistency than mine, but they’ll turn out just fine.
• Sugar — Using both granulated and brown sugar adds a more nuanced sweetness.
• Spices — Depending on what I have on hand, I’ll either mix together cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves or I’ll use a pre-blended batch of pumpkin pie spice.
• Butter — There’s butter in the dough, filling, and frosting, and it either needs to be melted or softened to room temp, so read the recipe card ahead of time so you can prep it accordingly.
• Cream cheese — Do NOT use whipped or low-fat cream cheese in the frosting! It will turn out too runny to spread. You want full-fat cream cheese sold in a foil wrapped brick.
• Lemon juice — This is my top secret ingredient that brightens up the frosting and makes it extra tangy. It doesn’t make the frosting taste like lemon, promise!

How to Make Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls (Step by Step Photos)

Step 1: Make the Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Dough

You’ll first need to make the cinnamon roll dough, then let it rise in a greased bowl until it’s doubled in size. While the dough rests, stir together the cinnamon roll filling ingredients; set aside in a small bowl.

Step 2: Roll Out the Dough and Add Filling

Once the dough has doubled in size, roll it out into a large rectangle on a floured surface using a rolling pin and brush it with melted butter. Sprinkle the filling mixture over the top before rolling up the dough and slicing it.

Step 3: Slice and Let Rise Again

Slice the cinnamon rolls, then place the raw cinnamon rolls into a greased pan and let them rise a second time until nearly doubled in size.

Step 4: Bake and Frost

Once they’ve risen for a second time, bake the pumpkin cinnamon rolls until golden brown on top. After you’ve taken these easy homemade cinnamon rolls out of the oven, slather them with the cream cheese frosting and serve.

Recipe Tips

Recipe Variations

• Add 1 to 1.5 tablespoons bourbon to the frosting
• Add a splash of pure maple syrup or maple extract to the frosting
• Swap out the pumpkin pie spice for chai spice to make pumpkin chai cinnamon rolls
• Add a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon to the frosting for even more flavor
• Drizzle the cinnamon rolls with pumpkin caramel sauce and skip the frosting entirely

Make Ahead Instructions

To prep these pumpkin cream cheese cinnamon rolls the night before, prepare the rolls up to the point where you roll and place in the pan. Then, cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

In the morning, remove the pan from the fridge and proceed with the instructions where you left off. Rising time may be slightly longer than noted in the recipe due to the dough being cold vs room temp.

Once baked and frosted, you can store the cinnamon rolls at room temperature for up to three days. Note that they dry out over time.