Made with pumpkin puree in the dough and a buttery pumpkin spice filling, these pumpkin spice cinnamon rolls with maple icing are perfect to make on a chilly fall morning. Prepare the dough ahead of time for overnight rolls, or make the day of. Either way, you can’t go wrong with these perfect breakfast rolls!
Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Rolls with Maple Icing
Arguably one of the best parts about fall is the baking and fall flavors that take place in the months of September-November. I may be biased, but fall baking gets me more excited than any other baking season. The seasonal flavors and warm textures are just better than the other months.
One of the best things I can think to bake when fall rolls around are pumpkin spice cinnamon rolls with maple icing. Not only are we adding pumpkin puree to the actual dough (which adds tons of moisture, hello), but we’re also whipping up a pumpkin spice filling that gets slathered in between the dough layers.
As if they couldn’t get any better, we’re making a maple icing that just ties the entire thing together in such a perfect way. Similar to my classic cinnamon roll recipe, these are sure to become an instant favorite in your home.
Pumpkin Puree vs Pumpkin Pie Filling
First thing’s first, lets chat about this common misconception.. If you’re planning on making these pumpkin spice cinnamon rolls, or any pumpkin recipe on the blog for that matter, you’ll want to be sure you’re picking up pumpkin puree. This is NOT the same as pumpkin pie filling.
Pumpkin puree is what you’d get if you took your own pumpkin, scraped out the flesh, removed the seeds, and blitzed it in the food processor for a few seconds (you should try that in this chocolate chip pumpkin bread, btw).
Pumpkin pie filling is what you’d use if you wanted a super simple pie. It has lots of sugar and other things added to it – you’d essentially just pour the entire can in a pie crust and call it a day. Usually I’m all for some added sweetness, but the pumpkin pie filling will send this recipe way over the edge. It can be confusing because they’re both in a can, and they’re usually sitting right next to each other in the baking aisle, so just be sure you pay close attention when you’re reaching for pumpkin puree in the grocery store.
Why Pumpkin?
These pumpkin spice cinnamon rolls are not just cinnamon rolls with some pumpkin pie spice thrown in the center. We’re actually incorporating pumpkin puree into the dough.
What does this do exactly? One of the reasons I love pumpkin is because of how much moisture it brings to a baked good. Not only does it level-up the flavor profile, it makes the texture of whatever you’re baking that much better.
And honestly, a lot of the time you can’t even really taste the pumpkin (ask my Secret Ingredient Triple Chocolate Muffins). I bake with pumpkin all year round for that reason, and I’m excited you’ll get to experience that in these pumpkin cinnamon rolls!
Some equipment you may need…
- Stand mixer: this is the one I have and I love it! I’ve had it for years now and I’ve never had any trouble with it. You definitely don’t “need” a stand mixer for these rolls, but it sure does make life a lot easier.
- Rolling pin: I love using my dowel-style rolling pin for most recipes, and it’s a great tool to use for these pumpkin spice cinnamon rolls. Many people use French style rolling pins, and honestly it’s just up to personal preference!
- Measuring cups/spoons: I’ve been linking these in all of my posts because I love them SO much! They are beautiful and look just like some other expensive ones on the market (but wayyy cheaper).
- Mixing bowls: I love these glass mixing bowls from Amazon. They’re especially perfect for food photography.
- Wooden spoon: I only use wooden spoons and rubber spatulas when I’m baking, and I love these!
Ingredients for Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Rolls with Maple Icing
- Whole milk – we’ll start by dissolving the yeast in the warm milk to ensure the yeast is alive, so make sure you warm your milk up (about 20 to 30 seconds in the microwave should do the trick).
- Active dry yeast – I opted to use active dry yeast in here because it’s what’s most widely available. Read below if you want to sub out instant yeast.
- All-purpose flour – I almost always use King Arthur flours, because I think consistency is important when developing recipes. Protein content can vary between brands, so I’d recommend sticking with King Arthur as well!
- Pumpkin pie spice – you can pick up a bottle at the grocery store (I usually pick up multiple at a time), or read below on an optional substitute.
- Kosher salt – Diamond crystal kosher salt is the brand I always use in my recipes!
- Pumpkin puree – the big thing here is to make extra sure you’re using pure pumpkin puree. It’s easy to grab pumpkin pie filling off the shelf on accident, and that will not result in the yummiest pumpkin spice cinnamon rolls
- Granulated sugar – we’re using this in the actual dough. Because we’ve got lots of brown sugar in the filling, we don’t want this dough to be overly sweet – meaning it’s best to use only a small amount of granulated sugar.
- Large egg – this will act as a binder in the dough, and will also add some extra richness.
- Unsalted butter – this will go in the filling, and will essentially be the glue that holds the filling to the dough.
- Dark brown sugar – this will go in the filling, and you can feel free to read below on an optional substitution.
- Pure vanilla extract – this is a time you’ll want to skip the vanilla “flavoring.” It tastes incredibly artificial and you’ll wish you had used pure vanilla extract. Just look for the word “pure” on the label. Pro-tip: for extra flavor points try using vanilla bean paste. It’s a little bit more expensive but will combine with the pumpkin and pumpkin spices in the perfect way!
- Cream cheese – it ain’t a cinnamon roll recipe without a cream cheese icing IMO.
- Powdered sugar – for our third type of sugar, we’ll be using powdered in the icing (or glaze).
- Pure maple syrup – keyword: pure. Now is not the time for a regular “syrup,” you want to make sure the label reads “pure maple syrup.” This is a maple icing, so we want to use high quality ingredients to highlight the flavor!
Possible ingredient substitutions
Can I use instant yeast instead of active dry yeast?
Typically in a lot of recipes you can substitute instant yeast for active dry (like in these homemade donuts). I like to call for active because thats whats more widely available, but if you want to use instant go right ahead! You can skip the proofing process (adding it to the milk and waiting for it to bubble and foam), and just add it straight to the dough.
Light brown sugar
I call for dark brown sugar because I think it deepens the flavor of these rolls, but if you want to use light brown sugar instead, be my guest. Just use the same amount of light that you would use dark.
FYI: if you’re a dark brown sugar lover like me, check out these brown sugar cookies 🙂
Salted butter
If you only have salted butter on hand, still make these pumpkin spice cinnamon rolls! You’ll just need to reduce the salt in the dough to 1/2 tsp instead of 1 tsp.
My Kitchen Tips
Here’s my biggest tip anytime I’m baking with yeast, active or instant:
Avoid over- or under-proofing
Hearing that term only makes me think of the Great British Baking Show, and how that always seems to be the issue with everyone’s bakes. I have you proof this dough for about 45 minutes before you roll it out, and then for an additional hour or so before you bake the rolls.
Instead of relying on a set time for proofing, try and look for visual cues that the rolls are properly proofed:
The Poke Test
Gently press your finger slightly into the dough, if it springs back very slowly, it’s ready to be baked.
If it springs back very quickly: it’s underproofed.
If it doesn’t spring back at all: it’s over proofed.
Recipe FAQs
How to make these overnight pumpkin spice cinnamon rolls?
If you want to have warm, delicious pumpkin spice cinnamon rolls first thing in the morning, you’ll want to pop these babies in the refrigerator overnight. This means you’ll want to make the dough, let it have its first rise, fill, roll, and slice them the evening before. I find that if I start by around 5 or 6pm then night before that gives me the perfect amount of time in the morning to bake these off.
Just put the rolls in your greased baking dish before their second rise, cover them with plastic wrap, and put them in the refrigerator. When you’re ready to bake, take them out and let them sit at room temperature for about 2 hours until they’re properly proofed.
Can I use instant yeast instead of active dry yeast?
Yes, you can use instant yeast in place of the active dry yeast, just skip the yeast proofing step at the beginning of the recipe and add the yeast straight to the dough.
What to use instead of pumpkin pie spice?
Don’t worry, you can use a mixture of 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ground allspice, 1/4 tsp ground ginger, and 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg in place of the pumpkin pie spice I have listed in the recipe.
Can I store cinnamon rolls?
Yes, I’d recommend storing them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. When you’re ready to eat one, just take it out of the container and microwave it for about 20 seconds.
Can I make pumpkin spice cinnamon rolls ahead?
Look under “how to make these overnight cinnamon rolls” a few lines up^
These pumpkin spice cinnamon rolls are a fall staple, and when you bake them I think you’ll understand why. I hope you love them as much as I do, and don’t forget to share some with your family, friends, and neighbors.
If you make this recipe be sure to tag me on socials @sarahsdayoff so I can see the beauties!!! If you have any questions about this recipe or any others on my site, you can reach out to me at sarah@sarahsdayoff.com and I’d be happy to chat with you!
Love,
Sarah
“The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.” -Lamentations 3:22-23-
Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Rolls with Maple Icing
Ingredients
For the Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
- 1/3 cup lukewarm whole milk*
- 1 Tbsp active dry yeast
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 3 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 3 cups (437g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1 tsp kosher salt
For the Filling
- 1/3 cup dark brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
For the Maple Icing
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 4 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
- 2 Tbsp pure maple syrup
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- Pinch of kosher salt
Instructions
For the Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
- Combine the milk and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment. Let stand for 5 minutes or until the yeast is bubbling slightly and foamy (this is your sign that the yeast is alive. If this doesn't happen, you need to get fresh yeast).
- Beat in the butter, pumpkin, egg, and sugar until smooth, about 1 minute.
- Add the flour, pumpkin pie spice, and salt; beat on medium-high speed until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and is no longer too tacky, about 5 to 7 minutes.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Place the bowl in a warm place (I heat my oven to 95°F and place the bowl in the bottom of the oven) until doubled in size, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
For the filling
- While the dough is rising, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice in a small bowl.
- Punch the dough down using the fist of your hand (this will help expel some gases), and turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a 12- x 18-inch rectangle.
- Evenly spread the butter all over the dough using an offset spatula or a knife, leaving a 1/2-inch border on each side. Sprinkle the brown sugar mixture all over the butter.
- Starting with one of the long ends, tightly roll the dough from end to end and gently punch the edges together to seal.
- Cut the dough into 1 1/2-inch thick sections using a sharp knife or a strand of unscented dental floss. Place the rolls 2-inches apart on a lightly greased baking sheet; cover tightly with plastic wrap and let proof in a warm place until puffy, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.**
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake 22 to 25 minutes or until edges are just golden brown.
For the Maple Icing
- Beat the butter, cream cheese, and maple syrup in a medium bowl until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt and beat until smooth. Spread the icing over the warm rolls.
Notes
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I’d give this recipe 6 stars if I could – so good