These pumpkin cinnamon rolls with maple cream cheese frosting are the perfect fall weekend treat. Tender pumpkin dough is filled with a swirl of pumpkin pie spices and slathered with a decadent maple-flavored cream cheese frosting.
What's not to love? I'm pretty sure they'll be the best cinnamon rolls you've ever tasted.
I have to admit, I'm not a huge fan of pumpkin spice lattes. I know, I know. I'm a weirdo. I do, however, love pumpkin sweet treats, so these cinnamon rolls are right up my alley. And paired with a maple-flavored cream cheese frosting? I'm sold.
If you're looking for other sweet pumpkin breakfast treats for fall, you'll love this Pumpkin French Toast Casserole. Christmas morning is another time of year when I'm looking for prep ahead breakfasts.
For more of those, you'll definitely want to check out my recipes for Bananas Foster Bread and Double-Dipped Chocolate Brioche French Toast. This overnight breakfast casserole is a great option too.
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Ingredients
Before we get started, let’s gather the ingredients we need for this cinnamon roll recipe.
- whole milk
- salted butter
- granulated sugar
- rapid rise yeast
- canned pumpkin
- pumpkin pie spice
- ground cinnamon
- light brown sugar
- kosher salt
- large egg
- all-purpose flour
- cream cheese
- maple extract
- vanilla extract
- powdered sugar
(See recipe card for quantities.)
Instructions
Now that we’ve got our ingredients, it’s time to get baking!
First, heat the sugar, 2 tablespoons butter, and milk. Whisk in the yeast until dissolved and let stand for 10 minutes until the mixture is foamy. (With quick-rising yeast, you don't need to pre-activate the yeast in warm milk, but I like to anyway just to make sure my dough will rise.)
Next, beat the pumpkin, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt at medium speed with a heavy-duty stand mixer until combined. Add the milk mixture and egg, and beat until combined. Gradually add in the flour, beating after each addition until the mixture forms a dough. (The dough should still be a little sticky.)
Then, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until elastic and smooth, adding more flour if necessary. Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let the dough rise in a warm spot until doubled in size.
Punch the dough down and roll out into an 18- x 12-inch rectangle. Combine the melted butter, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon and spread evenly over the dough.
Roll up the dough tightly from the long side. Trim the edges, and cut the dough into 12 equal pieces. Place in a lightly greased baking pan. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size. Uncover and bake until golden brown and cooked through.
Finally, while the cinnamon rolls bake, stir together the maple cream cheese frosting ingredients. Spread onto the warm cinnamon rolls before serving.
Hint #1: Look for maple extract in the baking aisle at your grocery store. It's usually with the vanilla extract. Note that maple syrup is not the same thing--it'll make your frosting extremely runny. If you can't find maple extract at the store, you can always order it online. Or, substitute more vanilla extract if you prefer.
Hint #2: To make sure all of the rolls are the same size, I make small indentions in the dough with a chef's knife or serrated knife so I know where to cut.
Substitutions
Out of one or more of these ingredients or need to change these homemade cinnamon rolls? Check out these substitution suggestions:
- Pumpkin pie spice - if you don't have pumpkin pie spice, you can make your own. Here's any easy homemade pumpkin spice recipe.
- Maple extract - use more vanilla extract instead of maple extract (although I highly recommend the maple.)
- Sweet potato - canned sweet potato is a great alternative to canned pumpkin.
Variations
Looking for even more ways to make this recipe your own? I've got you covered!
- Bacon - everything's better with bacon, right? Sprinkle the top of these cream cheese-frosted sweet rolls with a little crumbled bacon.
- Nuts - sprinkle the frosted rolls with your favorite chopped nuts. Personally, I love candied pecans.
- Kid friendly - we love sprinkles in our house. Top these cinnamon rolls with your kid's favorite sprinkles to make them even more enticing.
Equipment
Here's what you'll need to make this recipe:
- liquid measuring cup
- measuring spoons
- dry measuring cups
- small saucepan
- instant-read thermometer
- heavy-duty stand mixer
- large mixing bowl
- Rolling Pin
- pastry brush
- 13- x 9-inch baking pan
- wire cooling rack
- hand mixer
Storage
To store any cinnamon roll leftovers, cover tightly or place in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
The cinnamon rolls can be frozen, but I recommend freezing them unfrosted. Freeze unfrosted rolls for up to 3 months in an airtight container.
Tasty tip
You can cut the dough into rounds using a very sharp knife or serrated knife, but I like to use unflavored dental floss instead. The dental floss prevents squishing the dough and keeps the rolls in a more uniform shape.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Once the pumpkin cinnamon rolls have been frosted with the cream cheese icing, they'll need to be stored in the refrigerator to prevent them from spoiling.
It will. The frosting will become thick and hard to spread once it's chilled. So, if you make the cream cheese frosting ahead of time and refrigerate it, just make sure to let it come to room temperature before spreading it on the warm rolls.
If your frosting is too runny, there's a good chance it has too much liquid in it. Add a little more powdered sugar (and a pinch or two of salt to combat the sweetness). A runny cream cheese frosting can also be the result of it becoming too hot. Pop the frosting in the fridge for about 10 to 15 minutes to help thicken it.
I add maple extract. It's the perfect pairing for these ooey gooey cinnamon rolls.
Yeasted cinnamon rolls, like these, need time to rise; usually a first rise after you knead the dough, and a second rise once you've cut the dough into individual rolls. If you don't allow the dough to rise and create air bubbles, that fluffy dough you're after won't happen. Instead, you'll have dense, hard, and chewy cinnamon rolls which is not ideal.
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🍽Get the recipe
Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
Equipment
- liquid measuring cup
- measuring spoons
- dry measuring cups
- small saucepan
- instant-read thermometer
- heavy-duty stand mixer
- large mixing bowl
- Rolling Pin
- pastry brush
- 13- x 9-inch baking pan
- wire cooling rack
- hand mixer
Ingredients
For the dough:
- ⅓ cup whole milk
- 2 tablespoon salted butter
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 (¼-ounce) packet Rapid Rise yeast
- ½ cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
- ¼ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 large egg
- 2 ¾ to 3 ¼ cups all-purpose flour (plus more for dusting)
For the filling:
- 6 tablespoon salted butter, melted and cooled
- ½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the maple-cream cheese frosting:
- 1 (8-ounce) block cream cheese, softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoon maple extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon whole milk
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Start the dough: Combine ⅓ cup milk, 2 tablespoons butter, and granulated sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat, and heat until a thermometer registers between 125°F and 130°F. (If it goes above 130°F, let it cool to that range. Otherwise, you'll kill the yeast). Whisk in the yeast, and let it stand until foamy (about 10 minutes).
- Beat the pumpkin, ¼ cup brown sugar, ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, and ¼ teaspoon salt at medium speed with a heavy-duty stand mixer until combined. Add the milk mixture and egg, and beat until combined. Gradually add in 2 ¾ cups flour, beating after each addition until the mixture forms a dough, scraping down the sides of the bowl if needed. (The dough should still be a little sticky.)
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until elastic and smooth, adding ¼ to ½ cup more flour if necessary. (The dough should no longer stick to your hands or the surface.)
- Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise in a warm place, free from drafts, 1 ½ hours or until doubled in size.
- Punch the dough down and roll out into an 18- x 12-inch rectangle. Combine the melted butter, ½ cup brown sugar, 1 ½ tablespoons pumpkin pie spice, and ½ teaspoon cinnamon in a bowl. Spread the pumpkin spice cinnamon mixture evenly over the dough.
- Roll up the dough tightly from the long side, and trim the edges. Cut the dough into 12 equal pieces, and place in a lightly greased 13- by 9-inch baking pan. Cover with plastic wrap. Let it rise in a warm place, free from drafts, 1 more hour or until doubled in size.
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Bake the cinnamon rolls 24 to 26 minutes or until done. Remove to a wire rack.
- While the rolls bake, make the maple cream cheese frosting: Beat the cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add the powdered sugar, and beat until combined. Add the maple extract and milk, and beat until combined.
- To serve, spread the maple cream cheese frosting over the warm cinnamon rolls.
Recipe guidelines and test kitchen tips
When developing and testing recipes, here are some key things that I do for more success in the kitchen:
- Be sure to use dry measuring cups for things like flour, sugar, and mayonnaise and a liquid measuring cup for things like water, milk, and broth.
- When measuring dry ingredients like flour and powdered sugar that can pack down, spoon the ingredient into a dry measuring cup and level with a knife as opposed to scooping the measuring cup into the ingredient.
- I test and develop recipes using a standard electric oven and standard gas stovetop. Be aware that if you use an electric stovetop or convection oven, your bake times will be different.
- When recipes call for kosher salt, I use Diamond Crystal kosher salt.
Food safety
Keep these few food safety things in mind when making this recipe
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat or eggs
- Wash your hands after touching raw meat or eggs
- Don't leave leftovers sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
Ieva says
I absolutely loved this recipe. After finding a can of pumpkin puree from last year at the back of my cupboard, I decided to make these rolls, and I was not disappointed. Super soft and delicious, and your cream cheese frosting was simply divine!
AshleyFreeman says
Hooray! Thanks so much Leva!
Kerri says
These cinnamon rolls were so delicious! Perfect breakfast time treat!
AshleyFreeman says
Thanks so much Kerri!
Gianne says
The warm, spiced pumpkin flavor combined perfectly with the sweet and tangy frosting, creating a cozy, autumnal treat that everyone loved. These rolls are now a must-have for our fall gatherings, and I can't wait to bake them again!
AshleyFreeman says
Yay! Thanks so much for your kind note Gianne. So glad they were a hit!
Kathleen says
Yummy! Fabulous, warm spices in a cinnamon roll? yes, please. My family are going to love these.
AshleyFreeman says
It's a family favorite recipe at our house!
Stacey Crawford says
These are so good! I love the pumpkin flavor with the cream cheese frosting!
AshleyFreeman says
Me too! Perfect way to celebrate fall!