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Soft and fluffy pumpkin cinnamon rolls featuring pumpkin-spiced dough loaded with brown sugar and pumpkin pie spice, finished with a luscious brown butter cream cheese frosting. Can be made ahead and baked fresh in the morning for a cozy fall treat.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 ¼ teaspoons instant dry yeast (1 standard American package)
  • 6 oz (¾ cup) warm water (about 115°F/46°C)
  • 50 grams (¼ cup) granulated sugar
  • 15 tablespoons butter, browned and divided (about 12 tablespoons needed for dough, filling, and frosting)
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon dry milk powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 5.3 oz (⅔ cup) pure pumpkin puree, room temperature (not pumpkin pie filling)
  • 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice (plus additional for filling)
  • 406 – 468 grams (3 ¼ – 3 ¾ cups) all-purpose flour
  • 150 grams (¾ cup) brown sugar
  • 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (for filling)
  • 3 oz (6 tablespoons) browned butter, melted (for brushing dough)
  • 4 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature
  • 2 oz (¼ cup) browned butter, softened to room temperature (for frosting)
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons heavy cream
  • 180 grams (1 ½ cups) confectioners’ sugar

Instructions

  1. Brown about 15 tablespoons butter in a light-colored pan over medium heat, stirring often, until milk solids are golden and butter smells nutty; divide and reserve melted brown butter for dough, filling, and chill remaining for frosting.
  2. Dissolve instant dry yeast in warm water (about 115°F/46°C) in mixer bowl; let sit 5 minutes until frothy.
  3. Mix granulated sugar, melted browned butter, room-temperature egg, dry milk powder, salt, and room-temperature pumpkin puree into yeast mixture until combined.
  4. Add 3¼ cups of flour and 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice to wet mixture; mix until just combined.
  5. Attach dough hook and knead on medium speed about 8 minutes, scraping bowl as needed; add remaining flour 1 tablespoon at a time if dough is very sticky, until soft and slightly tacky.
  6. Preheat oven to 200°F (93°C), then turn off to create a warm proofing spot.
  7. Lightly oil large bowl; place dough inside, turn to coat, cover with clean kitchen towel, and set bowl in warm oven to rise until doubled (about 45 minutes to 1 hour).
  8. Punch down risen dough gently; turn out onto floured surface and shape into ball.
  9. Roll dough into roughly 16×14-inch rectangle.
  10. Brush dough evenly with about 3 oz (6 tablespoons) melted browned butter.
  11. Whisk together brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon; sprinkle mixture evenly over buttered dough.
  12. Roll dough tightly into log, lightly score into 12 equal sections, and slice into individual rolls using unflavored dental floss or serrated knife.
  13. Place rolls cut-side up in greased 9×13-inch baking dish; cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate overnight or let rise at room temperature about 30 minutes if baking same day.
  14. If refrigerated, remove pan in morning and let rolls sit at room temperature about 45 minutes to warm and rise before baking.
  15. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C); bake rolls 22–27 minutes until golden and internal temperature is about 190°F (88°C); cool 5–10 minutes in pan.
  16. While rolls bake, beat softened cream cheese and room-temperature browned butter (about 2 oz) in mixer on medium-high for 2 minutes until fluffy.
  17. Add vanilla extract, heavy cream, and confectioners’ sugar; mix on low to combine; beat on high about 4 minutes until silky and smooth.
  18. Spread frosting generously over warm rolls so it melts in.

Notes

Use pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling, for best results., You can swap plain melted butter for browned butter for a milder butter flavor., Add ½ cup toasted chopped pecans or walnuts to the filling for crunch., Try mixing 1–2 tablespoons pure maple syrup into frosting for maple flavor., Make mini rolls by slicing into 16–20 pieces; reduce bake time accordingly., Swap frosting for streusel topping made of butter, brown sugar, flour, and oats for variation., Add 1–2 teaspoons fresh orange zest to filling or frosting for citrus note., Reduce pumpkin puree to ½ cup and add 2–4 tablespoons milk/water for milder pumpkin flavor., Store leftover rolls in airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days; refrigerate leftovers with frosting 24–48 hours for best texture., Freeze baked rolls (without frosting or wrapped tightly with frosting) up to 2 months; thaw overnight refrigerated before reheating., Unbaked rolls can be refrigerated overnight or frozen; thaw and let rise before baking.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://margorecipes.com/pumpkin-cinnamon-rolls-make-right-now-or-make-ahead/