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Soft, pillowy pumpkin cinnamon rolls topped with a creamy vanilla bean maple cinnamon roll frosting, perfect for cozy fall weekends. This small-batch recipe yields nine fluffy rolls with warm seasonal flavors.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2/3 cup milk
  • 2 tsp active dry yeast
  • 3 tbsp butter, melted
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 large egg, at room temperature
  • 1/3 cup pumpkin puree, at room temperature
  • 2 2/3 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 cup butter, softened (for filling)
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar (for filling)
  • 1 tbsp cinnamon (for filling)
  • 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice (for filling)
  • 1/3 cup heavy cream (to brush before baking)
  • 4 oz cream cheese, at room temperature (for frosting)
  • 3 tbsp maple syrup (for frosting)
  • 4 tbsp butter, at room temperature (for frosting)
  • 1/3 cup powdered sugar (for frosting)
  • 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract (for frosting)

Instructions

  1. Warm 2/3 cup milk in microwave about 60 seconds until 105–110°F, let cool if too hot, and set aside.
  2. Pour warm milk into mixer bowl, stir in 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, sprinkle 2 tsp active dry yeast on top, stir, and let bloom about 5 minutes until foamy.
  3. Whisk together 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour, remaining granulated sugar, 2 tbsp brown sugar, 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice, and 1/2 tsp salt in a medium bowl.
  4. Add 3 tbsp melted butter, 1 tsp vanilla, 1 large room-temperature egg, and 1/3 cup pumpkin puree to the milk mixture and mix with paddle attachment until combined.
  5. Swap to a dough hook, add flour mixture to wet ingredients, and knead 7–10 minutes until dough is soft and pulls away from bowl; add flour 1 tablespoon at a time if too sticky.
  6. Shape dough into ball, place in lightly greased bowl, cover with damp towel, and let rise in warm spot for 30 minutes.
  7. In small bowl, mix 1/4 cup softened butter, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1 tbsp cinnamon, and 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice until spreadable.
  8. Dust work surface with flour and roll dough into 14.5 x 12-inch rectangle.
  9. Spread butter filling evenly over dough, sprinkle cinnamon sugar mixture evenly, and press lightly into butter.
  10. Starting at the long edge, roll dough tightly into a log, pinch seam to seal, trim about 1/4 inch off each end, and cut log into 9 equal slices using dental floss or a sharp knife.
  11. Place sliced rolls snugly into buttered 8×8-inch pan, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in warm place 15–20 minutes until puffed and nearly doubled; preheat oven to 350°F meanwhile.
  12. Gently pour 1/3 cup heavy cream over risen rolls and bake 22–28 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.
  13. Let rolls cool about 5 minutes.
  14. While rolls bake, whisk together 4 oz room-temperature cream cheese, 4 tbsp room-temperature butter, 3 tbsp maple syrup, 1/3 cup powdered sugar, and 1 tsp vanilla bean paste until smooth, adjusting powdered sugar or milk for spreadable consistency.
  15. Spread frosting over warm rolls and serve.

Notes

Use dental floss instead of a knife to cut rolls for perfectly round slices., Milk temperature is important to activate yeast without killing it; aim for warm, not hot., Room temperature eggs prevent melted butter from seizing and improve dough texture., Rub sugar gently into butter filling for better adhesion and flavor distribution., Frosting can be swapped with classic cream cheese, browned-butter glaze, or salted caramel drizzle., Add chopped pecans or walnuts inside filling or on top for texture and flavor., Try streusel topping for a crunchy contrast., Spices can be varied to include ginger, cardamom, additional pumpkin pie spice, or cinnamon and nutmeg as an alternative., Make mini rolls in a muffin tin or double batch for larger pans, adjusting bake times accordingly., Recipe is adaptable to dairy-free/vegan by using plant-based milk, vegan butter, and dairy-free cream cheese., Store leftovers in airtight container in fridge up to 5 days; reheat in microwave or oven., Freeze baked or assembled rolls properly wrapped; thaw overnight in fridge before reheating., Frosting can be frozen and thawed with stirring to restore texture.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://margorecipes.com/the-best-fluffy-and-soft-pumpkin-cinnamon-rolls/