Autumn has arrived, and I’m all in. If you want a cozy breakfast for a crisp morning, these super-fluffy pumpkin cinnamon rolls with brown butter frosting are exactly what you need.
To me, autumn means pumpkins everywhere. On a New England road trip one fall, I loved seeing porches piled with them. On that trip Will and I stopped in Warner, New Hampshire — a tiny town with quirky attractions and a diner that claimed to have New Hampshire’s best cinnamon rolls. We ordered one to go and the server heated it up; it took a long time because it was enormous. It was the biggest cinnamon roll I’ve seen, and even the two of us couldn’t finish it.
Ingredients:
- Pumpkin puree — In some places canned pumpkin is easier to find now; buy pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling.
- Maple syrup — I use real maple syrup for its depth of flavor, but maple-flavored golden syrup could work in a pinch.
- Cream cheese — Adds that tangy note to the frosting.
Baking Tips & FAQs
You can mix your own: cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves and a pinch of cardamom recreate pumpkin pie spice.
For easy rolling, the filling should be spreadable but not runny. I mix room-temperature butter with brown sugar and spices and spread that on the dough. If it’s too firm, warm it for 15–20 seconds in the microwave.
Yes. Start the dough in the afternoon, refrigerate overnight, then let the rolls come to room temperature and rise about an hour before baking.
How to make cinnamon bun dough
This is a rich brioche-style dough made with eggs, milk, flour, yeast, butter, maple syrup and pumpkin puree. I adapted it from a classic cinnamon-roll approach and swapped some eggs for pumpkin puree to add moisture, color and a subtle pumpkin flavor. The dough requires a bit of time—part of the process uses a stretch-and-fold technique (similar to sourdough). You’ll stretch the dough, fold it over itself several times, then let it rest. Repeating this every 30 minutes for about two hours builds structure and produces a light, airy crumb.
Recipe
Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Brown Butter Frosting
Ella Gilbert
Pin Recipe
12 rolls
Equipment
-
9×13 inch pan
Ingredients
Dough
- 2 eggs
- 175 ml whole milk
- 75 ml maple syrup
- 568 g flour
- 2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 142 g unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into pieces
- 200 g canned pumpkin puree
Filling
- 113 g unsalted butter, room temperature
- 170 g light brown sugar
- 1 ½ tbsp pumpkin pie spice
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
Frosting
- 85 g unsalted butter
- 113 g cream cheese, room temperature
- 150 g icing sugar
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Weigh your ingredients with a kitchen scale for the best results.
Instructions
Make Dough
- Grease a large bowl. In a measuring jug, combine eggs, pumpkin, milk and maple syrup.
- In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mix flour, yeast and salt briefly on low. Add the egg mixture and continue on low. While the mixer runs, add the butter one piece at a time. When all butter is incorporated, increase to medium and mix until combined. Transfer dough to the greased bowl, cover and let rise 30 minutes.
- Use the stretch-and-fold method: pull the dough up and fold it over itself 6–8 times around the bowl. Cover and rest 30 minutes. Repeat this cycle for a total of four stretch-and-folds over about two hours. Tightly cover and refrigerate overnight.
- The next morning, turn the dough onto a floured surface, knead 10–12 times, shape into a ball and cover until it reaches room temperature.
- Grease a 9×13 inch pan or line it with parchment.
- In a mixer bowl, blend the filling ingredients with the paddle until smooth.
- Roll the dough into a 16×12 inch rectangle. Spread the filling evenly, leaving a ½-inch border. Starting on the long side, roll into a tight cylinder, pinch the seam, and cut into 12 pieces. Place cut rolls seam-side down in the pan, cover, and let rise 1½ hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake 30–35 minutes until golden brown.
Make Frosting
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook until lightly browned and nutty-smelling, about 4–5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
- In a bowl, beat together the cooled brown butter, cream cheese, icing sugar, cinnamon and vanilla until smooth. Spread over warm rolls.
Leave a comment below! You can also tag me on Instagram @alpineella so I can see what you made.
Other Recipes To Try:
- Cheesecake Swirl Pumpkin Bread
- Cinnamon Sugar Soft Pretzels
- Chocolate Gingerbread Babka