Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting

My Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls are the coziest fall bake: soft, fluffy rolls swirled with pumpkin spice filling and finished with a rich cream cheese frosting.

If you loved these, you should also try my apple pie cinnamon rolls for another cozy, fruity twist, my banana cinnamon rolls for something sweet and nostalgic, or my chocolate espresso cinnamon rolls for a tangy, sourdough version.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• Cozy fall flavor in every bite: Cinnamon, nutmeg, and real pumpkin make these taste like the season — the same warm spice I love in my sourdough pumpkin cream cheese muffins.
• Soft, fluffy, and gooey: Pumpkin purée keeps the dough tender and moist, so the rolls stay pillowy for days.
• That cream cheese frosting: Tangy and rich, it melts into the warm rolls for a cheesecake-meets-cinnamon-roll finish.
• Perfect for a crowd: Ideal for Thanksgiving morning, a festive brunch, or gifting a pan to neighbors — as make-ahead friendly as my pumpkin banana bread muffins or my sourdough pumpkin french toast.
• Make-ahead friendly: Assemble the night before and bake fresh in the morning (full overnight instructions below). If you love make-ahead breakfast, make sure my biscoff overnight oats are on your radar.

Ingredients You'll Need

For the dough:

• whole milk + active dry yeast + sugar: Warmed and bloomed to give the rolls a fluffy rise.
• pumpkin purée: Adds moisture, color, and cozy flavor to the dough, just like in my chewy pumpkin cookies and my sourdough pumpkin cheesecake cookies.
• melted butter + eggs: For a rich, tender, enriched dough.
• all-purpose flour + kosher salt: The structure and seasoning.
• cinnamon + nutmeg: Warm spice baked right into the dough.

For the filling:

• softened butter + light brown sugar: The gooey, caramelly swirl.
• cinnamon + optional ginger: For deep, warming spice.

For the cream cheese frosting:

• cream cheese + butter: The tangy, rich base.
• powdered sugar + vanilla + a splash of milk: For a smooth, spreadable finish.

See the recipe card for quantities.

Easy Substitutions & Variations

• Pumpkin purée: Sweet potato purée works for a slightly different but still cozy flavor.
• Butter: Plant-based butter works in both the dough and frosting.
• Yeast: Instant yeast can be substituted — skip the activation step and add it directly to the flour.
• Milk: Non-dairy milk works in both the dough and frosting.
• Maple cream cheese frosting: Add 1–2 tablespoons of maple syrup (omit the milk) for extra fall flavor.
• Nutty filling: Add chopped pecans or walnuts for crunch.
• Pumpkin spice blend: Swap the cinnamon and nutmeg for a pumpkin spice mix for deeper spice.
• Mini rolls: Slice smaller and bake in a muffin tin for individual rolls — the same trick I use for my pumpkin cheesecake cookies when I want individual portions.

How to Make Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting

Note: I bake by weight for accuracy. Cup measurements are approximate and may vary depending on how you scoop.

Step 1: Make the dough: Whisk the warm milk, pumpkin purée, sugar, and yeast; let it sit 5–10 minutes until foamy. Add the melted butter, eggs, flour, salt, and spices, then knead with a dough hook 6–8 minutes until smooth and slightly tacky.

Step 2: First rise: Transfer to a greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm spot 1–1 ½ hours, until doubled. Meanwhile, mix the filling.

Step 3: Shape and fill: Punch down the dough and roll into a 12x18-inch rectangle. Spread the filling evenly, roll up tightly from the long side, and cut into 12 pieces.

(Or cut into 12 strips and roll each up individually — my favorite way.) Arrange in a greased 9x13-inch pan and let rise again 45–60 minutes, until puffy.

Step 4: Bake and frost: Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 30 minutes, until lightly golden. Beat the frosting until smooth and spread over the warm rolls. Serve immediately for gooey goodness.

Weigh your ingredients! Using a kitchen scale ensures your measurements are accurate, which is key for getting consistent results in baking. It takes the guesswork out of measuring and helps your recipes turn out exactly as intended every time.

Overnight Instructions:

• Prepare the rolls as directed through the shaping step: mix the dough, let it rise, make the filling, roll up, cut, and arrange in the greased 9×13-inch pan.
• Cover tightly with plastic wrap or a reusable cover, then refrigerate overnight (8–16 hours). The slow, cold rise will develop flavor and keep the dough from over-proofing.
• The next morning, remove the pan from the refrigerator and let the rolls sit at room temperature for 45–75 minutes until noticeably puffy. If your kitchen is cool, it may take closer to the full 75 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) during the last 20 minutes of proofing.
• Bake as directed for 30 minutes, or until lightly golden on top.
• Frost and serve while warm for the softest, gooeyest rolls.

Expert Tips

1. Drizzle cream for extra gooey centers. Pour 2–3 tablespoons of heavy cream over the rolls right before baking — it softens the swirl layers and makes the filling almost caramel-like.
2. Check your milk temperature. Warm the milk to about 110°F — too hot will kill the yeast, too cool won't activate it.
3. Don't add too much flour. The dough should be smooth and slightly tacky; resist adding extra flour or the rolls will turn out dense.
4. Roll each strip individually. Cutting into strips and rolling them up one at a time gives cleaner, prettier swirls than slicing one big log.
5. Frost while warm. Spread the cream cheese frosting over warm (not hot) rolls so it melts slightly into every crevice.

What Makes This Recipe Special?

These are three fall favorites in one — pumpkin bread, cinnamon rolls, and cheesecake — swirled into a single cozy pan. The pumpkin keeps the dough exceptionally soft and moist, while the tangy cream cheese frosting balances all that warm spice. It's the same comfort I chase in my sourdough double chocolate banana muffins, just dressed up for autumn.

They're also endlessly giftable and make-ahead friendly, which makes them perfect for the holidays. Serve them with a pumpkin cream cold brew for the ultimate PSL-season morning, or add a batch of my healthy pumpkin spice latte breakfast muffins for a full fall brunch spread.

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls FAQs

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Cinnamon Rolls Troubleshooting Guide

Storage

• These rolls are best the day they're baked. Store leftovers covered at room temperature for 1 day, or in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat gently in the microwave or oven.
• They freeze beautifully — wrap baked, unfrosted rolls tightly in plastic and foil, freeze up to 2 months, then thaw overnight in the fridge and warm before frosting.

Other Cinnamon Rolls to Consider

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting

Audrey Grubb

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Cinnamon Rolls are fluffy pumpkin-spiced rolls filled with brown sugar cinnamon and topped with creamy frosting. Perfectly cozy, gooey, and festive, they’re ideal for fall mornings, Thanksgiving brunch, or holiday baking.

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Rest Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Total Time 2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Course Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 12 rolls

Calories 670 kcal

Equipment

• ▢
  Stand mixer with dough hook
• ▢
  Mixing bowls
• ▢
  Measuring cups and spoons
• ▢
  Kitchen Scale
• ▢
  Rolling Pin
• ▢
  9x13-inch baking dish
• ▢
  Sharp knife or bench scraper
• ▢
  Wire cooling rack
• ▢
  Offset spatula

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

For the dough

• ▢ 240 g whole milk 1 cup, warmed to 110°F (43°C)
• ▢ 100 g pumpkin purée ⅓ cup + 1 tbsp
• ▢ 100 g granulated sugar ½ cup
• ▢ 7 g active dry yeast 2 ¼ tsp
• ▢ 115 g unsalted butter ½ cup, melted and slightly cooled
• ▢ 2 large eggs room temperature
• ▢ 780 g all-purpose flour 6.5 cups
• ▢ 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ 1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ▢ ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

For the filling

• ▢ 170 g unsalted butter ¾ cup, softened
• ▢ 220 g light brown sugar packed (1 cup)
• ▢ 1 ½ tablespoon ground cinnamon
• ▢ ½ teaspoon ground ginger optional for warmth

For the cream cheese frosting

• ▢ 113 g cream cheese ½ cup, softened
• ▢ 60 g unsalted butter ¼ cup, softened
• ▢ 180–200 g powdered sugar 1 ½–1 ⅔ cups, sifted
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ Pinch of salt
• ▢ 1–2 teaspoon milk as needed for texture

Instructions

 

• Activate the yeast: In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk warm milk, pumpkin purée, sugar, and yeast. Let sit 5–10 minutes until foamy.
• Make the dough: Add melted butter, eggs, flour, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Using the dough hook, knead on medium speed for 6–8 minutes until smooth and slightly tacky.
• First rise: Transfer dough to a greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm spot for 1–1 ½ hours, or until doubled in size.
• Prepare the filling: In a small bowl, mix softened butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and ginger until well combined.
• Shape the rolls: Punch down the dough and roll into a 12×18-inch rectangle. Spread filling evenly over the surface. Roll up tightly from the long side, then cut into 12 even pieces. Arrange in a greased 9×13-inch pan.
• Second rise: Cover and let rise for 45–60 minutes, until puffy. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
• Bake: Bake for 30 minutes, until lightly golden on top.
• Make the frosting: Beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt; mix until creamy, adding milk if needed for a spreadable consistency.
• Frost and serve: Spread frosting over warm rolls and serve immediately for gooey goodness.

Notes

Disclaimer: I bake by weight for accuracy. Cup measurements are approximate and may vary depending on how you scoop.

Overnight Instructions:

• Prepare the rolls as directed through the shaping step: mix the dough, let it rise, make the filling, roll up, cut, and arrange in the greased 9×13-inch pan.
• Cover tightly with plastic wrap or a reusable cover, then refrigerate overnight (8–16 hours). The slow, cold rise will develop flavor and keep the dough from over-proofing.
• The next morning, remove the pan from the refrigerator and let the rolls sit at room temperature for 45–75 minutes until noticeably puffy. If your kitchen is cool, it may take closer to the full 75 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) during the last 20 minutes of proofing.
• Bake as directed for 25–28 minutes, until lightly golden on top.
• Frost and serve while warm for the softest, gooeyest rolls.

 

 Audrey’s Tip: If you want extra gooey centers, drizzle 2–3 tablespoons of heavy cream over the rolls right before baking—this softens the swirl layers and makes the filling almost caramel-like.

Storage: These rolls are best the day they’re baked, but you can store leftovers covered at room temperature for 1 day or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat gently in the microwave or oven before serving.

They also freeze beautifully. Wrap baked, unfrosted rolls tightly in plastic wrap and foil, freeze for up to 2 months, then thaw overnight in the fridge. Warm before frosting and serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 670kcalCarbohydrates: 94gProtein: 10gFat: 29gSaturated Fat: 18gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 107mgSodium: 339mgPotassium: 157mgFiber: 3gSugar: 43gVitamin A: 882IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 80mgIron: 3mg

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