These pumpkin spice cinnamon rolls have a gooey, brown sugar pecan filling and are topped with a light, maple cream cheese frosting! They have a ton of pumpkin flavor in both the dough AND the filling for a cozy fall breakfast that you can enjoy on a chilly fall morning with a homemade pumpkin spice latte!
Best of all, you can prep them the night before and then just pop them in the oven first thing in the morning for breakfast for a lazy holiday morning!
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Why You'll Love These Cinnamon Rolls!
- Soft and fluffy pumpkin brioche dough
- Filled with tons of sweet pumpkin spice and crunchy pecans
- Topped with light maple cream cheese frosting
- Rise overnight so they're easy to just pop in the oven for breakfast
- Perfect for a cozy fall morning!
You might also like this pumpkin spice biscotti or these maple bacon cupcakes!
Ingredient Notes
You only need a few ingredients to make these pumpkin spice cinnamon rolls with maple cream cheese glaze!
Pumpkin Puree - I almost exclusively use Libby's Pumpkin because it really is the best of the best! A ton of people have run blind taste tests comparing different brands of pumpkin puree, and Libby's is always the winner!
Pumpkin Pie Spice - You can buy pumpkin pie spice at most grocery stores, or just make your own with spices from your pantry!
Pecans - This recipe works best with plain, unsalted, dry roasted pecans! You could also substitute toasted walnuts or just leave out the nuts all together.
Instant Yeast - The yeast is what helps the dough rise! I like using instant yeast (as opposed to active dry yeast) because you don't need to bloom it first.
Whole Milk - The whole milk helps keep the brioche dough tender, but you can substitute skim milk or water if you prefer.
Pure Maple Syrup - If you do nothing else, please use REAL maple syrup for the cream cheese glaze! It can be a little pricey but the flavor is unmatched! Use dark maple syrup for the most robust flavor!
The complete list of ingredients and amounts is located in the recipe card below.
How to Make Cinnamon Rolls
You can make these pumpkin cinnamon rolls in one day or let them rise in the fridge overnight! I've included instructions for both options!
Using a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment, combine all dough ingredients (flour, sugar, pumpkin spice, instant yeast, salt, eggs, softened butter, pumpkin puree, and milk) and mix on a low speed until the dough comes together as a smooth cohesive mass (5-10 minutes).
The dough should be slightly sticky. If it's too dry and won't come together, add an additional tablespoon or two of milk. If the dough is too sticky, add in an additional tablespoon or two of flour.
Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour. It will roughly double in size.
While the dough is rising prepare the pumpkin filling. In a medium bowl, combine the softened butter, pumpkin puree, brown sugar, pumpkin spice, and crushed pecans. Mix together until it forms a thick paste. Set aside.
Grease the bottom and sides of a 9x13 inch baking dish and set aside.
Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface and roll into a large 13x15 inch rectangle. Try to make the edges as even as possible. If the dough keeps shrinking back as you roll it out, cover and let it rest for 5-10 minutes to help the gluten relax before rolling again.
Spread the pumpkin pecan filling in an even layer over the top of dough, leaving about an inch of space at the top of the long end (this helps to seal the log).
Beginning at the long end, roll up tightly and pinch to seal. If desired, trim about ½ inch off of each end so that the log is 12 inches long.
For even slices, measure the dough and score the top at even intervals (about 1 inch apart).
Then using a very sharp serrated knife, or unflavored dental floss, cut the log into 12 1-inch pieces. [To cut with dental floss, break off a long piece and carefully slide underneath the dough. Then pull the ends of the floss and cross over the top. Pull gently to slice cleanly through the dough.]
Arrange the cinnamon rolls in the greased baking dish.
Same Day Option: Cover loosely and let rise at room temperature for about 1 hour or until the dough has puffed up and filled in some of the empty space.
Overnight Option: Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to rise overnight (8-16 hours). The next morning, remove from the fridge at let rise at room temperature for 1 hour before baking.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Bake the pumpkin cinnamon rolls for 20-30 minutes or until they are golden brown and cooked through. The filling will be bubbly.
Remove from the oven and let cool slightly while you make the glaze.
Spread the maple cream cheese frosting over the warm pumpkin spice cinnamon rolls and enjoy with a homemade pumpkin spice latte!
Tips for the Best Baked Goods
Use room temperature ingredients! Always make sure ingredients like butter, eggs, milk, yogurt, etc. are at room temperature before baking (unless the recipe indicates otherwise)! This ensures they'll incorporate into the batter more easily and leads to overall better texture. Remove all ingredients from the fridge 30 minutes to an hour before baking for best results.
Measure your flour correctly! It's most accurate to use a kitchen scale, but if you're measuring by volume you want to spoon and level! Fluff up the flour a bit with a spoon, and then spoon flour into the measuring cup. Once it's overflowing, use the back of a knife to level it off. Don't ever pack flour into the measuring cup or you'll end up with way too much! Improperly measured flour can lead to dry, dense baked goods. [Measure cocoa powder the same way!]
Use an oven thermometer! Just because your oven says it's 350, doesn't mean it is! If you oven hasn't been calibrated recently, it can be as much as 30 degrees off, which will negatively affect all baked goods from cakes to macarons! An oven thermometer is the easiest/cheapest way to ensure your oven is always at the proper temperature.
Make sure you baking powder is fresh! Baking powder is important for helping baked goods rise properly, but it has a relatively short shelf life once opened, so it's one of the few items I never buy in bulk! To test if your baking powder is still fresh, add a small amount to boiling water. If it bubbles it's still good to use, but if not it's time to toss it!
Recipe FAQ's
Cover and store in the fridge for up to 5 days. They can be stored either frosted or unfrosted!
Pop in the microwave for about 30 seconds and they'll almost taste like they just came out of the oven!
Tips for Success!
For best results I always recommend using weight measurements (especially when baking) because it's the most accurate. Kitchen scales are super affordable and also reduce the number of dishes you have to do! However, all my recipes also include US customary measurements for convince. Use this chart to convert measurements for common ingredients!
Substitutions: In all my recipes, I've included substitutions that I know will work, but I cannot guarantee results if you substitute ingredients that I have not recommended. [For example, granulated sugar and honey are indeed both sweeteners but they have very different properties so they can not always be swapped 1:1. Using honey in a cookie recipe that calls for granulated sugar will yield a giant mess.] In the recipe card you'll find links to the specific ingredients/brands that I use.
A note on salt: I almost exclusively use Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt because it's the best all-purpose salt for cooking and baking. If you're not using kosher salt, consult this handy guide for a conversion chart! When in doubt, if you're using table salt just reduce the amount by half for baked goods. When cooking, I prefer to under-salt because you can always add more! If you've over-salted, adding a little bit of acid (like lemon juice) can help.
More Pumpkin Recipes You Might Like!
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Recipe Card
Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Rolls
Special Equipment
Ingredients
Dough
- 4 cups all purpose flour
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- 2 teaspoons instant yeast
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- ¼ cup pumpkin puree
- ¾ cup whole milk
Pumpkin Filling
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- ¾ cup light brown sugar
- ¼ cup pumpkin puree
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- ½ cup toasted pecans, finely chopped
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup maple syrup, more as needed
Instructions
Dough
- You can make these pumpkin cinnamon rolls in one day or let them rise in the fridge overnight! I've included instructions for both options!
- Using a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment, combine all dough ingredients (flour, sugar, pumpkin spice, instant yeast, salt, eggs, softened butter, pumpkin puree, and milk) and mix on a low speed until the dough comes together as a smooth cohesive mass (5-10 minutes).
- The dough should be slightly sticky. If it's too dry and won't come together, add an additional tablespoon or two of milk. If the dough is too sticky, add in an additional tablespoon or two of flour.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour. It will roughly double in size.
Pumpkin Filling
- While the dough is rising prepare the pumpkin filling.
- In a medium bowl, combine the softened butter, brown sugar, pumpkin puree, pumpkin spice, and crushed pecans. Mix together until it forms a thick paste. Set aside.
Assembly
- Grease the bottom and sides of a 9x13 inch baking dish and set aside.
- Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface and roll into a large 13x15 inch rectangle. Try to make the edges as even as possible. If the dough keeps shrinking back as you roll it out, cover and let it rest for 5-10 minutes to help the gluten relax before rolling again.
- Spread the pumpkin pecan filling in an even layer over the top of dough, leaving about an inch of space at the top of the long end (this helps to seal the log).
- Beginning at the long end, roll up tightly and pinch to seal. If desired, trim about ½ inch off of each end so that the log is 12 inches long.
- For even slices, measure the dough and score the top at even intervals (about 1 inch apart).
- Then using a very sharp serrated knife, or unflavored dental floss, cut the log into 12 1-inch pieces. [To cut with dental floss, break off a long piece and carefully slide underneath the dough. Then pull the ends of the floss and cross over the top. Pull gently to slice cleanly through the dough.]
- Arrange the cinnamon rolls in the greased baking dish.
- Same Day Option: Cover loosely and let rise at room temperature for about 1 hour or until the dough has puffed up and filled in some of the empty space.
- Overnight Option: Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to rise overnight (8-16 hours). The next morning, remove from the fridge at let rise at room temperature for 1 hour before baking.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Bake the pumpkin cinnamon rolls for 20-30 minutes or until they are golden brown and cooked through. The filling will be bubbly.
- Remove from the oven and let cool slightly while you make the glaze.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Using a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the softened cream cheese and butter until fully combined and smooth. Then add in the powdered sugar and salt and mix until fully incorporated.
- Then slowly drizzle in the maple syrup until the glaze reaches your desired consistency. [I like mine thick like frosting, but you can add in a little extra maple syrup to make it more like a thin glaze.]
- Spread the maple cream cheese frosting over the warm pumpkin spice cinnamon rolls and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Bonnie says
Absolutely delicious! The instructions were so easy to follow and they turned out beautifully. This is going into the ‘keeper’ recipes for sure!
Christina says
If you are like me, I LOVE making bread products, and I do not own a stand mixer. This dough can be done by hand, it just takes desire and patience. It does require a few extra pinches of flour, but you can knead the dough to the correct stage, where it is no longer sticking to the counter or your hands but still stickier than normal bread doughs. This is what bakers consider an enriched dough and completely worth the hard work. This recipe is definitely a keeper, thank you so much for sharing this! Will be making this frequently throughout the fall/winter season. One last tip for the best results, always use the metric/weighted ingredients and the finished product will come out perfect every time.
Julie says
I made these for my husband, he loves all things pumpkin. They were very easy to make and so delicious. I did use the maple syrup in the glaze. At first it seemed really sweet but with the pumpkin in the rolls it balanced perfectly. They were so warm and gooey and perfect fall recipe. I can't wait to make them for my daughter when she visits she'll go crazy for these. Thank you so much for sharing your recipe we truly enjoyed the rolls. Highly recommend!