Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting

This recipe is the perfect way to introduce fall-flavors into your life and home! Each roll is soft, gooey, sticky, and full of flavor. It starts with the pumpkin-flavored dough that is rolled up in a sweet pumpkin spice filling, and then coated with the most delicious cream cheese frosting!

Course Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword Breakfast, CInnamon Rolls, Dessert, Pumpkin

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 15

Rise Time 1

Total Time 1 45

Servings rolls

Calories 440kcal

Author Samantha Buckner

Ingredients

Dough:

4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1 tbsp + 1 tsp pumpkin spice, also known as pumpkin pie spice
2/3 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup butter, softened to room temperature
1/2 tsp salt
2 large eggs
1 tbsp instant yeast
3/4 cup half & half, or sub milk, warmed to 110-115 degrees F

Filling:

1 1/4 cups light brown sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp pumpkin spice, also known as pumpkin pie spice

Cream Cheese Frosting:

4 oz cream cheese, softened *SEE NOTES BELOW
1 cup powdered sugar, more or less *SEE NOTES BELOW
1 tsp vanilla extract
2-3 tbsp half-n-half, or sub milk

Instructions

Dough:

To a glass measuring cup, combine yeast with warmed half-n-half (or milk). Make sure the liquid is between 110-115 degrees F. Check the directions on the back of the yeast package to see the exact temperature for that yeast product, to be mixed with liquids.
To a mixer or bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, pumpkin spice, pumpkin puree, butter, salt, and eggs.
Combine the milk and yeast mixture with the rest of the dough ingredients and run mixer (or hand mix) for 5-7 minutes to form a ball of dough.
Spray a bowl with nonstick cooking spray, transfer the dough over, and cover with parchment paper or plastic wrap. You may need to spray the side covering the dough with nonstick spray to prevent possible sticking when the dough rises. It will rise to approximately twice it's size.
Leave to rise for 1 hour.
When ready, preheat oven to 400 degrees F and spray a 9x13 pan with nonstick spray.
Lightly flour your countertop to cover a 16" x 22" surface.
Roll the dough out into a 16" x 22" rectangle that is approximately 1/4" thick. Coat with the melted butter from edge to edge, covering completely.
Sprinkle brown sugar, cinnamon, and pumpkin spice over the top.
Carefully roll the longer bottom edge to the top edge, so that the roll is approximately 22" long. Start by slicing down the center, creating two halves. Then slice down the center of those halves, and so forth. I find it's easier to get more consistently even slices this way. You should have 12 rolls total.
Place each roll into the prepared baking dish and bake 15-20 minutes. I found they were perfect at 15 minutes, but I like mine a teensy bit gooey. Check at 15 minutes.
While the cinnamon rolls are cooling, combine the cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and half-n-half into a mixing bowl. Add the half-n-half 1 tablespoon at a time. Some may like their frosting thick, while some may like it more thinned out.
Spread the frosting over the top of the rolls, making sure to cover each one thoroughly.

Notes

BE SURE TO READ THE HELPFUL TIPS ABOVE IN MY POST BEFORE MAKING THESE!

YEAST: Make sure the half-n-half (or milk) is warmed to 110-115 degrees F prior to adding the yeast. Double check the instructions on the back of the yeast packet or container for the exact temperature needed.

CREAM CHEESE: It is easier and best to making cream cheese frosting if the cream cheese it softened at room temperature. Otherwise it won't mix well or create that creamy texture you need.

POWDERED SUGAR: When mixing the icing together, be sure to taste test the frosting to see if you prefer it to be a bit sweeter. Add an additional tablespoon at a time until it reaches your level of sweetness.

HALF & HALF: It is equal parts milk and light cream.

Nutrition