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Easy Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls (No Stand Mixer)

A tray filled with frosted pumpkin cinnamon rolls - delicious!

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These pumpkin cinnamon rolls are the perfect autumn bake—warm, spiced, and irresistibly soft, with just the right balance of sweetness and seasonal flavour. Perfect for Thanksgiving, a weekend treat, or simply as a cosy snack on a chilly day.

  • Author: zenak
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 14 hours (includes overnight rise)
  • Yield: 12 cinnamon rolls 1x

Ingredients

Scale

For the dough:

  • 100g whole milk
  • 7g fast action or active dried yeast
  • 50g salted butter, melted (see why I use salted butter above)
  • 50g white granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 150g tinned pumpkin purée
  • 475g strong white bread flour
  • ½ tsp salt

For the filling:

  • 150g salted butter, room temperature
  • 150g dark brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp ground cinnamon

For the frosting:

  • 150g cream cheese, room temperature
  • 150g icing sugar (powdered sugar)

Instructions

  1. Heat the milk in the microwave until warm (40-45℃), transfer to a large mixing bowl.
  2. Sprinkle the yeast over the warm milk and let it sit for 5 minutes. The yeast should get a little foamy. If it doesn’t, it’s likely dead, so you’ll need to start again with fresher yeast.
  3. Add the melted butter, sugar, egg, and pumpkin purée, then whisk until smooth.
  4. Add the strong white bread flour and salt, then mix with a rubber spatula until the dough comes together in a shaggy mass.
  5. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes, or until stretchy and soft. Alternatively, knead the dough in a stand mixer on low speed for 5 to 10 minutes.
  6. Shape the dough into a ball and lightly oil the surface to prevent it from drying out. Place it in a large, lightly oiled mixing bowl, cover with cling film, and refrigerate overnight. Alternatively, you can let the dough rise at room temperature for 2 hours, or until doubled in size, but for the reasons outlined above, I recommend sticking with the overnight method.
  7. The next day, add the softened butter, dark brown sugar and cinnamon to a medium mixing bowl and mix until well-combined.
  8. Punch the pumpkin cinnamon roll dough down to deflate it, then turn it out onto a lightly floured surface.
  9. Transfer the dough to a floured surface and shape it roughly into a rectangle; this will make rolling it out into a proper rectangle much simpler.
  10. Roll the dough out into a 45cm x 35cm (18×4-inch approx.) rectangle. Note: the dough may feel a little stiff because it’s cold, but it’s actually much easier to handle this way.
  11. Dollop the cinnamon sugar butter filling over the dough, then spread it into an even layer (starting with dollops makes it easier to spread evenly across the whole surface).
  12. Starting from a long edge, tightly roll the dough into a log, then roll the log so it’s seam-side down.
  13. Unflavoured dental floss is surprisingly the best tool for slicing pumpkin cinnamon rolls. Slide the floss under the dough, cross it over the top, and pull the ends through for a perfectly clean cut. Begin by trimming the ends of the log, then slice the log in half crosswise. Cut each half into 6 equal rolls, making a total of 12 pumpkin cinnamon rolls. Alternatively, you can cut the rolls with a sharp serrated knife, though the filling will likely leach out onto the surface of the rolls.
  14. PS: Don’t throw away the trimmed ends! Roll them into small balls, prove, and bake alongside the rolls for a tasty chef’s treat.
  15. Butter a 33cm x 22cm (13×9-inch) baking tin. Place the pumpkin cinnamon rolls in the tin, leaving a little space between each (they will expand as they rise and bake). Make sure the ends of the rolls are facing the middle of the tin, so they don’t unfurl when baked.
  16. Cover with a damp tea towel and leave to rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, 45 minutes to 2 hours, depending on the room temperature.
  17. heat the oven to 180℃ / fan 160℃. Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until golden and puffed, then leave to cool for 10 minutes.
  18. Mix the softened cream cheese and icing sugar until smooth. It may look dry initially, but keep mixing until it becomes smooth and creamy.
  19. Spread the frosting over the rolls – it should drip into the swirls of the rolls a little without melting completely. Allow the pumpkin cinnamon rolls to sit for 30 minutes before serving.

Equipment

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