Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

Fall is my favorite time to bake, and these pumpkin cinnamon rolls are one of my favorite treats to make when the weather starts to cool down. I love that the pumpkin is mixed right into the dough, so you get that warm pumpkin flavor in every bite.

When it comes to pumpkin baking recipes, I love using both real pumpkin puree and a pre-mixed pumpkin spice blend to amp up that fall flavor. I also like to use white whole wheat flour for the dough, which boosts the fiber content without sacrificing texture.

After baking, I drizzle on a quick glaze made with Greek yogurt, cream cheese, and a little pumpkin puree, lightly sweetened with maple syrup. This adds a not-too-sweet finishing touch while making the rolls feel extra special.

• White whole wheat flour: Has more fiber than all-purpose flour but still creates super soft, fluffy rolls. You can use all-purpose flour (or standard whole wheat flour) instead if that’s what you’ve got on hand.
• Pumpkin puree: Adds a delicious real pumpkin flavor to the rolls, while helping them stay soft. Canned pumpkin puree works great here, although homemade pumpkin puree also works well! Just don’t use canned pumpkin pie mix.
• Active dry yeast: Mix with liquid first, then add to the dry ingredients. You may swap it for instant yeast or rapid-rise yeast.
• Milk: Warming the milk helps the dough rise more quickly. You may use whole, skim, or part-skim here (or even an unsweetened non-dairy milk of choice).
• Pumpkin spice filling: A mix of dark brown sugar, granulated sugar, pumpkin pie spice mix, and cinnamon creates the gooey center swirl for the rolls.
• Greek yogurt glaze: Whisk together light cream cheese, Greek yogurt, maple syrup, and pumpkin puree to make a tangy, lightly sweetened glaze for the rolls.

Activate the yeast: Add the warm milk, granulated sugar, and active dry yeast to the bowl of a stand mixer. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes, until the mixture becomes foamy.

If it doesn’t foam, your yeast may not be active. It’s better to start over before adding the remaining ingredients.

Make the pumpkin dough: In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, vegetable oil, egg, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in the milk and yeast mixture. Gradually add the flour, about ½ cup at a time, mixing as you go.

Knead the dough: Using the dough hook, knead the dough for 8-10 minutes.

The dough should feel soft, smooth, and elastic. It should be slightly tacky but shouldn’t stick heavily to your hands. If the dough feels very sticky, add a little more flour, one tablespoon at a time.

Let the dough rise: Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl. Cover and place it somewhere warm for about 1 hour, or until it has doubled in size. This is a good time to clean up the kitchen and make your filling.

Make the cinnamon filling: Mix the dark brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice in a small bowl. That’s it. No separate filling mixture to cook.

Roll out the dough: Turn the risen dough onto a lightly floured surface. Roll it into a 12×18-inch rectangle. Try to keep the thickness fairly even so your rolls are similar in size.

Add the filling. Sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar mixture evenly over the dough, leaving about a ½-inch border. Gently press the filling into the dough with your hands.

Roll and cut: Starting from the long side, tightly roll the dough into a log. Use a sharp knife to cut it into 12 equal rolls. Arrange them in a lightly greased 9×13-inch baking dish.

Let them rise again: Cover the baking dish and let the rolls rise for another 30-45 minutes, until they look puffy. Don’t skip this second rise. It helps give you soft, fluffy cinnamon rolls.

Bake: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake the rolls for 25-30 minutes, or until the tops are lightly golden and the centers are cooked through.

Don’t worry if they don’t look super dark on top. You want them soft and fluffy rather than overbaked.

Make the glaze: While the rolls cool for about 10-15 minutes, blend the cream cheese, Greek yogurt, pumpkin puree, maple syrup, vanilla, and milk until smooth.

Add another splash of milk if you want a thinner glaze. Spread it over the warm cinnamon rolls and serve.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Not kneading the dough long enough: To make sure the dough is fully kneaded, you can do the windowpane test: take a small piece of dough and stretch it as thin as possible with your fingertips. If you can stretch it thin enough to see your fingers through it, the dough is ready. If the dough breaks before you can stretch it thin enough, knead it longer.
2. Adding too much flour to the dough: If kneading the dough by hand, try to avoid adding excess flour. You’ll need some to prevent it from sticking to your hands and work surface, but you’ll find that as you knead, it will naturally become less sticky anyway.
3. Over– or under-proofing the rolls: Let the shaped rolls rise until noticeably puffy and, when poked, the hole slowly fills in, leaving a small dent. If underproofed, the dough will spring back quickly. If overproofed, the indent will remain and won’t fill in.
4. Not letting the rolls cool: The rolls need some time to cool before serving as, when hot from the oven, the centre of the rolls may still be slightly undercooked. By letting them sit, they will finish cooking and their structure will ‘set’, giving them a perfectly soft, not-too-doughy texture.