Indulge in Autumn: Fluffy Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Decadent Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
As the leaves begin to turn and a crispness fills the air, there’s no better time to embrace the comforting flavors of autumn. And what embodies fall more perfectly than pumpkin? If you’re yearning for a breakfast treat that’s not only delightful but also wonderfully warm and cozy for those chilly mornings, look no further. These irresistibly fluffy pumpkin cinnamon rolls, crowned with a rich and decadent brown butter cream cheese frosting, are truly a taste of the season. Forget store-bought; the aroma alone from these homemade delights will transform your kitchen into an autumnal sanctuary, promising warmth and satisfaction with every bite.
For me, autumn is synonymous with pumpkins – in every shape, size, and culinary form! My love for these orange gourds grew exponentially during a memorable trip Will and I took through New England one fall. I was captivated by the charming sight of every house proudly displaying a porch, each adorned with a vibrant array of pumpkins. It was a picture-perfect scene that felt like stepping into a postcard. One particular day, while driving from New Hampshire to Vermont, we decided to pull over for a much-needed stretch and a bite to eat. Our impromptu exit led us to Warner, a quaint little town with a surprising telephone museum – and, as I later discovered through a quick Google search (how did I miss this on the trip?!), a rumored haunted house and asylum! But what truly caught our attention was a local diner that boldly claimed to serve “New Hampshire’s best cinnamon rolls.” Naturally, we couldn’t resist. The friendly gentleman behind the counter offered to warm ours up, and the wait felt like an eternity. However, once he presented it in a takeout container, the reason for the delay became abundantly clear: it was the most enormous cinnamon roll I had ever encountered! Despite our best efforts, even between the two of us, we couldn’t manage to finish that monumental, sugary creation. That unforgettable experience solidified my appreciation for a truly exceptional cinnamon roll, inspiring me to create my own versions, especially with a seasonal twist like pumpkin.
Key Ingredients for Unforgettable Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
Crafting the perfect pumpkin cinnamon roll requires a thoughtful selection of ingredients, each playing a vital role in achieving that rich flavor and incredible texture. Here’s a closer look at some of the star components that make these rolls so special:
- Pumpkin Puree: This isn’t just for color; it’s what gives these rolls their characteristic moistness and subtle, earthy pumpkin flavor. In many regions, canned pumpkin puree is readily available in the baking aisle, often alongside items like condensed milk. It’s crucial to ensure you pick up pure pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling, which contains added spices and sugar that would alter the balance of this recipe. If you’re in the UK, it’s becoming much easier to find both online and in major supermarkets, typically found in the international or baking sections!
- Maple Syrup: To naturally sweeten the dough and add a distinctly autumnal note, I opt for pure maple syrup. Its warm, caramel-like undertones beautifully complement the pumpkin and cinnamon, creating a harmonious flavor profile. While maple-flavored golden syrup might be a tempting alternative for some, investing in authentic maple syrup for special treats like these truly elevates the flavor, providing a richer and more complex sweetness that can’t be replicated.
- Cream Cheese: The unsung hero of our luscious brown butter frosting, cream cheese provides that essential tangy contrast to the sweetness of the rolls and the richness of the butter. When at room temperature, it whips up beautifully into an incredibly smooth, spreadable frosting that melts perfectly over warm, freshly baked cinnamon rolls, adding a delightful creaminess.
- Unsalted Butter: Essential for both the tender brioche dough and the incredibly flavorful brown butter frosting. For the dough, room-temperature unsalted butter creates a tender, rich crumb. When browned for the frosting, it introduces a nutty, toasted depth that transforms a simple cream cheese frosting into something truly extraordinary and irresistible.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice: This fragrant blend of warm spices is the heart of the cinnamon roll filling, bringing together the quintessential tastes of fall. It combines the cozy notes of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves, making every bite undeniably autumnal. While store-bought blends are convenient, making your own ensures optimal freshness and allows for customization to your exact preference.
Baking Tips & FAQs for Perfect Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
Even experienced bakers can benefit from a few pointers, especially when it comes to a rewarding and somewhat intricate recipe like these pumpkin cinnamon rolls. Here are some frequently asked questions and essential tips to help you achieve baking perfection, ensuring your rolls are fluffy, flavorful, and fabulous:
Don’t have a pre-made pumpkin pie spice blend on hand? No problem at all! You can easily create your own blend from common pantry spices, ensuring fresh and vibrant flavors. A classic homemade pumpkin pie spice mix is simply a harmonious combination of 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon ground ginger, ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves, and a tiny pinch of cardamom (this last one is optional but adds a wonderful layer of complexity). Adjust these ratios to your personal preference for a perfectly custom autumnal flavor!
Many traditional cinnamon bun recipes instruct you to melt the butter before sprinkling the dry filling ingredients over the dough. However, through much experimentation, I’ve found this method often results in a filling that’s too thin and challenging to roll up neatly, sometimes leading to the filling leaking out during baking. For these pumpkin cinnamon rolls, I strongly recommend mixing room temperature butter with the brown sugar and spices to create a thick, creamy, and easily spreadable paste. This ensures the filling stays perfectly in place and makes for much easier, cleaner rolling. If your kitchen is particularly cold and the filling seems too firm to spread smoothly, a quick 15-20 second zap in the microwave will soften it just enough to reach the ideal consistency.
Absolutely! In fact, I highly recommend adopting the overnight method for ultimate convenience and enhanced flavor development. Begin preparing the dough in the afternoon and proceed through the initial rises and stretch and folds. After the final fold, you can pop the covered rolls into the fridge to rest and slowly proof overnight (for 8-12 hours). The next morning, simply take them out, let them come to room temperature and complete their final rise for about an hour (this step is crucial!), then bake as directed. This overnight rest not only makes for a stress-free morning, allowing you to wake up to freshly baked rolls with minimal effort, but also allows the flavors to deepen and the dough to develop an even more wonderfully complex and tender texture.
Achieving that coveted super-fluffy, melt-in-your-mouth texture comes down to several critical factors in this recipe. Firstly, the brioche-style dough itself, which is generously enriched with eggs and butter, inherently creates a tender and rich crumb. Secondly, the diligent use of the stretch and fold method described in the dough instructions is vital for developing gluten without overworking it, leading to a light, airy, and open internal structure. Lastly, proper proofing time – both the initial rise and the crucial final rise before baking – allows the yeast to work its magic effectively, creating abundant air pockets and ensuring a soft, pillowy roll that practically floats. Do not rush these essential rising stages; patience is truly a virtue when it comes to fluffy cinnamon rolls!
Crafting the Perfect Pumpkin Brioche Dough for Cinnamon Rolls
The foundation of these incredible pumpkin cinnamon rolls is a special brioche-style dough. While it might seem a bit “intense” at first glance due to the multi-stage rising and the stretch-and-fold method, I promise you, the results are undeniably worth every bit of effort. This isn’t just any dough; it’s adapted from the renowned Vanilla Bean Baking Blog, a trusted source known for its exceptional and meticulously developed recipes. The true beauty of this recipe lies in its strategic leveraging of an overnight rise, making it incredibly convenient for waking up to fresh, warm cinnamon rolls in the morning without having to set an alarm for an ungodly hour – because seriously, who wants to bake at 4 AM when you can enjoy a leisurely morning?
This rich brioche dough is a delightful blend of pantry staples and special autumnal additions. It starts with eggs for richness, whole milk for tenderness, all-purpose flour for structure, active dry yeast for its leavening power, unsalted butter for its signature decadent flavor, sweet maple syrup for a hint of natural sweetness, and a generous amount of pumpkin puree. My personal adaptation from the original recipe involved strategically reducing some of the eggs and incorporating pumpkin puree in their place. This isn’t just for flavor or the beautiful vibrant color; the pumpkin puree acts as a natural binder, contributing to the dough’s structure and moistness similar to how eggs would, while also imparting that subtle, earthy pumpkin taste that so perfectly complements the warm spices. As an added bonus, this specific quantity often leaves just enough pumpkin puree from a standard can to whip up a batch of delicious pumpkin pancakes for another cozy breakfast later in the week!
A non-negotiable, key technique for developing the dough’s exceptional structure and achieving that signature super-fluffiness is the stretch and fold method. If you’re already familiar with the world of sourdough baking, this gentle yet effective technique will be second nature to you. For those new to it, here’s a quick breakdown: it involves gently inserting your hand into the bowl, grasping a portion of the dough from the bottom, stretching it upwards, and then folding it back over itself towards the center of the dough ball. You’ll rotate the bowl slightly and repeat this action 6-8 times around the entire dough. After this set of folds, you’ll let the dough rest, covered, for 30 minutes. This cycle of stretching, folding, and resting is repeated a total of four times over a two-hour period. This gradual, gentle handling allows the gluten strands to develop strength and elasticity without being overworked, creating long, resilient networks that effectively trap the gasses produced by the yeast. The ultimate result is an exceptionally light, airy, and tender dough that forms the perfect, pillowy base for our pumpkin cinnamon rolls, truly making every bite a delight.
Recipe: Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Brown Butter Frosting
Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Brown Butter Frosting
Ella Gilbert
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Equipment
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9×13 inch pan
Ingredients
Dough
- 2 eggs
- 175 ml whole milk
- 75 ml maple syrup
- 568 grams flour
- 2 ¼ teaspoon active dry yeast
- 2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 142 grams unsalted butter, room temperature and cut into 1″ pieces
- 200 grams canned pumpkin puree
Filling
- 113 grams unsalted butter, room temperature
- 170 grams light brown sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Frosting
- 85 grams unsalted butter
- 113 grams cream cheese, room temperature
- 150 grams icing sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Make Dough
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Prepare your workspace by generously greasing a large bowl to prevent the dough from sticking during its rise. In a separate measuring jug, whisk together the eggs, pumpkin puree, whole milk, and maple syrup until they are well combined and uniform in color.
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In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, active dry yeast, and kosher salt. Mix on low speed for about a minute to fully integrate all the dry ingredients. Gradually add the wet egg mixture from your measuring jug, continuing to mix on low speed until most of the liquids are incorporated. While the mixer is still running on low, begin adding the room-temperature unsalted butter, one piece at a time, allowing each addition to be fully absorbed into the dough before adding the next. After all the butter has been added, increase the mixer speed to medium and beat until the dough is completely smooth, elastic, and visibly pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Transfer this beautiful dough to your greased bowl, cover it tightly with plastic wrap, and allow it to rise at room temperature for 30 minutes.
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Now, employ the stretch and fold method to further develop the dough’s gluten structure. Gently reach into the bowl, grasp the bottom of the dough, stretch it upwards, and fold it back over itself towards the center. Rotate the bowl slightly and repeat this action 6-8 times around the entire dough. This process helps to build strength without excessive kneading. Re-cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let it rest for another 30 minutes. Repeat this entire stretch-and-fold and rest process a total of 4 times, which will take approximately 2 hours in total. This gradual development will result in an incredibly soft, elastic, and airy dough. After the final fold and rest, tightly cover the bowl again and place it in the fridge overnight (at least 8 hours, and up to 24 hours, for best results and flavor development).
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The following morning, remove the chilled dough from the fridge and place it onto a lightly floured work surface. Gently knead the dough 10-12 times to release any excess air that accumulated overnight and to make it pliable for rolling. Form the dough into a smooth ball, cover it loosely with a clean tea towel, and let it rest until it reaches room temperature, which usually takes about 1-1.5 hours depending on the ambient warmth of your kitchen.
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While the dough is slowly coming to temperature, prepare your baking dish. Generously grease a 9×13 inch pan, ensuring all sides and corners are coated, or line it with parchment paper for exceptionally easy removal and cleanup after baking.
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In the clean bowl of your stand mixer (or a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer), add all the ingredients for the irresistible filling: room temperature unsalted butter, light brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and a pinch of kosher salt. Using the paddle attachment, mix on medium speed until the filling is utterly smooth, creamy, and easily spreadable – it should have the consistency of soft butter.
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Once the dough has reached room temperature, roll it out onto a lightly floured surface into a precise 16×12 inch rectangle. Ensure the thickness is even across the entire surface. Evenly spread the prepared filling mixture over the entire surface of the dough, leaving a clear half-inch border along one of the long edges. This border will be crucial for achieving a good, tight seal when rolling.
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Starting from the long side opposite the empty border, carefully and tightly roll the dough into a firm cylinder. The tighter you roll it, the prettier your spirals will be. Once rolled, pinch the ends firmly together to seal in all that delicious filling. Position the dough seam-side down on your work surface. Using a very sharp knife, a serrated knife, or even unflavored dental floss, cut the cylinder into 12 equally sized pieces. Carefully arrange these cut rolls into your prepared 9×13 inch pan, leaving a little space between each for expansion during their final rise. Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap and let the rolls rise in a warm spot for about 1 ½ hours, or until they look visibly puffy and have nearly doubled in size.
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While the rolls are completing their final, crucial rise, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Once preheated and the rolls are perfectly proofed, bake the pumpkin cinnamon rolls for 30-35 minutes, or until they are beautifully golden brown on top and cooked through. To ensure they are perfectly done, the internal temperature should reach about 200-205°F (93-96°C).
Make Frosting
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In a small, light-colored saucepan (which helps you see the color change), melt the unsalted butter over medium heat. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally with a whisk or heatproof spatula, for about 5-7 minutes. Watch closely as the butter will foam, then the milk solids at the bottom will gradually turn a beautiful golden brown, emitting a distinct, intoxicating nutty, toasted aroma. This is brown butter! Immediately remove it from the heat and transfer it to a separate heatproof bowl to cool down completely to room temperature. This cooling step is absolutely crucial for the proper consistency and texture of your frosting.
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In a medium mixing bowl, combine the cooled brown butter (making sure to scrape in all the delicious browned bits from the bottom of the bowl!), room-temperature cream cheese, icing sugar (also known as powdered sugar), ground cinnamon, and vanilla extract. Beat these ingredients together with an electric mixer on medium speed until the frosting is wonderfully smooth, light, airy, and free of any lumps. Once the cinnamon rolls are baked and slightly cooled (but still warm for that perfect melty frosting experience!), spread this luscious brown butter cream cheese frosting generously over the top of each roll. Serve immediately and savor every delicious, autumnal moment!
More Autumnal Baking Inspiration:
If you’ve enjoyed these fluffy pumpkin cinnamon rolls and are eager to explore more seasonal treats, here are a few other comforting recipes from my kitchen that I think you’ll absolutely love. Each one beautifully captures the essence of fall and is perfect for sharing with loved ones (or keeping all to yourself for a special moment of indulgence!):
- Cheesecake Swirl Pumpkin Bread
- Cinnamon Sugar Soft Pretzels
- Chocolate Gingerbread Babka
Thank you for joining me on this delightful baking adventure! I genuinely hope these fluffy pumpkin cinnamon rolls bring as much joy, warmth, and delicious comfort to your autumn mornings and gatherings as they do to mine. There’s truly something magical about the inviting scent of cinnamon and pumpkin baking, transforming your entire home into a cozy, fragrant haven. Don’t hesitate to share your wonderful creations and any thoughts you have – happy baking, and enjoy the flavors of the season!