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Soft and fluffy pumpkin cinnamon rolls are swirled with cozy pumpkin spice and smothered in rich maple cream cheese frosting. They’re quick and easy to make, perfect for chilly fall days!

A baking dish of cinnamon rolls, mostly covered with frosting, with a frosting covered spoon on top, next to some pumpkins and cinnamon sticks

These pumpkin cinnamon rolls have all the comfort of traditional homemade cinnamon rolls, with an irresistible fall spin. They’re made from soft pumpkin dough, buttery swirls of pumpkin spice, and a touch of maple syrup for the fluffiest, yummiest rolls I’ve made to date. One bite of these pumpkin cinnamon rolls and you’ll be hooked … trust me! Serve these as a decadent breakfast, a fun afternoon treat, or as a special dessert.

If you’re looking for even more delicious ways to make your house smell incredible this fall, try these pumpkin banana muffins and this pumpkin cheesecake, next.

Why You’ll Love This Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls Recipe

Full of fall flavor. The yeasted cinnamon roll dough is full of pumpkin, and the gooey filling is bursting with spice. Smear on smooth cream cheese frosting flavored with maple syrup, and you have the ultimate fall treat!
Simple to make. This pumpkin cinnamon rolls recipe is quick to make from rising to baking. The steps are straightforward and easy to follow. Plus, you can get a headstart on your cinnamon rolls the night before!
Perfect for any occasion. These pumpkin cinnamon rolls are the perfect sweet treat for a cold autumn day, or a holiday morning.

Close up of a pumpkin cinnamon roll on a plate with a fork, with another cinnamon roll on a plate in the background

Recipe Ingredients

Here’s everything you need to make these fluffy pumpkin cinnamon rolls. Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the page to see the exact quantities for each ingredient.

For the Dough

Milk – Use whole milk, and let it come up to room temperature before baking.
Butter – Make sure the butter is unsalted, and at room temperature.
Yeast – Look for instant rapid rise yeast, as this speeds up the rising process.
Pumpkin puree – Be sure to use pumpkin puree, and not pumpkin pie filling.
All-purpose flour
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
Granulated sugar
Kosher salt
Egg – The egg should be at room temperature.

For the Filling

Brown sugar – I like to use dark brown sugar for the caramel flavor, but you can also use light brown sugar.
Spices – Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, and cloves. You can also use homemade pumpkin pie spice or a store-bought mixed spice blend.
Butter – The butter should be unsalted and at room temperature.

For the Frosting

Cream cheese – Make sure the cream cheese is at room temperature before making the frosting.
Maple syrup – You want to use pure maple syrup, not a syrup that’s diluted or has artificial flavors.
Milk – Whole milk is preferable, and it should be room temperature.
Powdered sugar
Cinnamon

What Is Rapid Rise Yeast?

Rapid rise yeast, also called instant yeast, doesn’t need to be bloomed in liquid and activates much more quickly than active dry yeast. This reduces the time that it takes for these rolls to rise. However, you can also use dry active yeast if that’s what you have on hand. In this case, you’ll need to let it sit in the warm milk mixture for about 5 minutes. Add 10-15 minutes to the rising time later in the recipe.

How to Make Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

This is an easy recipe to make, and it’s fun, too!

Warm the wet ingredients. Begin by whisking butter and milk together in a saucepan until heated to 110ºF. Take the pan off the heat, and combine the milk and butter mixture with yeast in the bowl of your stand mixer.

A stand mixer bowl with unmixed ingredients for pumpkin cinnamon roll dough, with flour on top

A stand mixer bowl with a ball of pumpkin cinnamon roll dough

Finish the dough. Add the flour, pumpkin, sugar, egg, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg to the stand mixer bowl. Mix with a dough hook on medium speed until the dough is elastic. This should take 5-7 minutes.
Proof the dough. Grease a mixing bowl, and place the dough in it. Cover with a kitchen towel and let it rest in a warm place for 10-15 minutes.

A bowl with brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, and cloves in it, unmixed

A bowl with cinnamon roll spice mixture, mixed together, with a whisk in it

Make the filling. Meanwhile, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, and cloves for the cinnamon roll filling.

A rectangle of cinnamon roll dough covered in a layer of butter on a ruler mat, next to a rolling pin and a bowl of spice mixture

A rectangle of pumpkin cinnamon roll dough covered with a layer of butter and a spice mixture on a ruler mat, next to a rolling pin and an empty bowl with a spoon in it

Roll out the dough. Next, roll out the dough on a floured surface, until it’s in the shape of a rectangle roughly ½-inch thick.
Add butter and filling. Spread butter across the dough, leaving a dry margin around the edges. Sprinkle the filling evenly over the butter.

An uncooked log of cinnamon rolls, cut into 12 pieces, on a cutting board next to a chef's knife

Overhead view of a baking tray with 12 unbaked pumpkin cinnamon rolls

Assemble the cinnamon rolls. Roll the dough with the filling into a log. Use a sharp knife to cut the cinnamon rolls into 12 pieces.
Rise. Arrange the rolls in a greased 9×13-inch baking dish. Afterward, cover the rolls with a towel and leave them to rest for 20-30 minutes.
Bake. Bake the cinnamon rolls at 350ºF for 25-28 minutes, until they’re lightly browned.

A stand mixer bowl of cream cheese frosting, next to a tray of cinnamon rolls

Make the frosting. Add cream cheese, milk, maple syrup, sugar, and cinnamon to a bowl. Beat until fluffy, which should take 3-4 minutes.
Frost. Spread the frosting over the top of the cinnamon rolls, and serve while they’re still warm.

Close up of a some cinnamon rolls in a baking tray, covered in frosting, with a serving spoon

Recipe Tips and Variations

Here are a few last-minute tips and tricks for making perfect pumpkin cinnamon rolls.

Use room temperature ingredients. Make sure that the butter, milk, cream cheese, and eggs are all at room temperature before you start. This way the ingredients mix together much more smoothly.
Cut the rolls evenly. You’ll have the best results if all of the cinnamon rolls are similar sizes. But it can be hard to cut a log into 12 evenly-sized pieces. Rather than eyeball what 1/12 of the log looks like, cut it in half. Then cut the halves in half. That will leave you with four much smaller logs, which you can easily cut into thirds. Now all your cinnamon rolls will be a similar size.
Use floss. Sometimes it’s hard to cut cinnamon rolls without squishing the soft dough. If your knife isn’t sharp enough to easily cut through the dough, you can use dental floss. Just make sure it’s unflavored!
Tent if necessary. Keep an eye on the cinnamon rolls in the oven. If they’re getting too brown before they’re finished cooking all the way through, cover them in aluminum foil.
Add-ins. Sprinkle chopped pecans or walnuts over the filling for crunch, or add raisins or craisins to the filling.
Add a little citrus. Grate fresh orange zest into the filling. Or, borrow the orange maple glaze from my pumpkin oatmeal cookies! See the next section for even more yummy cinnamon roll topping ideas.

A pumpkin cinnamon roll on a plate, with frosting on top, and a fork on the plate, with pumpkins in the background

More Toppings for Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

If you don’t have maple syrup, you can always frost these pumpkin spice cinnamon rolls with the classic cinnamon cream cheese frosting from my apple pie cinnamon rolls recipe. Or, try the homemade whipped cream from these pumpkin spice latte cupcakes. For extra indulgence, drizzle your pumpkin cinnamon rolls with homemade salted caramel sauce.

Can I Make The Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Dough Ahead of Time?

Yes! If you’re making these pumpkin cinnamon rolls for breakfast, you can prepare, fill, and roll the dough the night before. Assemble the cinnamon rolls as directed. Instead of baking, cover them tightly with plastic wrap, and store them in the fridge. The following day, take the rolls out of the fridge 15-30 minutes before baking, then bake according to the directions.

Close up of cinnamon rolls in a baking tray, some covered in frosting and some not

How to Store Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

To Store. Store these cinnamon rolls airtight in the fridge for up to 3 days.
To Reheat. Add a little butter on top of the cinnamon rolls for moisture. Cover them in aluminum foil, and place them in a 350ºF oven for 10-15 minutes. Bake only until the rolls are warmed through, as you don’t want to dry them out.
Freeze. These pumpkin cinnamon rolls can also be frozen in an airtight container for up to 4 months. Let them thaw completely before reheating.

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

Why You’ll Love This Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls Recipe