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Pumpkin cinnamon roll broken in half on plate.
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Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

These Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls are soft, fluffy, and topped with the most incredible brown butter frosting. This cozy and festive recipe is a must for the holiday baking season!
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword pumpkin cinnamon rolls
Prep Time 3 hours
Cook Time 22 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 22 minutes
Servings 8 Large rolls
Calories 566kcal
Author Tawnie Graham of Kroll's Korner

Ingredients

For the dough

  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
  • 1 cup 100% pumpkin puree
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup dark brown sugar packed
  • 1 tsp. kosher salt
  • 1 large egg room temperature
  • 1, .25 oz. package active dry yeast 2¼ tsp.
  • 4 cups bread flour plus more as needed for surface and rolling
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream

For the filling

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 2/3 cup dark brown sugar packed
  • 1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1 Tbsp. pumpkin pie spice

For the frosting

  • 1/3 cup unsalted butter
  • 8 oz. cream cheese softened
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
  • Pinch of kosher salt
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Heat milk and butter: Heat the milk and butter in a small saucepan just until it reaches 105°F-115°F. It should be lukewarm so this won't take long at all. If milk gets too hot, it will kill the yeast and oh em gee we don't want that! Set milk/butter aside.
    1/2 cup whole milk, 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
  • Combine wet ingredients: In the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment on medium speed, combine the pumpkin, both sugars and salt. Add in the milk/butter mixture, egg and yeast just until combined. (We will use the heavy cream later)
    1 cup 100% pumpkin puree, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup dark brown sugar, 1 tsp. kosher salt, 1 large egg, 1, .25 oz. package active dry yeast
    Side-by-side image of mixing together wet ingredients for pumpkin cinnamon rolls.
  • Add flour and knead: Add the dough hook and add 1 cup of bread flour on medium speed. Mix for ~1 minute. Add another cup. Mix 1 minute, and repeat twice more. Scrape down sides to incorporate flour as needed. With the mixer on medium-low speed, knead the dough for ~8 minutes. Knead just until the dough is pulling away from the sides of your mixer, but is tacky (not sticky) to the touch. Start Timer
    4 cups bread flour
    Side-by-side image of adding the bread flour to wet ingredients and mixing until combined for pumpkin cinnamon rolls.
  • Let dough rise: Grease a medium-sized bowl with baking spray or oil and place the dough in the bowl, turn once to grease the top too. Cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and allow to rise for  1½ hours-2 hours. The dough should almost double in size.
    Pumpkin cinnamon roll dough in greased bowl.
  • Make brown butter: During this time, make the brown butter for the cream cheese frosting. For a detailed tutorial, see this post on how to brown butter.  Place the brown butter in the fridge so the butter can cool and solidify. This will take ~1-2 hours to solidify.
    1/3 cup unsalted butter
    Brown butter melted in metal pan with spoon.
  • Prep pan: Grease a 9x13 inch pan with baking spray. You can line with parchment paper to catch any filling that may ooze out if desired.
  • Make filling: Combine the ingredients together for the filling in a medium-sized mixing bowl until smooth.
    1/2 cup unsalted butter, 2/3 cup dark brown sugar, 1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon, 1 Tbsp. pumpkin pie spice
    Side-by-side image of combining ingredients in small bowl for bowl sugar filling.
  • Roll out the dough: Turn out the dough onto a well-floured work surface. Roll the dough into a large rectangle (it doesn’t have to be exact but you can aim for 18 x 12 inches and 1/4 inch thickness), and spread the brown sugar filling all over the dough. Leave a small margin on the edges so you can roll, but I pretty much spread it all the way to the edge!
    Side-by-side image of rolling pumpkin cinnamon roll dough out then adding brown sugar filling.
  • Roll and slice dough: Roll the dough up tightly, slice with a sharp knife or use the floss method, and arrange the rolls in the prepared pan. You can get 8 large rolls or make smaller and get 10-12 rolls. Cover tightly with plastic wrap or a warm kitchen towel and allow to rise again for 30 minutes - 1 hour. (Or see the overnight option in the notes below).
    Placing rolled and cut cinnamon rolls in prepared 9x13 baking dish.
  • Add heavy cream: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Warm the heavy cream in the microwave for 15-20 seconds, just until lukewarm to the touch. Pour the cream over the cinnamon rolls right before you put in the oven. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until cinnamon rolls are lightly browned on top and reach an internal temperature of 190°F. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes while you make the frosting. Start Timer
    1/2 cup heavy cream
    Side-by-side image of adding heavy cream to cinnamon rolls then baking for 20-22 minutes.
  • Make frosting: Using a hand held mixer or the stand mixer, beat the prepared brown butter in a mixing bowl until smooth. Add the cream cheese and combine again until smooth. Add in the remaining ingredients and beat until creamy.
    8 oz. cream cheese, 2 cups powdered sugar, 1 tsp. vanilla extract, 1/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice, Pinch of kosher salt
    Side-by-side image of beating ingredients together for brown butter frosting.
  • Frost: Spread the frosting over warm rolls and enjoy!
    Side-by-side of adding the brown butter frosting to baked and cooled cinnamon rolls.

Video

Notes

  • Overnight instructions: After you place the sliced rolls into the greased pan (step 9), immediately cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge. In the morning, let the cinnamon rolls come to room temperature for at least 30-45 minutes, pour the warmed heavy cream on top, and bake as directed. 
  • Instant yeast: Using active dry yeast makes the rise time a little bit longer. BUT the good news is, you can use instant yeast too and follow the directions the same, and the rise times will be slightly shorter. 
  • Recipe inspired by Sallys Baking Addiction. 
  • This recipe was updated with new pictures in September 2025 (same recipe!).

Nutrition

Serving: 1roll | Calories: 566kcal | Carbohydrates: 76g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 86mg | Sodium: 340mg | Potassium: 181mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 43g | Vitamin A: 4079IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 91mg | Iron: 1mg