Homemade Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting
Published on September 28, 2026
These fluffy pumpkin cinnamon rolls are everything you love about regular cinnamon rolls with a cozy fall twist. Soft, fluffy dough is rolled up with a sweet pumpkin filling, brown sugar, and warm spices, then baked until golden and topped with a creamy pumpkin cream cheese frosting.
Unlike most recipes that hide the pumpkin in the dough, these cinnamon rolls with pumpkin filling put the flavor right in the swirl, so every bite tastes like pumpkin pie. They take a little time to rise, but the steps are simple, making these easier than you might think. Whether you’re baking for a lazy weekend breakfast, a holiday brunch, or Thanksgiving morning, these pumpkin spice cinnamon rolls are the perfect fall cinnamon rolls to share.
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During the fall season we are all about the pumpkin flavors around here! I mean there’s nothing cozier than that. Give me a fall morning, crisp air, and I immediately want to make these cinnamon rolls.
If you’re building out a whole fall spread, check out more fall party food ideas, or see our The *Best* DIY Caramel Apple Bar Ideas.
Quick Look: Homemade Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting
- •Prep Time: 30 minutes
- •Cook Time: 22 minutes
- •Total Time: 2 hours 52 minutes
- •Servings: 15
- •Perfect For: Fall and Thanksgiving Brunches
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What You Need for Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
Whole Milk: You want it lukewarm like bath water, not hot enough to kill the yeast.
Active Dry or Instant Yeast: Check the date on the packet, expired yeast is the number one reason rolls don’t rise.
Granulated Sugar: Feeds the yeast and helps it foam up nice and bubbly.
Unsalted Butter, melted (for dough): Let it cool slightly before adding so it doesn’t scramble the eggs.
Large Eggs: Pull them out early, room temp eggs blend into dough way smoother than cold ones.
Salt: Balances all that sweetness, don’t skip it.
Ground Nutmeg: Used in both the dough and the filling for that warm, cozy background flavor.
All-Purpose Flour: Add it gradually, humidity changes how much you actually need.
Unsalted Butter, softened (for filling): Softened, not melted, so it spreads like frosting instead of pooling.
Pumpkin Puree: Make sure it’s plain pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling, huge difference.
Brown Sugar: Packed brown sugar gives you that deep, almost caramel-y swirl.
Ground Cinnamon: The star of the filling, don’t be shy with it.
Cream Cheese: Soften it fully or your frosting will end up lumpy.
Powdered Sugar: Sifting it helps avoid a grainy frosting.
Milk (for frosting): Add a little at a time, you can always thin it more but you can’t take it back out.
How to Make Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls at Home
Step 1: Warm the milk until it’s just lukewarm, around 110°F, then stir in the yeast and granulated sugar. Let it hang out somewhere warm for 5 to 10 minutes until it looks foamy on top, that’s how you know your yeast is alive and doing its job.
Step 2: Whisk in the melted butter, eggs, salt, and nutmeg. Add the flour a cup at a time, stirring as you go, until you’ve got a soft, shaggy dough coming together.
Step 3: Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 to 7 minutes. You’re looking for smooth and slightly tacky, not dry. Only add flour a tablespoon at a time if it’s really sticking to your hands.
Step 4: Set the dough in a greased bowl, cover it (I use plastic wrap), and let it rise in a warm place for 1 to 1½ hours, until it’s doubled in size. This is a great point to prep your filling so you’re not waiting around later.
Step 5: Stir the softened butter and pumpkin puree together until smooth and spreadable. In a separate small bowl, mix the brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
Step 6: Punch the risen dough down and roll it out into a 12×18-inch rectangle. Spread the pumpkin butter mixture over the whole thing, leaving about a half inch bare along one long edge so it seals properly later. Sprinkle the brown sugar mixture evenly on top.
Step 7: Starting at the long edge with filling all the way to the border, roll the dough into a tight log. Pinch the seam shut so it doesn’t unravel, then slice into 15 rolls, roughly 1¼ inches each. Unflavored floss or a sharp serrated knife works way better than a regular knife here.
Step 8: Nestle the rolls into a greased or parchment lined 9×13 pan, cover, and let them rise again for 30 to 45 minutes until they look puffy and are touching each other. Turn the oven on to 350°F during the last 15 minutes of this rise.
Step 9: Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, until golden on top and the centers look set, not doughy. If the tops are browning faster than the middle is cooking, just tent a piece of foil over them.
Step 10: While the rolls are still warm, beat the cream cheese until smooth, then mix in the pumpkin puree and powdered sugar. Add milk a teaspoon at a time until it’s spreadable but not runny. Spread generously over the warm rolls and finish with a pinch of cinnamon on top.
Tips for the Best Fall Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
Make Ahead: These are great for prepping the night before so you’re not up at 6am doing dough.
- Assemble the rolls in the pan, cover tightly, and refrigerate overnight instead of doing the second rise right away.
- Pull them out in the morning and let them sit at room temp for 30 minutes before baking to take the chill off.
Storage: These stay soft for a couple days if you store them right.
- Keep leftovers covered at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the fridge for up to 5.
- A quick 10-15 second zap in the microwave brings them right back to soft and gooey.
Freezing: Perfect for stashing away before the holidays get crazy.
- Freeze the baked, unfrosted rolls in an airtight container for up to 2 months.
- Thaw overnight in the fridge, warm them up, then frost fresh so the frosting doesn’t get weird and separated.
Easy Swaps for These Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Rolls
Milk Options: Whole milk gives the richest dough, but you can swap in 2% or even a dairy-free milk like oat milk in a pinch.
Spice Blend: If you want a bigger pumpkin spice flavor, swap the nutmeg for a full teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice in the dough and filling.
Frosting Twist: Skip the pumpkin in the frosting if you want a classic cream cheese glaze instead.
Pan Size: No 9×13 pan? A couple of round cake pans work just as well.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, assemble the rolls in the pan, cover tightly, and refrigerate overnight instead of doing the second rise on the counter. Let them sit out for about 30 minutes in the morning before baking so they aren’t too cold going into the oven.
Your yeast probably didn’t activate, either the milk was too hot and killed it, or the yeast was expired. Always check that your milk feels lukewarm, not hot, before mixing it with the yeast.
Definitely, freeze the baked rolls without frosting for up to 2 months in an airtight container. Thaw them in the fridge overnight, warm them up, then frost right before serving.
No, pumpkin pie filling already has sugar and spices added, which will throw off the whole recipe. Stick with plain canned pumpkin puree for both the filling and frosting.
A piece of unflavored dental floss slid underneath the log and crossed over the top gives you cleaner cuts than a knife, which tends to squish the dough.
Handmade Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2¼ teaspoons active dry or instant yeast (1 packet)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
For the Pumpkin Filling
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup pumpkin puree
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
For the Pumpkin Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- ¼ cup pumpkin puree
- 1¼ cups powdered sugar
- 1-2 teaspoons milk, as needed
- Pinch of cinnamon, for topping
Instructions
- Warm the milk to about 110°F, stir in yeast and sugar, and let sit until foamy, 5-10 minutes.
- Whisk in melted butter, eggs, salt, and nutmeg, then mix in flour a cup at a time to form a soft dough.
- Knead on a floured surface 5-7 minutes until smooth and slightly tacky.
- Let rise in a greased, covered bowl in a warm spot for 1-1½ hours until doubled.
- Combine softened butter and pumpkin puree for the filling; in a separate bowl mix brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
- Roll dough into a 12×18-inch rectangle, spread with pumpkin butter leaving a ½-inch border, then top with brown sugar mixture.
- Roll into a tight log from the filled long edge, pinch the seam, and slice into 15 rolls.
- Arrange in a greased 9×13 pan, cover, and let rise 30-45 minutes until puffy. Preheat oven to 350°F near the end.
- Bake 22-25 minutes until golden, tenting with foil if browning too fast.
- Beat cream cheese, pumpkin puree, and powdered sugar together, thin with milk as needed, then spread over warm rolls and dust with cinnamon.
