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Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Rolls with Maple Cream Cheese Glaze

These homemade cinnamon rolls are perfect for fall and Thanksgiving morning! Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Rolls with Maple Cream Cheese Glaze recipe made from scratch with autumn flavors.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Rising Time2 hours
Total Time3 hours
Cuisine: American
Course: Breakfast
Servings: 12 rolls
Calories: 453kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

Dough

  • ½ cup milk
  • 1 package active dry yeast (1/4 oz, not instant yeast)
  • 1/2 cup warm water (as per yeast package directions, typically 100-110F)
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/3 cup unsalted butter melted
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons pumpkin spice (see note)
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour more or less as needed

Filling

Glaze

Instructions

Make Dough

  • In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup warm water as per package directions for the correct temperature to ensure that you keep your yeast alive (typically between 100-110℉).
    1 package active dry yeast, 1/2 cup warm water
  • In a large bowl, mix the milk, sugar, melted butter, salt, egg, and 1 1/2 Tablespoons pumpkin spice. Add two cups of the flour and mix to combine.
    ½ cup milk, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/3 cup unsalted butter, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 large egg, 1 1/2 Tablespoons pumpkin spice
  • Add in the yeast mixture. Add additional flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough is easy to handle (the amount of flour that you need will vary). (See Note 1).
    4 cups all-purpose flour
  • Roll the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 to 10 minutes. You can also do this in a stand mixer (it tends to take longer than 10 minutes). The dough has been kneaded enough when it slowly bounces back when you press into it, and you can stretch the dough very thin to where you can see light through it without it getting holes and tearing.
  • Place the dough into a greased bowl (you can use 1-2 teaspoons of vegetable oil to coat the bowl you mixed everything in). Cover bowl with saran wrap and then a kitchen towel. Let sit until the dough has doubled in size, approximately 60-90 minutes.

Assemble Rolls

  • When dough has doubled in size, punch it down. Then put it back on a floured surface and using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a rectangle approximately 15x9 inches.
  • Mix the filling of cream cheese, pumpkin puree, cinnamon, and 1 Tablespoon pumpkin spice together in a medium bowl. Spread the mixture over the dough in a thin layer. Depending on the exact size of your dough, you may need a little more to coat it all.
    4 ounces cream cheese, 1/2 cup pumpkin puree, 1 Tablespoon pumpkin spice, 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • Spread the 2 Tablespoons melted butter on top of the cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle the brown sugar over the butter. Top with walnuts or pecans if you are using them. (You might need more of each depending on your preference and exactly how large your dough was rolled out).
    2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, 2/3 cup light brown sugar, 3/4 cup pecans
  • From the long edge, tightly roll the dough all the way to the other long edge and pinch dough together to seal.
  • Using a serrated knife, cut the log in half. Then cut each half into half again so that you have four equal pieces. Lining up two pieces at a time, cut each into three rolls so that you have a total of 12 rolls.
  • Coat the bottom of your 9x13" baking dish with some additional melted butter and sugar to coat. (See note 3 - use two 9x13 dishes to get big rolls). Place the cinnamon roll slices close together (four rows of three in one dish, or three rows of two in two dishes) in the dish and let them rise until the dough has doubled again, approximately 45 minutes.

Bake

  • Preheat the oven to 350℉ (177℃). Once the rolls have doubled in size, place them in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes or until they are starting to brown.
  • While the rolls are baking, prepare the icing. Whisk the cream cheese in a medium bowl until smooth. Add the milk and maple syrup and whisk in until combined. Sift in the powdered sugar and whisk until smooth. Taste and add additional maple syrup if you wish, however go light as you do not want it to overpower the pumpkin spice. (If it is lumpy from being too cold, microwave in 30 second intervals until it smooths out).
    2 ounces cream cheese, 2 Tablespoons milk, ½ Tablespoon maple syrup, 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
  • When the rolls are done, let them cool slightly and then top with the icing. Serve warm. (If the rolls are too warm when you add the frosting, it will melt and slide off).

Notes

Learn how to make your own pumpkin spice here!
If you are an icing lover, double up the icing recipe!
Make these rolls the day before for a quick breakfast.  Just heat each roll for a approximately 15 seconds in the microwave for a warm treat.
  1. It is very important to not add too much flour as your dough will be very tough and not rise. You know you have enough when it is not overly sticking to the sides of the bowl when mixing, and feels tacky but not super sticky when you touch it. You might not need all 4 cups of flour, so make sure you are only adding a little at a time.
  2. If you are having issues with your dough rising during each proofing, it is likely too cold. Place the bowl or dish inside an oven (off), wrapped in blankets, in the sun, or in another warm place to help activate the yeast.
  3. I have found that using two 9x13 inch baking dishes, with only 6 rolls in each, will get you very large and round rolls like you see in these pictures. You can fit them all in one dish instead, but they will be smaller since they are cramped and end up being square shaped.

Nutrition

Serving: 1roll | Calories: 453kcal | Carbohydrates: 68g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 50mg | Sodium: 257mg | Potassium: 170mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 33g | Vitamin A: 2045IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 69mg | Iron: 3mg
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