It’s fall, ya’ll, and do I have the ULTIMATE fall recipe for you. Imagine, the weather has started to cool down. There is a crisp breeze and the smell of autumn leaves. You cozy up under a blanket with a hot coffee and an incredibly soft and gooey Pumpkin Spice CInnamon Roll. Absolute heaven, right?? Well these rolls will not disappoint and honestly, I think I may have to make these every week this fall season 🙂
HOW TO GET THE PERFECT SWIRL
There are a few different ways you can make your filing and I found the below tips make the best tasting that won’t ooze out everywhere!
- The filling: For the filling I prefer to combine soft and almost melted butter with brown sugar, cinnamon and my secret ingredient, vanilla extract! I make this while the dough I rising the first time to allow the flavors to meld. Spreading will also be easier wince the butter mixture is soft.
- Don’t fill to the edge: When spreading on the filling make sure to leave about a 1/4 inch around the outside. otherwise your filling will ooze out everywhere and we don’t want that!
- How to cut the cinnamon rolls: Cutting the rolls is honestly as important as not spreading the filling to the edge. There are a few different methods that work, but my favorite is spreading the filling onto the rolls and using a pizza cutter or knife to cut about 2 inch slices then roll them up. You can also use a sharp serrated knife or unflavored and unwaxed dental floss. Either will work perfectly 🙂
- Parchment paper: Lining your pan with parchment paper is key to ensuring any filling that does leak out stays under the rolls and will absorb back in. It also makes it significantly easier to clean the 9×9 pan and lift the rolls out if you’d like to serve them on a dish
HOW TO MAKE THESE THE NIGHT BEFORE
Make the recipe as directed and cut the rolls. Place in a 9×9 pan lined with parchment paper (if you don’t have any, you can spray the pan with nonstick cooking spray) and cover with plastic wrap. Place them in the fridge overnight or for up to 24 hours. When you are ready to bake them, place the cinnamon rolls on the counter and allow them to come up to room temperature. Once they have come to room temp, let them rise for 1 hour before baking as directed.
These rolls are ‘bakery level worth the calories’ delicious. The rolls are so soft and the spiced filling so gooey, you’re not going to be able to resist 🙂
Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Rolls
These Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Rolls are soft, luscious and incredibly delicious. Paired with a light cream cheese frosting, these are perfect for fall!
Ingredients
For the rolls:
- ¾ cup whole milk warm
- 1 packet instant dry yeast 2 ¼ teaspoons
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup salted butter melted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¾ cup pumpkin puree
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ cup heavy cream
For the filling:
- ½ cup salted butter softened
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
For the frosting:
- 4 oz cream cheese room temperature
- ¼ cup salted butter room temperature
- 2 cups powdered sugar sifted
- 2-5 tbsp heavy whipping cream
For the garnish:
- 1 cup pecans
Instructions
For the rolls:
- Add milk to a heatproof bowl and microwave for 20-30 seconds, until warm. Add the milk, instant dry yeast and granulated sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Stir on low to incorporate.
- Add in the melted butter, vanilla extract, pumpkin puree, eggs and pumpkin pie spice and mix on low until combined. While the mixer is on low, add the flour one cup at a time and then the salt. Mix on low for an additional 5 minutes. This will knead the dough so you don't have to! If you do not have a stand mixer, knead by hand. When the 5 minutes is up, add the dough to a well oiled (with vegetable oil or butter) large bowl. Cover loosely with a towel or plastic wrap and place in the oven to let it rise for 1 hour. After 1 hour, the dough should almost double in size.
- If you have parchment paper, line your 9×9 square baking dish. If not, spray with nonstick spray and set aside.
For the filling:
- While the dough is rising, make your filling! In a small bowl combine the softened butter, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon and vanilla. Set aside until needed.
For baking:
- When the dough has risen, empty out onto a counter lightly dusted with flour. Roll the dough into a 12×18-inch rectangle and slice it into 12 equal pieces (about 1.5 inches thick), you should get 12 good-sized cinnamon rolls. Spread softened butter mixture over dough, leaving a ¼ inch margin at the far side of the dough.
- *See below for other ways to cut the rolls, but this is my favorite way! While the dough is rolled flat, measure out 12 even rolls and using a pizza cutter or sharp knife cut the dough lengthwise into long strips. Roll each all the way up and gently place into prepared baking sheet.
- Pour ¼ cup of heavy cream in between the rolls. Cover loosely with a towel or saran wrap and let rise on the counter for 30 minutes. If you'd like to make these the next day, cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator overnight. (see below for notes on how to make these overnight)
- Preheat the oven to 350°. Remove the towel and bake for 25 minutes, or until they start to turn golden brown. You want to slightly underbake them so they stay soft! Let them cool for 10 minutes before topping with frosting.
For the garnish:
- Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray. Add pecans to the prepared baking sheet and when the cinnamon rolls are done, pull them out of the oven and bake the pecans for 5-6 minutes. They will toast and start to smell very nutty. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes before roughly chopping. Set aside.
For the frosting:
- In the bowl of the stand mixer beat together the butter and cream cheese. Make sure both are room temperature or you will get clumps! Once combined, add in the vanilla and salt. Sift in the powdered sugar and beat until combined. Depending on how thin you want your frosting, add 1 tablespoon of heavy cream at a time until it reaches desired consistency.
- Once the rolls have cooled for 10-15 minutes, spread on the frosting and sprinkle on the toasted pecans! Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Notes
How to cute the rolls:
I like to cut the rolls up individually rather than roll all of the dough into a log and cut. I find it makes the cleanest swirl and doesn’t squish it together, but you can also roll into a log and use a sharp knife or dental floss to cut the rolls.
How to make these the night before:
Follow the recipe up until you have rolled and cut the cinnamon rolls. Please them into the prepared pan and cover with saran wrap. Place in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Before you want to bake, remove the rolls from the fridge and allow to come to room temperature on the counter for 1 hour. After 1 hour remove the plastic wrap and pour 1/4 cup heavy cream in between the rolls. Preheat your oven to 350°. Bake for 25 minutes, or until they start to turn golden brown. After baking, make the frosting as instructed!
Made these for camping for Labor Day weekend. They were a hit! Everybody loved them. They have been requested for my brothers wedding weekend. It’s quite a process to make them. Would I be able to make them ahead of time and freeze them and then re bake them? Or what would you recommend?