If you’re anything like me, breakfast is your favorite meal of the day and fall is your favorite season. I figured it was about time we combined the two and voila, these Pumpkin Spice Crunch Bagel Buns came into existence. These are super easy and made with store-bought frozen Rhodes dough and filled with a dreamy homemade pumpkin spice cream cheese. The best part? They’re topped with a sweet and crunchy cinnamon-pumpkin spice topping that adds the perfect texture to every bite. Whether you’re enjoying them for breakfast, brunch, or an afternoon snack, these bagel buns are sure to hit the spot.
Recipe Tips:
- Make Ahead: You can prepare the pumpkin spice cream cheese filling ahead of time and store it in the fridge for up to 2 days.
- Storage: Store any leftover buns in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Warm them in the microwave for a few seconds before enjoying. Don’t overheat because the cream cheese in the center gets hot super quickly!
- Customization: Add a sprinkle of chopped pecans or walnuts for a nutty crunch, or drizzle with maple syrup for an extra touch of sweetness!
After the frozen dinner rolls defrost for about 45 minutes and are easy to work with, press them out into a circle on a sheet pan with nonstick cooking spray and scoop the filling inside. Make sure the filling doesn’t go all the way to the edges or you won’t be able to properly close these up. If the dough is not sticking, dip your finger in water and wet the outside edges of the dough. Then fold up and pinch the edges together to completely close the seam. Flip the dough so that the pinched edges are flat down the pan.
If you’d like to bake them now, cover with plastic wrap sprayed with nonstick spray and let them rise for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, preheat the oven according to the package instructions, although most are 350 degrees. Right before you bake, add the topping. Bake according to instructions, but mine typically bake in 16-18 minutes. If you’d like to make them the next day, return to the fridge covered in the saran wrap and remove 1 hour before baking to allow to come to room temperature. If you like this recipe, check out the original Everything Bagel Buns recipe that is one of the most popular on my site!
Pumpkin Spice Crunch Bagel Buns
Ingredients
For the pumpkin cream cheese:
- 8 oz block of full fat cream cheese
- ½ cup canned pumpkin puree
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 3 tbsp light brown sugar
For the buns:
- 10 frozen raw dinner rolls These can be found in the frozen section, they must be raw dough! I use Rhodes frozen dinner rolls
For the topping:
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 4 tbsp salted butter melted. you can use unsalted if you prefer!
Instructions
For the pumpkin cream cheese:
- Use a hand held mixer or stand mixer to whisk together all of the ingredients in a medium sized bowl until smooth. Cover with Saran Wrap and refrigerate until needed.
For the crunch topping:
- In a small bowl combine all of the crunch topping ingredients until combined. Cover with Saran Wrap and refrigerate until needed.
For the buns:
- Remove raw dinner rolls from the freezer and let defrost for 30-45 minutes or until soft enough to work with but not dry. Spray nonstick cooking spray on a sheet pan and space the dough out about 2 inches apart.
- Spray hands lightly with nonstick and press the dough into about 3 -inch circles. Using the small ice cream scoop or spoon, place 1-2 tbsp of pumpkin cream cheese into the center. Fold up each side to completely seal the dough. If it's not sticking, dip your finger into the water and wet the edges of the dough before folding. Really make sure to seal the bottoms so the filling does not come out while baking.
- If you plan to bake them up now, top with about 2 tbsp of the crunch topping. Gently press into the tops of the buns. Cover with saran wrap that you sprayed with nonstick cooking spray to make sure it doesn't stick to the dough. Let them rise for 30 minutes. If you're baking them up the next day, cover the rolls with saran wrap sprayed with nonstick cooking spray and return to the refrigerator. When you want to bake them, remove from the fridge and allow to come to room temp for 30 minutes. Then proceed to the next step!
- Preheat the oven according to the dinner roll bag, although most are 350°. Space dough balls approximately 2 inches apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Bake for 16-18 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10-15 minutes before eating, because the cream cheese can be really hot so you want them to cool for a bit! Enjoy!