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Easy Pumpkin Butter Cinnamon Rolls with Coffee Icing. These are the autumn cinnamon rolls we all want most. Buttery, soft, and fluffy dough swirled with cinnamon sugar and sweet pumpkin butter. Each roll is frosted generously with warming brown butter and coffee icing that melts into every nook and cranny. These rolls are melt-in-your-mouth delicious. You just can’t beat a cinnamon roll on a crisp fall morning (or maybe an afternoon too)!
You know, I was maybe going to share cookies today, but these rolls have been exciting me for far too long. Sometimes, I wait and wait to make recipes that I’m really excited about. Mostly because I fear I will mess them up, and mentally, that makes me sad.
I know—so silly. It’s kind of like dragging my feet in a way. But with the businesses and hustle of life these days, there isn’t time for that! And while I was originally thinking these would be perfect for November, ahead of Thanksgiving, I now believe you deserve the recipe sooner.
For a long time, I’ve wanted to create a pumpkin cinnamon roll. At this point, I have probably 20 cinnamon recipes on this website, but not one pumpkin cinnamon roll. To be honest, it’s kind of beyond me.
Finally, my mom said, “Tieghan, make the pumpkin cinnamon rolls already.” These days, we listen to Mom and never argue. So I followed her direction, and in all honesty, we probably have some of my favorite cinnamon rolls yet. These are definitely special.
The Details
IngredientsÂ
- milk
- active dry yeast
- brown sugar
- salted butter
- eggs
- flour
- pumpkin butter
- cinnamon
- cream cheese
- maple syrup
- instant coffee/espresso
- powdered sugar
- vanilla extract
Special Tolls
For this recipe, I do recommend a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook for mixing the cinnamon roll dough. It’s easiest with a mixer and a dough hook!
Step 1: make the dough
I certainly didn’t do anything fancy here. I knew that using pumpkin butter in the filling would be enough pumpkin for the recipe. For the dough, I made an egg-based dough that’s very similar to a buttery brioche-style dough.
To make the dough: mix the active yeast with warm milk and brown sugar. Let the yeast proof or “activate†in the warm milk.
Add the melty butter, eggs, flour, and salt. Mix until smooth, and let the dough rest until doubled in size, usually about an hour. You can also make the dough the night before and let it rise in the fridge. Remember to bring the dough back to room temperature before you begin using it.
Step 2:Â the filling
For the cinnamon sugar mix, I use organic dark brown sugar and cinnamon. The brown sugar adds a nice depth and richness, not to mention it creates the prettiest swirl of sweet cinnamon. And I go heavy on the cinnamon for sweet/warm cinnamon swirls throughout.
It’s a classic filling, but while most might use granulated sugar, I think the brown sugar adds a special touch.
Now, the pumpkin butter. I use my homemade pumpkin butter, which I think is the BEST. That said, any store-bought pumpkin butter works well too. I recommend Trader Joe’s or this one from Williams-Sonoma.
If you don’t have pumpkin butter, use pumpkin puree mixed with pumpkin or apple spice.
Step 3: assemble and bake
Spread the dough with the pumpkin butter and sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar. Roll the dough up into a log, slice, and bake.
The smells coming from the oven will be magical—sweet cinnamon with hints of pumpkin and vanilla. It’s perfection, and it will make your kitchen smell like Thanksgiving morning when all the pies are baking away in the oven. So cozy!
Step 4: the icing
Brown the butter and mix it with the cream cheese, maple syrup, instant coffee or espresso, sugar, and a touch of vanilla.
The coffee is the secret. It’s subtle, but so lovely paired with the warm spices and pumpkin. A little bit unexpected, but in the best way!
Step 5: frost and serve
As soon as the rolls come out of the oven, frost, serve, and enjoy every last sweet and delicious bite. They’re soft, fluffy, and perfectly spiced with warm autumn spices and sweet pumpkin.
And gooey, SO gooey. These rolls are beyond good. You’re certainly going to love them (is it the weekend yet?)!Â
In fact, I’m now adding these to my Thanksgiving menu – cannot wait!
Looking for other cinnamon recipes? Here are a few ideas:Â
Apple Cinnamon Rolls with Brown Butter Maple Icing
Easy Fluffy Eggnog Cinnamon Rolls
Baked Apple Cider Doughnuts with Cinnamon Maple Glaze
Vanilla Chai Pumpkin Latte Cupcakes with Cinnamon Brown Sugar Frosting
Lastly, if you make these Pumpkin Butter Cinnamon Rolls with Coffee Icing, be sure to leave a comment and/or rate this recipe! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And, of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is certainly my favorite!
Pumpkin Butter Cinnamon Rolls with Coffee Icing
Servings: 12 rolls
Calories Per Serving: 466 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 cup warm milk
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 6 tablespoons salted butter, melted
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
Filling
- 3/4 - 1 cup pumpkin butter
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
Icing
- 4 tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature
- 6 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 shot espresso, or 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
- 2-3 cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- 1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the milk, yeast, and brown sugar. Let sit for 5-10 minutes until bubbly on top. Add the butter, eggs, flour, and salt. Using the dough hook, mix until the flour is completely incorporated, about 4-5 minutes. If the dough is still sticky, add an additional 1/4 cup flour, adding more as needed until the dough is smooth to the touch.2. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 1 hour or until doubled in size.3. Meanwhile, mix the filling. In a bowl, combine the brown sugar and cinnamon. Butter a 9×13 inch baking dish.4. Punch the dough down and roll it out onto a lightly floured surface, creating a large rectangle about 12 x 18 inches. Spread the pumpkin butter evenly over the dough. Sprinkle on the cinnamon sugar. Starting with the long edge closest to you, roll the dough into a log, keeping it tight as you go. When you reach the edge, pinch along the edges to seal. Using a sharp knife, cut 12-15 rolls. Place the rolls into the prepared baking dish. Cover while the oven preheats.5. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Bake the rolls for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.6. Meanwhile, make the icing. Add the butter to a pot set over medium heat. Allow the butter to brown lightly until it smells toasted, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat. In a bowl, whisk together the cream cheese and maple syrup. Whisk in the butter and espresso, then add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Spread the icing over the warm rolls. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
To Make Ahead:Â prepare the rolls through step 4. Do not let the rolls rise at room temp. Cover the rolls and place them in the fridge (up to overnight). When ready to bake, remove the rolls from the fridge 30 minutes prior to baking, then bake as directed.Â
To Prepare and Freeze:Â assemble the rolls through step 4. Then cover the pan and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw the rolls overnight in the fridge or on the counter for a few hours. Once thawed, bake as directed.Â
To Bake and Freeze:Â bake the rolls as directed and let cool completely. Cover well and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw and warm, then frost before serving.Â
Could you make these with gluten free flour and they still turn out well?
Hi Jocelyn,
Yes, that should work nicely for you! I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xT
Could you make these with apple butter instead?
Hi Jenna,
Sure, that would work nicely for you! Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
I baked this recipe and it was the best thing I ever made! I’m baking this for the second time and was wondering what would happen if I used bread flour?
Thanks so much, Jackie! Love to hear this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it! I think the bread flour would work nicely for you. Have the best weekend! xx
Amazing! Will definitely make this again.
Hi Jennifer,
So glad to hear this! Thank you so much for trying this recipe and your comment! Have a nice November! xx
Good Morning! We tried this recipe last evening. WOW. We liked everything about this recipe. I am not an icing fan, however the coffee/espresso really made a statement for this icing.
Thanks so much, Eugenia! I am so glad to hear you enjoyed these cinnamon rolls, thanks a lot for giving them a try! xx
Theses rolls are perfection. I made them exactly per the recipe directions. Will be making them again and again! You are my go to for quick easy recipes everyday. I’ve been following you for years and watch with delight as your business grows. I am so so so happy for you. Success with hard work is the best!
Happy Holidays Tieghan!
Hey Barbara,
Happy Weekend!ðŸ I’m so glad this recipe turned out nicely for you, thanks a bunch for making it! xXT
Making these right now! So in love with the dish you bake them in. Do you remember where it’s from?
Thanks so much, Shelby! Yes, here is the link:
https://shopstyle.it/l/cflEO
Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
I make a similar recipe using refrigerated cinnamon rolls & apple butter instead of pumpkin butter. Delish!
Sounds so yummy, thanks for sharing, Charlie!!
For make ahead, it says to not let them rise at room temperature but there’s only one rise listed. Is there supposed to be a second rise that isn’t listed?
Hey Erika,
Just put them directly in the fridge after step 4 rather than letting them sit while the oven preheats. I hope you love this recipe! xT
Also wondering this!
Seeing these comments and wondering why the question is not clearly answered. I know from making cinnamon rolls that you let them rise, punch the dough down and make your rolls, place in pan. THEN you let them rise a second time, all nice and puffy and THEN place them in oven to bake. Your instruction does not state to do this second rise. Do they somehow rise while baking or is there supposed to be a second rise? You know it would really be a shame to make this and get to this point to only have something less than perfect to show for it. I think anyone not really experienced in making these rolls would have the possiblity of failure should they just follow your instructions. Seems there should be that second rise but maybe this recipe is different and I wish you would address this.
Hi Carol,
I was also confused about this until I saw that you set the rolls aside to rise while the oven is preheating. I took a leap of faith and followed the instructions. The rolls did rise quite a bit while baking and came out perfect.
Hi, could you please let me know, is this recipe developed at a high altitude or sea level? Thank you 🙂
Hi Staci,
I am at altitude, but you should not have any issues following the instructions as written:) Please let me know if you give this recipe a try! xT
These are delightful Tieghan, thank you! Just stocked up on Trader Joe’s pumpkin butter to make this yummy, cozy, seasonal splurge all fall. Love your generous inspiration as always!
Can I replace the active yeast with an active sourdough starter?
Hi Katrina,
So sorry, I really have never tried this, but sounds like it should work for you! Please let me know if you give this recipe a try! xT
Hey, Katrina!
Obviously Tieghan has already answered you well, but I just wanted to add my two cents since I use sourdough starter all the time! I have not made these with sourdough starter before, but I have replaced yeast in another regular cinnamon roll recipe with sourdough starter and gotten great results. You will probably want to reduce the liquid (in this case, milk) by a little bit if you use starter. Otherwise, it will probably work quite well! I always do a cold ferment in the fridge when I use sourdough in a recipe like this too, often after the rolls are already assembled. I definitely want to make these and will try doing them that way!
Thank you so much:) I hope you love these cinnamon rolls, let me know how they turn out for you! xT
Could this be made into a Bundt pan recipe by chance? Thank you!
Hey Chris,
You can try cutting the dough into 1 inch balls, then toss each ball in cinnamon sugar. Layer the coated dough balls in a Bundt pan with the pumpkin. That should work well! xx
Typically I use a 9×13 glass baking dish for cinnamon rolls. Do you prefer metal or glass for cinnamon rolls or have you not noticed a difference?
Hey Tricia,
I really like using ceramic or metal for cinnamon rolls. Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xT
These sounds good! Just a question are you using a filter recently that is yellow or orange. Every recipe’s photos for the last few weeks look very very orange/yellow. Maybe this is for a fall vibe? I am not sure but it makes the food look not the most appetizing.
I think it is because 90% of her food is either yellow or orange. Look at her grid in IG. All the food is the same tone.
Thanks, Lorie! No, I am not using a filter to make the food orange or yellow. I like to cook according to the seasons, so lots of fall vibes with cozy recipes. I hope you love these cinnamon rolls! xT
â¤â¤â¤âœ¨thank you very much✨ 💖
I hope you love the recipe, Elena!!
Did you have trouble with the second rise? They don’t look quite right.
Hey Julian,
Nope, no issues with the rising:) Is there something specific that looks off? Let me know if I can help at all, but the recipe is great as written! x
I think the flavor combination sounds interesting but I would use a standard cinnamon roll dough recipe and definitely let the rolls rise in the baking pan after filling and shaping before baking. If you press the dough lightly with your finger the indentation should spring back. The second rise generally takes about one hour. Without the second rise the rolls will be very dense and not fluffy which is what you are seeing in the photos.