Going to jump right in ranting about my two biggest pet peeves with Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls. The first is, there is only pumpkin in the dough, and when I say pumpkin it is usually a dollop. The second is that most recipes only have cinnamon or a sprinkle of pumpkin pie mix which is suppose to make it “pumpkin”. Well, Pumpkin, I am happy to share this recipe for Pumpkin Spice Rolls. This recipe is made with pumpkin puree throughout, from the brioche dough to the icing, and everything in between. Did I mention all the warm spices that scream Autumn are also folded into these pillowy dreamy “cinnamon rolls”.
I have been researching a pumpkin cinnamon roll recipe for a few years now, and when I say researching I mean trying them out. I just didn’t find one that had enough “pumpkin”. So I got to work in the kitchen. I recently tried it out on a few people. It passed all the taste tests, and now I am sharing it with you as peak pumpkin season kicks off! This recipe has pumpkin puree in the brioche dough, the filling, as well as the icing. Did I mention it is a small batch recipe compared to my other cinnamon recipes. That being said it doubles beautifully.
When I mention a brioche dough, please do not get scared of making as it, it isn’t as scary as you think. Every time I make a brioche dough I am reminded of how dreamy it is to work with whether it is baked as a loaf of bread or pumpkin spice rolls. The dough is simple, heat up liquids add to the dry ingredients and mix with your stand mixer. Then add some sugar and butter and mix and knead. After mixing you will need to place the dough in the fridge and give it a good slap every 30 – 60 minutes. I try to do every 30 but realistically sometimes it is 60 or 90 minutes, and you do this until it stops rising. Let the dough sleep overnight and then you are ready to make the pumpkin spice rolls.
The next morning I love to wake up early, put the rolls together and then bake to lure everyone and by everyone it is usually only Lenny, out of bed to enjoy coffee and warm rolls. That doesn’t always happen that way, and when I tested this batch recently, I didn’t get a chance to put the rolls together until the afternoon after slapping the dough around for a day. Then I left them covered in the fridge until the next day. Guess what it all worked out. You can basically bake the next day or not feel bad if you want until another next day. Very forgiving recipe! And it all works out.
The filling is made with pumpkin puree, butter, sugar and warm spices such as mace, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger and nutmeg. I really love mace! As well the icing has more of that flavorful pumpkin puree along with cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar and vanilla to make a creamy and flavorful topping. It does make a little extra which I am fine with as I like to serve it alongside the frosted rolls. People always want that little extra sweet to go with the warm pumpkin spice rolls anyhow.
Tips and Tricks:
Pumpkin Puree – do not use pumpkin pie mix, it is not the same. I use this brand of pumpkin puree and LOVE it. If your pumpkin puree is a little watery, then strain it is a fine sieve before using in the filling and icing.
Pans – I use metal, glass or even copper baking pans for my cinnamon roll inspired recipes, and they all work great.
Baking – start at 20 minutes and then check every 5 minutes until golden brown and yummy looking. The butter does kind of bubble up around them and this is OKAY! Remember every oven is different as well as where we all are baking.
Icing – sift the powdered sugar to make a lump free icing.
Pumpkin Pie Spice – I hate the premade ones, and have yet to find one that is interesting and not over powered with cinnamon, so I use my own spices to create a warm and yummy filling. My favorite baking spices are from Diaspora.
Baking Scale – I made this recipe using grams as the past few years that is just how I am baking now. I am slowly converting all my recipes. It really makes a difference.
More Delicious Cinnamon Rolls
Pumpkin Spice Rolls
These pumpkin spice rolls not only have a pillowy pumpkin brioche dough, the filling and the icing are pumpkin rich too.
Ingredients
- Dough
- 7 grams yeast - I like red star
- 76 grams whole milk
- 40 grams pumpkin puree - not pie mix
- 280 grams + 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 5 grams salt - I like baking or kosher salt
- 40 grams sugar
- 80 grams egg - 1 whole egg + 1 yolk
- 170 grams butter - room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Filling
- 80 grams unsalted butter - room temperature
- 40 grams pumpkin puree, not pie mix
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/2 teaspoon ground mace
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar, light
- Icing
- 50 grams cream cheese, whole fat
- 25 grams unsalted butter, room temperature
- 20 grams pumpkin puree
- 3 grams vanilla extract
- 225 grams powdered sugar
Instructions
For the dough:
Warm the milk and pumpkin puree together in a saucepan until warm to touch. Place yeast and milk mixture in the bowl of stand mixer and using a spatula, stir until yeast is dissolved.
Add flour and salt and fit the mixer with the dough hook. Turn mixer on the lowest setting to avoid flour flying up. Turn mixer on and off in a few short pulses, just to dampen the flour. Increase mixer speed to medium-low and mix 2 minutes, just until flour is moistened. At this point, you will have a fairly shaggy mass. Scrape sides and bottom of the bowl with rubber spatula.
Set mixer to low and add eggs one at a time, followed by sugar.
Increase mixer speed to medium and beat for 3 minutes, until dough forms a ball. Reduce speed to low and add butter 2 tablespoons at a time, beating until each piece is almost incorporated before adding the next.
You will have a dough that is almost batter-like in texture. Increase speed to medium-high and continue to beat until dough pulls away from sides of the bowl, about 10 minutes.
Lightly butter another mixing bowl and transfer dough to it. Cover with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature until nearly doubled in size, about 40 – 60 minutes, depending on how warm the kitchen is.
Deflate the dough by lifting up the edges and letting fall into the middle of the bowl. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator. Repeat the same process every 30 minutes until dough stops rising. This should take about 2 hours. Leave the covered dough in the refrigerator to chill overnight.
The next morning, take the dough out of refrigerator about 30 minutes before working with it.
For the filling:
Combine the butter, pumkin puree, brown sugar and spices and mix with a hand mixer until combined and lightly fluffy.
Melt a small amount of butter. Using a pastry brush, butter one 9x9-inch baking pan - round or square, glass or metal. I used copper this time. Set aside.
Roll out the dough onto lightly floured surface into a large rectangle about 2/3-inch thick and 14 x 12 inches wide/long.
Spread the spiced butter mixture over the rolled out dough using back of large spoon.
Starting at the longest side, roll tightly into a log. Press the seam slightly into the dough to form a seal.
Using a long piece of unflavored dental floss, loop under the log of dough and pull up and criss-cross ends to cut into 1/2-inch thick circles.
You can cut the rolls into larger circles if you want bigger rolls. Place into baking pan, barely touching. You may need to adjust a bit.
Cover with plastic wrap and drape a couple flour towels over the top of the plastic wrap.
Set aside in warm room and let rise until doubled, about 30 – 60 minutes. The time depends on how warm your kitchen is.
Preheat the oven to 350 while the rolls are rising.
Once the rolls have risen, bake them for 20 – 30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven. Let sit for 15 minutes and then frost and serve.
For the frosting:
In mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, butter and pumpkin together until light and fluffy. Add sifted powdered sugar and mix well. Then add vanilla and mix until smooth. Place in the refrigerator for a few minutes to help it firm up a bit as I find it spreads better over the warm rolls. It will begin to melt immediately when frosting the rolls.
Notes
Brioche dough takes a while to make but the results are so worth it. This dough comes together like a dream.
You can bake these rolls in a glass, metal or copper baking pan.