Nothing says fall like pumpkin spice, and these Pumpkin Sweet Rolls will make you wish it was pumpkin spice season, (I mean Fall), all year round! Made with my Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice, you will never buy a sweet roll from a bakery again! My Orange Sweet Rolls aren’t too shabby, either😉.
Pumpkin Sweet Rolls
Is there really anything better than when friends or coworkers show up with sweet rolls? Well, I can finally answer that question with a resounding YES.
Pumpkin Sweet Rolls Recipe
There are three primary sections to this recipe. The dough, the filling, and the cream cheese frosting. The secret ingredient is my Homemade Pumpkin Spice. It is so easy to make with spices you already have on hand–cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves, so give it a shot!
Sweet Roll Dough
The base for this sweet roll dough is the same as our raspberry cream cheese rolls and Lemon Blueberry Sweet Rolls. It is one of the easiest doughs to work in part due to the ingredients and in part due to the process. To make this dough whisk together the milk, 1 tablespoon of sugar, and the yeast. Let that sit at room temperature for about 5 minutes. The mixture will get a little foamy. Add in eggs and whisk until the mixture is smooth.
Next, move to your stand mixer. Make sure it is fitted with a dough hook. In the bowl, combine the remaining sugar, flour, and salt. Add the milk mixture and turn the mixer on low. Slowly add pads of butter, blending well between additions. Once everything is combined, turn the mixer to medium for 1 minute and then switch to medium-high to knead until the dough is soft (about 5 minutes).
Transfer the dough to a medium-sized buttered dish. Brush the top of the dough with melted butter and cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise in a warm area until doubled in size (about 1 hour). Give the dough a good punch and turn it out onto a floured surface. Roll out a 10×15 rectangle, that is about 1/4 inch thick. If you don’t have time to make the dough, check out my Easy Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll recipe!
How to Make Pumpkin Sweet Rolls
Once your dough is rolled out the rest is a piece of cake…or roll:) Just combine the pumpkin filling ingredients with a fork or spatula. Spread that on top of your dough. Tightly roll the dough into a log using the bottom long edge as a starting point. Using a very sharp knife or dental floss (I will explain that later), cut the rolls into 12 equal pieces. (If you like your rolls a little bigger, go with 8.) Place each roll into a greased 9×13 pan. Put the pan in a warm, dry place and let them rise again (about 1 hour), and then pop them in the oven for about 25 minutes. You are going for a golden-brown crust. Remove them from the oven and let them sit on the counter for about 5 minutes while you prepare the cream cheese frosting.
How to Make the Cream Cheese Frosting
While the rolls cool, mix together the cream cheese, butter, confectioners sugar, and 2 tablespoons of milk on high for about 5 minutes. It should be very smooth and fluffy. Add another tablespoon of milk if you want your cream cheese frosting a little runnier. Spread all over the warm rolls and serve. Seriously, these are SO good, I am bringing them to all my Fall festivities!
SECRET: This is also my copycat Cinnamon frosting recipe. The secret is the extra whipping! I used my paddle attachment and let the mixer go for at least 5 minutes. You will be SHOCKED at how this extra whipping transforms this simple, yet amazing, cream cheese frosting!
How to Slice Sweet Rolls with Dental Floss
After rolling all the goodness up into sweet rolls, sometimes it’s hard to slice them into individual-sized rolls without smooshing them. If the knife you are using is not sharp enough, that can lead to the squishing of the rolls before they are baked. A great method to save you from frustration is dental floss! Yep, dental floss.
To use dental floss, first, make sure it is plain (not flavored) floss. Slide a long piece of floss underneath the rolled-up rolls and wrap the floss around the roll about 2 inches in. Pull to slice through the roll. Continue this method every two inches or so. Now, don’t forget to go floss your teeth, but use a new piece of floss!
Perfect for Fall, these Pumpkin Spice Sweet Rolls will melt in your mouth and make you wish it was pumpkin spice season all year long!
- ⅔ cup (163g) whole milk, warmed for about 30-45 seconds in microwave
- 5 tablespoons sugar, divided
- 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2¾ cups (344g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces, room temperature
- ½ tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
- ½ cup (1 stick or 113g) unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup (123g) pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1½ cups (300g) packed brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice*
- ½ cup (55g) pecans, finely chopped
- 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- ¼ cup (1/2 stick or 56g) butter, room temperature
- 2 cups (250g) confectioners' sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons whole milk or heavy whipping cream
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In a medium bowl, combine milk and 1 tablespoon sugar. Sprinkle yeast over milk and whisk to blend. Let sit until yeast is foamy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs; whisk until smooth.
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In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine remaining 4 tablespoons sugar, flour, and salt. Add the milk mixture. With the mixer running, add butter, 1 piece at a time, blending well between additions.
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Mix on medium speed for 1 minute. Knead on medium-high speed until the dough is soft, about 5 minutes.
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Brush a medium bowl with some melted butter; place the dough in the bowl. Brush the top of the dough with the remaining melted butter; cover with plastic wrap.
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Let dough rise in a warm, draft-free area until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
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When you are ready, punch the dough, turn out onto a floured surface, and roll into a 10x15 rectangle (it should be about 1/4 inch thick).
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In a medium bowl combine butter, pumpkin puree, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and finely chopped pecans with a fork or spatula. Mix well.
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Spread the pumpkin mixture over the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border at the far edge. Roll the dough up, pinching with your fingers to keep it tightly rolled. Press the seam to seal before positioning the log seam side down.
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Use a very sharp knife cut the dough into 12 equal pieces. Place in a greased 9 x 13-inch baking pan.
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Place the rolls in a warm dry space and allow them to rise for 1 hour. (They will rise more when baking.)
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Bake at 350°F for about 25-30 minutes, or until lightly golden brown. Let cool on a wire rack for at least 5 minutes.
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While the rolls cool, mix together the cream cheese, butter, confectioners sugar, and 2 tablespoons of milk on high for about 5 minutes. It should be very smooth and fluffy. If it is not runny enough for your tastes, add another tablespoon of milk. Spread all over the warm rolls and serve.
*If you are using store-bought pumpkin pie spice, use up to 4 teaspoons instead of 2.
I don’t have a mixer with dough hook how do I do this step?
Hello, can these rolls be made with out pumpkin purée’. What would the filling ingredients be? Thank you!!
I made this recipe and got very excellent result. Best recipe ever. thanks for sharing
Can any part of the pumpkin sweet rolls be made a head of time?
In the recipe you ask for 2 tsp. pumpkin spice mix (homemade) but in your note if using storebought you say to use 4 TABLESPOONS instead of the 2 . in the recipe. Is it tablespoons or teaspoons?
FYI I love your recipes.
Joanne!! Thank you so much! I can’t believe I made that error. Yes, it should read 4 teaspoons, not tablespoons. I fixed the recipe. Thank you!
Would love to see step pictures, or a video, idk if my dough needs more flour or not, it didn’t ball up on the hook, it was still kinda wet and sticky. I feel like bread doughs should ball up? But maybe not for pastry’s?
Can the eggs be substituted with something else? If so what can I use?
I just made these today! I used a plastic spatula, when completely mixed I kneaded the dough by hand on a floured surface. They came out good!!
I really wanted this recipe to work but man was it an absolute disaster. The dough was too wet to roll up and the filling spilled out everywhere. Everywhere. I think the step that did me in was the medium-high kneading for 5 minutes. The dough lost all shape and became a big gooey mess. Ended up baking it as some sort of Frankenstein loaf/flatbread? It was still very delicious.
This is the base dough that is used in all of my sweet roll recipes and has received great feedback. I have tested it extensively as well. Sorry there were issues for you, but you may have needed a touch more flour as every kitchen and climate is different. The dough does need to be kneaded well. Glad it still tasted good for you!