The BEST Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls Recipe

These pumpkin cinnamon rolls are so fluffy. You'll love the cinnamon sugar swirls and the maple cream cheese frosting that melts into the grooves. They're irresistible and I'm going to show you how to keep them soft and never dry. And I'm craving some pumpkin cinnamon rolls so let's get started. In the bowl of a stand mixer, pour your warm milk. Make sure it's comfortably warm to the touch, not hot or it will kill your yeast. Sprinkle in your yeast and whisk to combine. Let that sit for five to ten minutes to activate the yeast and when it's ready you should see a light foamy layer on top. Now here's the secret to super fluffy pumpkin cinnamon rolls. You're gonna give the yeast a head start by making a sponge. Whisk in a little bit of flour, sugar, and pure canned pumpkin. Make sure it's pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie mix. Cover this and let it rest until it's visibly puffy. It'll take about 30 minutes if you put it in a warm spot. If my kitchen's cold, I like to put it in the oven with the light on. It's puffed, and look at those bubbles. That's how you know your yeast is thriving. Now whisk in your egg. I do like to crack that separately to make sure I don't get any shells in the batter. Also add melted butter, the rest of your sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Whisk until completely smooth. Now add the remaining flour, adding it just half a cup at a time and letting it fully incorporate between each addition. You're going to use your dough hook attachment here and whenever you're making dough, make sure you don't go above speed two. And yes, you can mix in the flour and knead the dough by hand if you don't have a mixer. If needed add more flour just a tablespoon at a time. I'm using Libby's brand pumpkin puree here but different brands of pumpkin hold different amounts of moisture so watch the texture. You want to see the dough pulling away from the sides of the bowl. It should feel soft and slightly tacky but won't stick to clean fingertips. Continue mixing on speed 2 for about 10 minutes to build that gluten structure. Gather the dough into a ball, cover tightly with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm spot until it's doubled in size. While that rises, grease a metal baking pan with softened butter. Also preheat your oven. Next we're going to stir together the filling. You'll need a light brown sugar, ground cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice. Stir that together and set it aside. Once doubled, turn the dough out onto your counter. Make sure to dust the surface first with flour so it doesn't stick like mine just did. Oh snap, I forgot to dust the counter. So I'm gonna try this again. Nobody saw. Dust the top lightly and roll the dough out into an even 16 by 10 inch rectangle. This dough is super soft and easy to work with. Once you have the right size, use a bench scraper or a ruler to square up the edges. Keeping them straight ensures they all bake up uniform and even in size. Dot the top with some very soft butter. This will make it much easier to spread. Now use a spatula to spread that butter evenly all over the surface. I like using my offset spatula for this and I will link to it and all my favorite tools in the notes. Sprinkle your spiced sugar filling evenly over the butter. It may seem like a lot, but trust me, you're going to want to use all of it. Spread it out lightly with your hands if it looks uneven. And now the fun part. Starting from the long edge, roll the dough into a snug log. Keep the roll nice and tight so the centers don't pop up in the oven. You can pinch the seam lightly to seal it, then make sure it's seam side down. Also use your hands to gently push in and flatten the ends so they're more uniform in size. Here's the best baker trick. I don't use a knife to cut cinnamon rolls because it squashes those delicate spirals. Instead, slide a strand of clean, unflavored dental floss underneath, cross the ends over the top, and pull firmly. It slices clean, perfect rounds every single time. Cut into 12 equal pieces and arrange the rolls cut side down into your buttered pan. Keep those evenly spaced, then cover loosely and let them proof in a warm spot until they look visibly puffy and are touching. Brush the tops generously with melted butter to keep the dough tender and soft in the oven, then bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 20 to 25 minutes. The timing really depends on your oven. The biggest mistake is waiting for them to get deeply brown. That will completely dry them out. Take them out when the edges are just lightly golden. You can also check the center roll with a thermometer. Once it reaches 190 degrees Fahrenheit, they're done. While the rolls cool, whip up your frosting. Beat your softened butter and cream cheese until smooth, then whip in pure maple syrup, powdered sugar, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt. Beat that until it's smooth, light, and fluffy. You want to frost these cinnamon rolls about 10 to 12 minutes after they come out of the oven while they're still warm. Spread that luscious frosting over the rolls and watch what happens. The gentle heat melts the icing down into all those spiced cinnamon grooves, locking in the moisture so they stay Stay bakery soft for days. Okay I'm so excited because this is staring back at me. My kitchen smells amazing. All the cozy fall vibes. Make sure make sure that you add that frosting while it's still warm. Multiple reasons for doing that. One it melts into the grooves but also it seals in the moisture. Okay and while I'm cutting out this slice let me know if you guys would go for the corner roll or for that extra soft. Center roll. I'm going for this one because it's easier to get. As As I lift this, I just want you to appreciate the texture and the layers. Look at this. Oh my gosh. And I told you that maple frosting is like dripping down into the roll. Ooh, so excited. Enough talking, we're chomping. Look at this. Look at this beauty. We're just gonna dig in. Oh wow, this is super, super soft. Mm, mm, okay. Here we go. You really get hit with that gooey cinnamon sugar filling and that maple frosting which just kind of melted into every bite. Do not over bake and you will have the fluffiest, most delicious pumpkin cinnamon rolls. It's gonna seem a little naughty and a little messy, but I just want you guys to see the center of these. They are incredible, okay? You're in for a treat. Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh. Look at those layers, okay? You okay? Oh. Oh. That was big. I'm not gonna apologize. These are incredible. Let me know if you have any more baking requests. Oh, also let me know where you spotted Sharky in the video. As usual, first person that spots Sharky will get a gift card. We'll see you on the next episode of Natasha's Kitchen. All right, over and out. So cozy.