I’ve loved playing around with my basic cinnamon roll recipe, and this week I wanted to make pumpkin pie cinnamon rolls!

Warm spices and a bit of pumpkin puree give this recipe such fun a Fall spin!

How Much Flour Am I Supposed to Use??

The amount of flour this recipe starts with is set. But as you add in your wet ingredients and the eggs, a sticky dough ball forms and you might need to add in additional flour.

I find kneading an additional 3-4 Tbsp of flour into the dough at the stage is the perfect amount.

It makes it easier to handle and knead by hand, but it’s still a tiny bit tacky and soft. You need just enough flour to make the dough workable.

If you add too much flour you can end up with dense, chewy cinnamon rolls that are difficult to roll.

This is why you want to be careful with how much flour you add. We want these to turn out fluffy and soft!

Making These Cinnamon Rolls by Hand vs. Stand Mixer

This recipe can be made by hand or with a dough hook / stand mixer.

My first couple batches of cinnamon rolls were made when I was home for the holidays, and I didn’t have a stand mixer.

It is definitely easier to make using a stand mixer, but a little elbow grease never hurt anyone. I also find it’s easier to get the consistency of the dough right if you knead by hand.

I’ve found that starting the dough in my stand mixer and finishing the kneading process by hand gives me the best results. The dough should be a bit tacky but not sticky once it’s ready to be rested.

Whichever method you use to make the dough, just be sure to knead or mix the dough until it gets an elastic texture and pulls away from the bowl or counter.

Once you get to this point, stop, and let the dough rest for about 10-20 minutes. This little break allows the gluten to relax a bit and makes the dough easier to roll out.

Pumpkin Pie Cinnamon Rolls – Substitutions and Swaps

While I love this recipe just the way it is, I know you might not have all these ingredients on hand!

Below are some swaps and substitutions that can be made in this recipe.

• All Purpose Flour – I haven’t tested this recipe out with gluten free flour, but it should work if you use a good blend like King Arthur’s GF flour. Just be sure to knead the dough a bit longer to help give it structure.
• Instant / Rapid Rise Yeast – You can use active dry yeast in place of the instant yeast in this recipe, just be sure to activate the yeast with a little water and sugar and allow the dough to rise for a bit longer (active yeast takes longer to rise than instant).
• Unsalted Butter – If you only have salted butter on hand you can use it in place of the unsalted butter in this recipe. Just be sure to omit the salt that this recipe calls for. You can also use vegan butter in its place!
• Whole Milk – Most alternative milks work fine in this recipe, including soy, oat, and almond milk.
• Granulated Sugar – I don’t recommend changing the type or amount of sugar used in the dough.
• Large Egg – This is an enriched dough, so the recipe uses an egg. You can try using a vegan egg replacer or use an extra 1/4 cup of pumpkin puree to make eggless pumpkin pie cinnamon rolls.
• Brown Sugar – You can use light or dark brown sugar to make the filling for these cinnamon rolls. I prefer using light in this recipe!
• Pumpkin Puree – Use unsweetened pumpkin puree, NOT pre-made pumpkin pie filling. I use the canned kind, but you can also make your own if you feel like it!

Topping These Pumpkin Pie Cinnamon Rolls

The finishing touch on any cinnamon roll has to be its topping!

A cinnamon roll isn’t complete without some type of melty glaze or frosting. I decided to top these pumpkin pie cinnamon rolls with a delicious vanilla glaze and a dusting of ground cinnamon.

While I was tempted to use my cream cheese buttercream or my American buttercream, for some reason a vanilla frosting just felt right.

You can use a more traditional frosting if you prefer your cinnamon rolls that way though!

Tips for Making the Best Pumpkin Pie Cinnamon Rolls:

• Use a ruler to make sure your dough is rolled out to the right size (14 in x 18 in) and cut into even pieces.
• Use dental floss to easily cut each cinnamon roll rather than a knife.
• Cut 12 equally sized cinnamon rolls from your log to make sure they all bake evenly.
• Bake the cinnamon rolls in a greased rectangular pan (mine is 9 in x 13 in).
• Try to let the cinnamon rolls cool for 10-20 minutes, then add the glaze. This will allow it to perfectly melt over your cinnamon rolls!

Making These Pumpkin Pie Cinnamon Rolls in Advance

If you want to make these pumpkin spice cinnamon rolls ahead of time, by my guest! I’m all about working ahead and making life easier.

This recipe can be made the evening before and baked the following morning.

You can refrigerate these cinnamon rolls after they have been cut in a greased or lined pan.

Cover the cinnamon roll pan tightly with plastic wrap, making sure the seal is airtight. If the cinnamon rolls are exposed to air, they can dry out and no one wants dry cinnamon rolls!

The morning you want to bake them, take them out 1 hour before you plan to bake them, then follow the recipe instructions to bake.

You can also bake the cinnamon rolls, then let them cool and freeze them individually.

This is what I do with our leftover cinnamon rolls. I leave the leftover rolls unfrosted, then tightly wrap each roll in a layer of plastic wrap then foil.

I move individual cinnamon rolls from the freezer to the fridge the night before I want to eat them. Then in the morning, I unwrap the cinnamon roll and heat it up in the microwave until it’s warm and gooey (usually about 30 seconds!).

You can also store them in an airtight container! I like to do this when I plan to reheat a bunch of them together or am sharing them with friends or family.

Let Me Know What You Think!

If you try this recipe for pumpkin cinnamon rolls, I’d love to hear what you think! Please leave a rating and a comment with your thoughts.

You can also tag me on social media @chelsweets or use #chelsweets so I can see your creations!!

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