These Brown Butter Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls have an amazing flavor that will make you swoon. The soft pumpkin rolls are filled with plenty of delicious pumpkin flavor thanks to the infusion of nutty brown butter. The spicy cream cheese frosting that is spread over the rich, pillowy-soft rolls is the ultimate indulgence that you’ll adore. These are really a must-bake during the cosy autumn months!
And just like that, everyone, pumpkin season has here. What are your thoughts on it? Have you tried pumpkin-flavored foods previously, or do you detest them? Aha. To be honest, I’m not a huge fan of pumpkin, although occasionally it can be entertaining. My “here and there” are these cinnamon buns with pumpkin filling. I know I’m prejudiced, but if you’re searching for a wonderful recipe for homemade pumpkin rolls, this is it.
Brown Butter Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
You will never taste better pumpkin cinnamon buns than these. I like how this dish has hints of pumpkin flavor throughout. Pumpkin puree and nutty brown butter abound in the yeast dough, pumpkin-flavored brown sugar bliss abounds in the filling recipe, and the frosting is ridiculously delicious. You’ll get a pan of incredibly soft and fluffy cookies that will make you cry into your flannel jacket thanks to a hidden ingredient!
Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls & Recipe Highlights
- EASY, NO WORRIES: Alright, I realize some people worry and become anxious when they have to make their own cinnamon buns. Still, they’re actually rather simple to build.if anything, a little more time-consuming than difficult. With the aid of useful illustrations and well-written directions, I’ll guide you through the entire procedure and set you up for success 🫶🏾.
- VINTAGE FLAIR: This one’s for my pumpkin enthusiasts! I believe you guys are known on the internet as simple fall b*tches or something. Haha. Nevertheless, these pumpkin cinnamon buns are sure to please anybody who is infatuated with fall tastes.
- CUDDLIEST FALL GIFT: These rolls are *the* epitome of warm and comfortable fall baking deliciousness, whether they’re being made for a romantic present for someone, an entertaining or party centerpiece, or a pleasant weekend spent indoors.
How To Make These Brown Butter Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls- Part I:
- Let the butter brown. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over a medium heat. The butter should develop a deep brown color with brown pieces on the bottom and a nutty scent. Stir it occasionally, scraping off any parts as you stir. After that, turn off the heat and leave it to cool while you prepare the dough.
- Produce the dough. Place the two tablespoons of sugar and the heated milk in the bowl of a stand mixer. After that, add the yeast and thoroughly mix. After ten to fifteen minutes, or until frothy, let the mixture settle.
- When frothy, stir in eggs, browned butter, flour, pumpkin puree, salt, and the remaining sugar.
- a sturdy dough hook attachment to the mixer and mix on low speed for one to two minutes, or until the dough starts to come together. Turn the speed up to medium and knead the dough for an additional five to six minutes, or until it’s smooth.
- Roll the dough into a ball and transfer to a large basin that has been gently oiled. Use a fresh kitchen towel or plastic wrap to cover the dish. Allow the dough to double in size by letting it rise or proof in a warm place.
Filling, Rolling & Cutting Rolls- Part II:
- As you wait, prepare the filling: Combine the brown sugar, pumpkin puree, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice in a medium basin. Mixing the ingredients well will result in a thick paste. Next, put away.
- Form, fill, and slice buns. Once the first proof is complete, punch down the dough to remove any remaining air and place it onto a surface dusted with flour. Roll out the dough to a size of roughly 20 by 10 inches with a rolling pin. Leaving a little border around the borders, evenly distribute the softened butter over the dough. Next, cover the dough with the filling paste mixture, leaving a little border all the way around.
- With the seam side down, tightly roll the dough into a log. To seal in the edges as much as possible, pinch the seam. Cut the log in half lengthwise using a big, sharp knife or plain dental floss to make 12 pieces.
Resting, Finishing & Baking Rolls- Part III:
- Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with cooking parchment. allowing some room for expansion, add the sliced rolls to the pan, allowing space between them. Use a fresh kitchen towel or plastic wrap to cover the pan. Heat the oven to 350°F after that. While the oven is heating up, leave the rolls out; as they rest, they will puff up.
- rolling out the dough. Take off the kitchen towel or plastic wrap. Next, cover the rolls completely with the heavy cream. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the rolls are golden brown. Make the frosting while the rolls are baking.
- To prepare the cream cheese frosting, whip the cream cheese and butter together until smooth, either in the bowl of a stand mixer or with a handheld electric mixer. Mix in the pumpkin pie spice, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar. Mixing the frosting until it’s thoroughly blended and lump-free takes time. Wait until the rolls are baked before setting aside.
- Assist. Spread the rolls with the cream cheese frosting once they have baked. If preferred, top the rolls with an additional dash of pumpkin pie spice. It’s better to serve these brown butter pumpkin cinnamon buns quickly 🤩!
What’s With The Heavy Cream?
Superb query! I must admit that TikTok introduced me to this trick/hack.Thus, to guarantee that the cinnamon rolls are particularly plush and supple, add heavy cream to the constructed buns before baking. Rolls might occasionally dry out a little when baking, but this extra step only gives them a little extra shine and texture for incredibly soft cinnamon buns. Use coffee creamer (such as vanilla or pumpkin-flavored coffee creamer!) as a replacement if you don’t have heavy cream. If not, you are welcome to omit the cream; the rolls will still taste delicious.
To answer any questions you may have—I know some of you have—the rolls don’t experience any strange effects from it. During baking, the cream evaporates and melts into the rolls. It all comes down to the texture it produces! 👌🏽
Overnight Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls (Make-Ahead & Save Time!)
You may prepare ahead of time if you’d like to start making these pumpkin cinnamon buns earlier! This is a terrific method to make the cinnamon rolls in smaller batches and save time on the baking day.
Here’s how it will proceed: Proceed with the recipe as directed in the recipe card, skipping the baking step until you reach step #9. After assembly, place the rolls in the fridge to rest for the whole night, or around eight hours. Remove the rolls the following morning, allow them to come up to room temperature for approximately one hour or until they are puffed, and then proceed with the entire baking instructions.
BBR tip: The constructed cinnamon rolls will dry up if they are kept in the refrigerator for a long period of time.
Tips For Storing Your Baked Cinnamon Rolls
The texture and flavor of these freshly cooked pumpkin cinnamon buns will be like a kiss from the chef, thus best served the day of! On the other hand, leftovers can be stored on the counter for one to two days at room temperature, covered. If not, leftovers can be kept for three to four days in the refrigerator when stored in an airtight container. Warm these rolls up again in the microwave until they’re thoroughly heated and luscious!
Tips + Tricks, FAQs & More For Recipe Success
- Adhere to the specified recipe! For best results, follow the recipe exactly as described!
- Apply new yeast! Verify that your yeast is still active; fresh yeast works best!
- When working with yeast, make sure the milk is heated to the proper temperature—either for instant or active dry yeast. The dough won’t activate if your milk is too cold. On the other hand, overheating the milk might destroy the yeast, rendering your dough unusable and necessitating a fresh start.
- The finest milk to use is whole milk; I prefer it because of the richness it imparts. But you may also use almond milk or 2%.
- Pumpkin puree: Libby’s pumpkin puree is my favorite. Just my two cents, but I think certain pumpkin puree products are less concentrated than Libby’s and have a lot more moisture/hydration.
- Respect wake-up times: Before baking, let the dough firm until it doubles in size (first rise) and the cut rolls become puffy (second rise), for optimal yeast efficacy. This will guarantee that the texture of the rolls is just right.
- Roll cutting: An extremely sharp knife or scent-free dental floss come in handy here. Nonetheless, I think the floss approach is better since it eliminates the need to press down on or flatten the dough, unlike using a knife.
- center of the cinnamon bun came out? Therefore, when the center of the cinnie explodes, it’s usually because the rolls don’t have enough space to spread (maybe because the pan wasn’t big enough). Don’t worry, after baking, gently press down with a spatula! Alternatively, don’t worry about it; it will still taste fine even if it has a somewhat skewed appearance!
Be sure to peep these other recipes:
- EASY CHEESECAKE RECIPE
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake
- Raisin Bran Muffins
- Chocolate layer cake with cocoa
- Almond Cake
Brown Butter Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
For the yeast dough:
- ½ cup 1 stick unsalted butter
- 1 cup whole milk warmed to about 115–120°F
- ½ cup granulated sugar divided
- 2 ¼ teaspoons 1 packet active dry or instant yeast
- 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk
- ¾ cup pumpkin puree
- 4 ¾ cup – 5 cups all-purpose flour plus more for dusting
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
For the filling:
- 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
- ¼ cup pumpkin puree
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- ¼ cup 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- ⅓ cup heavy whipping cream for drizzling over rolls before baking
For the cream cheese icing:
- 8 ounces block-style full-fat cream cheese, softened
- ¼ cup 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla essence I use vanilla bean paste
- ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Instructions
- Let the butter brown. Heat a small, light-colored saucepan over medium heat to melt the butter. The butter will start to froth after it melts and bubble while it cooks. After then, it will turn a clear, pale golden hue. Note: The pot might burn fast during the browning process, so don’t leave it unattended for an extended period of time. The butter should develop a deep brown color with brown pieces on the bottom and a nutty scent. Stir it occasionally, scraping off any parts as you stir. When this is accomplished, turn off the heat and leave it to cool while you prepare the dough.
- Produce the dough. Mix the warm milk and two tablespoons sugar together in the bowl of a stand mixer or, if you prefer to mix by hand, in a big bowl. After that, add the yeast and thoroughly mix. After ten to fifteen minutes, or until frothy, let the mixture settle.
- When frothy, stir in eggs, browned butter, pureed pumpkin, 4 ¾ cups flour, salt, and the remaining sugar.
- Attach the dough hook to the mixer and run the machine on low speed for one to two minutes, or until the dough starts to come together. After kneading the dough for five to six minutes, or until it is smooth, elastic, and flexible, increase the speed to medium. If you don’t have a stand mixer, you may also knead the dough by hand for ten minutes on a surface that has been lightly floured. Should the dough seem too sticky, include the extra ¼ cup of flour, as necessary.
- Roll the dough into a ball and transfer to a large basin that has been gently oiled. Use a fresh kitchen towel or plastic wrap to cover the dish. Allow the dough to rise or prove in a warm place until it doubles in size; this should take about an hour, though it may take longer or less time depending on the temperature in the area.
- As you wait, prepare the filling: Combine the brown sugar, pumpkin puree, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice in a medium basin. Mixing the ingredients well will result in a thick paste. Next, put away.
- Form, fill, and slice buns. Once the first proof is complete, punch down the dough to remove any remaining air and place it onto a surface dusted with flour. Roll out the dough to a size of roughly 20 by 10 inches with a rolling pin. Leaving a little border around the borders, evenly distribute the softened butter over the dough. Next, cover the dough with the filling paste mixture, leaving a little border all the way around.
- Starting from the longest side with the seam side down, roll the dough into a compact log. To seal in the edges as much as possible, pinch the seam. Since the ends of the dough are not as full as the other parts, I prefer to trim a little bit off of them. Cut the log in half lengthwise using a big, sharp knife or plain dental floss to make 12 pieces.
- Put some parchment paper into a 9 x 13-inch baking pan (this helps in case some of the filling seeps out). Leaving some room for expansion, place the cut rolls in the baking pan one after the other. Use a fresh kitchen towel or plastic wrap to cover the pan. Heat the oven to 350°F after that. As the oven preheats, leave the prepared rolls out to cool; they will puff up as they rest.
- rolling out the dough. Take off the kitchen towel or plastic wrap. Next, liberally brush the rolls with the heavy cream, both on top and in the creases. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the rolls are golden brown. Make the frosting while the rolls are baking.
- To prepare the cream cheese frosting, whip the cream cheese and butter together until smooth, either in the bowl of a stand mixer or with a handheld electric mixer. Mix in the pumpkin pie spice, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar. Mixing the frosting until it’s thoroughly blended and lump-free takes time. Wait until the rolls are baked before setting aside.
- Assist. Once the rolls are cooked, cover them with the cream cheese frosting using a spreading tool. If preferred, top the rolls with an additional dash of pumpkin pie spice. It’s ideal to serve these cinnamon buns with brown butter and pumpkin immediately soon. Have fun!
Notes
- For the overnight cinnamon rolls, proceed as directed in the recipe card, up to step #9, except for the baking part. After assembly, place the rolls in the fridge to rest for the whole night, or around eight hours. Remove the rolls the following morning, allow them to come up to room temperature for approximately one hour or until they are puffed, and then proceed with the entire baking instructions.
- Please read blog post in its entirety for more tips + tricks.