Fall is all about enjoying pumpkin treats and these pumpkin cinnamon rolls with maple cream cheese frosting are the perfect way to do just that. They are filled with pumpkin puree in both the dough and filling to give you all the pumpkin flavor. Trust me they are worth the wait for the perfect morning treat especially when enjoying a lazy Saturday morning with a warm cup of coffee.
Small Batch Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
Soft, fluffy pumpkin dough filled with cinnamon, brown sugar and more pumpkin then topped with a maple cream cheese frosting.
Ingredients
Dough
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1 1/2 tsp yeast
- 1 Tbsp granulated sugar + a pinch
- 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
- 2 Tbsp melted butter
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 cup flour + 2 Tbsp
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
Filling
- 2 Tbsp butter softened
- 4 Tbsp brown sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 2 Tbsp pumpkin puree
Frosting
- 2 oz cream cheese softened
- 2 Tbsp butter softened
- 2 Tbsp powdered sugar
- 2 Tbsp maple syrup
Instructions
- Warm milk for 20 seconds in the microwave so it is between 100-115 degrees. Add a pinch of granulated sugar and the yeast. Gently stir to dissolve the yeast. Allow to sit for 10 minutes so the yeast becomes activated and frothy.
- In a small bowl combine the flour, granulated sugar, and pumpkin pie spice. Add the melted butter, egg yolk, pumpkin puree and yeast/milk mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon until all combined.
- Place the dough on a floured surface and knead for 4-5 minutes. The dough will be fairly sticky so make sure your hands are well floured and have extra flour available to add as you keep kneading.
- Place dough in a clean bowl sprayed with cooking spray. Cover with a towel and let sit for 30 minutes. The dough should double in size.
- Add more flour to your work surface and roll out the dough with a rolling pin to an 8×12 rectangle. Spread the 2 Tbsp of butter over the dough. Mix together the rest of the filling ingredients so they make a paste. Spread evenly over the dough.
- Roll up the dough and cut into either 4 or 6 cinnamon rolls. If you rolled along the long edge then you will get 6 cinnamon rolls. Place in an 8×8 baking dish lined with parchment paper or sprayed with cooking spray. Cover with a towel and let rise for 20 minutes. Meanwhile preheat oven to 375 F.
- Bake cinnamon rolls at 375 F for 15-17 minutes so that the outside is baked but the inside is still slightly gooey.
- While the cinnamon rolls are cooling for a few minutes make the frosting. Place the softened butter and cream cheese into a small mixing bowl. Use a hand mixer to combine the butter and cream cheese. Add the powdered sugar and maple syrup. Mix until there are no lumps. Spread the cream cheese frosting evenly over the rolls. Enjoy while still warm!
