This recipe for Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Rolls is one that I usually make only once a year. It is reserved to either celebrate the start of Pumpkin Spice Latte "PSL" season or for Thanksgiving morning breakfast! It is a bit of a waiting game with this recipe, it takes some time, but is not very laborious in the end.
This dough is EVERYTHING!
Now the dough is the part that takes the better part of ALL DAY! But it is totally worth it, I promise. And that is part of the reason I only make this dough twice a year, once for Thanksgiving and once for Christmas.
I do something different with it each time, as you see in this recipe I turn it into "Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Rolls", but at Christmas, I just do a brown sugar and cinnamon filling and top with a cream cheese frosting. A little more traditional, but easy and simple for a day that is usually filled with TONS of sugary options.
Another great option is using some of the dough or doubling it if you are going to have a big crowd of people and using half to make buns and half to make biscuits or rolls with. It is an extremely versatile base dough that can be turned into many different things! I have even blended some garlic, cheese, and herbs into it to make herbed rolls, that is a great option!
Making the dough!
This is where your patience comes in. The dough takes some time but really isn't that difficult to make in the end. It starts with ½ a cup of mashed potatoes, cook and mash them, then blend together scalded milk, shortening, the potatoes, and sugar.
Then cool the mixture to 110˚F, bloom the yeast in the mixture, add some flour and let the sponge rise for 2 hours or until doubled. Then place the sponge mixture into a stand mixer and knead in more flour and leavening agents to form the dough. This mixture then needs to rise twice until doubled, this can take 2-4 hours depending on the temperature of your kitchen.
Filling the dough...
Now, as I mentioned above, you can really fill the dough with anything you like, but for this recipe, I am making a spiced pumpkin butter. I broke out the good Irish Butter for this one. I wanted a little higher fat content on top of making sure these come out the absolute best they possibly can!
To make the filling I simply blend some pumpkin puree into softened butter with some spices. This can be done by hand or in a stand mixer. Either way, you just want an even mixture to spread inside the dough.
This is what will provide the bulk of the flavor and make the buns more than just a sticky sugary mess. The filling adds substance and warmth to the finished product that I absolutely love!
Roll the dough out and cover with the filling. Roll up to form a swirl, mark the dough and cut into 12 equal pieces and arrange the buns on top of the sticky topping. Let the buns proof again until doubled in size, 1.5-2 hours.
Don't the Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Rolls even look like something that "The Pioneer Woman" would even be proud of!
If you feel like dropping the brown sugar and pecans on the bottom, you can also prove them in a greased pan and bake plain. I then would suggest making a Cream Cheese Frosting to put on top after they cool. Use the frosting recipe from my Banana Nut Muffins and spread it on top after they bake.
📖 Recipe
Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Rolls
This recipe takes a bit of a time commitment and some patience, but it is something that I typically reserve for once a year. I make these every year for Thanksgiving breakfast, it has become a bit of a tradition that everyone looks forward to!
Ingredients
for the filling:
- ½ cup Pumpkin Puree, not pie mix
- 8 tablespoons Unsalted Butter, soft
- 1 tablespoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
- 1 teaspoon Ginger, ground
- ½ teaspoon Nutmeg, ground
- ¼ cup Brown Sugar
- 1 tablespoon Honey
for the sticky topping:
- ½ cup Light Brown Sugar
- ¼ cup Granulated Sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 6 tablespoons Unsalted Butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons Water, warm
- 1 cup Pecans, toasted
for the dough:
- 2 cups Whole Milk, scalded
- ½ cup Granulated Sugar
- ½ cup Vegetable Shortening
- ½ cup Potatoes, steamed and mashed
- 1 teaspoon Active Dry Yeast
- 1 cup All-Purpose Flour
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 4 cups All-Purpose Flour
Instructions
for the filling:
- In a small bowl combine the soft butter, pumpkin puree, and spices. Stir until well combined. Reserve at room temperature for later use.
for the sticky topping:
- Prepare a 9 x 13 inch metal baking dish by brushing the interior with butter on all surface areas.
- In a bowl combine the sugars, salt, melted butter and the water and stir to combine. Place the butter and sugar mixture into the bottom of the pan and spread out evenly along the bottom. Top with the pecans and set aside until you are ready to top with the sliced rolls.
for the dough:
- Heat the milk over medium heat until just warm, then add it along with the sugar, shortening, and boiled potatoes to a blender and mix until smooth. Pour the mixture into a medium sized bowl and let it cool to between 100 and 110 degrees. Then whisk the yeast into the mixture and let stand for 5 up to 10 minutes until the mixture is frothy and bubbly. Whisk in 1 cup of flour and mix until it resembles a pancake batter. Cover the mixture and let it rise until doubled, 1.5-2 hours.
- Add the baking powder, soda, and salt, and stir to combine. Add the sponge mixture + 4 cups of flour to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Mix the sponge and the flour together until it forms a dough that comes off cleanly from the side of the bowl, add up to ½ cup more flour if the dough is very sticky. Kneed at medium speed for about 5 minutes until the dough is smooth. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise until doubled, 1.5-2 hours. After this rise, knock the dough back with 4 folds, cover and let rise another 1.5-2 hours. After the second rise roll the dough out into a 12 x 14 inch rectangle and spread the filling over the dough. Roll the dough up to form a log and slice into 12 even pieces and place into the prepared baking dish. Cover the sliced rolls and allow to rise until doubled in size 1.5-2hrs.
- Bake in a 350˚F oven for 30-35 minutes until golden brown.
- When the buns are done cooking, let them cool for 5 minutes. Then turn the buns out onto a platter or tray so the pecans and filling are on top. Enjoy!
Notes
This works BEST in a metal pan, you can use glass but they filling may stick a bit. Grab THIS ONE, it is the best!
If you want to leave the sticky topping and the pecans out, you can also just bake them plain in a greased pan and top with cream cheese frosting after they cool. Use the frosting recipe from my Banana Nut Muffins.
Nutrition Information:
Serving Size: 1 gramsAmount Per Serving: Unsaturated Fat: 0g
Did you make this recipe? Let me know by leaving a review or comment! And be sure to sign up for my newsletter, and follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook!
Did you make this recipe? Let me know by leaving a review or comment! And be sure to sign up for my newsletter, and follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook!
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