I'm giving cinnamon rolls a seasonal upgrade with pumpkin puree. The pumpkin not only adds a beautiful orange hue, it makes the sourdough brioche dough soft and pillowy while cutting back on the butter and eggs you'd normally need. This dough comes together easily by hand, no stand mixer needed. Rolled up with a cinnamon brown sugar filling and finished with a tangy cream cheese glaze, these buns are the best cozy, indulgent treat.
These rolls are naturally-leavened with active sourdough starter with no commercial yeast for all of you who prefer long-fermented dough over my sourdough discard bread recipes. But, if you are short on time and want a quick and easy recipe, try my sourdough discard cinnamon rolls instead.
This recipe was originally published in Oct. 2023. It has since been reformatted with new photos and additional tips for success.
5-Star Review ★
These are hands down one of the best things I've ever made. Absolutely perfect.
Kat
There's nothing more annoying than an unfinished can of pumpkin puree. But don't worry, if you make this recipe you can turn any leftover into sourdough pumpkin pancakes, sourdough pumpkin dinner rolls, or sourdough pumpkin scones. Canned pumpkin puree is one of my favorite ingredients so I never let it go to waste in my kitchen.
What you need
Pumpkin puree: For the best results use canned pumpkin puree. Homemade pumpkin puree may affect the hydration level of your dough and the final texture of your bread. Do not use pumpkin pie filling, since it contains added spices and sugars. Use any leftover pumpkin puree to make Sourdough Pumpkin Cookies, Sourdough Pumpkin Muffins or Decorative Pumpkin Sourdough Bread.
Active sourdough starter: You'll need a mature, active sourdough starter. Make sure your starter is bubbly and well-risen before attempting this recipe.
All-purpose flour: The low protein content of all-purpose keeps these cinnamon rolls, soft and fluffy. Do not substitute another type of flour, especially whole wheat or your rolls will be tough and dry.
Spices: I love using individual and whole spice when possible, but feel free to use your favorite store-bought pumpkin spice mix, you'll need about 1 ½ tablespoons.
Salt: I forgot to add salt in the photo (oops!). But please don't forget to add it to your recipe or your rolls will turn out bland and mushy, salt helps strengthen gluten in addition to imparting flavor. Use kosher salt or sea salt for the best results!
See recipe card for detailed ingredient information.
Step-by-step Instructions
Make the dough
Combine the milk, pumpkin puree, sugar, and sourdough starter in a large bowl. Add the flour, salt and spices into the pumpkin mixture. Knead the butter into the dough a tablespoon at a time. Let the dough rest for 1 hour.
Knead the dough
Knead the dough until it looks smooth. The dough will look rough at first (image 4) but will look smooth after 5 to 10 minutes of kneading.
Bulk rise
Let the dough rise in a warm spot until it has noticeably increased in volume and feels like its full of bubbles. Once your dough has doubled in volume, refrigerate it overnight.
Can I bake these on the same day?
Absolutely! Simply skip the cold-proof and continue on to shaping and baking.
Shape the dough
Roll the dough out into a large rectangle. Spread softened butter on the dough. Sprinkle the sugar and spice mix over the butter. Working with the longer side, roll the dough into a tight cylinder. Using a bread knife or dental floss, divide the dough into 12 portions.
Second proof
Arrange the rolls on a 9-by-13-inch baking pan lined with parchment paper. Let the dough rise until puffy and the rolls have filled the pan.
Bake
Egg wash the dough. Bake at 375 F for 30 to 40 minutes.
Glaze
Mix the glaze until smooth. Top the rolls while they are still warm.
Notes from Hannah's Test Kitchen
- Be patient, baking with wild yeast takes time. Wait until your dough is visibly bubbly and well-risen, which typically takes 4 to 6 hours. I'll be giving time cues, but this may differ based on your starter's health and the unique conditions in your kitchen.
- If your dough feels too sticky and difficult to handle, return it to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes before continuing to knead.
- Don't over beat your glaze, this will work too much air into the mixture and it will turn out grainy.
Storage Tips
These cinnamon rolls will taste the best the same day they are baked. Since they have a cream cheese glaze, these cinnamon rolls are best stored in the refrigerator.
One baker shared that they had success par-baking and freezing these rolls, making them easy to prep ahead so they taste fresh baked for holidays or special occasions.
- Bake the rolls at 375 F for 20 minutes, just until they are set and lightly puffed, but not golden brown.
- Remove from the oven, let them cool completely, and wrap the baking tray in foil.
- Freeze for up to 1 month.
- When ready to serve, bake the frozen rolls wrapped at 350 F for 15 minutes, unwrap and continue baking for another 10 minutes or until golden brown and warmed through.
- Glaze
Did this recipe rise to the occasion?
★★★★★
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Pumpkin Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls Recipe
Equipment
- dental floss don't use mint-flavored
- 9 by 13 baking pan
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Ingredients
Dough
- 113 grams sourdough starter mature and active
- 150 grams pumpkin puree
- 75 grams milk
- 50 grams cane sugar
- 400 grams all-purpose flour
- 9 grams salt
- 56 grams unsalted butter softened
Filling
- 100 grams brown sugar
- 5 grams cinnamon ground
- ½ teaspoon ginger ground
- ¼ teaspoon cloves ground
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg grated
- 56 grams unsalted butter softened
Cream Cheese Glaze
- 72 grams cream cheese
- 90 grams powdered sugar
- 42 grams milk
Egg wash
- 1 egg optional
Click US Customary to view volume measurements
Instructions
Day 1
- Make the dough: Combine the starter, pumpkin puree, milk and sugar in a large bowl. Stir until the starter is fully dissolved.113 grams sourdough starter, 150 grams pumpkin puree, 75 grams milk, 50 grams cane sugar
- Fold the all-purpose flour and salt into the pumpkin mixture. Stir until a shaggy dough forms.400 grams all-purpose flour, 9 grams salt
- Knead the butter into the dough 1 tablespoon at a time, wait until the dough absorbs the butter before adding more. The dough will gradually feel less oily as you massage the butter into the dough.56 grams unsalted butter
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rest for 1 hour.
- Knead the dough: Knead the dough until it looks smooth, about 5 to 10 minutes. The dough should feel stretchy and look smooth. Gather the dough into a tight ball and place it in a clean, lightly-oiled bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm place.
- Bulk fermenation: Let the dough rise until it has doubled in volume and feels bubbly. This can take about 4 to 6 hours, but it's extremely important that you allow your dough to rise or your rolls will turn out tough.
- Cold proof: Deflate the dough and place it in the refrigerator to proof overnight. (see note)
Day 2
- Prepare the filling: Combine brown sugar and spices. Set aside.100 grams brown sugar, 5 grams cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ginger, ¼ teaspoon cloves, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- Shape the dough: Turn the dough out on a lightly floured work surface. Using a rolling pin, flatten the dough out into a large rectangle, about 10-by-18 inch rectangle.
- Spread an even layer of softened butter on the dough. Sprinkle the sugar and spice mixture over the dough.
- Working with the longer side, roll the dough into a tight cylinder.
- Cut the dough into 12 portions, each portion should be about 1 ½ inch.
- Final proof: Arrange the dough on a parchment-lined baking pan. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm place.
- Your dough should look puffy, well-risen and the rolls should touch and fill the pan, about 2 to 4 hours depending on the temperature of your dough and the conditions in your kitchen.
Bake
- Prep: Preheat your oven to 375 F. Beat the egg until no traces of white remain.1 egg
- Make the glaze: Using a hand mixer or stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and unsalted butter until no more lumps remain. Add the powdered sugar and milk, continue beating until the glaze looks smooth.56 grams unsalted butter, 72 grams cream cheese, 90 grams powdered sugar, 42 grams milk
- Bake: Brush the top of the dough with the egg wash. Bake the rolls for 30 to 40 minutes or until they are golden brown and the center of the rolls registers at 190 F when probed with an instant-read thermometer.
- Serve: Spread glaze over the still-warm cinnamon rolls. These rolls are best enjoyed the same day they are baked.
Tips
These recipes were developed and tested using grams for precise measurements. To increase your chances of success, I recommend investing in a kitchen scale. I've included rough volume estimates (in tablespoons and cups), but they might not be totally accurate.
Remember all ovens are unique, these recipes were tested in my oven which runs cooler than others. You might need to lower the temperature if your bake appears to be browning too quickly. Monitor your bake closely and make adjustments if needed.
Notes
Nutrition
I am not a nutritionist or dietitian, any nutrition information provided is an estimate.
Minerva Avitia says
Es la primera vez que hago roles así que tenía un poco de miedo que no me salieran pero quedaron perfecto y deliciosos, gracias por compartir tu trabajo y conocimiento 🙌🏼
Hannah Dela Cruz says
¡Hola Minerva! ¡Gracias! Me alegra mucho que te gustaron.
Minerva Avitia says
I wanna make regular cinnamon rolls but don’t wanna use instant yeast, can I use this recipe but using egg instead of pumpkin puree? And how many eggs need?
Thank you so much ✨
Hannah Dela Cruz says
Use the same ingredients from my Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Rolls recipe, but leave out the yeast and use active sourdough starter instead of discard. The rest is easy, just change the rise times. If you’re not sure how, you can follow the timing in my Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls recipe.
https://makeitdough.com/sourdough-discard-cinnamon-rolls/
Jazmine says
Making these now and we’re so excited! Can I use discard instead? Or will it change the recipe
Hannah Dela Cruz says
Hi Jazmine - using discard instead of an active sourdough starter will change the recipe quite a bit. Discard isn't strong enough to make bread rise so you'd need to add a little bit of commercial yeast to the dough. Add about 7 grams (1 packet). This will also make fermentation quicker so expect your dough to rise in 45 minutes to 1 hour instead of 6 hours.
Hopefully this makes sense. I'm here if you need more clarity.
Hannah says
I am just getting ready to make this and I was a little bit surprised that there was no egg in the recipe. My other sourdough cinnamon roll recipe recipes call for egg usually just one so wasn’t sure if the pumpkin was in someway replacing that.
Hannah Dela Cruz says
Eggs are often added to enrich and tenderize dough. In this recipe, though, the pumpkin, milk, and butter already do the job, so there’s no need for eggs.
Erin says
Can I make & shape the dough a couple of days prior to baking? Or will they mess with the rise/textute?
Hannah Dela Cruz says
Hi! Your rolls may overproof. You can try to freeze the fully proofed dough before baking.
Kimber Rose says
Beautiful soft and tasty cinnamon rolls! I made this batch and par-baked just past the full rise then took out of the oven to cool before I wrapped the pan in plastic/aluminum foil so I could bake them later. When I took them out of the freezer I allowed them to thaw in the fridge for 24-hours then finished baking at 350 for 15-20 minutes. Ooey gooey yumminess!
Hannah Dela Cruz says
Ooh that's a great way to freeze these cinnamon rolls! I'm going to have to try this and see if works on other types of bread as well. Thanks for the suggestion and I'm glad you liked the recipe.
Michelle says
I've been making sourdough bread for 12 years. and love all things sourdough so much! I've visited a LOT of sourdough sites over the years. Yours is one of the best I've seen with some great recipes.. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and detailed instructions. Love this site. I added a bit of butter to the icing and a little less milk. So creamy and delicious! Perfect topping for these rolls. Another keeper recipe for my sourdough collection!
Hannah Dela Cruz says
Thank you! This is so nice and I'm glad you're loving the recipes!
Whitney Degrenia says
Loved this recipe. Off season, If I wanted to make them regular cinnamon rolls and omit the pumpkin, should I add anything else like more milk? Ty!
Hannah Dela Cruz says
You can just make my Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Rolls Recipe - omitting the instant yeast and adjusting your proofing times.
https://makeitdough.com/sourdough-discard-cinnamon-rolls/
Monica says
Greetings from Virginia,
I just pulled these out of the oven. I haven't iced them yet, but will wait until tomorrow as we prefer the icing intact and not melted. I did have an un-iced roll. It's delicious. It is a little strong on the cloves, so I will probably cut it back to a pinch or two. I made and baked all today. This is definitely an all day process to do it same day. Thanks for sharing a wonderful recipe.
Hannah Dela Cruz says
Totally get your input on the cloves! They can be quite strong. Glad that you still love the rolls!
Kimber Wyatt says
I made these to take into work (I'm a nurse). They were a big hit! My family tasted them and told me I probably should not take them to work because they were NOT good! (wink, wink)
These are definitely a do over!
Hannah Dela Cruz says
Thank you for trying these out! They are not an easy bake so I am very impressed!
Kat says
What is that beaten egg for? Egg wash? How long should that final rise take?
Hannah Dela Cruz says
Thanks for your comment, Kat! I added in the details that were missing - so sorry about that.
Bekah says
These are delicious > I made them for Thanksgiving and my family loved them. I made a second batch but it got lost in the back of my fridge for days. I don’t think they will be fluffy but at least they’ll be tasty. 😊
Hannah Dela Cruz says
So happy your family enjoyed your bake. Things can get so hectic this time of year, things definitely get lost in my fridge all the time. Hope the rolls were still delicious!
Kat says
these are hands down one of the best things I've ever made. absolutely perfect. Can't wait for my girlfriend to try them tonight!
Hannah Dela Cruz says
I'm so happy you loved the recipe! Thank you for trying it out.