Sourdough Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
Our regular Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls get a fall makeover here – pumpkin puree and warm spice folded into the same soft, naturally-leavened dough, finished the same way, with a tangy cream cheese glaze.
Why You’ll Love It
- Same soft, pillowy enriched dough as our classic Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls, with pumpkin puree and warm spice worked right in.
- The overnight cold rise means you shape the rolls the night before and bake fresh rolls the next morning with barely any active time.
- A tangy cream cheese glaze cuts through the sweetness instead of just piling on more sugar.
- Bakes in a single 9×13-inch pan, so it’s easy to make for a crowd or a holiday brunch.
Ingredients
Volume measurements are included for convenience, but they’re approximate – a kitchen scale will always get you a more consistent batch, especially for the flour.
A closer look at what makes this dough different from our regular cinnamon rolls, plus what you’ll need on hand.
- Bread flour (500 g / 4 cups): gives the dough enough structure to hold its shape once rolled and sliced.
- Pumpkin puree (150 g / ⅔ cup): use plain 100% canned pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling, which already contains added sugar and spice.
- Whole milk, lukewarm (90 g / ⅓ cup plus 1 Tbsp): rounds out the dough’s hydration alongside the pumpkin puree; keep it lukewarm so it doesn’t shock the starter.
- Active sourdough starter (125 g / generous ½ cup): fed and near peak for the most reliable rise.
- Granulated sugar (50 g / ¼ cup): a modest amount in the dough itself, since most of the sweetness comes from the filling and glaze.
- Unsalted butter, softened (70 g / 5 Tbsp): softened for the dough, so it incorporates evenly during kneading.
- Egg (1 large): adds richness and helps the dough hold its shape when rolled and sliced.
- Fine sea salt (9 g / about 1½ tsp): balances the sweetness in the dough.
- Pumpkin pie spice (2 tsp): used in the dough for spice in every bite, not just the swirl.
- Brown sugar, for the filling (150 g / ¾ cup): the base of the cinnamon filling; its molasses note pairs naturally with pumpkin spice.
- Ground cinnamon, for the filling (1 Tbsp): the backbone of the filling flavor.
- Pumpkin pie spice, for the filling (1 tsp): adds another layer of spice to the swirl itself, on top of what’s already in the dough.
- Unsalted butter, very soft, for the filling (60 g / ¼ cup): spreads easily over the rolled dough without tearing it; very soft (almost spreadable) rather than melted.
- Cream cheese, softened, for the glaze (115 g / 4 oz): the base of the glaze; let it soften fully at room temperature so the glaze is smooth, not lumpy.
- Powdered sugar, for the glaze (120 g / 1 cup): sweetens and thickens the glaze.
- Vanilla extract, for the glaze (½ tsp): rounds out the glaze’s flavor alongside the cream cheese.
Equipment
- Stand mixer with dough hook: makes kneading this soft, enriched dough much easier.
- Rolling pin: for rolling the dough into an even rectangle before filling.
- 9×13-inch baking pan: the standard size for a full batch of 12 rolls.
- Bench scraper: useful for handling the soft dough and lifting sliced rolls into the pan.
- Unflavored dental floss or a very sharp knife: for slicing clean rolls without squashing the dough.
Sample Schedule
Day 1
- Feed your starter 4 to 6 hours before you plan to mix, so it's active and roughly doubled.
- Mix and knead the dough, then let it bulk ferment at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours, until puffy.
- Roll out the dough, spread with the filling, roll up, and slice into 12 rolls.
- Arrange the rolls in the prepared pan, cover tightly, and refrigerate overnight for 8 to 12 hours.
Day 2
- Remove the pan from the fridge and let the rolls finish proofing at room temperature for 1 to 1.5 hours, until puffy and touching each other.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Bake for 28 to 32 minutes, until golden brown and the centers reach 190°F (88°C).
- Cool for 10 minutes, then spread with the cream cheese glaze while still warm.
Sourdough Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
Method
- Whisk the pumpkin puree, milk, and active starter together until the starter is mostly dissolved.
- Mix in the flour, sugar, salt, and pumpkin pie spice to form a shaggy dough.
- Add the softened butter and egg, then knead 8-10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
- Bulk ferment 2-3 hours at room temperature until visibly puffy.
- Stir together the brown sugar, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice for the filling.
- Roll the dough into a 16×12-inch rectangle, spread with the very soft butter, and sprinkle with the filling.
- Roll into a tight log, slice into 12 rolls, and arrange in a greased 9×13-inch pan.
- Cover and refrigerate overnight, 8-12 hours.
- Let proof at room temperature 1-1.5 hours until puffy and touching.
- Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 28-32 minutes, until golden and 190°F internally.
- Cool 10 minutes, then beat together the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla and spread over the warm rolls.
Notes
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How to Make It
1Feed Your Starter. Feed your starter 4 to 6 hours before mixing. It’s ready when it has roughly doubled, looks domed and bubbly, and floats when a small spoonful is dropped into water.
2Mix the Dough. Whisk the pumpkin puree, milk, and active starter together until the starter is mostly broken up. Add the flour, sugar, salt, and pumpkin pie spice and mix to a shaggy dough. Add the softened butter and egg, then knead by hand or with a dough hook for 8 to 10 minutes, until smooth, elastic, and only slightly tacky. This dough will feel softer than a lean bread dough – that’s expected.
3Bulk Ferment. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours, until visibly puffy and increased in size, though it won’t fully double the way a lean dough would.
4Make the Filling. While the dough rises, stir together the brown sugar, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice for the filling in a small bowl. Set aside with the very soft butter ready to spread.
5Roll and Fill. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a roughly 16×12-inch rectangle. Spread the very soft butter evenly over the surface, leaving a bare half-inch border along one long edge. Sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar filling evenly over the butter, then press it gently into the dough.
6Roll, Slice, and Arrange. Starting from the long edge with filling closer to it, roll the dough into a tight log, pinching the seam closed at the end. Using a sharp knife or a length of unflavored dental floss, slice the log into 12 even rolls. Arrange them cut-side up in a greased 9×13-inch baking pan, leaving a little space between each roll to expand.
7Cold Retard Overnight. Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight, 8 to 12 hours. This is where the sourdough flavor develops and it lets you split the work across two days.
8Final Proof and Bake. The next morning, remove the pan from the fridge and let the rolls sit at room temperature for 1 to 1.5 hours, until visibly puffy and touching their neighbors. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) toward the end of proofing. Bake for 28 to 32 minutes, until golden brown on top and the centers reach 190°F (88°C) on an instant-read thermometer.
9Glaze and Serve. Let the rolls cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. While still warm, beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla together until smooth, then spread generously over the rolls so it melts slightly into the warm dough. Serve warm.
Tips & Troubleshooting
- This dough is softer and stickier than our regular cinnamon roll dough because of the pumpkin – resist adding extra flour past what the recipe calls for, or the rolls will bake up dense.
- Use unflavored dental floss to slice the log if your knife is squashing the rolls instead of cutting cleanly; slide the floss underneath, cross the ends over the top, and pull.
- If your rolls are browning too quickly before the centers are done, tent the pan loosely with foil for the last 10 minutes of baking.
- Glazing while the rolls are still warm, not hot, gives the best result – hot rolls melt the glaze into a thin puddle instead of a thick, clingy layer.
- If your kitchen is cool, bulk fermentation may take closer to 3.5 hours. Look for puffiness, not a specific clock time.
How to Store
– Room temperature: cover and store unglazed rolls for up to 2 days; glazed rolls are best eaten within a day since the glaze softens further.
– Refrigerator: store glazed or unglazed rolls in an airtight container for up to 5 days; a quick 10-second microwave brings them back to soft.
– Freezer: freeze the baked, unglazed rolls for up to 2 months. Thaw and warm before glazing and serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition estimated per roll (1 of 12) and will vary depending on the exact ingredients used.
340
CALORIES
52
CARBS (G)
6
PROTEIN (G)
13
FAT (G)
8
SAT. FAT (G)
26
SUGAR (G)
Desi’s Notes
These started as an experiment to use up half a can of pumpkin puree after making a loaf of Sourdough Pumpkin Bread, and they didn’t last long enough to photograph twice. The dough is noticeably softer than our regular cinnamon roll dough because of the pumpkin, so don’t panic if it feels a little stickier going into the fridge – it firms up nicely overnight and rolls out fine the next day. If you can, weigh your ingredients rather than using cup measurements here; the softness of this dough makes it more sensitive to small flour differences than most of our other recipes.
Before You Bake
Scaling this recipe up or down? Run your numbers through the Sourdough Calculator. And if you want a printable reference for troubleshooting or timing, browse all six Printable Quicksheets.
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