Small Batch Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
Enjoy a cozy fall breakfast courtesy of these small batch pumpkin cinnamon rolls! They’re warm & gooey, filled with sweet pumpkin and autumn spices, and topped with a super smooth, delicious cream cheese frosting.
The warmest, coziest, most delicious autumn breakfast is here: pumpkin cinnamon rolls! They’re pillowy soft, made with a pumpkin dough, a sweet, spiced brown sugar filling, and a sweet cream cheese frosting on top. The recipe is small batch, too, so there’s no pressure to save these cinnamon rolls for a holiday or a big get-together – you can make them for yourself (or a smaller crowd) and finish them off in a day or two! There’s truly no better way to start the morning off than with a decadent sweet treat like these, especially on a cozy fall day.
Here are some more festive breakfast recipes you’ll love: Baked Apple Dutch Baby, Pumpkin Spice Coffee Cake, and Christmas Morning Eggnog Cinnamon Rolls.
Ingredients & Equipment
You’ll need the following ingredients and equipment to make these small batch pumpkin cinnamon rolls:
- Small baking dish
- Flour
- Butter
- Granulated sugar
- Pumpkin puree
- Milk
- Eggs
- Yeast
- Brown sugar
- Powdered sugar
- Cream cheese
- Cinnamon
- Pumpkin pie spice
- Vanilla extract
- Salt
Customize This Recipe!
There are a few different ways you can customize this recipe:
- Use fun toppings. A dusting of cinnamon, a drizzle of maple syrup, or even some sprinkles on top of these cinnamon rolls can make them even more festive and fun!
- Add pumpkin to the filling. These cinnamon rolls have pumpkin in the dough itself, but you can add a small spread of pumpkin puree to the filling as well for extra flavor.
Kitchen Tips:
- Utilize mise en place! Make sure you have all of your ingredients prepped and ready before you begin making this recipe – it will help save you time and keep you organized.
- Proofing Tips: If your dough isn’t rising enough when proofing, it could be because of a number of factors like expired yeast or a room temperature that’s not warm enough. If temperature is the issue, I like to add warm water to a large bowl, then let the bowl of dough float in the larger water bowl so the water heats up the dough from the outside.
FAQ
If your dough isn’t rising while proofing, the most likely reasons are that the yeast is expired or that the room temperature isn’t warm enough. You can let the dough rest for a longer period of time to see if it rises more, or you can use the warm water method: fill a larger bowl with warm water and let the smaller, covered bowl of dough float in the water to help warm it up.
Yes! After cutting the rolls and placing them in your prepared baking dish, cover the dish and place it in the fridge overnight. In the morning, let the rolls rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before baking.
These cinnamon rolls are best enjoyed directly after making them, but you can store them in a sealed container in the fridge for about a week as well.
More breakfast and brunch recipes:
Did you make this recipe? Leave a star rating and/or review below to let me know how it turned out! To keep up with all my latest recipes, subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Instagram. 🙂
Small Batch Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter melted
- ½ cup milk warmed to about 105ºF
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 tsp instant or rapid rise yeast
- 1 egg room temp
- ¼ cup pumpkin puree
For the filling:
- 2-3 tbsp butter soft, room temp
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 1½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
For the frosting:
- 2 oz cream cheese room temp
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter room temp
- 1½ cups powdered sugar
- 1-2 tbsp vanilla extract
Instructions
For the dough:
- Melt the butter in a small bowl, then add the milk and whisk together. Heat in the microwave in 15 second intervals until the mixture reaches 105ºF, then add to the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. The mixture should be warm, but NOT too hot! Let it cool to 105ºF if needed.
- In a small bowl, mix 1 cup of flour and the remaining dry ingredients together. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, then mix in the egg and pumpkin. Beat on low speed for a few minutes until combined and runny.
- Add the remaining cup of flour to the bowl and mix with a dough hook for about 10 minutes. The dough should be just starting to firm up and pull away from the sides of the mixer, forming a very rough ball.
- Knead the dough by hand on a well-floured surface for another 4-5 minutes until the dough is completely smooth. *It should pass the windowpane test: gently stretch a small ball of the dough until light can shine through without breaking the dough.*
- Roll the dough into a smooth ball, then place it in an oiled bowl, cover with a dish towel, and let it rest for about 1 hour in a warm place, until it doubles in size.
For assembly:
- Prepare your baking dish or small cake pan with parchment paper or by greasing with butter.
- When the dough has about doubled in size, roll out the dough into a rectangle of your desired length & width (I usually make about a 10x12in rectangle for small batches).
- Leaving the bottom long edge of the dough clean, rub the softened butter all over the surface of the dough, then do the same with the brown sugar and spices.
- From the top edge of the dough rolling downward, gently roll the dough into a log. Roll tighter for more spirals and looser for fewer spirals. *Don’t roll too tight or the dough won’t proof easily again.*
- Slice the log into 6 even sections and place them face up in your prepared baking dish. Cover the dish with a towel and let the rolls rest for 1 more hour to double in size again. After proofing, they should be pillowy and squishy in the pan. *(Alternatively, you can cover the dish and proof the rolls overnight in the refrigerator, then let them rest at room temp for about 30 minutes in the morning before baking.)*
- Bake at 350ºF for about 25-30 minutes until the rolls are golden on top and still soft in the middle. They should be slightly underbaked to still be gooey and soft.
For the frosting:
- While the rolls are cooling, cream the butter and cream cheese together in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment until fluffy.
- Add the powdered sugar ½ cup at a time and mix until smooth. Thin the frosting with 1 tbsp of vanilla extract at a time as needed.
- When the cinnamon rolls are cooled slightly but still warm to the touch, spread the frosting evenly over the rolls and enjoy!
Notes
- Utilize mise en place! Make sure you have all of your ingredients prepped and ready before you begin making this recipe – it will help save you time and keep you organized.
- Proofing Tips: If your dough isn’t rising enough when proofing, it could be because of a number of factors like expired yeast or a room temperature that’s not warm enough. If temperature is the issue, I like to add warm water to a large bowl, then let the bowl of dough float in the larger water bowl so the water heats up the dough from the outside.
- Use fun toppings. A dusting of cinnamon, a drizzle of maple syrup, or even some sprinkles on top of these cinnamon rolls can make them even more festive and fun!
- Add pumpkin to the filling. These cinnamon rolls have pumpkin in the dough itself, but you can add a spread of pumpkin puree to the filling as well for extra flavor.
*As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
