Pumpkin cinnamon rolls with cinnamon glaze

How is it almost winter already? It feels as though the leaves just started turning yesterday! I haven’t had nearly enough pumpkin spice lattes and pumpkin baked goods for the end of fall to be so near!

But there’s nothing to do about that no except keep forging forward in stoic denial of the impending cold, dark weather and snowy afternoons, and make some pumpkin cinnamon rolls. 

It's like...the sun.

There are a lot of pumpkin cinnamon roll recipes out there, but I can assure you this one is the best. How can the dough possibly get fluffier, or the filling be more sweet and buttery? I will tell you—it can’t. This is it, folks. This is the pinnacle of the pumpkin cinnamon roll in all its sweet, lightly spiced glory.

Don't mind their misshapen appearance.

And I don’t mean to brag, but these are not only the most delicious pumpkin cinnamon rolls you will find, they are pretty easy too. Forty-five minutes for the initial rise, plus only twenty-five minutes for the second. Twenty minutes in the oven, and boom, your rolls are ready.

Pretty fast, relatively speaking.

Okay, that doesn’t sound that easy. Or fast. And to be wholly honest, it isn’t. These aren’t exactly a last-minute brunch item. As I usually recommend with cinnamon rolls and baked goods like this, baking them the night before is probably your best game plan so you aren’t slaving away in the kitchen for a few hours in the morning, surrounded by hungry guests / family members / whoever you happen to have in your kitchen on a given weekend morning. That’s what I do. Either that, or make them in the afternoon and eat cinnamon rolls for dinner.

And why wouldn't you want to?

But, however you do it, you need to make these sometime this fall. Required autumnal baking, people.

Here’s the recipe.

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Pumpkin cinnamon rolls with cinnamon glaze

Adapted from Don’t Eat Off the Sidewalk

Makes 12 large rolls

Ingredients

Dough

6 grams • active dry yeast • 2 1/4 teaspoons

60 grams • water, 110 degrees F • 1/4 cup

184 grams • pumpkin puree • 3/4 cup

62 grams • nondairy milk • 1/4 cup

56 grams • coconut oil, melted • 1/4 cup

12 grams • granulated sugar • 1 tablespoon

340 grams • all-purpose flour • 2 1/2 cups

8 grams • salt • 1 1/4 teaspoons

1 gram • cinnamon • 1/2 teaspoon

0.5 grams • nutmeg • 1/4 teaspoon

0.5 grams • ginger • 1/4 teaspoon

Filling

36 grams • granulated sugar • 3 tablespoons

42 grams • light brown sugar • 3 tablespoons

17 grams • all-purpose flour • 2 tablespoons

4 grams • ground cinnamon • 1 1/2 teaspoons

28 grams • vegan butter, chilled and cut into small pieces • 2 tablespoons

Glaze

120 grams • powdered sugar • 1 cup

6 grams • cinnamon • 2 teaspoons

30 grams • nondairy milk • 2 tablespoons

Pinch salt

Directions

In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, combine yeast and water and whisk together. Let stand for 5 minutes to proof. Once proofed, add pumpkin, milk, coconut oil, and sugar and mix. Sift in the flour, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger and beat on medium speed until smooth.

Fit mixer with the dough hook and knead for 6 to 8 minutes, until the dough is elastic but soft and still a little sticky. Place dough in a large greased bowl and cover with a tea towel. Let rise in a warm place for 45 minutes, until doubled in size.

To make filling, combine granulated sugar, brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Cut in margarine with your fingers or a fork until it resembles coarse meal.

Once dough is risen, punch down gently and let rest for 5 minutes. Turn out onto a well-floured surface and roll into a 12 x 10 inch rectangle. Sprinkle with filling. Roll up tightly, starting from the long side, and pinch seam and ends to seal. Cut into twelve 1-inch slices. Place in a 9-inch round baking pan and let rise another 25 minutes, until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Bake rolls for 20 minutes, until golden-brown. Cool for 15 minutes in pan on a wire rack.

To make glaze, simply whisk together all ingredients until smooth. Drizzle generously on rolls. Munch.

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Check out that glaze.

For more cinnamon roll-esque recipes, click these links.

Classic vegan cinnamon rolls. Because there’s nothing like a classic.

Peaches and cream sweet rolls. A summery variation.

Strawberry coconut sweet rolls with Grand Marnier Glaze. A grand trio of flavors.

Cinnamon roll pancakes with “cream cheese” sauce. For when you don’t feel like going through the effort of making traditional cinnamon rolls.