Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
Easy Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls made with crescent roll dough and topped with a homemade cream cheese frosting. The perfect fall breakfast!
Imagine easy pumpkin cinnamon rolls that you can make and have on the table in about 45 minutes. No, seriously. And 20 minutes of that time is just baking the cinnamon rolls. Everyone will think you spent a ton of time in the kitchen making these, but they’re actually one of the easiest things you’ll ever make.
The secret ingredient? Crescent roll dough.
Okay, maybe using crescent dough isn’t so secret. But let me tell you, if you’re craving an easy fall breakfast then these are exactly what you need. Just a few simple ingredients stand between you and soft, gooey, pumpkin cinnamon rolls. Oh and then it’s all topped off with a cream cheese frosting that comes together in a snap.
It’s basically like heaven on a plate.
Ingredients in This Recipe
These are a breeze to make and require just a handful of ingredients. Here’s what we’ll be using to make these pumpkin spice cinnamon rolls:
- Seamless crescent roll dough: You can also use the regular kind with the seams, just make sure to pinch the seams together first.
- Butter: I typically use unsalted butter because it’s what I keep on hand, but since it’s such a small amount salted butter would be fine too.
- Pumpkin puree: You want to use pumpkin puree and not canned pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin pie filling has been sweetened and spiced already.
- Brown sugar: Sweetens the cinnamon rolls and adds a slight molasses flavor.
- Spices: I used a blend of pumpkin pie spice and ground cinnamon.
- Cream cheese: Brick-style cream cheese works best in this recipe. Low-fat should be fine to use, if desired.
- Powdered sugar: Sweetens the frosting without making it grainy.
- Vanilla extract: Use pure vanilla extract for the best flavor.
- Milk: Add more as needed to thin the frosting. Any kind of milk is fine too!
How to Make Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
You’ll start with a tube of seamless crescent roll dough. Unroll it, top it with a little softened butter, pumpkin puree, brown sugar, and some spices. Then, roll it up tightly from the short side into a log, slice it up, place each piece into a baking dish, and bake.
One little tip for getting nice clean cuts in your cinnamon rolls is to use unflavored dental floss. Just cut off a long piece, slide it under the roll of dough, cross it over, and pull it tightly to cut the dough. I keep a small package of it in my kitchen for things like cinnamon rolls, it comes in super handy!
And that beautiful cream cheese frosting? Just set the cream cheese and butter out before you start the cinnamon rolls. I usually leave them close to the oven while these are baking, so they will soften a little bit faster.
Once the cinnamon rolls are done baking, let them cool for a few minutes, mix up the frosting, and you’re done!
FAQ’s
Can I Prep These in Advance?
Because these cinnamon rolls are made with crescent dough rather than a homemade yeast dough, you should be fine to roll them up, cover them with plastic wrap, and chill until you’re ready to bake them.
Do I Have to Use Pumpkin Pie Spice?
If you don’t have any pumpkin pie spice on hand, you can make a homemade batch instead.
Baking Tips
- Make sure your butter is room temperature before spreading it over the crescent dough. Otherwise the dough might tear and the butter won’t spread.
- You could also use a mixture of powdered sugar and milk instead of the frosting, but the cream cheese frosting takes these to the next level.
- Add the cream cheese frosting to the pumpkin cinnamon rolls while they’re still warm, but not piping hot. You want the frosting to melt a bit, not slide off completely.
More Pumpkin Recipes to Try!
- Pumpkin Cream Cheese Crumb Cake
- Baked Pumpkin Donut Holes
- Pumpkin Roll
- Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bundt Cake
- Soft & Chewy Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies
- Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
For the pumpkin cinnamon rolls:
- 1 (8-ounce) package seamless crescent roll dough
- 1 tablespoon (15 grams) butter , softened
- 1/2 cup (125 grams) pumpkin puree
- 1/3 cup (65 grams) light brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
For the cream cheese frosting:
- 3 ounces (85 grams) cream cheese , softened
- 2 tablespoons (30 grams) unsalted butter , softened
- 1/2 cup (60 grams) powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1-2 tablespoons (15 to 30 ml) milk (or as needed to thin out the frosting)
Instructions
To make the pumpkin cinnamon rolls:
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Spray a 9-inch pie plate or 9-inch cake pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
- Unroll the crescent roll dough onto a clean surface. If not using seamless crescent roll dough, make sure to pinch the seams together first. Evenly spread the softened butter on top of the dough, then spread the pumpkin puree in an even layer on top.
- In a small mixing bowl, mix together the brown sugar, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice. Evenly sprinkle the mixture on top of the pumpkin puree. Starting with the short end of the dough, roll it up tightly.
- Using a sharp knife, or unflavored dental floss, cut the roll into 8 equal sized pieces and place them into the prepared pie plate making sure to leave a little space between each one.
- Bake at 375°F for about 18 to 22 minutes or until the dough is lightly golden brown and cooked through. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
To make the cream cheese frosting:
- In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth. Add in the powdered sugar and vanilla extract and mix until well combined. Slowly mix in 1 to 2 tablespoons of milk, or as needed, until the frosting has reached your desired consistency.
- Frost the cinnamon rolls as desired, serve, and enjoy.
Notes
I seriously wasn’t kidding when I said I might move back to Arkansas so I can eat all your food lol! These look amazing!
I really hope you do one day, Izzy! I’ll happily give you all the desserts you want!
These cinnamon rolls are so picture-perfect and I love how the ingredients list isn’t overly complex 🙂
Thank you, Medha!
I haven’t had pumpkin cinnnamon rolls in sooooooooooo long and these are seriously looking beyond perfect right now, Danielle! Perfect weekend food!
Definitely perfect weekend food! Thanks, Sarah!
I just saw a recipe on pinterest for pumpkin cinnamon rolls and was intrigued! But after seeing how easy (and delicious) your version is, I’ve GOT to try it! Such a fun recipe for the fall, Danielle!
Thank you, Gayle! Sometimes the simplest recipes are the best 🙂