These soft and fluffy Sourdough Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls slathered with cream cheese frosting are the ultimate fall treat. This recipe can be a true sourdough recipe - made with active starter and long-fermented. Or it can be made with starter (active or discard) and a bit of yeast for quicker, same day results. I give all the details for both options in the blog post and recipe card below so buckle up and pay attention! Let's make some delicious pumpkin cinnamon rolls!
Recipe Background and Details
These Sourdough Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls are the perfect sweater weather treat but of course they can be made any time you want to conjure those cozy fall vibes. In fact, I started testing this recipe during the hottest part of July when I was just soooo over summer. I cranked down the air conditioner and let the fall spirit take me away. It was wonderful and I highly recommend it to anyone suffering the summertime blues! These rolls are a variation of my very popular Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Rolls and I hope you love them just as much!
If you are new to sourdough or interested in starting, be sure to check out my Easy Sourdough Starter Guide. And if you are looking for more ways to use your sourdough starter (active or discard), give these popular recipes a try: Soft Sourdough Tortillas, Sourdough Sandwich Bread, Sourdough Discard Soft Pretzels, Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Rolls, Sourdough Discard Pizza Crust, Sourdough Discard Crackers, Sourdough Discard Sandwich Bread, and Sourdough Discard Banana Bread.
Jump to:
Ingredients for Sourdough Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Dough
Here is the full list of ingredients you will need to make these - remember, if you are using active starter and you want to long-ferment these you do not need the yeast but you do need quite a bit more time. See recipe card for amounts and full instructions.
- milk: whole or 2% or your unsweetened alternative milk of choice.
- sugar: I love to use sucanat or brown sugar in these but you can use regular sugar, honey, maple sugar or syrup, etc.
- active dry yeast: this is only needed if you are using discard. You can also use the yeast with your active starter if you want to speed up the rising times
- egg: if you want to make these egg-free you can simply leave the egg out and add about ¼ cup more milk.
- sourdough starter: you will need active, bubbly starter if you want to make these long-fermented and without any commercial yeast. If you want to use yeast to speed up the process you can use either discard or active starter.
- pumpkin puree: I use store-bought but you can use homemade. If your homemade puree is very watery you will want to drain it or cook it down to be more like a store-bought consistency.
- butter or oil: I tested these with softened butter and also with melted coconut oil and they both worked well. You can use any neutral oil or cooking fat you prefer.
- all purpose flour: bread flour works well too.
- pumpkin pie spice: apple pie spice is essentially the same thing so feel free to use that. Chai spice would be really good too. You can also just use cinnamon as that is the predominant flavor in any of those blends.
- salt: I test all of my recipes with Diamond Crystal Kosher salt. If using table salt you will need to reduce the amount by about half.
See recipe card for quantities.
Ingredients for Filling and Frosting
cinnamon roll filling:
- soft butter
- brown sugar
- pumpkin pie spice
- vanilla extract or paste
- a pinch of salt
cream cheese frosting:
- soft butter
- soft cream cheese
- vanilla extract or paste
- powdered sugar
- milk or cream (optional)
Instructions
Here are the step-by-step instructions for making these delicious rolls, filling, and frosting. Pay attention as I will give notes for the variations between the discard recipe with yeast and the true sourdough recipe. The main difference is just the length of rising times.
make the pumpkin cinnamon roll dough
Place warm milk, egg, sugar, and yeast in mixing bowl. Mix together and let sit for about 5 minutes. If you are not using yeast you do not need to wait 5 minutes before proceeding.
Next add sourdough starter, pumpkin, and vanilla extract to mixing bowl and mix to combine. Then mix in salt and pumpkin pie spice.
Next, add flour and butter and knead with a dough hook for 5-7 minutes, scraping down the sides if needed.
first rise or bulk ferment
Once the dough comes together it will need to rise for about 2 hours if you are using commercial yeast. If you are using active, bubbly starter and no yeast, it will need to bulk ferment and rise for 12 hours until doubled in size (I do this overnight).
prepare cinnamon roll filling
When dough has doubled in size and you are ready to shape the rolls, get your filling ready.
rolling and shaping rolls
Place dough onto floured surface and roll to a large rectangle. Spread filling all over the dough and starting on the long side, roll up tightly away from yourself.
Tip: If dough is very soft you can place it in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes before slicing to make it a bit easier.
Slice into 12 even pieces, trimming the ends if desired.
second rise, baking, and frosting
Place rolls in parchment lined (or well buttered) baking dish, cover and let rise until puffy which will take about an hour or up to 2-3 hours if your dough is cold.
Bake in preheated oven until golden brown and bubbly.
make the cream cheese frosting
Prepare frosting while rolls bake. Full instructions are in recipe card below.
Optional Overnight Instructions
When rolls have finished their 2nd rise at room temperature, you can cover them tightly and place in the refrigerator overnight to bake the next morning. Let the rolls sit at room temp for about 30 minutes before baking.
This is what I always do as it's a great way to get all the work out of the way and just enjoy freshly baked cinnamon rolls and a clean kitchen the next morning. I offer these same instructions on my Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Rolls and people really seem to love that option. It's also great for Thanksgiving or Christmas morning!
How to Freeze Sourdough Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
The best way to freeze these rolls is before baking. So you will get to the point of cutting the rolls and placing them on a parchment lined tray then freeze them just like this. Once frozen solid you can transfer them to a freezer bag or container and use within 3 months.
When ready to bake, place desired amount of rolls into baking dish and thaw in the refrigerator overnight. The next morning allow the rolls to rise at room temperature for about 2-3 hours or until puffy and touching one another. Give them more time to rise if needed.
Top Tips
- Be patient and give this dough the time it needs to rise. Take a picture with your phone so you can gauge when it has doubled in size. This is especially important if you are using just sourdough starter.
- This dough can be a little sticky to work with when rolling and cutting. I highly recommend chilling the dough for 30-60 minute before rolling to make it a little easier to work with.
- Stagger your rolls a little bit in the pan to get more round rolls. This is purely for looks, I just love when they turn out more round than square - they will be delicious either way!
Storage
These cinnamon rolls are best on the first day but will keep well for 2 days at room temperature if they are covered tightly to prevent drying out. Any longer than that and I recommend sticking them in the refrigerator and warming before eating.
FAQ
I prefer to make a cream cheese frosting for my cinnamon rolls. Some cinnamon roll glazes are very simply a mixture of powdered sugar and milk but I prefer a more flavorful and rich cinnamon roll frosting with plenty of vanilla bean!
Cinnamon rolls are best served fresh and still warm but they are also delicious at room temperature. They can easily be warmed for a few seconds in the microwave or a few minutes in a warm oven.
Related - sourdough recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
- Sourdough Peach Cobbler
- Triple Lemon Sourdough Scones
- Sourdough Discard Waffles
- Sourdough Discard Blondies
Sourdough Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls Recipe
These soft and fluffy Sourdough Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls slathered with cream cheese frosting are the ultimate fall treat. This recipe can be a true sourdough recipe - made with active starter and long-fermented. Or it can be made with starter (active or discard) and a bit of yeast for quicker, same day results.
- Total Time: 3 hours or up to 24 hours
- Yield: 12 cinnamon rolls
Ingredients
cinnamon roll dough
⅓ cup (80 grams) whole milk, warmed to 100-110 degrees
1 egg
⅓ cup (73 grams) brown sugar
2 ¼ teaspoons (7 grams) active dry yeast
½ cup (140 grams) sourdough starter *active or discard - see notes and blog post for details
¾ cup (187 grams) canned pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon (4.2 grams) vanilla extract
4 tablespoons (2 ounces or 56.5 grams) soft butter or oil
1 teaspoon (3 grams) kosher salt
2 teaspoons (5.2 grams) pumpkin pie spice
3 ¾ cups (450 grams) flour plus more as needed
filling
¼ cup (2 ounces or 56.5 grams) soft butter
½ cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
splash vanilla
pinch of salt
frosting
2 ounces butter, very soft
4 ounces cream cheese, very soft
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste
a few tablespoons of milk or cream to thin, optional
Instructions
Make the dough:
Place warm milk, egg, sugar, and yeast if using in mixing bowl. Mix together and let sit for about 5 minutes. If you are not using yeast you do not need to wait 5 minutes before proceeding.
Next, add sourdough starter, pumpkin, and vanilla to mixing bowl and mix to combine. Then mix in salt and pumpkin pie spice.
Next, add flour and butter and knead with a dough hook for a minute at speed one and then speed two for 5-7 minutes, scraping down the sides if needed. This is meant to be a soft dough, but if you find it to be incredibly sticky and wet, add a little more flour.
Once the dough comes together, cover and let it rise for 1-2 hours if you are using yeast until it has doubled in size. If you are using active, bubbly starter and no yeast, it will need to bulk ferment and rise for 8-12 hours until doubled in size (I do this at room temperature overnight).
Shape the rolls:
When dough has doubled in size and you are ready to shape the rolls, get your filling ready by combining all filling ingredients in a bowl and mixing until well combined.
Place dough onto floured surface and roll to a large rectangle. Spread filling all over the dough and starting on the long side, roll up tightly away from yourself.
Tip: If dough is very soft you can place it in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes before slicing to make it a bit easier.
Slice into 12 even pieces, trimming the ends if desire.
second rise and baking:
Place rolls in parchment lined (or well buttered) 9x13 baking dish or a 13x18 half sheet pan. You can give the rolls a bit more room on the larger sheet pan which is nice but both pans work well. Cover dough lightly with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and let rise until puffy which will take about an hour if using yeast and anywhere from 2-4 hours if using just sourdough starter or if your dough is cold (see optional overnight instructions). On a cool day in my kitchen these can take 4 hours to rise whereas in the summer they will rise in 1-2 hours. This is just the nature of sourdough baking so be patient and know that it varies depending on your starter and your environment.
OPTIONAL overnight instructions:
When rolls have finished their 2nd rise at room temperature, you can cover them tightly and place in the refrigerator overnight to bake the next morning. Let the rolls sit at room temp for about 30 minutes before baking the next day.
This is what I always do as it's a great way to get all the work out of the way and just enjoy freshly baked cinnamon rolls and a clean kitchen the next morning. I offer these same instructions on my Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Rolls and people really seem to love that option. It's also great for Thanksgiving or Christmas morning!
Baking the rolls:
Bake the rolls in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30-35 minutes until browned and bubbly. You are looking for an internal temperature of 190-200 degrees F. Prepare frosting while they bake.
Cream Cheese Frosting:
With a hand mixer, mix soft butter and soft cream cheese until very well combined. Add vanilla and powdered sugar and continue mixing until creamy and all sugar is combined. Add a small amount of milk or cream to thin the consistency if desired.
Frosting the rolls:
When rolls are done baking, remove from oven and let cool for 20-30 minutes before frosting and enjoying.
Notes
you must use the yeast if you are using discard.
The yeast is optional if using active starter. You can choose to use yeast in combination with active starter to get a faster rise.
If you are using active starter and want to omit the yeast you can, but you will need to allow for much more rising time. I let mine bulk ferment overnight for the first rise, then shape and allow for about 2 hours for the second rise. My kitchen is about 70 degrees. Rising times will vary and be faster if your kitchen is warmer and slower if your kitchen is colder.
See blog post for more detailed explanations, step-by-step photos, ingredient substitutions and variations, storage tips, etc.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- rising: varies
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: sourdough
- Method: sourdough
- Cuisine: American
Giordana McKnight says
How large should the rectangle be after you’ve rolled it out?
anita | wild thistle kitchen says
Hi. The rectangle should be roughly 9x13 inches.
Giordana McKnight says
Thank you— making these today after an overnight proof!!
anita | wild thistle kitchen says
Yay! So excited for you to try them! Thank you!