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tray of sourdough pumpkin cinnamon rolls some with frosting and some without

Sourdough Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls Recipe

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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

1/3 cup (80 grams) whole milk, warmed to 100-110 degrees

1 egg

1/3 cup (73 grams) brown sugar

2 1/4 teaspoons (7 grams) active dry yeast

1/2 cup (140 grams) sourdough starter *active or discard - see notes and blog post for details

3/4 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 3/4 cups (450 grams) flour plus more as needed

filling

1/4 cup (2 ounces or 56.5 grams) soft butter

1/2 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.

  • Author: anita | wild thistle kitchen
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • rising: varies
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Category: sourdough
  • Method: sourdough
  • Cuisine: American