Chef John's Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Generously butter a 13x9-inch baking dish.
2. Mix brown sugar, 1/4 cup white sugar, and cinnamon together in a small bowl; set aside.
3. Combine yeast, 1/2 teaspoon white sugar, and warm water in the bowl of a stand mixer. Whisk together and set aside until foamy, about 10 minutes.
4. Pour pumpkin puree, cream, 1/4 cup white sugar, 1/4 cup melted butter, salt, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, ginger, allspice, 2 cups flour, and the egg into stand mixer bowl with the yeast mixture. Mix with dough hook attachment until combined, about 2 minutes.
5. Stir in 2 1/4 cups flour and mix on low with the dough hook, adding more flour if the mixture is too sticky, until dough is slightly sticky, smooth, and elastic, 6 to 7 minutes.
6. Remove dough and shape into a ball. Coat the bowl of the stand mixer lightly with vegetable oil, return dough to the bowl, turning to coat with oil. Cover with aluminum foil and set aside in a warm place to rise until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.
7. Transfer dough to a well-floured work surface. Use your hands to flatten into a rectangular shape about 1-inch thick. Generously sprinkle flour over both sides of the dough; roll out to about a 20x12-inch rectangle. Pour melted butter over the top and brush evenly over the surface, leaving 2-inches along one wide edge unbuttered. Sprinkle the brown sugar mixture over the dough and moisten the unbuttered edge with water. Starting at the wide edge with butter, roll dough tightly into a log; press firmly along moistened edge to seal.
8. Trim uneven ends from the roll and discard. Cut rolled dough into 16 equally-sized pinwheels. Place the pinwheels, cut side up, in the prepared baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place to rise until doubled in size, 45 to 60 minutes.
9. Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 30 minutes; set aside to cool slightly while mixing glaze.
10. Whisk cream cheese, powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla together in a large bowl until smooth; drizzle over the warm cinnamon rolls. Sprinkle pumpkin seeds over the rolls to serve.

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Reviews (9)

Your Rating:

7

Stacey

Oct. 31, 2012

"I LOVED these pumpkin cinnamon rolls, but had to mark it down for the flour and bake time changes. I cut the flour down almost a cup, and also baked it for only 15-17 minutes, just until light brown...." See more Follow the rule to stop adding flour when the dough pulls away from most of the bottom. You can always add more flour (even after it has risen until doubled in size), but once you add too much you can't take it out! I also used a cream cheese frosting instead. Tip: I used evaporated milk in place of heavy cream since I didn't have any."

7

Pamcakes

Oct. 28, 2012

"Made this recipe for a fundraiser. They look and smell great! Topped with Halloween decorations!..." See more"

5

WORKINGGIRL61

Nov. 24, 2012

"I mixed these up a couple days before Thanksgiving and froze them, right in the pan after the 2nd rise but prior to baking them. Took them out of the freezer to thaw then popped them in the oven the m..." See moreorning after Thanksgiving. They were perfect! Moist and light, just the right texture with lots of cinnamon flavor and just a hint of pumpkin. My tip, as with any yeast bread, don't overdo the flour and don't overwork the dough. You need just enough flour for dough to come together and only use enough when rolling them out so that they don't stick. The dough should be soft and pliable. The only thing I changed was the icing, used my own recipe for cream cheese icing and sprinkled chopped pecans on top instead of the pumpkin seeds. I will definitely be making these again."