Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

Recipe: Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls Recipe »

Try my softest, fluffiest pumpkin cinnamon rolls filled with pumpkin puree, pumpkin spice and swirls of cinnamon sugar, then slathered in a dreamy cream cheese frosting. Made with my secret tangzhong method for pillowy dough that stay fresh longer!

About These Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

Happy Halloween month Dear Reader! Even if you don't celebrate or participate in Halloween I have these incredible pumpkin cinnamon rolls for you. These soft, cinnamon scented buns are filled with pumpkin and pumpkin pie spices and a dreamy cream cheese frosting slathered on top.

These are based on a Cinnabon cinnamon roll recipe but instead of making 6 giant buns like they sell at Cinnabon, we made 12 buns. And you guessed it - they use my secret trick to making the SOFTEST bread - tangzhong or flour roux used at Asian bakeries to achieve that incredibly soft texture that their breads are known for.

This tiny, very easy step that uses 2 ingredients and uses science to "trap" moisture into the dough. I swear once you tangzhong, you'll never turn back. It's the secret to my popular hot cross bun recipe too!

Tangzhong has two major benefits:

a Makes the bread softer - it's how a lot of bakeries get their pillowy soft dough. Trust me on this.

b Allows the bread to stay soft for longer which is always a win!

Video: How To Make Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

Step by Step Video: making the softest cinnamon rolls

Tips For Making Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

1 - Tangzhong tangzhong tangzhong! Seriously, all you have to do is take out a small portion of flour and whisk it with water and heat it on the stove. That's it! That one thing makes all the difference!

2 - You can use canned pumpkin but that's hard to get and expensive in Australia. When I made desserts like pumpkin pie for an American restaurant the owner taught me how to make my own pumpkin filling that was just like the Libby's one (but better because well it's freshly made). To make pumpkin puree, roast a quarter wedge of pumpkin with the skin on at 180C/350F conventional or 160C/320F fan forced until a butter knife can slide through the flesh easily (around 45 minutes to 1 hour depending on size of pumpkin). Cool, remove seeds and skin and puree until very smooth.

3 - Make a jar of pumpkin pie spice ahead of time and keep it for any pumpkin spice lattes or pumpkin pie. It's super simple and is much, much cheaper to make than buy. My recipe for pumpkin pie spice is here.

4 - Roll your dough wide and high so that you get those lovely whirls in your cinnamon rolls. I mean 50x40cms or 20x16inch which is huge!

5 - Use dental floss to cut the dough. Slicing it with a knife will cause the buns to be misshapen. Dental floss is by far the best way to do it!

6 - Once baked, cool the buns for about 30 minutes (always let your bread cool as cutting into bread straight away makes the texture gummy as the bread's structure is still setting) but then slather with the cream cheese frosting. I LOVE this frosting, it's so smooth and creamy. And once you separate the buns, the frosting will drip down into the cavities and ermagherrrd it's so good.

Okay let's bake! x

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls Recipe

An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls Recipe Overview

Preparation time: 30 minutes plus 1.5 hour rising/resting time

Cooking time: 25 minutes

Makes: 12 cinnamon buns

Ingredients Needed

• 20g/0.7ozs bread flour
• 1/2 cup/125ml/4floz water
• 120g/4ozs pumpkin puree
• 90ml/3.2flozs milk
• 50g/1.7ozs butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 500g/1.1lbs bread flour
• 60g/2ozs brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon/8.5g instant dried yeast
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice mix

Cinnamon Filling

• 200g/7ozs butter, softened
• 200g/7ozs brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin spice mix
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 125g/4ozs cream cheese, softened
• 80g/2.8ozs butter, very soft but not melted
• 330g/11.6ozs icing or powdered sugar, sifted
• 1/2 cup/125ml/4flozs milk
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Step-By-Step Instructions

Step 1 WET - Make the tangzhong roux. Whisk the 20g/0.7ozs of flour and the water in a small saucepan and heat on very low until it becomes a creamy, roux (around 65C/149F), it will take around 3-5 minutes just watch it. Whisk in the pumpkin puree, milk, butter, vanilla, salt and egg until there are no lumps.

Step 2 DRY - In a mixer bowl whisk the 500g/1.1lb bread flour, brown sugar, yeast and pumpkin spice mix together to distribute the yeast in the flour. Mix the tangzhong roux into the flour with a spatula until you get a shaggy mixture.

Step 3 KNEAD - Knead with a dough hook for 10-12 minutes until you get the windowpane effect (where you can pull apart the dough without it breaking).

Step 4 RISE - Place in a greased bowl (I use the mixer bowl) and cover and allow to rise to triple the size, around 1-1.5 hours.

Step 5 FILLING - In the meantime mix the softened butter, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice and salt together in a large bowl to form a cohesive mixture. Set aside.

Step 6 ROLL - Punch down the dough and flour a large surface. Line a 22x30cm/8.6x12inch baking dish with parchment and flour a large surface. Punch the dough down and then roll it out to become around 50x40cms or 20x16inch rectangle. I find it easiest to stop halfway and rest the dough for 5 minutes once I stretch it out to a certain size as the gluten won't allow you to stretch it further. Make sure that you dust flour under the dough so that it doesn't stick.

Step 7 CUT - Spread the spiced butter mixture over the entire rectangle reaching to the corners and ends. Roll up from the furthest end towards you to make a log. Using dental floss cut off the thin ends (that's the cook's treat!). Then mark 12 even cuts along the log. Using dental floss, slide it under the log and then bring it together to "cut" the dough. Carefully place on the prepared tray and repeat with the rest of the dough.

Step 8 RISE AND BAKE - Preheat oven to 180C/350F conventional or 160C/320F fan forced. Cover the buns and allow to rise until double in size and puffed up for around 30 minutes.

Step 9 GLAZE - While the cinnamon buns are baking make the cream cheese glaze. In a mixer beat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth. Then on low speed add the sifted icing sugar, milk and vanilla and beat until combined. It should be soft and spoonable. Thermomix directions: place the icing sugar in the TM bowl and set to 15 seconds speed #10. Add the cream cheese, butter, milk and vanilla and set to 20 seconds, speed #6.

Step 10 TOP - When the buns are out of the oven, let them rest on the tray for 20-30 minutes. Then spoon the cream cheese frosting over the buns.

Substitution notes and ingredients:

If you don't have all the spices for a pumpkin spice mix, I find just mixing cinnamon and nutmeg really nice (or even just cinnamon!). I use a ratio of 3 teaspoons of ground cinnamon per 1 teaspoon of ground nutmeg.

I like using bread flour (flour with around 12g of protein per 100g) as it gives a bigger rise. Most all purpose plain flour is around 10g per 100g and can be used but the rise won't be quite as high. Bread flour can be a bit hard to find at the supermarket. I use this bread flour which has 12% protein.

If you want to make these with just pumpkin spice and not pumpkin, replace the pumpkin with the same weight of milk.

Personal Note

I mentioned before that I've been trying to befriend some crows but we don't see many where I live. I've tried a few different foods to attract them but nothing seems to help. I did leave out some pumpkin for them but to no interest.

I really love birds and we walk past this house every day when we walk the dogs. There was a bird cage out in the front garden of a house. I didn't know it had a bird in it until I heard it talking or sometimes whistling. The bird cage was always covered up with a makeshift tarp (it looked like an Ikea bag) and I never saw the cage uncovered. I started to worry for this bird but I wasn't sure if it was uncovered during the day.

My friend Sammie suggested that I post something on the neighbourhood facebook group. I did so anonymously because there are some toxic people in the group. As expected, some guys on the group told me to mind my own business. But other people confirmed that the bird, an electus parrot, remains covered day and night and my heart broke for this little soul.

I couldn't stop thinking about birdy so I ended up calling the animal welfare league because the RSPCA deemed it not urgent enough (I know they get so many calls) and they promised to go out and explain to them gently that the bird needs to have stimulation. Who knows how they ended up with the bird. Maybe they inherited it because parrots live long lives and they just didn't know how to care for it.

A few days later we walked past and the cage was uncovered. They had a brand new cover so that the bird was protected if it was raining and more importantly Birdy could see outside. And I hope to bump into them one day and ask them what the bird's name is (and maybe offer it a new home with even more stimulation and company!).

So tell me Dear Reader, do you prefer your cinnamon rolls plain or with frosting? Have you ever tried baking with tangzhong before? Would you have minded your own business about the bird or would you have done something?