Irresistible Pumpkin Butter Cinnamon Rolls

Pumpkin Butter Cinnamon Rolls saved my butt last Thanksgiving when I forgot to make dessert. My aunt brought over this jar of pumpkin butter she’d been hoarding, and I just started throwing stuff together. Turns out swirling it into cinnamon rolls instead of adding pumpkin to the dough was genius – keeps everything fluffy but adds this crazy good flavor.

Now my kids demand these every Saturday morning. I’m not complaining because they make the whole house smell amazing and that maple cream cheese glaze is basically edible crack.

❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe

These beat regular cinnamon rolls by miles. The pumpkin butter doesn’t make the dough heavy like pumpkin puree does – it stays in thick ribbons that taste like concentrated fall. That glaze though? I got carried away the first time I made it and wound up eating it by the spoonful. My neighbor peered in through the kitchen window. No regrets.

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📝 Ingredient List

For the Dough:

• 1 cup buttermilk, warmed slightly
• 4 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 packet (2¼ teaspoons) instant yeast
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 3½ to 4 cups all-purpose flour

For the Filling:

• 4 tablespoons butter, softened
• ½ cup pumpkin butter (store-bought or homemade)
• ⅓ cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• ¼ teaspoon ground allspice

For the Maple Cream Cheese Glaze:

• 3 tablespoons butter
• ¼ cup packed brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 4 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

🔍 Why These Ingredients Work

Buttermilk makes everything softer – learned that from my grandma. Instant yeast is foolproof, unlike that active dry stuff that sometimes just sits there doing nothing. Keeping pumpkin butter in the filling means it doesn’t mess with the dough texture but still gives you those amazing pockets of flavor. I throw in all those spices because cinnamon alone is boring, and the brown sugar in the glaze gets all caramelly when it hits the hot rolls.

Essential Tools and Equipment

• Stand mixer with dough hook (or strong mixing arms!)
• Large mixing bowl
• Rolling pin
• 9×13-inch baking dish, greased
• Clean kitchen towels
• Medium saucepan
• Whisk
• Measuring cups and spoons

👩🍳 How To Make Pumpkin Butter Cinnamon Rolls

Make the Dough:

1. Warm buttermilk just enough so it’s not cold. Mix in melted butter, dump in yeast and sugar. Wait 5 minutes for bubbles or your yeast is dead.
2. Dump everything in your mixer – buttermilk mix, salt, vanilla, eggs. Mix with dough hook on low.
3. Gradually add flour beginning with 3½ cups. Pause once dough pulls away from sides but is still somewhat sticky. Add more flour if it’s a mess.
4. Let mixer knead for 6-8 minutes until dough bounces back when poked.

First Rise:

5. Butter a bowl, add dough, cover with damp towel. I stick mine in the oven that’s been on for 2 minutes then turned off. Takes 30-60 minutes to double.

Shape the Rolls:

6. Roll dough into rectangle about 12×18 inches on floured counter. Doesn’t need to be perfect.
7. Spread soft butter everywhere except top edge – leave that clean for sealing.
8. Blob pumpkin butter all over and spread around. Uneven is fine – creates better flavor pockets.
9. Combine sugar and spices, then sprinkle over everything.
10. Roll up from bottom and pinch seam. Slice into 10-12 pieces using either dental floss or a sharp knife.

Second Rise and Bake:

11. Put rolls cut-side up in greased pan. Cover, let rise 30-45 minutes until touching.
12. Fifteen minutes before done rising, heat oven to 375°F.
13. Bake 22-25 minutes or until golden and hollow sounding when rapped on the bottom.

Make the Glaze:

14. Melt butter in small pot, whisk in brown sugar, maple syrup, milk. Bubble for 1 minute, cool 5 minutes.
15. Whisk in cream cheese until smooth, add powdered sugar and vanilla. Should pour but coat a spoon.
16. Pour over hot rolls immediately. Watch it soak in – that’s the magic happening.

Tips from Well-Known Chefs

Cold clumps and mixes ahem, do not want to. If your yeast is not foaming then it is time to throw it away and start over. Don’t try to save bad yeast.

❗ You Must Know

Take eggs and buttermilk out 30 minutes before starting. Cold ingredients screw everything up.

Personal Secret: Save some pumpkin butter for the glaze. Swirl it in for streaks and extra flavor punch.

💡 Pro Tips & Cooking Hacks

• Dead yeast = flat rolls – test it first or you’ll be sad
• Pull them out early – they keep cooking in the hot pan
• Dental floss cuts cleaner than knives that squish everything
• Make double glaze – you’ll run out and be mad
• Save pumpkin butter for swirling into glaze

🎨 Flavor Variations & Suggestions

• Apple butter works too – add cardamom
• Throw in pecans over the filling
• Add cream cheese blobs with the pumpkin butter
• Drizzle caramel over finished glaze
• Add bourbon to glaze for adults

⏲️ Make-Ahead Options

Want these Christmas morning without getting up at 5 AM? Make through step 11 the night before, cover, refrigerate. Morning: let sit out 1 hour to warm up and puff, then bake.

Freeze the whole pan after shaping – wrap tight, freeze 3 months. Thaw overnight in fridge, let rise, bake. Baked ones freeze great too – warm 10 minutes at 300°F.

Recipe Notes & Baker’s Tips

Dough should be very soft and a bit sticky, not dry. Humid day? More flour. Dry day? Less flour. Thick pumpkin butter? Warm it up to spread easier. Room temperature ingredients matter – learned this when my rolls came out like hockey pucks.

🍽️ Serving Suggestions

Amazing with coffee or spiced cider. I make these for holiday brunches because they look fancy but aren’t hard. Perfect weekend treat when you want something special without much work. My sister serves them as dessert with vanilla ice cream – everyone freaks out.

🧊 How to Store Your Pumpkin Butter Cinnamon Rolls

Keep covered at room temp 2 days, fridge 5 days. Reheat single rolls 20-30 seconds in microwave, or whole pan 10 minutes at 300°F. Glaze soaks in but they’re still good.

Freeze individual rolls wrapped in plastic 3 months. Thaw overnight in fridge, warm before eating.

⚠️ Allergy Information

Has: Gluten, dairy, eggs Dairy-free: Use plant milk and vegan butter, skip cream cheese glaze or use vegan version Gluten-free: Use 1:1 GF flour blend – texture will be different though

❓ Questions I Get Asked A Lot

Store-bought pumpkin butter OK? Yeah, any brand works. Pumpkin-pecan ones are great.

Can I use active dry yeast? Sure, but activate it first and expect longer rises.

No buttermilk? Combine 1 cup of regular milk with 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Wait 5 minutes.

Skip cream cheese in glaze? You can but it’s way better with it. Plain powdered sugar glaze works.

How do I know they’re done rising? Nearly doubled, touching each other, springs back slowly when poked.

No stand mixer? Mix in big bowl, knead by hand 10 minutes. Your arms will hurt but it works.

Hope these become your new obsession like they did mine! There’s nothing like bringing the first bite of these into the house and smelling this organ-melting-good smell, and watching the reaction to that first bite.

Happy baking! 🍽️

💬 Made these? Drop a comment and rating! Want to see your pics and hear about any tweaks you made. Did you try them for a special occasion? Share your results – love seeing these in your kitchens!