Sourdough Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
If you love cinnamon rolls, you’re going to fall head over heels for these sourdough pumpkin cinnamon rolls. They taste like pumpkin pie and cinnamon rolls decided to team up – and the result is pure fall comfort.
Fluffy, perfectly spiced, and not too sweet, they’re filled with a cozy pumpkin-spice cinnamon filling and topped with a luscious maple cream cheese glaze. Wherever you serve them, they’ll sure disappear fast.
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Sourdough Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls Recipe
They’re a cozy fall version of classic cinnamon rolls, made with an active sourdough starter instead of yeast. The pumpkin purée and warm spices make the dough extra flavorful, while the natural sourdough gives a gentle tang that balances the sweetness. Topped with a maple glaze, they’re pure autumn comfort.
Why you’ll love this recipe
Ingredients
Dough ingredients:
- Milk: Warming up the milk helps the sourdough starter
- Butter: I like to use European-style butter for its creaminess
- Sourdough starter: For this recipe, you need a very active sourdough starter (learn how to make your own if you don’t already have one)
- Flour: I use regular AP flour
- Sugar
- Pumpkin puree: I like to roast a pumpkin and make my own but you can use canned too (just don’t use pumpkin pie filling)
- Egg
- Pumpkin spice: I love using a pumpkin pie spice blend
Filling ingredients:
- Butter
- Sugar
- Brown sugar: Adding brown sugar adds a lot of flavor
- Pumpkin spice: I like to use the same blend I use for the dough
Glaze ingredients:
- Cream cheese
- Maple syrup
- Vanilla extract
Recommended Equipment:
- Stand mixer with the dough hook attachment
- Digital kitchen scale
- Rolling pin
- Silicone spatula
- Pizza cutter or sharp knife
Simple substitutions
- Add chopped pecans or walnuts to the filling.
- Swap maple syrup for honey in the glaze.
- Use sweet potato or butternut squash purée instead of pumpkin.
How to make pumpkin sourdough cinnamon rolls
- Combine all the ingredients and mix on low-medium for 10 minutes.
- Let the dough rest in a warm spot until visibly risen.
- Roll out the dough into a rectangle.
- Spread the filling on the dough rectangle.
- Cut the dough into long strips.
- Carefully roll up the strips.
- Set the pumpkin cinnamon rolls into a greased baking dish.
- Bake until golden-brown and done.
Helpful recipe tips
- Pumpkin puree: I cut a pumpkin in half, scoop out the seeds, and brush the insides with a little oil. Then I roast the halves at 350˚F (180˚C) for about 45 minutes, or until tender. Once cooled slightly, I use an immersion blender to purée the flesh until smooth.
- Since this recipe doesn’t use any commercial yeast or baking powder, make sure that your sourdough starter is very active.
- For proper fermentation you can let the dough rest in the refrigerator over night or for 8 hours.
- Make sure the internal temperature measures about 190˚F (88˚C).
Serving suggestions
These sourdough pumpkin cinnamon rolls are delicious for breakfast or as dessert, especially for Thanksgiving.
Storing and freezing instructions
I recommend you enjoy these pumpkin sourdough cinnamon rolls while they’re fresh. However, you can keep them on the counter, covered, for up to 3 days. If you like, you can gently warm them up in the microwave right before eating.
For longer storage, let them cool down completely, transfer them to a freezer-safe ziplock bag, and freeze them for up to 3 months. To thaw, remove them from the freezer and let them come to room temperature.
Sample Schedule for Sourdough Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
Day 1 (Evening)
- 8:00 PM: Feed your sourdough starter so it’s active and bubbly by morning.
Day 2 (Morning)
- 8:00 AM: Mix the dough and knead until smooth.
- 8:15 AM: Let the dough rest and rise in a warm spot until doubled (about 4–6 hours).
Day 2 (Afternoon/Evening)
- 2:00 PM: Roll out the dough, spread the filling, and shape the rolls.
- 2:30 PM: Place rolls in a greased baking dish and cover.
- 2:30 PM – 8:30 PM: Cold-proof the rolls in the refrigerator overnight (or for at least 6 hours).
Day 3 (Morning)
- 7:00 AM: Remove rolls from the fridge and let them come to room temperature (about 1 hour).
- 8:00 AM: Bake until golden brown and your kitchen smells amazing.
- 8:30 AM: Glaze and enjoy warm!
Be sure to check out the full recipe and ingredient list!
Sourdough Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
Equipment
- digital kitchen scale
- stand mixer
- Rolling Pin
- spatula
- Pizza Cutter
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 75 g milk warm
- 80 g butter butter soft
- 150 g sourdough starter
- 480 g AP flour
- 1 egg
- 50 g sugar
- 300 g pumpkin puree
- 1 tsp pumpkin spice
For the filling:
- 100 g butter
- 100 g brown sugar
- 50 g sugar
- 2 tsp pumpkin spice
For the glaze:
- 225 g cream cheese very soft
- 60 g maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Combine the warm milk, soft butter, and sourdough starter in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer and mix well.
- Add the remaining dough ingredients. Mix on low-medium for 10 minutes.
- Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for at least 4 hours until visibly risen.
- In a medium bowl, combine the filling ingredients and mix well.
- Preheat the oven to 350˚F (180˚C).
- Roll the dough into a rectangle of about 16" x 24" (40x60cm).
- Spread the filling on the dough rectangle, leaving about 1" (2 cm) of an edge on both long sides.
- With a knife or pizza cutter, cut the dough into 10 even strips. Carefully roll them up into tight rolls.
- Set the pumpkin cinnamon rolls into a greased cast-iron skillet or other baking dish.
- Bake the pumpkin cinnamon rolls for about 50 mins or until the internal temperature measures about 190˚F (88˚C).
- Remove the rolls from the oven and let them cool down slightly.
- Mix all the glaze ingredients until smooth.
- Spread the glaze over the warm sourdough pumpkin cinnamon rolls.
Notes
- make sure to use a very active sourdough starter
- for proper fermentation, you can let the dough sit in the refrigerator overnight or for about 8 hours
- feel free to adjust the sweetness or the amount of the filling and/or the glaze
Nutrition
FAQs about sourdough pumpkin cinnamon rolls
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