Sourdough pumpkin cinnamon rolls are the perfect treat for pumpkin season!

There’s nothing quite like the cozy flavors of pumpkin wrapped up in a soft, gooey cinnamon roll. These sourdough pumpkin cinnamon rolls have the tangy depth of sourdough bread. But they also have the rich, spiced sweetness of pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice for the ultimate fall indulgence.

If you love homemade cinnamon rolls, this recipe will take your baking to the next level. You’ll love the slight sourdough tang and a melt in your mouth soft texture of these pumpkin cinnamon rolls.

Developing the pumpkin cinnamon roll recipe

I absolutely love a good homemade cinnamon roll. While I’ve used my cinnamon swirl bread to make them, I do find that they aren’t as soft and fluffy as I’d like. They also don’t last as long and they get a bit dry over time.

That’s when I realized that an enriched dough is what would make homemade cinnamon rolls perfection. An enriched dough is one that goes beyond flour, water, salt, and sourdough starter. It adds eggs or butter or milk that enrich the dough and make it softer. Not only is it softer when you first make it, but it stays that way for days!

I made my first round of homemade cinnamon rolls with my enriched challah bread recipe and there was no going back! So it was a natural that when I developed a pumpkin cinnamon roll recipe, I would start with my sourdough challah bread recipe and adapt it from there.

I added a little pumpkin puree, some pumpkin pie spice, and a rich tangy brown sugar cream cheese icing gave me everything I needed for a perfect pumpkin treat!

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Ingredients you’ll need for sourdough pumpkin cinnamon rolls:

To get the best results, gather all your dough ingredients ahead of time. Using a kitchen scale is important for consistent results.

Sourdough pumpkin cinnamon roll dough ingredients:

170g. active sourdough starter

175g. pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling. Make sure it’s pumpkin puree)

1t. pumpkin pie spice

90g. honey

75g. avocado oil (or melted butter)

10g. salt

2 eggs at room temperature

500g. bread flour or all purpose flour

Sourdough pumpkin cinnamon roll filling ingredients:

1/4c. softened butter

1/2c. brown sugar

2t. cinnamon

Brown sugar cream cheese icing ingredients:

1 – 8oz package softened cream cheese

3/4c brown sugar, packed

1/2 stick butter, softened

1t. vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste

pinch of salt

Steps for sourdough pumpkin cinnamon rolls:

Feed your sourdough starter:

The day before you want to make your pumpkin sourdough cinnamon rolls, you’ll need to feed your sourdough starter. Pull out 100g. of sourdough starter and feed it with 100g of unbleached flour and 100g of filtered water. Cover it and let it rise until it’s doubled in size.

I normally do this midday and make the dough two hours before I go to bed. That way I can do the stretch and folds before bed and let it rise all night. The next day, I shape them in the morning and I’m ready to go!

Prepare the dough:

In a large mixing bowl, combine active starter, pumpkin puree, pumpkin spice, honey, avocado oil, salt, eggs and bread flour in a bowl. Mix with a dough whisk or wooden spoon until it’s too hard to mix and then use your hands to combine the rest.

This is a stiffer dough and you’ll need to work it in with your hands to get all the dry ingredients combined. If you’re using a KitchenAid, once the dough comes together, use the dough hook attachment for 2 minutes and then let it rest. I leave the dough hook in it and place a wet towel over the bowl.

Stretch and folds:

Over the next 2 hours, do 4 sets of stretch and folds about every half hour. To do this, you pull the dough and then fold it over. Turn the bowl 1/4 turn and do it again until you’ve done it 4-8 times.

Because this is a stiffer dough, I find it hard to do stretch and folds. I ended up pulling the dough ball out of the bowl, stretching it with my hands, then folding it over on itself a few times. Cover it with plastic wrap or a damp towel until the next set.

If you use a KitchenAid, you can just turn on the dough hook on low for 30 seconds for each set of stretch and folds and then just put the wet towel back on it to rest.

Bulk rise:

After your stretch and folds, let the sourdough pumpkin cinnamon rolls rise for 8-12 hours in a warm spot, until doubled in size. I normally make the dough 2 hours before bed so I can let it rise all night and then shape them in the morning.

Alternately, you can make the dough in the morning and let it rise all day. Then shape the cinnamon rolls in the evening.

Roll and fill the homemade cinnamon rolls:

This is the fun part! Once the dough has doubled in size, turn it onto a very lightly floured work surface. I use a plastic bench scraper to help get it all out of the bowl. Use a rolling pin and roll it into a large rectangle. I usually use my rolling pin to measure and make the rectangle as long as my rolling pin.

Spread the softened butter over the surface, then sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon. You can either mix the brown sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl, or just sprinkle it on evenly.

Roll the dough tightly from the long side into a tight log. Use unflavored dental floss or a sharp knife to cut the log into 12 even rolls.

Place into a greased 9×13 baking sheet or pan. I also love putting them into (2) 8×8 pans with 6 in each pan (3 per half. Then there’s none in the middle and they all cook evenly). It also gives you the opportunity to cook one pan now and put one in the freezer for later!

You can also line the baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper for a bit of easier clean up!

Second rise:

At this point, cover and allow the cinnamon roll dough to rise in a warm place for 2-3 hours before baking. You’ll want them to be puffy and touching each other.

Bake the sourdough pumpkin cinnamon rolls:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake the sourdough pumpkin rolls in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes until golden brown. Some people take the internal temperature and make sure it’s 190 degrees.

Make the brown sugar cream cheese icing:

While the sourdough pumpkin cinnamon rolls are cooling, make the brown sugar cream cheese icing. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine softened cream cheese, brown sugar, butter, vanilla extract and salt.

Using a paddle attachment or whisk attachment, start at a low speed and slowly raise the speed until you get to high. Let it whip for about 5 min., stopping the mixer and scraping down the sides a few times.

It should be super light and fluffy. Spread over the sourdough pumpkin cinnamon rolls and enjoy!

Storage tips:

Store any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days or in the fridge for up to a week. Reheat in a microwave, or wrap in aluminum foil and heat in a toaster oven or regular oven.

If you love pumpkin recipes, this pumpkin cinnamon roll recipe will become your new fall favorite! Save this recipe card and enjoy making these warm cinnamon rolls for breakfast, brunch, or a cozy weekend treat.

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