It’s not even November yet and I’ve already gone through 2 pumpkins and 5 cans of purée. Things are getting serious in here.
I have no idea how I’ve never made pumpkin cinnamon rolls before, but after perfecting my original World’s Easiest and recently the 1-Bowl Banana Bread rolls, I could hardly wait to try my hand at a pumpkin version. I’m happy to report it was a serious win.
This recipe is the first in a series of posts in partnership with Bob’s Red Mill. I have loved their products for years, and when we moved to Portland in 2010 I was thrilled to learn Bob’s was based there. Shortly after I was able to tour their factory and was so impressed to see the attention to quality and detail in everything they do.
I love this company and what they stand for, and I hope you enjoy the recipes in the coming months.
First up is Bob’s unbleached all-purpose flour – a baker’s best friend. It’s no surprise that it’s perfectly suited for these amazing, simple Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls.
Simple you ask? Yes, simple.
1 Bowl
10 ingredients
Easy methods
1 (true) rise
And about 2 hours start to finish
Entirely vegan
Simple indeed.
What do they taste like? Kind of amazing. They’re:
Warm
Gooey
Pumpkin-y
Subtly spiced
Perfectly sweet
Tender
Flaky on top
Decadent
Shareable
& Perfect for fall
I made this batch and managed to do some serious damage before forfeiting the rest to our apartment staff. A girl can only eat so many cinnamon rolls in a day. My personal limit is two for now, but I’d like to see an increase next quarter (wink, wink).
These rolls are not overwhelmingly pumpkin – it’s a more subtle infusion that I just adore.
Another perk? The glaze is optional and customizable. I’ve included a couple options below, but my personal favorite is a simple powdered sugar glaze as it suits the spiciness of the pumpkin flavor perfectly.
I think you guys are going to LOVE these cinnamon rolls. And if you give them a try, let us know! We love seeing your comments and tweets, and especially your Instagram photos. Just tag them @minimalistbaker so we can give them a look.
You guys are the best and we hope your fall (baking) is off to an amazing start. Stay tuned for more pumpkin goodness in the coming weeks. Cheers!
Vegan Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
DOUGH
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 2 Tbsp vegan butter (such as Earth Balance)
- 1 packet instant yeast (1 packet yields ~2 1/4 tsp)
- 1 Tbsp organic cane sugar
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1/3 cup pumpkin purée
- 2 ¾ – 3 ¼ cups Bob’s Red Mill Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
FILLING
- 2 ½ Tbsp vegan butter (such as Earth Balance)
- 1/2 cup pumpkin butter*
- 1/3 cup organic cane sugar
- 1 Tbsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 cup raw pecans, chopped (optional)
TOPPING
- 2 Tbsp vegan butter (such as Earth Balance)
- 1 Tbsp pumpkin butter* (optional)
- 1 Tbsp organic cane sugar
- 1/4 cup raw pecans, chopped
Instructions
- DOUGH: In a large mixing bowl in the microwave (or in a small saucepan over medium heat), heat the almond milk and vegan butter in 30 second increments until warm and melted, never reaching boiling. Remove from microwave (or stovetop) and let cool to 110 degrees F (43 C), or the temperature of bath water. It should be warm but not too hot or it will kill the yeast. If warmed on the stovetop, transfer mixture to a large mixing bowl at this point.
- Sprinkle on yeast, sugar, and salt and let activate for 10 minutes. Then add cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice and stir. Let it set for a few minutes, then whisk in pumpkin purée.
- Next add in flour 1/2 cup at a time, stirring as you go. The dough will be sticky. When it is too thick to stir, transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead for a minute or so until it forms a loose ball, adding flour as needed.
- Rinse your mixing bowl out, coat it with oil, and add your dough ball back in and roll it around to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm place to rise for about 45 minutes – 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a thin rectangle. FILLING: Brush with melted vegan butter and pumpkin butter, then add sugar, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and the pecans.
- Starting at one end, tightly roll up the dough and situate seam side down. Then with a serrated knife or floss, cut the dough into 1.5 – 2 inch sections and position in a well-greased 8×8 square or comparable sized pan (you should have about 10 rolls as original recipe is written).
- TOPPING: Brush with vegan butter mixed with pumpkin butter, sprinkle with cane sugar and pecans, and cover with plastic wrap. Set on top of the oven to let rise again while you preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 C).
- Once the oven is hot, bake rolls on a center rack for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown and crusty on top. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.
- For a glaze, try my dairy-free cream cheese frosting or the simple glaze I share in the notes below. Add a Tbsp of pumpkin butter and/or a dash of pumpkin pie spice to add more pumpkin flavor.
- Cinnamon rolls should keep covered at room temp for up to a few days, though best when fresh. You can freeze at the stage where the dough is cut into cinnamon rolls and placed in a pan. Cover well and freeze in a pan, then let thaw for at least 6 hours before baking. Cover and set on top of the oven while preheating to help rise. Bake as instructed.
Video
Notes
*For a simple dairy-free glaze, melt 1 Tbsp vegan butter and whisk in 2 – 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar. Mix and gradually thin with dairy-free milk 1 tsp at a time until pourable but still thick. Add 1 Tbsp pumpkin butter and/or 1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice for more pumpkin flavor.
*Adapted from my World’s Easiest Cinnamon Rolls
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated without pecans or glaze.
Nutrition (1 of 10 servings)
This post was sponsored by Bob’s Red Mill. Thank you for supporting the brands that support Minimalist Baker!
Bonnie says
I made this exactly as written except I only had whole wheat flour. Came out great with 2 3/4 cups of flour.
Amazing! Thank you for sharing, Bonnie! xo
Anne says
Hi! Could I make these the night before, let them rest in the refrigerator, and bake next morning? Thank you!
Hey Anne! You definitely can!
Chris says
Would soy milk work in this recipe? I see many recipes using almond and not sure if it’s due to preference, effect on the taste, or is it better for the baking process? (eg. I know soy milk doesn’t work with pudding). 99% of the time it’s what I have on hand and with soups it seems fine. Since baking is more about chemistry, I’m curious if it matters.
Thanks for all of your recipes, I’ve loved everything I made from here!
Hey Chris, thanks so much for the support. Soy milk will work here. We usually use almond milk due to preference, but other dairy-free or even dairy milks will work!
Jennie says
Would coconut oil be a viable substitute for the vegan butter? If so, would you recommend it in solid form? Thanks!
Hey Jennie! We think coconut oil might make these a little to oily, especially if used in the filling. It might work, but the results could be a little different!
Jacqui says
I know they may turn out completely different, but have you tried this recipe with a 1:1 gluten free flour substitute? I’d love to try these :)
Hi Jacqui, unfortunately we don’t think a 1:1 GF blend would work well here. However, you could adapt from our GF cinnamon rolls, but with the filling and topping from the pumpkin cinnamon rolls + pumpkin pie spice in the dough. You might also be able to replace some of the almond milk in the dough with pumpkin purée, but GF is more tricky and prone to being gummy so we’re a little hesitant on that one! Let us know if you try it out!
Dawn Lewis says
Hi! I have a child with Celiac and would love to try this recipe with Bob Mills 1:1 GF Flour. Are there any modifications you would suggest with this plan?
Hi Dawn, unfortunately we don’t think a 1:1 GF blend would work well here. However, you could adapt from our GF cinnamon rolls, but with the filling and topping from the pumpkin cinnamon rolls + pumpkin pie spice in the dough. You might also be able to replace some of the almond milk in the dough with pumpkin purée, but GF is more tricky and prone to being gummy so we’re a little hesitant on that one! Let us know if you try it out!
Ivy says
Another great recipe. I will be making these my go to Xmas cinnamon buns. Love the pumpkin butter too! Your recipes are tried, true and delicious. I’ve been trying them out for years. Thank you!
Yay! We’re so glad to hear it, Ivy. Thank you for the lovely review and for following along over the years! xo
Emma Gardner says
These are soooo yummy. I replaced part of the white flour with 3/4c. whole wheat flour, and 1/2 c. each of almond flour and a GF flour blend. I used a little less sugar than the recipe called for in the filling and topping, and still found them perfectly sweet. The dough is very soft and I did use more flour than the recipe called for, when kneading and rolling out the dough. I also should have baked them for the full 40 minutes; I did about 35 because I couldn’t wait any longer, and the centers were a little doughy, though still delicious!
Thank you for sharing your experience, Emma! We’re so glad you enjoyed the result! xo
Anna says
Made these as my first autumn recipe of the year. I’ve made the regular minimalist baker cinnamon rolls before, and these were just as easy to make, took just a couple extra steps with making the pumpkin butter. The pumpkin isn’t too obvious in the final product, but you can definitely taste it in there. Fun and tasty variation on regular cinnamon rolls.
We’re so honored you picked this one as your first autumn recipe, Anna! Thank you for the lovely review! xoxo
carlaisvegan says
So delicious and soft! Pillows of pumpkin goodness! The best dessert ever!! I made the pumpkin butter with only one can of pumpkin puree and it still came out delicious. For the frosting, I just mixed Tofutti’s cream cheese and 1 cup powdered sugar and 1/4 cup maple syrup (got from Nora Cooks).
Lovely! Thanks so much for sharing, Carla!
Angela says
This one is my all-time favourite! I used oat milk instead of almond and mixed in some coconut sugar with the cane sugar as that’s what I had in the cupboard. I killed the first batch of yeast and made a huge mess but it was 100% worth it. They were beautiful and tasted even better than they looked! The pumpkin flavour isn’t too overpowering so would be good for guests who would otherwise leave it out. It does take a while as I had to backtrack and make the pumpkin butter as well. Totally worth it as the extra pumpkin butter goes well in coffee (along with a spoon of leftover icing)! I’m going to double up on this one for post-ice skating snacks this weekend!
Ice skating snacks!? So FUN! Thank you for making the recipe and leaving such a lovely review, Angela! xoxo
Rhiannon says
These came out great! I get so nervous baking with yeast, but I had no issues with this recipe, even when doubling everything. I made a little of the glaze and drizzled it on top. Next time I’ll make the cream cheese frosting to make them extra sweet.
Amazing! We’re so glad you had success with this recipe, Rhiannon. Thank you for sharing! xo
Jaynee says
Was really difficult for me, dough was incredibly sticky even after using maximum allowance of flour. It did rise well but the instructions didn’t say how thin to roll the rectangle and there was no way to tightly roll it, it just kinda folded over into a soft mess of a log. Biggest messes I’ve ever made. It DID however taste fantastic. But i won’t attempt this recipe againm
Sorry it wasn’t a winner for you, Jaynee! Did you make any modifications? This one is usually a reader favorite!
Chris says
Same here! I don’t know what I did wrong. Came out more like a mushy cannelloni than a rolled up log! One possibility, after I let the dough rise I refrigerated overnight before rolling out, due to timing issues.
But I will try again because I have a lot of pumpkin butter left over ;-)
Hi Chris, sorry it didn’t turn out right! Is it possible the dough wasn’t kneaded long enough or you are in an especially humid climate? What type of flour did you use?
Chris says
Yes, I am in a very humid climate. I used all purpose unbleached flour. I erred on the side of using less flour and I think you may be right about not kneading it enough. They did taste great though!
Cindy says
I love minimalist baker! It’s my go to for most recipes. “One bowl” is super appealing!!!
Made these pumpkin cinnamon rolls and they were fairly easy (I’m always nervous about yeast rising recipes “) but these turned out delicious!!!
Thank you for all your recipes!
We’re so glad you enjoy our recipes, Cindy! Thank you for your kind words and lovely review! xo
Chris says
1st time making cinnamon rolls and was a bit nervous. They turned out AMAZING. Didn’t even put the icing on and they’re so good!
Whoop! We’re so glad to hear it! Thank you for sharing your experience, Chris!
Ashley says
If your dough doesn’t rise because you killed your yeast, is there anything you can do with the dough besides tossing it? ☹️🙃
Aw, bummer! Hmm, great question! Maybe roll it out thin, dust with cinnamon and sugar, cut into cracker/chip shapes and bake until crispy?
Erin says
Hiii, just wondering if something else can be used instead of the pumpkin butter? Or could I combine just butter and pumpkin purée? Thanks :)
Hi Erin, other readers have reported using pumpkin purée with success! It won’t be quite as sweet/spicy or have as much pumpkin flavor, but you might be able to bump that up by increasing the sugar and spices. Let us know how it goes!
Natalie says
This was delicious and they looked so pretty too! Easy directions to follow and they turned out great. I like how this recipe isn’t overly sweet/sugary and how the overall sweetness level is customizable with the optional glaze. I used the pumpkin butter recipe from this site and it was delicious! I plan to use more than 1/2 cup of pumpkin butter for the filling next time so I can enjoy more of the pumpkin butter taste. I also added some chocolate chips to the top before baking which was yummy. Thank you for the recipe!
Amazing! We’re so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Natalie. Thank you for sharing! xo
Katrin says
Everything went well and they were gourgous, yay! Thank you for the recipe.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Katrin. Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Karen says
This was a total fail, for reasons unknown! I followed your instructions exactly except for using the gf flour/almond meal flour combo from the gf recipe. The yeast bubbled and the dough rose nicely.
It also then rolled out easily but rolling it UP was a problem- and I skipped the pecans. It stuck badly to the lightly floured surface bit I was able to squish it together and cut into 12. Although I knew they wouldn’t have the pretty swirl since they rose again while preheating I thought they’d be fine.
Not! They even flattened somewhat while baking and have an unpleasant rubbery texture. I can vaguely taste the pumpkin butter but definitely can’t serve these as planned!
Ugh. Any ideas? I am a seasoned cook!
Oh no! So sorry to hear these didn’t work out for you, Karen. As you may know, gluten free flours are very finicky and tend to need more specialized recipes for good results. Pumpkin puree is also a tricky ingredient to work with as it tends to add a lot of density and moisture, which is already an issue in gf baking! If you try again we’d suggest using the regular gluten free cinnamon roll recipe (though the texture is still slightly different than a regular cinnamon roll), or you could try our pumpkin roll instead? Thanks so much for sharing your experience with us!