Pumpkin Sweet Rolls

Pumpkin Sweet Rolls

October’s DIY Challenge, hosted by Terrie, from Decorate and More with Tip, is all about Pumpkins! Come join me and eight talented bloggers for some fun (and delicious ways to celebrate pumpkin season!

Hello, friends! If you are stopping by from Carol’s (Bluesky at Home), Welcome!

This month we are celebrating all things pumpkin! Now I know this is a DIY challenge, but Terrie included recipes this time, and I since my house is already decorated for fall, and I’m trying to keep it to a minimum, I decided baking it is!

Fall is definitely one of my favorite times of the year to bake! Mostly because it’s harvest time and we have so many options to choose from. In October, the two main choices are, of course, apples and pumpkins!

Today, I’m going to share one of our families favorite fall recipes, Pumpkin Sweet Rolls! If you’re a fan of Cinnamon Rolls, then you’re going to LOVE this recipe! It’s the perfect combination of pumpkin, fall spices, and a scrumptious-cream cheese frosting with just a hint of maple syrup!

 

This recipe actually is a spin-off from my original sweet roll recipe, Quick and Easy Cinnamon Rolls which our family enjoys all year round!

Equipment you’ll need:

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• Stand Mixer (totally optional-a good mixing bowl and wooden spoon will work just fine)
• measuring cup
• spatula
• rolling pin
• 9×13 baking pan
• small mixing bowl
• sharp knife or dental floss

How to make Pumpkin Spice Sweet Rolls

Ingredients you’ll need:

• All-purpose flour
• milk ( I prefer using whole milk but you could use 2%)
• butter
• yeast
• sugar
• salt
• pumpkin puree
• egg
• pumpkin spice

Activate the yeast- I do this by warming up the milk and butter (warm to the touch) and then adding in my yeast packet and 1 Tablespoon of sugar. You’ll know your yeast is good when it begins to bubble and froth. Let it sit and bubble off to the side while you gather the rest of your ingredients.

** I always combine my dry ingredients in a separate bowl. I also make sure all ingredients including the egg are at room temperature. It makes the dough so much easier to work with.

Note: My recipe calls for 3 1/2 -4 cups of flour. I start with 3 1/2 cups and if the dough is still a bit sticky, I slowly add in a little more until the dough no longer sticks to the side of the bowl. 

First rise

I knead my dough with the dough hook attachment on my stand mixer for about 5 minutes. If you don’t have a stand mixer, just hand knead the dough for 5 minutes. Then place it back in a bowl, cover, and put in a warm dry location. The dough will need to rise until it’s double in size. This takes about 1 hour. **I place my dough in the oven with the bread proofing feature on. It works wonders!

combine ingredients for the filling

The ‘sweet’ part of this ‘sweet roll’ is of course the filling. It’s a combination of white and brown sugar, pumpkin spice, and cinnamon. You’ll also be spreading some butter on top of the dough too!! What’s not to love about that?

roll, fill, and cut dough

When your dough has doubled in size, place it on a well-floured surface and roll it out until it’s about 16″ x 20″ or so. Spread your butter first (I like to soften-not melt mine). Then sprinkle the sugar/spice mixture over the top, making sure to leave about a quarter of an inch around the edge. That way the filling won’t leak out the sides when you roll it up.

Roll the dough towards yourself, making sure to keep it tight. When you reach the end, flip it up and over the roll and pinch the dough to seal. Flip your roll over so the seam is on the underside before cutting. To cut the dough, first measure out each one to be about 2 inches. ( I usually cut a wee bit off each end as it’s uneven). Then mark with a sharp knife or dental floss. Cut each one and place them in a greased 9×13 baking pan.

second rise

To ensure you get the fluffiest sweet rolls ever- they will need a little extra time for a second rise. Again, you’ll want to place your pan of yumminess in a warm dry place until the rolls double in size again. During the rising process, your rolls will come together and that’s okay! The closer they get, the more moist they will be!

 

Can you see all those tiny little air pockets in the rolls? That’s magic happening right there folks. I’m talking light and SUPER fluffy sweet rolls are on their way kind of magic!

But the REALLY BIG magic happens after the rolls are baked and we add that creamy-decadent cream cheese maple frosting! “Lots and lots of frosting”…as my daughter would say!

These Pumpkin sweet rolls are the perfect fall treat to serve any time of the week, but we usually save them for weekends when we have a wee bit more time to savor each and every bite! Serve them with a glass of milk or cup of coffee, or as a side to your favorite brunch dish!

Just be warned…these moist-pumpkiny-fall spiced yummies won’t last very long. At least they don’t with our family.

could you freeze the pumpkin sweet rolls?

You bet you can! I usually freeze them before I frost them, but I have frozen them with the frosting and it works fine too.

**Place the sweet rolls in an airtight container. Freeze up to 1 month. When ready to eat leave out until room temperature and either zap in the microwave for 15-20 seconds or place in a 350-degree oven for 10-15 minutes.

 

I hope you enjoyed today’s recipe for Pumpkin Sweet Rolls!

Looking for more pumpkin recipes?

Next up is Michelle, from Blessing by Me! And don’t forget to check out the links below for even more pumpkin inspiration!

 

Thanks so much for stopping by!