Description

These Brown Butter Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls are so flavorful and incredibly swoon-worthy. Nutty brown butter is infused in the pumpkin yeast rolls with tons of pumpkin richness all throughout these tender rolls. You’ll love the ooey gooey finale that is the spiced cream cheese icing that gets slathered over the decadent, pillowy-soft rolls. They’re definitely a must bake during the cozy fall season!

Ingredients

For the yeast dough:

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup whole milk, warmed to about 115-120°F
½ cup granulated sugar, divided
2 ¼ teaspoons (1 packet) active dry or instant yeast
1 large egg + 1 egg yolk
¾ cup pumpkin puree
4 ¾ cup – 5 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 teaspoon kosher salt

For the filling:

1 cup packed dark brown sugar
¼ cup pumpkin puree
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
¼ cup (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
⅓ cup heavy whipping cream, for drizzling over rolls before baking

For the cream cheese icing:

8 ounces (block-style) full-fat cream cheese, softened
¼ cup (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla essence (I use vanilla bean paste)
½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Instructions

Brown the butter. In a small, light-colored saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Once the butter melts, it will get foamy and you will hear it bubbling as it cooks. Then it will take on a clear, light golden color. Note: Do not leave the pot unattended for long during the browning process as it can burn very quickly. Stir the butter every so often, scraping up any bits as you stir, until it turns deep brown and has a nutty aroma with brown bits on the bottom. Once achieved, remove from heat and set aside to cool while you prep the dough.
Make the dough. In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl (if you plan to mix/knead by hand), combine the warm milk and 2 tablespoons of sugar together. Then sprinkle the yeast on top and mix well. Let the mixture sit for 10-15 minutes or until foamy.
Once the mixture is foamy, add in the remaining sugar, eggs, browned butter, pumpkin puree, 4 ¾ cups flour, and salt.
Secure dough hook attachment to mixer and mix on low speed until the dough begins to come together, about 1-2 minutes. Increase the speed to medium and continue kneading the dough until smooth, elastic, and supple, about 5-6 minutes. Alternatively, if you are not using a stand mixer, knead the dough by hand for 10 minutes on a lightly floured surface. If the dough feels super sticky, add in the additional ¼ cup of flour, if needed.
Shape the dough into a ball and place it into a lightly greased, large bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel. Let the dough rise/proof in a warm environment until it doubles in size, about 1 hour or shorter/longer depending on the temperature of your environment.
Meanwhile, prep the filling: In a medium bowl, combine the brown sugar, pumpkin puree, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice. Stir the mixture until well combined into a thick paste. Then set aside.
Roll, fill, & cut rolls. After the first proof, punch down the dough knocking out the air and turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough to about 20×10 inches. Spread the softened butter over the dough, leaving a slight margin around the edges. Then spread the filling paste mixture over the dough, leaving a slight margin around the edges.
Roll up the dough into a tight log starting from the longest side with the seam side down. Pinch the seam to seal in the edges as much as you can. I like to cut off a bit of the ends of the dough because they are not as full in size as the other sections. Use a large sharp knife or unscented dental floss to cut the log crosswise into 12 pieces.
Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with a piece of parchment paper (this helps just in case any of the filling leaks out). Add the cut rolls into the baking pan, leaving a bit of space between each one for expansion. Cover the pan with plastic wrap/clean kitchen towel. Then preheat the oven to 350°F. Let the assembled rolls sit out and chill while the oven is preheating, they’ll get puffy while they rest.
Baking the rolls. Remove the plastic wrap/kitchen towel. Then pour the heavy cream all over the rolls (on top and in the crevices). Bake the rolls until golden brown, about 30 minutes. While the rolls bake, prepare the icing.
To make the cream cheese icing: In the bowl of a stand mixer or using a handheld electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth. Add in the powdered sugar, vanilla essence, and pumpkin pie spice. Continue mixing until the icing is well combined and free of any lumps. Set aside until the rolls are done baking.
Serve. When the rolls are done, use a spreading utensil to spread the cream cheese icing over the rolls. Garnish the rolls with an extra sprinkling of pumpkin pie spice, if desired. These brown butter pumpkin cinnamon rolls are best served right away. Enjoy!

Notes

Overnight cinnamon rolls: Follow the recipe instructions all the way up to step #9 in the recipe card, above, minus the baking. Transfer the assembled rolls into the refrigerator to rest overnight (about 8 hours). The next morning, take the rolls out, let them sit out to reach room temperature for about 1 hour or until puffy, and then follow the remaining steps to bake as directed.
Please read blog post in its entirety for more tips + tricks.