Sourdough pumpkin cinnamon rolls are soft, buttery and full of warm fall flavors. It is an easy, overnight cinnamon roll recipe with the addition of pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice.
We've taken our sourdough cinnamon rolls and transformed them into a delicious fall treat! Sourdough pumpkin cinnamon rolls have pumpkin puree in the dough and the filling is made with light brown sugar and pumpkin pie spice.
Recipe highlights
- easy overnight dough: The dough is quickly mixed by hand and allowed to rise overnight, which will give you the benefits of fermented sourdough with minimal effort.
- canned pumpkin: As home bakers, don't we all have a few cans of pumpkin on the shelf? Just like our sourdough pumpkin bread, now you've got another delicious fall recipe to use it in!
- sourdough discard: We love to use our discard instead of wasting it. This recipe calls for baking soda and baking powder as leavening agents. The salt, baking soda and baking powder are mixed into the dough after it has risen and right before it is rolled out.
What you'll need
- 10-12" cast iron skillet: If you don't have a cast iron skillet, you can use a spring-form pan or a baking dish. Make sure to grease them lightly before you add the cut out rolls.
- canned pumpkin/pumpkin pie spice: Do not use canned pumpkin pie filling as it is highly sweetened and has spices in it. Ground cinnamon can be used in place of pumpkin pie spice.
- butter/milk: Dairy or plant based options both work well.
- flour: All-purpose flour works best but feel free to sub out part of it with wheat flour. You will need to adjust the liquid amount as wheat flour absorbs more liquid than all-purpose flour. Note that using wheat flour will produce a much denser cinnamon roll.
- powdered sugar/vanilla extract: These two ingredients are for the glaze which will also need milk and a tablespoon of melted butter.
How to shape cinnamon rolls
Once you are ready to bake, follow these simple steps to get the dough rolled out, cut and in the oven!
Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and flour the surface of the dough and the rolling pin. Roll the dough out into a rectangular shape, about 22" x 12".
Brush the top of the dough with melted butter and sprinkle the sugar/pumpkin pie spice mixture evenly over the top. Make sure to leave a 1" border around the perimeter of the dough.
Starting on one end, roll the dough into a log shape. If the dough is sticking to the work surface, use a bench scraper to gently separate the dough from the surface, using more flour as needed.
Use the bench scraper or a knife to cut the log into 1-1 ½" pieces. Place the pieces into a buttered cast iron skillet and bake at 375°F (190°C) for 35-40 minutes.
After the rolls have baked, mix the cinnamon roll glaze and pour it over the top. Serve the rolls warm.
How to store and freeze
- To Store: Keep the baked and glazed sourdough pumpkin cinnamon rolls at room temperature in a closed container for up to 3 days.
- To Freeze: Wrap the baked, unglazed rolls in plastic wrap and insert them into a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
- To Reheat: Allow rolls to thaw, if frozen. Heat in the microwave for 15-20 seconds.
Easy sourdough discard recipes to make for breakfast
There are so many possibilities for using your sourdough discard. Try one of these easy and delicious recipes!
- sourdough pancakes or waffles
- sourdough coffee cake
- sourdough blueberry muffins
- sourdough banana nut muffins
Sourdough Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls Recipe
INGREDIENTS
Dough
- ½ cup (113 g) butter (cold)
- 2 ½ cups (300 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (125 g) sourdough starter discard
- ½ cup (122 g) pumpkin puree
- ½ cup (120 g) milk (dairy or plant based)
- 2 tablespoons (40 g) honey
- 1 teaspoon (5 g) salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
Filling
- ¾ cup (165 g) light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 2 tablespoons (28 g) butter (melted)
Glaze
- 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon (14 g) butter (melted)
- 2 tablespoons (30 g) milk (dairy or plant based)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
INSTRUCTIONS
8 PM on Day 1
- Grate the cold butter using the large holes of a cheese grater into a large mixing bowl. Add the flour to the bowl and use a fork to toss and coat the butter with flour to separate the pieces. Cut the flour into the butter using a pastry cutter or bench scraper until it has a coarse consistency.
- Add the sourdough starter, honey, pumpkin and milk to the bowl. Use a spatula to get the mixture started and then switch to your hands to incorporate the ingredients until there are no dry bits left in the bowl. Cover the bowl and let the dough sit at room temperature for 8-10 hours. (Do not add the baking soda, baking powder or salt until the next day.)
6 AM on Day 2
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and lightly butter the cast iron skillet or baking dish.
- Mix the light brown sugar and pumpkin pie spice in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Add the salt, baking powder and baking soda to the dough and use your hands to incorporate it evenly. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out into a rectangular shape. Flour the work surface and rolling pin as necessary to prevent sticking.
- Brush the top of the dough with the melted butter and sprinkle the sugar mixture evenly over the top, leaving a one inch border around the perimeter. Starting at one end, roll the dough into a log shape. Use a bench scraper or a sharp knife to cut the log into 1-1 ½ inch pieces. Arrange the rolls in the baking dish leaving a little space between each one.
- Bake the cinnamon rolls for 35-40 minutes or until they are golden brown.
- In a small bowl mix the powdered sugar, melted butter, vanilla extract and milk. Add milk as necessary to thin the glaze to the desired consistency. Pour the glaze over the warm rolls and use a spatula to spread evenly.
NOTES
- To Store: Keep the baked and glazed sourdough pumpkin cinnamon rolls at room temperature in a closed container for up to 3 days.
- To Freeze: Wrap individual rolls in plastic wrap and insert them into a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
- To Reheat: Allow rolls to thaw, if frozen. Heat in the microwave for 15-20 seconds.
Haley says
So incredibly easy and delicious! Will definitely be a staple in our house!
Kristin says
The easiest cinnamon roll recipe with only 1 rise and it being overnight! These are always a hit!
Lara Osmon says
made these but used 1/2 cup brown sugar instead and added the BP and BS and salt with the other ingredients right away. Turned out perfectly. Wish I could post a picture
Kelsey says
These sound amazing! Can I pre make these rolls and freeze before I bake? Pulling them out the morning needed to thaw and bake for that day?
Amy says
Hi Kelsey, yes, just pull them out and let them come to room temperature (or close to...) before baking.
Brittany Curd says
These are so amazing! We love them! Perfect autumn recipe and great way to use your discard. They are light and fluffy, too! Not too heavy for a cinnamon roll!
Sarah says
This recipes looks amazing! I was wondering if I could use active started in this recipe and if so do I still need to use the baking powder/soda?
Amy says
Hi Sarah! Yes you can. I would follow the instructions for my sourdough sweet berry rolls.
Evlyn says
I jumped ahead and added the baking soda and powder for the night before. I didn’t notice it until now. Do you think they’ll still be fine? Thank you!
Amy says
Yes, they should be fine!
Maria says
This recipe is not only foolproof but the scrolls taste absolutely delicious … shall be making them on rotation with the cinnamon scrolls as both use discard starter which is a huge bonus ! Can’t wait to now try the discard pizza crust recipe as judging by the reviews it’s another sure fire winner. Thank you for sharing these great recipes which I’ve already shared with friends.
Gretchen says
They are delicious and made the whole house smell amazing! I'm going to make them for Thanksgiving breakfast.
Tina says
I am making these as give aways and will need to seriously scale up (9 portions)! How do you suggest I handle the discard... Can I refrigerate the discard and collect over a few days to get to at total of 1125 g? It would be a lot of starter, if I had to collect after 1 feeding...
Amy says
Hi Tina! You can do this a couple of different ways, depending on how much starter you have now. If you have 200 grams of starter, put it into a large bowl and add 500 grams of flour and 500 grams of water. Give it a stir and let it sit out for 24 hours. At that point, the starter has risen, fallen and can be used for discard recipes. If you don't need it right away, just place the bowl in the fridge until you are ready to start baking the cinnamon rolls! If you don't have 200 grams of starter, place what you do have in a container and feed it with three to four times the amount of flour/water each in weight. Then repeat until you get the amount you need. Hope this makes sense, let me know if you have anymore questions!