Sourdough pumpkin cinnamon rolls give a fall inspired twist to this classic recipe. Pumpkin purée is not only added to the dough, but also combined with butter, sugar, and pumpkin spice and smothered on the dough. You then roll it up, bake until your house smells delicious, and finally, top with cream cheese frosting to arrive at the most decadent, spiced breakfast treat.

sourdough pumpkin cinnamon rolls covered in cream cheese frosting in a cast iron skillet on a brown plaid napkin with two small pumpkins to the back left

Is there any food more classic fall than pumpkin? These delicious, large vegetables grow all summer as we wait for the leaves to start changing, and the weather to start cooling, to enjoy them.

Not only are they beautiful when styled on the front porch, they are also a healthy and delicious veggie to be enjoyed in a variety of ways. And sourdough pumpkin cinnamon rolls may be the most delicious way of all. It’s actually a tie between this recipe and these pumpkin rolls. Sourdough pumpkin cinnamon rolls are generally more acceptable for breakfast or brunch, and are great when paired with a pumpkin smoothie.

I took my sourdough cinnamon rolls and wanted to create an autumn dish incorporating my favorite vegetable, the pumpkin. Not only was it used in the filling by combining pumpkin spice, butter, and brown sugar, but I wanted to also add it to the dough. 

It added some serious flavor to the dish, and I promise, the pumpkin spice flavor is not lacking. Would it be too much to serve it with a pumpkin spice latte or a Pumpkin Spice Rooibos Latte? Or even a scoop of pumpkin spice ice cream?

This makes the best fancy breakfast for a special occasion, or even a fun weekday meal. As a weekday meal, you can start them and get a headstart on chores, like milking the cow, feeding the animals, and rotating pastures. 

Whenever you do bake these, I hope your family and friends love this fall influenced treat as much as ours did.

sourdough pumpkin cinnamon rolls in a cast iron skillet on a brown plaid napkin with two small pumpkins to the right

Tips:

  • Substitute puréed butternut squash for the pumpkin in this recipe.
  • Add toasted chopped walnuts to the pumpkin, and the pumpkin spice filling, for a yummy flavor and texture. Toast walnuts over medium heat in a cast iron skillet, stirring constantly. Turn off heat, add honey, and stir.
  • I love to use a pumpkin spice blend in this recipe instead of the typical cinnamon for more delicious fall flavor, but if you don’t have pumpkin spice, you can easily just swap it out with cinnamon.
  • For the most health benefits, ferment the dough at least overnight (8 hours) or up to 24 hours. If you don’t have time to ferment the dough, you can just whip it up the morning of and bake.
  • Make your own puréed pumpkin using this recipe.

This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure here.

sourdough pumpkin cinnamon roll with cream cheese frosting on a white plate on a brown and cream plaid napkin with a cast iron skillet of rolls in the background and a small pumpkin

Table of Contents

Why you’ll love this recipe:

Sourdough: Fermented grains are a super healthy way to eat grains. As they ferment, they become easier to digest and their nutrients become more bioavailable. 

Pumpkin spice: The epitome of fall flavors, this dish has it infused throughout, from the dough to the filling. This spice makes it super warm with a delightful heat.

Easy and fancy breakfast: This would make the best Thanksgiving breakfast! One of the best parts is it starts the night before, so in the morning you only have a few minutes of hands-on work. Better than having to wake up super early to start the dough like the typical recipe.

sourdough pumpkin cinnamon roll in a cast iron skillet right out of the oven with two small pumpkins in the background

Tools you may need:

Stand mixer

Measuring cups and spoons

Unflavored dental floss

Bench scraper

Cast iron skillet – 14 inch

sourdough pumpkin rolls on a white plate with a forkful taken out. The plate sits on a brown and cream plaid napkin with two pumpkins in the background

How To Make Sourdough Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

  1. In a bowl, combine fed sourdough starter, flour, honey, puréed pumpkin (or butternut squash), water, pumpkin spice, and melted coconut oil. 
  2. Mix together and form into a ball. 
  3. Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover the dough with beeswax wrap or plastic wrap, allowing it to rest in a warm place overnight for 8-24 hours. The longer it ferments, the more that delicious sourdough tang develops and the grain ferments.

The Next Day:

sourdough pumpkin roll dough on a white quarts countertop with a bench scraper
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Place the fermented dough into a stand mixer and add eggs, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. You can also use your hands to combine. It is much easier with the stand mixer, but usually I just use my hands.

Create The Filling And Spread It Over The Dough

a bowl with softened butter, pumpkin puree, brown sugar, and pumpkin spice
  1. In a bowl, combine softened butter, organic brown sugar, pumpkin purée, and pumpkin spice. Stir until smooth. 
  2. Lightly dust the counter with flour, and roll out the dough to about 1/4 inch thickness.  
  3. Spread pumpkin sugar mixture all over the rolled out dough, and top with toasted walnuts (optional). Roll the dough up as tightly as you can. When you get to the end, pull it up as tightly as you can and pinch the ends into the main roll.
sourdough pumpkin dough rolled out and smothered with butter, brown sugar, pumpkin, and pumpkin spice on a countertop with a rolling pin and a measuring cup to the right
sourdough pumpkin cinnamon rolls being rolled up on a white quartz countertop

Bake

overhead photo of raw sourdough pumpkin cinnamon rolls in a cast iron skillet on a white quarts countertop
cream poured over raw sourdough pumpkin cinnamon rolls in a cast iron skillet on a white countertop with a rolling pin handle to the left
  1. Slice to make 12-14 total sourdough cinnamon rolls. I like to use unflavored dental floss. You can also just use a knife. Place the rolls into a seasoned 14″ cast iron skillet or a baking dish.
  2. Pour heavy cream over top of the rolls, then place in the oven to bake.
  3. Bake them for 20-25 minutes or until the rolls are lightly browned and the dough is cooked through. Allow them to cool a bit.
sourdough pumpkin cinnamon rolls baked in the oven on a cream and brown plaid napkin with two small orange pumpkin to the left

Cream Cheese Topping

overhead photo of cream cheese frosting poured over sourdough pumpkin rolls in a cast iron skillet sitting on top a brown and cream plaid napkin
  1. In a stand mixer, add softened cream cheese, heavy cream, maple syrup or honey, and 2 tsp of vanilla extract. Stir until combined. Use immersion blender to get a smooth result, if desired.
  2. Pour over pumpkin cinnamon rolls, and enjoy! 

How to Store:

Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. If you will have extra rolls, I would suggest not adding the cream cheese topping to all of them. This way you can easily reheat them in the oven later and top with the cream cheese topping.

Find More Delicious Sourdough Recipes:

If you try this recipe and love it, I would love if you could come back and give it 5 stars! 

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Sourdough Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

4.50 from 128 votes
By Lisa Bass
Sourdough pumpkin cinnamon rolls give a fall inspired twist to this classic recipe. Pumpkin purée is not only added to the dough, but also combined with butter, sugar, and pumpkin spice and smothered on the dough.
Prep: 30 minutes
Cook: 25 minutes
Additional Time: 12 hours
Total: 12 hours 55 minutes
Servings: 12
sourdough pumpkin cinnamon rolls covered in cream cheese frosting in a cast iron skillet on a brown plaid napkin with two small pumpkins to the back left
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Ingredients

Night before:

  • 1/2 cup fed sourdough starter
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 4 1/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup melted coconut oil
  • 1/2 cup pumpkin purée
  • 1 tablespoon pumpkin spice
  • 1/2 cup honey

Next day:

  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Cinnamon filling:

  • 1/2 cup softened butter
  • 1/4 cup pumpkin purée
  • 1 cup organic brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon pumpkin spice

Top with before baking:

  • 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Cream Cheese Topping:

  • 6 oz cream cheese
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup maple syrup or honey
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions 

  • In a bowl, combine fed sourdough starter, flour, honey, puréed pumpkin, water, pumpkin spice, and melted coconut oil.
  • Mix together and form into a ball.
  • Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover the dough with beeswax wrap or plastic wrap, allowing it to rest in a warm place overnight for 8-24 hours.

The Next Day:

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  • Place the fermented dough into a stand mixer and add eggs, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix until combined.
  • In a bowl, combine softened butter, organic brown sugar, pumpkin purée, and pumpkin spice. Stir until smooth.
  • Lightly dust the counter with flour, and roll out the dough to about 1/4 inch thickness.
  • Spread pumpkin sugar mixture all over the rolled out dough, and top with toasted walnuts (optional).
  • Roll the dough up as tightly as you can. When you get to the end, pull it up as tightly as you can and pinch the ends into the main roll.
  • Slice to make 12-14 total sourdough cinnamon rolls.
  • Place the rolls into a seasoned 14″ cast iron skillet or a baking dish.
  • Pour heavy cream over top of the rolls, then place in the oven to bake. Bake them for 20-25 minutes or until the rolls are lightly browned and the dough is cooked through. Allow them to cool a bit.

Make Cream Cheese Topping

  • In a stand mixer, add softened cream cheese, heavy cream, maple syrup or honey, and 2 tsp of vanilla extract.
  • Stir until combined.
  • Pour over cinnamon rolls and enjoy.

Notes

  • Substitute puréed butternut squash for the pumpkin in this recipe.
  • Add toasted chopped walnuts to the pumpkin and pumpkin spice filling for a yummy flavor and texture. Toast walnuts over medium heat in a cast iron skillet, stirring constantly. Turn off heat, add honey, and stir.
  • I love to use pumpkin spice in this recipe instead of the typical cinnamon for more delicious fall flavor, but if you don’t have pumpkin spice, you can easily just swap it out with cinnamon.

Nutrition

Calories: 604kcal | Carbohydrates: 79g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 88mg | Sodium: 356mg | Potassium: 203mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 39g | Vitamin A: 3152IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 109mg | Iron: 3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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4.50 from 128 votes (106 ratings without comment)

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172 Comments

  1. Leanne says:

    Is it possible to freeze these?

    Reply
    1. Lisa Bass says:

      Yes you can…you can either freeze them after they are shaped or even after they are baked…

      Reply
  2. Lauren says:

    Could you please convert to grams?

    Reply
    1. Lisa Bass says:

      I am working to update all of my posts to include grams. Here is my baking conversion chart in the meantime.

      Reply
  3. Kim says:

    I followed the recipe exactly, but my dough came out way too wet. There was no way to roll it up, so I put it in a bunt pan and baked it. I’m guessing the pumpkin puree was too watery.. what do you think happened?

    Reply
    1. Lisa Bass says:

      It could be that, or it could be over proofed…an over proofed dough will become a very sloppy mess.

      Reply
  4. Carrie says:

    These were amazing but I had an issue with dough before mixing in the eggs and powders. It sat on my counter for 14 hours (overnight). I had a big sloppy wet mess with I added the eggs and powders to it. I could barely mix it all together. I had to add 1/2- 3/4 cup of flour to get it where I could roll it out. Did I overproof it?

    Thanks. for your help.

    Reply
    1. Lisa Bass says:

      A telltale sign of over proofing is that the dough turns in to a very sloppy mess.

      Reply
  5. Barbara Kiang says:

    4 stars
    can you proof your dough on counter and put away in the fridge to shape and bake next day? or shape and put away in fridge?

    Reply
    1. Lisa Bass says:

      The best method is to shape the rolls first, then put them away in the fridge.
      While both ways are technically possible, shaping before refrigerating yields a much better texture and saves you a massive headache on baking morning.

      Reply
      1. Karen Fox says:

        Did your rolls rise properly after being refrigerated? Curious since the baking powder and soda had already been added?

        Reply