Sourdough Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Caramel Glaze

Say hello to fall with these soft and fluffy pumpkin flavored sourdough pumpkin cinnamon rolls. The caramel glaze on top is a cross between just what it says- caramel and glaze. My family loves caramel on cinnamon rolls, but I prefer a white glaze so I met in the middle and made this dreamy caramel glaze that is so insanely good on these rolls. They are the perfect way to bring on the autumn season-which is my FAVORITE. But they are also the best addition to the end of fall, as a thanksgiving morning breakfast when you have company staying overnight. 

Why you will love this recipe:

• They are insanely good. A classic cinnamon roll is good enough on its own, but throw a little pumpkin and pumpkin spice in there and you take the classic roll over the top. These rolls are soft, fluffy and the caramel-glaze makes them so sticky and gooey. 
• Pumpkin recipes are the best. Seriously. I cannot fit enough of them into the short fall season which is why it is July as I’m typing out this recipe. 😂
• You can make these ahead of time and bake when you are ready. I often make this recipe the day before, all the way up until the point of baking them and then I refrigerate them until I am ready to bake them. 
• They can be long-fermented: You can leave the dough itself or the formed rolls in the fridge unbaked for up to 3 days which will make them more digestible for those who struggle with gluten. But the longer it sits the more sour the end result will be. 
• No commercial yeast required. This recipe uses the wild yeast in the sourdough starter to rise these fluffy rolls, and that process ferments the flour and the sugar making it more nutrient dense and better for you! 

Dough Ingredients:

• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup active starter
• 1/2 cup filtered water
• 1/2 cup room temperature milk
• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
• 1 tbsp melted butter
• 3 tbsp honey
• 2 tsp pumpkin spice
• 1/2 tsp salt

Filling Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 1/4 cup canned pumpkin
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 tsp cinnamon

Ingredients for Caramel Glaze:

• 1 stick butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 tbsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar

How to make pumpkin sourdough cinnamon rolls:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add all the dough ingredients. I start with the paddle attachment, and mix it on low for about a minute. The I switch to the dough hook attachment and mix on medium speed for 5 minutes. If it’s sticky to touch, add more flour. The dough should not stick to the sides of the bowl. 
2. Let it rise in a greased bowl to bulk ferment in a warm place or at room temperature. Rise times vary, depending on temperature. It takes my dough between 5-8 hours to double in size.
3. In a medium bowl, mix the filling ingredients.
4. Dump the dough on a floured surface and roll it into a rectangular shape with a rolling pin. You want it about as thin as a pancake. 
5. Spread the filling you just mixed onto it with a smoothing tool. 
6. Roll it up the long way into a tight log. 
7. Cut into slices about 1.25 inch wide with either unflavored dental floss, or a sharp knife using light hand and knife pressure. Instead of pushing down with the knife, if it’s sharp enough you can slice it gently without changing the shape. 
8. Lay the rolls in a greased baking dish, slightly spaced out. I fit 15 rolls in a 9×13 pan. 
9. Cover. 
10. Let rise for 1-2 hours, until they have visibly grown and are puffy. 
11. Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes. 

Caramel Glaze Instructions:

1. In a small saucepan over low-medium heat, melt a stick of butter together with a cup of brown sugar. 
2. When the sugar has dissolved, mix in 1/4 cup of heavy cream. 
3. Let simmer for a few minutes then remove from heat, and add vanilla and salt. 
4. Let it cool down for 10 minutes and then whisk in 1/2 cup powdered sugar. This turns it into a caramel-glaze. 
5. When the cinnamon rolls have cooled for about 15 minutes, drizzle the caramel glaze over them. 

Other topping ideas:

Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Icing:

• 2 ounces cream cheese 
• 2 ounces butter
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
• 4 tablespoons milk (or enough to create a thin, spreadable icing)

Mix cream cheese and butter until combined and very creamy – I like to use a hand mixer for this. Add powdered sugar and vanilla and continue mixing. Add milk and mix until you reach your desired texture.

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Icing:

• 8 oz softened cream cheese
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 2 cups powdered sugar

Mix cream cheese and butter until combined and very creamy – I like to use a hand mixer for this. Then add powdered sugar, vanilla and pumpkin spice. Spread over cooled rolls.

Maple Syrup Glaze

• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
• 1 ounce cream cheese, room temperature
• 2 tablespoons milk, any kind
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
• pinch salt

 Mix maple syrup, cream cheese, milk, melted butter, and salt.  Whisk until fully mixed and smooth. Drizzle over cinnamon rolls. 

Tips For Making this Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Recipe:

• Measure the internal temperature of the rolls with a food thermometer.
• Allow the cinnamon rolls to reach 205 degrees F. in the middle of your cinnamon roll pan and then remove them from heat. This is more important than religiously following the timer, because your oven, flour and starter are all unique to you. They will rise and bake possibly differently than mine.
• You will need an active sourdough starter to make this recipe. Active starter refers to a starter that has been fed 4-12 hours before mixing the dough and is nice and bubbly.
• If the dough seems too stiff, it could be because the house is cooler. Place the dough in the oven, turn it on to 150 degrees and leave it on for a few minutes, then turn off the oven. This should warm the dough just enough to make it more pliable.
• Use string or unflavored dental floss to cut the cinnamon buns. A sharp knife also works but is more likely to smush the rolls rather than help them keep the shape.
• If at any point the dough starts to stick (it tends to get warm from the heat of your hands) lightly oil or flour your fingertips, take a deep breath and try working with it again.

FAQ’s:

Can I make these ahead of time?

Yes. I would mix them around noon the day before. Let them bulk ferment until 6-8 pm. Then form rolls, and let rise until they look bigger and puffy, and then place in fridge overnight. The next morning, put them out of the fridge and let them come to room temperature and bake.  

How to store these rolls?

1. Room Temperature (Unfrosted): If your cinnamon rolls don’t have icing with cream cheese in it, you can store them at room temperature in an airtight container for 1-2 days
2. Refrigerator (Frosted or Unfrosted): For longer storage, keep them in the fridge. I would just pop them in the microwave for 15 seconds to get them soft and gooey tho. 
3. Freezing: To freeze, wrap baked rolls (without frosting) tightly and store them for up to 3 months. Thaw and warm them when ready to enjoy.

Can I use a different kind of flour?

Yes you could. Obviously your results will be different. The type of flour and the percentage of wheat associated with that flour is very important, as hard and soft wheats have different protein percentages that impact softness, crispness, and chewiness. Different flours need different amounts of liquid, so if you use a different flour then also adjust the water slightly. ed different amounts of liquid, so if you use a different flour then also adjust the water slightly. 

​

Other Sourdough Recipes and Resources:

• How to make your own sourdough starter
• Sourdough Benefits and Nutrition Explained
• Sourdough Crepes with Strawberries and Cream
• Sourdough Monkey Bread

Sourdough Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Caramel Glaze

Sourdough pumpkin cinnamon rolls with caramel glaze: Enjoy soft, fluffy rolls perfect for fall mornings and holiday gatherings, topped with a dreamy caramel glaze.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Rest time 8 hours hrs

Total Time 9 hours hrs

Servings 12

Ingredients

  

Dough Ingredients:

• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup active starter
• 1/2 cup filtered water
• 1/2 cup room temperature milk
• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
• 1 tbsp melted butter
• 3 tbsp honey
• 2 tsp pumpkin spice
• 1/2 tsp salt

Filling Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 1/4 cup canned pumpkin
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 tsp cinnamon

Ingredients for Caramel Glaze:

• 1 stick butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 tbsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Instructions

 

• In the bowl of a stand mixer, add all the dough ingredients. I start with the paddle attachment, and mix it on low for about a minute. The I switch to the dough hook attachment and mix on medium speed for 5 minutes. If it's sticky to touch, add more flour. The dough should not stick to the sides of the bowl.
• Let it rise in a greased bowl to bulk ferment in a warm place or at room temperature. Rise times vary, depending on temperature. It takes my dough between 5-8 hours to double in size.
• In a medium bowl, mix the filling ingredients.
• Dump the dough on a floured surface and roll it into a rectangular shape with a rolling pin. You want it about as thin as a pancake.
• Spread the filling you just mixed onto it with a smoothing tool.
• Roll it up the long way into a tight log.
• Cut into slices about 1.25 inch wide with either unflavored dental floss, or a sharp knife using light hand and knife pressure. Instead of pushing down with the knife, if it’s sharp enough you can slice it gently without changing the shape.
• Lay the rolls in a greased baking dish, slightly spaced out. I fit 15 rolls in a 9×13 pan.
• Cover.
• Let rise for 1-2 hours, until they have visibly grown and are puffy.
• Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes.

Caramel Glaze Instructions:

• In a small saucepan over low-medium heat, melt a stick of butter together with a cup of brown sugar.
• When the sugar has dissolved, mix in 1/4 cup of heavy cream.
• Let simmer for a few minutes then remove from heat, and add vanilla and salt.
• Let it cool down for 10 minutes and then whisk in 1/2 cup powdered sugar. This turns it into a caramel-glaze.
• When the cinnamon rolls have cooled for about 15 minutes, drizzle the caramel glaze over them.

Notes

Tips For Making this Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Recipe:

• Measure the internal temperature of the rolls with a food thermometer. Allow the cinnamon rolls to reach 205 degrees F. in the middle of your cinnamon roll pan and then remove them from heat. This is more important than religiously following the timer, because your oven, flour and starter are all unique to you. They will rise and bake possibly differently than mine.
• You will need an active sourdough starter to make this recipe. Active starter refers to a starter that has been fed 4-12 hours before mixing the dough and is nice and bubbly.
• If the dough seems too stiff, it could be because the house is cooler. Place the dough in the oven, turn it on to 150 degrees and leave it on for a few minutes, then turn off the oven. This should warm the dough just enough to make it more pliable.
• Use string or unflavored dental floss to cut the cinnamon buns. A sharp knife also works but is more likely to smush the rolls rather than help them keep the shape.
• If at any point the dough starts to stick (it tends to get warm from the heat of your hands) lightly oil or flour your fingertips, take a deep breath and try working with it again.