Sourdough Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
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These sourdough pumpkin cinnamon rolls are soft, fluffy, and filled with real pumpkin, brown sugar, and warm fall spices. The dough is naturally fermented with sourdough starter, then the rolls are finished with a rich homemade caramel glaze that melts into every swirl.
Recipe Overview: Sourdough Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Caramel Glaze
- ⏱ Prep Time: 30 minutes
- 🌙 Resting Time: 8 hours
- 👩🏻🍳 Baking Time: 30 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 9 hours
- 🍞 Yield: 12 rolls
- ⚡ Calories: Approximately 358 calories per roll
- 🍂 Flavor Profile: Soft, fluffy sourdough rolls with real pumpkin, warm cinnamon spice, and a rich buttery caramel glaze.
- 👌 Difficulty: Medium. The steps are simple, but you’ll need to plan ahead for the sourdough fermentation time.
- 🤎 Why You’ll Love Them: Real pumpkin is worked right into the dough and filling, giving these rolls plenty of fall flavor while keeping them soft and tender. The homemade caramel glaze takes them over the top.
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I love a good cinnamon roll any time of year, but once fall comes around, adding pumpkin to just about everything feels completely reasonable. These sourdough pumpkin cinnamon rolls have pumpkin worked right into the dough and filling, so the pumpkin flavor actually comes through instead of relying only on pumpkin spice. If you’re in full fall sourdough mode too, my sourdough pumpkin bagels are perfect for an everyday breakfast, while these sourdough pumpkin scones are another favorite when I want something sweet with my coffee.
The caramel glaze is what makes these feel a little extra special. It’s buttery, rich, and melts down into all those warm pumpkin cinnamon layers when you spoon it over the rolls. And because apparently one pumpkin bake only leads to another, my sourdough baked pumpkin donuts are another fun one to make while pumpkin season is here.
Jump to:
- Recipe Overview: Sourdough Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Caramel Glaze
- Why You’ll Love These Sourdough Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
- Key Ingredients
- How to Make Sourdough Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
- Pumpkin Spice Cream Cheese Frosting Option
- Baker’s Schedule
- Sourdough Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls FAQs
- More Pumpkin Recipes
- Sourdough Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
Why You’ll Love These Sourdough Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
🍂 Full of fall flavor: Real pumpkin goes into both the dough and filling, along with pumpkin spice and cinnamon, so you get pumpkin flavor in every layer.
🤎 Soft and fluffy: The sourdough dough bakes up soft and tender with that slight tang that goes so well with the sweet filling.
🍯 That caramel glaze: Butter, brown sugar, cream, and vanilla make a rich caramel glaze that melts into the warm rolls. (The Proverbs Kitchen)
🌙 Easy to make ahead: Shape the rolls the night before, refrigerate them, then let them come to room temperature and get puffy before baking in the morning. (The Proverbs Kitchen)
🎃 More pumpkin sourdough to make next: If you have extra pumpkin and an active starter, try my sourdough pumpkin bagels, sourdough pumpkin scones, or sourdough baked pumpkin donuts next.
Key Ingredients
🎃 Pumpkin puree: Pumpkin is used in both the dough and filling, adding moisture, color, and pumpkin flavor. Use pure canned pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling.
🥣 Active sourdough starter: Use a recently fed, bubbly starter to give the rolls their rise and subtle sourdough flavor.
🍯 Honey: Adds a little sweetness to the dough without making the rolls overly sweet before the filling and glaze are added.
🍂 Pumpkin spice and cinnamon: Pumpkin spice flavors the dough while cinnamon goes into the pumpkin brown sugar filling for plenty of warm fall flavor.
🧈 Butter: Used throughout the dough, filling, and caramel glaze for a rich, soft cinnamon roll.
🤎 Brown sugar: Creates the sweet cinnamon filling and is also the base of the homemade caramel glaze.
Note: This is just an overview of the key ingredients. For exact measurements and the complete ingredient list, see the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
How to Make Sourdough Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
- Step 1: Make the dough.
Add all of the dough ingredients to the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix with the paddle attachment on low for about 1 minute, then switch to the dough hook and knead on medium speed for about 5 minutes. The dough should be soft and smooth and pull away from the sides of the bowl. If it is very sticky, add a little additional flour as needed.
- Step 2: Bulk ferment.
Transfer the dough to a greased bowl and cover. Let it rise at room temperature for about 5 to 8 hours, or until doubled in size.
- Step 3: Fill and shape the rolls.
Mix the pumpkin, melted butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon for the filling. Roll the dough into a large rectangle, spread the filling evenly over the surface, then roll it tightly into a log. Cut into 12 rolls and arrange them in a greased 9×13 inch baking dish.
- Step 4: Let the rolls rise.
Cover the pan and let the shaped rolls rise for 1 to 2 hours, until noticeably larger and puffy.
Step 5. Bake.
Bake at 350°F for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the centers are baked through. For the most reliable result, the center rolls should reach about 205°F.
Step 6. Make the caramel glaze.
Melt the butter and brown sugar together in a small saucepan. Stir in the heavy cream and simmer for a few minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla and salt. Cool for about 10 minutes, then whisk in the powdered sugar.
Step 7. Glaze and serve.
Let the cinnamon rolls cool for about 15 minutes, then pour the warm caramel glaze generously over the top.
For the complete instructions, exact ingredient amounts, baking times, and helpful notes, see the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Pumpkin Spice Cream Cheese Frosting Option
If caramel isn’t your thing, or your house is divided like mine, these sourdough pumpkin cinnamon rolls are also really good with a pumpkin spice cream cheese frosting.
🍂 4 oz cream cheese, softened
🧈 4 tablespoons butter, softened
🤍 1 cup powdered sugar
🥛 1 to 2 tablespoons heavy cream, as needed
🎃 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, or to taste
🤎 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Beat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth and creamy. Add the powdered sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and vanilla and beat again. Add the heavy cream a little at a time until the frosting reaches the consistency you like.
Spread over the cinnamon rolls while they’re still slightly warm for a softer, melty frosting, or wait until they cool for a thicker layer.
Baker’s Schedule
Here’s an easy way to time these sourdough pumpkin cinnamon rolls so they’re ready fresh in the morning:
🌙 8:00 PM: Mix and knead the dough.
🌙 8:15 PM: Cover and let the dough bulk ferment overnight at room temperature.
☀️ 6:00 AM: Roll out the dough, add the pumpkin cinnamon filling, roll up, and cut into 12 rolls.
☀️ 6:30 AM: Place the rolls in the baking dish, cover, and let rise for 1 to 2 hours, until puffy.
☀️ 8:00 AM: Preheat the oven to 350°F.
☀️ 8:15 AM: Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
☀️ 8:30 AM: Make the caramel glaze while the rolls cool slightly.
☀️ 8:45 AM: Pour the caramel glaze over the warm rolls and serve.
Sourdough Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls FAQs
Yes. After shaping the rolls and placing them in the baking dish, cover and refrigerate them overnight. In the morning, let them sit at room temperature until puffy before baking. Depending on the temperature of your kitchen, this may take 1 to 2 hours.
The dough should look noticeably larger, soft, and airy. It does not necessarily need to double in size. Look for a dough that has risen about 50 to 75 percent and feels light rather than dense.
Pumpkin adds quite a bit of moisture, and different brands of pumpkin puree can contain different amounts of water. If the dough remains very sticky after kneading, gradually add additional flour, up to about ½ cup, until it becomes soft and manageable. Avoid adding more than necessary so the rolls stay soft.
For this recipe, an active, bubbly sourdough starter is best because it provides the leavening needed for the rolls to rise. Discard that is no longer active may result in dense rolls.
Store leftover rolls covered at room temperature for about 1 day or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. If you use cream cheese frosting, keep them refrigerated. Warm individual rolls briefly before serving for the softest texture.
More Pumpkin Recipes
If you’re in full pumpkin mode, here are a few more fall favorites to bake next.
If you make these sourdough pumpkin cinnamon rolls, I’d love to hear how they turned out! Leave a comment and star rating below, and tag me @sylviahofer_ on Instagram if you share them so I can see your fall baking.
Sourdough Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
Equipment
- 1 Stand mixer
- 1 Medium bowl
- 1 Rolling Pin
- 1 9x13 pan
- 1 Small saucepan
- 1 Sharp knife or dental floss
- 1 Paddle attachment
- 1 Dough hook
Ingredients
Dough
- 3 ¼ cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup active sourdough starter
- ½ cup filtered water
- ½ cup room temperature milk
- ½ cup canned pumpkin puree
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon salt
Pumpkin Cinnamon Filling
- ¼ cup melted butter
- ¼ cup canned pumpkin puree
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
Caramel Glaze
- 1 stick butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Add all of the dough ingredients to the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix with the paddle attachment on low for about 1 minute. Switch to the dough hook and knead on medium speed for about 5 minutes, until the dough is smooth and pulling away from the sides of the bowl. If the dough is very sticky, add a little additional flour as needed.
- Transfer the dough to a greased bowl and cover. Let it bulk ferment at room temperature for about 5 to 8 hours, or until doubled in size.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the melted butter, pumpkin puree, brown sugar, and cinnamon for the filling.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll it into a large rectangle, about as thin as a pancake.
- Spread the pumpkin cinnamon filling evenly over the dough.
- Starting from one long side, roll the dough tightly into a log.
- Cut the log into 12 evenly sized rolls using unflavored dental floss or a sharp knife.
- Arrange the rolls in a greased 9 × 13 inch baking dish with a little space between them. Cover and let rise for 1 to 2 hours, or until visibly puffy.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the center rolls are baked through. For the most reliable doneness test, the center should reach about 205°F.
Caramel Glaze
- Melt the butter and brown sugar together in a small saucepan over low to medium heat.
- Once the sugar has dissolved, stir in the heavy cream.
- Let the mixture simmer for a few minutes, then remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla and salt.
- Cool for about 10 minutes, then whisk in the powdered sugar.
- Let the cinnamon rolls cool for about 15 minutes before pouring the caramel glaze over the top.
These sourdough pumpkin cinnamon rolls are one of my favorite fall bakes! I’m team pumpkin spice cream cheese frosting, but my family is divided and some insist the caramel glaze wins.
Pumpkin and caramel together, yum!
Yum!
Hello! I made these this week and LOVE them! Have you ever done a cold proof on these after the bulk ferment? Wondering if I should try it to make ahead of the time I need them.
I have. I rolled and cut the rolls and laied them into a 9x13 pan, then covered with saran wrap and refrigerated overnight. I let it come to room temperature in the morning and poof up some, I'd say for an hour or so before baking.