If you are looking for a new twist to the traditional cinnamon rolls, try this easy recipe. All you need to do is add pureed pumpkin to the dough plus a variety of spices to give the rolls a nice earthy flavour.
The pumpkin adds a delicious moistness and soft texture to the roll. It also gives it a nice deep orange colour.
The spices complement the cinnamon and perfectly balance out the sweetness from the sugar and pumpkin.
Pumpkin spice cinnamon rolls are perfect for autumn but there’s no reason you cannot enjoy them at any time of the year.
You can serve them on their own (they are soft enough to eat without a drink). It’s also up to you whether you want to serve them with glaze or not. The following recipe includes a cream cheese glaze just in case you want to add it.
Ingredients for the Dough
- 1 cup pureed pumpkin (you can soften pumpkin for pureeing either by boiling it for 20mins or baking in oven for 1 hour at 165C)
- 1½ cups milk (preferably whole milk)
- ½ cup white sugar
- A ½ cup of vegetable oil
- 2¼ teaspoons of dry yeast
- 4½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon of each of the following: ground cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt
- ¼ teaspoon of each of the following: ground ginger, ground nutmeg
Preparing the Dough
Mix and heat white sugar, vegetable oil and milk in a saucepan. Remove from heat when it gets hot (don’t let it boil) and allow it to cool to a warm temperature such that that you can safely touch it.
Sprinkle yeast over the mixture and leave it for 5 minutes and then mix in the pureed pumpkin.
Mix the flour and spices (cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg) and add to the mixture. Mix to make a soft dough and then leave covered with a cloth for 1 hour.
After the dough rises, add the rest of the solids: ½ cup flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix well into the dough.
Prepare the oven by preheating it to 190 degrees C.
Ingredients for the Filling
- Spices: ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon of ground ginger and ¼ teaspoon of ground nutmeg (you can also add ½ teaspoon cloves).
- ½ cup melted butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
Preparing the Filling
Start by rolling out the dough into a large square. Sprinkle more flour on it if it’s too sticky.
Then take the melted butter and spread it on the rolled out dough.
Mix the brown sugar and spices into a bowl then sprinkle evenly all over the dough.
Starting from the end farthest from you, roll the dough towards yourself making sure it stays as tight as possible.
Using a sharp kitchen knife (you may need an electric sharpener), cut the resulting long log of dough into smaller rolls.
Grease a baking pan with butter and place the rolls into it. Leave covered for around 20 minutes to allow them to rise.
Then bake in the pre-heated oven for around 15-18 minutes until the edges turn golden brown.
If you don’t want to bake the rolls immediately, you can refrigerate them while they are in the baking tin and bake them the next day.
Preparing the Glaze (optional)
The glaze requires just a few ingredients: 8 oz. softened cream cheese, ½ cup powdered sugar, ¼ cup whole milk, a pinch of salt and 2 tablespoons melted butter.
As the rolls cool, add all the glazing ingredients together and beat with an electric mixture. When the mixture gets fluffy, pour it over the rolls.
Note that you can vary the amount of milk you use depending on the kind of consistency you want. If you want a thicker drizzle, reduce the milk. For a thinner glaze, add a few more tablespoons of whole milk.
Let the glaze set on the warm rolls for about 15 minutes before serving.
Storage
If you don’t plan to eat the rolls immediately, put them in an airtight container. They’ll be good without refrigeration for about 3 days.
If you plan to store them for longer, put them in the freezer without glazing. When it’s time to eat them, warm gently in a microwave or oven and then glaze them or enjoy them as they are.
