Sourdough pumpkin cinnamon rolls are the perfect Fall breakfast! They are soft, buttery and full of warm Autumn flavors.

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One of my favorite parts of living a slow homesteading lifestyle, is living with the season changes. The garden guides what meals we will make in the kitchen, so each season has wildly different meals! Of course, in the Fall we are enjoying butternut squash, corn, potatoes, and PUMPKIN! Because we only use pumpkin during the Fall and Winter months, my family really looks forward to it when it is in season. Our sourdough pumpkin bread was a big hit, so I have been regularly making it on my baking days.
Cinnamon rolls are something we make more sparingly than a quick bread or muffin, but I always like to make a classic cinnamon roll at Christmas time and incorporate other flavors at other times of the year.

Why you will love sourdough pumpkin cinnamon rolls
The sourdough takes this recipe up a notch! Something about the flavor of sourdough in baked goods makes them extra delicious!
This recipe needs to be started the night before, but can use sourdough discard since it calls or baking soda and baking powder. I love any sourdough recipe that can use both fed sourdough starter or sourdough discard because of it’s versatility.
Make sure not to skip the cream cheese frosting! That is our favorite way to serve cinnamon rolls. If you prefer a different topping for your cinnamon rolls, I have provided some alternatives.



Tools you’ll need to make sourdough pumpkin cinnamon rolls
- Stand mixer
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Bench scraper
- 13×9 – Baking Dish or a ceramic dish like this one.

Ingredients you’ll need to make pumpkin cinnamon rolls
– the dough–
- ½ cup butter (cold)
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup sourdough starter discard
- ½ cup pumpkin puree
- ½ cup milk
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
–the filling–
- ¾ cup light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 2 tablespoons butter (melted)
– the cream cheese frosting–
- 6 ounces of softened cream cheese
- 1/2 a cup of salted butter
- 2 cups of icing or powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract


How to make pumpkin cinnamon rolls
- 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.)
- ON THE NEXT DAY: Preheat the oven to 375°F 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.
for the cream cheese frosting
- In a stand mixer, add softened cream cheese, salted butter, sugar, and 2 tsp of vanilla extract. Stir until combined. Use immersion blender to get a smooth result, if desired.
- Spread over pumpkin cinnamon rolls, while they are still hot, and enjoy!


Frosting variations for pumpkin cinnamon rolls
These recipe calls for a cream cheese frosting, but if you prefer a different topping check out these variations below!
- Classic glaze: 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon butter (melted), 2 tablespoons milk , ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Maple Pecan Topping: 2 cups of pecans, 1/2 cup of salted butter, 1/4 cup whole milk or cream, 3/4 cup maple syrup, 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt. (Spread this mixture over the cinnamon rolls BEFORE baking!)
- Fresh Fruit with Whipped Cream-Consider topping your cinnamon rolls with whipped cream and fresh fruit like apples, berries, or plums.
- Dust with powdered sugar


Pumpkin cinnamon rolls 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.


How to store sourdough pumpkin cinnamon rolls
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.


How to freeze cinnamon rolls
To Freeze: Wrap the baked, unglazed rolls in plastic wrap and insert them into a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
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Sourdough Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

Sourdough pumpkin cinnamon rolls are the perfect fall breakfast! They are soft, buttery and full of warm fall flavors.
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter (cold)
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup sourdough starter discard
- ½ cup pumpkin puree
- ½ cup milk
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ cup light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 2 tablespoons butter (melted)
- 6 ounces of softened cream cheese
- 1/2 a cup of salted butter
- 2 cups of icing or powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
Instructions
- 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.)
ON THE NEXT DAY: Preheat the oven to 375°F 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 stand mixer, add softened cream cheese, salted butter, sugar, and 2 tsp of vanilla extract. Stir until combined. Use immersion blender to get a smooth result, if desired.
- Spread over pumpkin cinnamon rolls, while they are still hot, and enjoy!
for the cream cheese frosting
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Fed up with the fast paced modern world, Grey & Brianna made drastic changes to live slowly and intentionally. Read more about their unlikely story back to calm. If you want to send Grey & Brianna a quick message, then visit their contact page.
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