If you enjoy sourdough, pumpkin, or cinnamon rolls, you’ll love these soft sourdough pumpkin cinnamon rolls.
Pumpkin-spiced cinnamon rolls with the comforting tang of sourdough—soft, light, and full of cozy fall flavor in every bite.
Key Ingredients
A few key ingredients make these rolls special, creating deep flavor and a tender, moist texture:
Sourdough Starter: An active, bubbly starter gives the best rise and pronounced sourdough flavor. You can use discard if you prefer a milder tang and want to use up extra starter.
Pumpkin Purée: Plain pumpkin purée (not pie filling) adds moisture, natural sweetness, and that classic pumpkin spice character that keeps the rolls soft and tender.
Softened Butter: Butter in both the dough and the filling should be softened, not melted. Soft butter creates a rich, tender dough without greasiness.
Pumpkin Pie Spice: A blend of cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg brings the warm, cozy spice that defines these rolls.
Notes & Tips for Sourdough Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
Getting a few details right will help you bake consistently excellent rolls. These tips focus on texture, flavor, and easy handling.
Active Starter is Best: A lively starter produces the fluffiest rolls. If your starter was refrigerated, feed it a few hours before starting so it’s bubbly and active.
Room Temperature Ingredients: Make sure butter and eggs are at room temperature so they incorporate smoothly and form an even dough. A warm, draft-free place helps fermentation and rising.
Rolling & Cutting: Flour your surface well and roll the dough to an even 1/4-inch thickness so the rolls bake uniformly. Use a bench scraper, serrated knife, or unflavored thread/floss to cut the log without squishing.
Don’t Overfill: Leave about a 1/2-inch border when spreading the filling so it stays inside the roll and doesn’t leak while baking.
How to make Sourdough Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
1. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the dough ingredients.
2. Use a rubber spatula to combine everything, scraping the bowl. If using a stand mixer, mix on low until it comes together.
3. Finish by hand until a cohesive, smooth dough forms.
4. Return the dough to the bowl and cover with a towel or plastic wrap.
5. First rise: Let the dough ferment 5–8 hours in a warm spot. (One method: rest in a 90°F oven for 1 hour, then move to a 73°F kitchen to continue rising.)
After Bulk Ferment / First Rise
6. After about 5 hours, prepare the filling by combining the filling ingredients in a small bowl and mixing until smooth.
7. Flour a 20×30-inch work surface generously.
8. Butter a 7×11 or 9×13-inch baking dish or a 13–15-inch cast-iron skillet, or line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
9. Roll the dough into a rectangle about 1/4 inch thick.
10. Spread the pumpkin filling evenly over the dough, leaving roughly a 1/2-inch border on all sides.
Roll Up Dough
11. Starting from the short side, roll the dough into a tight log. Use a bench scraper to loosen it from the counter if needed.
I like to divide the log visually into three, cut each section, then halve those pieces so I end up with twelve even rolls.
12. Use a sharp knife, thread, or unflavored dental floss to gently slice the log into 12 pieces without squashing the rolls.
13. Arrange the 12 rolls in the buttered baking dish.
14. Let the rolls rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, until they begin to puff.
15. Preheat the oven to 350°F for 10 minutes.
16. Bake the rolls in the hot oven for 35 minutes.
17. While the rolls bake, make the cream cheese glaze by beating the glaze ingredients together until smooth.
18. Remove the rolls from the oven and place them on a cooling rack briefly.
19. Gently spread the cream cheese icing over the warm rolls and serve.
Enjoy!
More Pumpkin Recipes
If you enjoyed these pumpkin cinnamon rolls, try other pumpkin favorites like rustic sourdough pumpkin bread, pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting, pumpkin pie from scratch, pumpkin spice scones, or a moist sourdough pumpkin coffee cake. Happy baking!
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Sourdough Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
- For the Dough:
- 1 cup sourdough starter
- 1 cup pumpkin purée without added sugar or spices
- 5 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup softened butter
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice or a blend of cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- For the Filling:
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 5 tablespoons pumpkin purée plain, no sugar or spices
- 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 4 tablespoons softened butter
- 1/4 tsp salt
- For the Cream Cheese Glaze
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 4 tablespoons heavy cream
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- A pinch of salt
Instructions
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Combine all dough ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
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Mix with a rubber spatula until mostly combined.
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Finish by hand until a smooth dough forms.
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Place the dough ball back in the bowl and cover.
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Let the dough ferment 5–8 hours at warm room temperature.
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Make the filling after about 5 hours by combining filling ingredients and mixing until smooth.
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Flour a large work surface (about 20×30 inches).
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Roll the dough into a 1/4-inch-thick rectangle.
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Spread the pumpkin filling evenly, leaving a 1/2-inch border.
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Roll from the short side to form a log, then cut into 12 pieces.
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Use a serrated knife or thread to slice the log without squashing the rolls.
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Place the 12 rolls in a buttered baking dish.
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Let rise about 1 hour in a warm spot until puffy.
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Preheat oven to 350°F for 10 minutes.
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Bake the rolls for 35 minutes.
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While baking, prepare the cream cheese glaze by mixing the glaze ingredients until smooth.
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Remove the baked rolls from the oven and let them rest briefly.
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Gently spread the cream cheese icing over the warm rolls and serve.
Video
Notes
The Pumpkin: Use plain pumpkin purée for the best texture and flavor—avoid pumpkin pie filling.
Softened Butter: Use softened, not melted, butter for both the dough and filling for the best texture.
Cutting Tip: Use thread or dental floss to slice the log cleanly; it prevents squishing and keeps rolls round.
Second Rise: Allow the final rise before baking—this gives the rolls their airy, soft texture.