Sourdough Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls Recipe with Icing

Perfectly sweet and spiced, these sourdough pumpkin cinnamon rolls will be a sure favorite in your family for the holidays and would make the perfect Christmas morning breakfast.

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If you’ve followed me a while, you know that I use fresh milled flour in my sourdough. And, while it can be hard to win some over to the whole grain flour train, you will have no problems with these pumpkin sourdough cinnamon rolls!

Why I love this recipe

Simple – This recipe uses basic ingredients that you probably have on hand and is an easy recipe to make.

Delicious – With the flavors of fall and the holiday season, these cinnamon rolls are perfectly sweet and spiced.

Healthy – Long fermented and made with fresh milled flour, these sourdough cinnamon rolls are quite nutritious so you won’t feel too guilty indulging in these! And, these are also made without processed sugar!

If you are brand new to sourdough, you will need to make your own sourdough starter.

What is the difference between active sourdough starter and sourdough discard?

Active Starter – This is a starter that has been fed within the last 24 hours and it bubbly with a pleasant smell.

Sourdough Discard – This stage of a starter is a hungry starter. It hasn’t been fed recently and will have a liquid on top and an acetone odor.

For this recipe, you will have best results using active sourdough starter.

Which wheat berry will work best with this recipe?

For a recipe that requires rising, you will need to use a hard wheat berry.

I used fresh milled hard white wheat flour because it is mild in flavor and yields a lighter cinnamon roll.

To mill my wheat berries, I use the Nutrimill Classic Grain Mill and by the way, you can use my coupon code, rose20 for $20 off!

Ingredients to make Sourdough Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

• Flour – As stated above, I use fresh milled flour. However, you can use all purpose flour, bread flour, or store-bought whole wheat flour.
• Sourdough Starter – Use active sourdough starter for best results.
• Water – Use filtered water.
• Pumpkin Puree – You can use fresh pumpkin puree or canned pumpkin puree. I would caution against using pumpkin pie filling as it contains sweeteners.
• Honey or Pure Maple Syrup
• Olive Oil
• Pumpkin Pie Spice
• Vanilla Extract
• Softened Butter – (For Filling)
• Pumpkin Pie Spice – (For Filling)
• Cream Cheese – (For Icing)
• Maple Syrup – (For Icing)
• Vanilla Extract – (For Icing)

For exact ingredient amounts, see recipe card below

How to make this recipe

Mix the dough

The night before, in the bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment, add the water, sourdough starter, pumpkin puree, olive oil, vanilla, and honey/maple syrup. Pulse until just combined.

Add flour, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. Mix well on low speed.

If needed add just enough flour for the dough to clean the sides of the bowl.

Knead on speed 2 for 10 minutes.

To knead my dough, I used the Bosch Mixer. (Coupon code, rose20 for $20 off)

First Rise

Place the dough in a large mixing bowl greased with a bit of oil.

Cover with plastic wrap and let the dough rise overnight at room temperature, 8-12 hours.

Note: If your home is on the cool side, move the dough to a warm spot to rise.

Shape the Rolls

The next day, turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface.

Roll the cinnamon roll dough into a large rectangle about 1/4 inch thick using a rolling pin.

In a small bowl add softened butter and pumpkin spice. Mixed well.

Spread the mixture evenly over the rectangle of dough.

Roll up the dough from the long side as tightly as possible.

Cut the log in half and then each half in half with a bench scraper or sharp knife.

Divide each remaining part into 3 for a total of 12 cinnamon rolls.

You can also use unflavored dental floss to cut the rolls out

Second Rise

Place a piece of parchment paper on a 1/4 size baking sheet or you can grease a Cast Iron Skillet

Add the rolls and cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel.

Allow to rise for 2-3 hours in a cooler kitchen or 1-2 hours in a warm place.

Bake the Rolls

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

You can brush the tops of the rolls with heavy cream or milk if you wish. It’s optional.

Bake in preheated oven for 22-25 minutes or until lightly golden brown.

Make the Cream Cheese Icing

In a small bowl, add the softened cream cheese, maple syrup, and vanilla extract.

Using a handheld immersion blender, blend the mixture until creamy.

You can also use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment to blend the icing.

Pour over warm cinnamon rolls just out of the oven.

Storage Tips

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.

Freeze in freezer safe container for up to 3 months.