The BEST Fall-flavored cinnamon rolls have arrived and they are these Vegan Pumpkin Pie Cinnamon Rolls! These pumpkin cinnamon rolls start with a vegan pumpkin dough and get filled with a pumpkin pie and cinnamon sugar filling. It's truly like eating a vegan pumpkin pie in cinnamon bun form!
If there's anything I love more than Fall & pumpkin picking, it's all the glorious baking you can do with the produce in season this time of year. Growing up, I only ever ate cinnamon rolls if they were from a Pillsbury can, so learning to make my own at home has been a real treat.
Maybe I'm alone in this thinking, but what I love about cinnamon rolls is the time & labor it takes to make them. I've tried making buns where I only let the second rise last 1 hour vs. overnight and, while they were good, this extra time makes them GREAT.
It's kind of like those recipes that tell you to chill cookie dough for 24 hours. We all hate the wait, but know it is SO worth it! Plus, then you can feel like a kitchen queen (or king) when you wake up in the morning, preheat the oven, pop those buns in the oven, and have a morning feast!
Tips for homemade vegan pumpkin cinnamon rolls
These pumpkin sweet rolls are just a bit extra because, in addition to putting pumpkin puree into the bun dough, I also mixed it into the cinnamon sugar filling. This truly made these buns taste like a pumpkin pie inside a vegan cinnamon roll! Then, I went one step further and added pumpkin pie spice to the glaze to give it that perfect cinnamon & nutmeg-filled kick.
Just beware- the filling in these vegan pumpkin rolls has a tendency to leak out if you're not super careful when rolling them up. Make sure to continually tuck the filling in as you go!
Recommended Kitchen Tools for Vegan Cinnamon Buns:
I seriously couldn't bake as much as I do without my KitchenAid Standing Mixer. It's a rather big investment, but it is worth every penny. Plus, the dough hook works wonders when I'm too lazy to knead my own dough!
For baking, I use this super basic USA Bakeware 10" Pan. These buns can also be baked in a skillet or sheet pan, just make sure all the buns are pressed closely together pre-bake or you might overcook them.
Basically, these easy Vegan Pumpkin Pie Cinnamon Rolls are the best of Fall through and through. Once you're done baking these, check out the other sweet rolls & cinnamon roll recipes I have on the blog, or continue your pumpkin kick by making my favorite soft Vegan Pumpkin cookies. Enjoy!
-TSG
More Vegan Cinnamon Roll & Vegan Sticky Bun recipes you will love:
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Vegan Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
Pumpkin Pie Dough
- ¾ cup warm almond milk
- 1 packet yeast or 2 and ¼ teaspoon yeast
- ¾ cup pumpkin purée
- ⅓ cup white sugar
- ¼ cup melted vegan butter
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
- 3 ¾ - 4 cups all-purpose flour start with 3 ¾ cups and add up to 4 cups if dough is too sticky
- 1 teaspoon salt
Dough Filling
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup white sugar
- ½ cup pumpkin puree
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Pumpkin Pie Glaze
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 1-2 Tablespoons almond milk
- ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Instructions
Pumpkin Pie Dough:
- Begin by adding your warmed almond milk and yeast to a large mixing bowl. Let sit for 5-10 minutes to make sure the yeast is activated. You will be able to tell if it's bubbling.
- After the 10 minute mark, add the pumpkin purée, sugar, melted vegan butter, and vanilla to the large mixing bowl and mix until combined.
- Once mixed, gradually begin adding in your flour and salt. If you are using a standing mixer, add the flour ½ cup at a time.
- Once all the flour has been added in, knead the dough. If using a standing mixer, switch the attachment to the bread hook and knead hook for 5-10 minutes until elastic. If you are kneading by hand, knead on a well-floured surface for 10-15 minutes or until the dough is elastic and significantly less sticky. (Since the dough has pumpkin in it, it will be stickier than normal bun dough, but should firm up a lot during kneading).
- Once the bread is ready, add it to a well oiled bowl for the first rise. I prefer to coat my bowl in olive oil, but any oil works here. The dough will be sticky so you may want to flour your hands before grabbing the dough.
- Then, cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a towel, place in a warm place, and let rise 1-2 hours until doubled in size. I like to test my dough by "poking" it with a finger. If it doesn't bounce back and stays indented, it is ready.
Adding the Filling:
- Once the dough has doubled in size, turn out the dough onto a well floured surface. Roll the dough into a 1" thick rectangle that is around 9*14 inches. You don't want the dough to be too thin or you will have a hard time rolling it up once the filling is inside!
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the filling ingredients including the pumpkin puree, brown sugar, white sugar, and pumpkin pie spice. Spread the mixture over the rolled out dough leaving some space along the edges. Roll the dough up tightly the long way, making sure to tuck the filling inside as it will be loose and may spill out a bit. Pinch the dough at the seams to sea into a log.
- Turn the dough log upside down so the seam is on the bottom. Then, cut the buns into 8-10 even pieces. Arrange the rolls into a greased 10 or 11" round cake pan or skillet. Cover with plastic wrap or a similar material and put in the fridge to rise overnight. Alternatively, if you would like to make these buns the same day, cover and let rise at room temperature for 1 hour before preheating the oven.
Baking the Buns & Glaze
- In the morning, remove the buns from the fridge and remove the plastic wrap. Brush the buns with an additional 1 tablespoon of melted vegan butter prior to baking. Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Bake the buns for 35-40 minutes until the tops are beginning to brown.
- While the buns are baking, make the glaze by whisking together the powdered sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and almond milk. Once the buns are cooked remove from the oven and let cool in the pan. Top with the glaze and serve!
Notes
- Buns are best enjoyed immediately after baking, but can be kept in the fridge for 3-4 days or in the freezer up to 1 month in a closed container.
- Reheat in the oven at 200F for 15+ minutes for the best results. Microwave will also work, but changes the texture of the dough.
Bobbie says
Hi, I just got my KitchenAid mixer and have not used the dough hook yet. So, I switch out the whisk attachment and put in the dough hook. I'm a bit confused about "add your flour 1/3 cup at a time, and then knead 5-10 minutes" This is my interpretation - i dump in 1/3 cup, turn on the mixer and keep adding flour until everything is in the bowl and then I continue mixing for 5-10 minutes. Is that correct? Can I use ghee or coconut oil for the melted butter? I think I already have all the ingredients, yay. Thanks!
mhorowitch8 says
Hi there! Yes- gradually add the flour into the mixing bowl and use the flat beater attachment (i prefer this over the metal whisk) until a dough forms. Once the dough has formed, I switch the attachment to the dough hook to knead my dough for 5-10 minutes in the Kitchenaid. You'll know the dough is dough when it's become more stretchy and doesn't easily break when pulling the dough apart! You could probably use the dough hook to mix the dough originally as well, you'll just have to scrape down the sides a few times. Hope you enjoy the recipe 🙂