Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

An autumn twist on the classic gooey treat.

Ingredients

Dough

• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 packet (2 1/4 tsp) active dry yeast
• 2 tbsp granulated sugar
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 egg (room temperature)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 1/2 cups flour
• Vegetable oil

Filling

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 tbsp (1 1/2 tsp) cinnamon

Topping

I made pumpkin cream cheese frosting by mixing store-bought cream cheese frosting with pumpkin puree to taste.

Directions

• In a small bowl, heat the milk and butter. The butter should be fully melted. The mixture should be warm, not hot, to the touch. If too hot, let sit until it cools to the right temperature.
• Pour milk-butter mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast in top.
• Add the sugars, pumpkin puree, egg, and vanilla to the bowl and mix completely.
• Add pumpkin pie spice, salt, and 3 cups of the flour and mix completely. Add the rest of the flour a 1/4 at a time (you may need a little more or less) until a ball of dough forms and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
• Grease the bowl with the vegetable oil and roll the dough in the bowl until it is fully coated. Cover the bowl with a damp towel and let it sit until the dough doubles in size (about 1 hour).
• Roll out the dough into a rectangle (about 12 inches on the short side). Melt the butter for the filling and spread over the dough leaving about 1/4 inch for the seam on the short side.
• Mix the remaining filling ingredients and sprinkle evenly over the dough.
• Roll up tightly and cut into 12 1-inch rolls and place in greased 9×13 pan. Cover pan with damp towel and allow to rise again (about 30 minutes).
• Preheat oven to 350°F while waiting for rolls to rise.
• Bake 20-25 minutes, until the rolls are golden brown.
• Cool for about 10 minutes, then drizzle frosting over the rolls.