High Altitude Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
Imagine the softest, chewiest cinnamon rolls with a hint of pumpkin spice in every bite—then top that off with a dreamy cream cheese frosting kissed with real maple syrup. These high altitude pumpkin cinnamon rolls are everything you love about fall breakfasts (or desserts!) rolled up in one irresistible treat.
Whether you’re baking for a weekend brunch or just because, this recipe is about to become your seasonal favorite.
Love pumpkin spice? Check out these other FALL HIGH ALTITUDE RECIPES: easy Pumpkin Pie, homemade Caramel Sauce, Pumpkin Bread with cinnamon streusel, Apple Fritter Cake, moist Pumpkin Chocolate Muffins, and Pecan Pie.
This High Altitude pumpkin cinnamon rolls recipe is made at 8,000 ft elevation. To adjust the recipe for other elevations check out high altitude baking adjustments.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe:
- PERFECT FOR HIGH ALTITUDE – specifically tested at 8,000 feet, these cinnamon rolls rise beautifully without collapsing or drying out
- MAKE-AHEAD FRIENDLY – prep the dough the night before and bake fresh in the morning for a stress-free brunch
- MAGIC CREAM CHEESE MAGIC – sweet, tangy, and maple-kissed, the frosting takes these rolls to the next level
- COZY FALL FLAVOR – warm spices and real pumpkin make these rolls taste like autumn in every bite
Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Rolls
I have a confession: I’ve never really liked pumpkin pie. I know—it’s a fall classic, but something about the texture just never did it for me. So for years, I assumed anything pumpkin-flavored wasn’t for me… until I tried a soft, gooey pumpkin cinnamon roll at a little bakery while traveling one October weekend.
It was love at first bite. The warm swirl of brown sugar and cinnamon wrapped in pillowy pumpkin dough completely changed my mind about pumpkin desserts. As soon as I got back home to 8,000 feet elevation, I knew I had to recreate that magic in my own kitchen
After several rounds of testing (and a lot of taste-testing), these high altitude pumpkin cinnamon rolls were born. They’re soft, chewy, perfectly spiced, and topped with a luscious cream cheese maple frosting—everything I didn’t know I was missing all those pumpkin pie Thanksgivings ago.
Recommended Tools:
- MIXING BOWLS – one large mixing bowl for the dough and 2 medium bowls for the filling and frosting
- MEASURING CUPS – baking is part science and part creativity, using measuring cups ensures the perfect result
- ROLLING PIN – check out my favorite wood rolling pin in the link below
- SHARP KNIFE or PIZZA CUTTER – I love to use a pizza cutter for easy, perfect lines
- 9X13 BAKING DISH – creates the perfect amount of space for 12 delicious rolls
- PLASTIC WRAP – cover the dough while its rising to trap the moisture in
Ingredients:
Bread Dough
- YEAST – use active dry yeast or quick rise yeast
- MILK – I use whole milk for all my baking. The milk needs to be warmed to 100-110° F to allow the yeast to bloom
- UNSALTED BUTTER – melted butter adds extra fat for a fluffy dough
- PUMPKIN PUREE – make sure to use pumpkin PUREE not pumpkin pie filling
- LARGE EGG – use a large egg that is room temperature
- WHITE SUGAR – the perfect kiss of sweetness to the dough
- ALL PURPOSE FLOUR – creates the base for the dough. NOTE: the amount of flour will depend on the humidity in your kitchen
- SALT – don’t skip the salt! A little bit goes a long way to help enhance the flavors
- SPICES – the perfect blend for delicious pumpkin spice flavor
TIP: Don’t worry if you forget to get your eggs out of the refrigerator ahead of time. Simply place the eggs in warm (not hot, you’ll cook the eggs) for 5-10 minutes.
Filling:
- BUTTER – spread over the finished dough to create the gooey swirls of cinnamon sugar
- BROWN SUGAR – as the cinnamon roll is baked the brown sugar starts to caramelized and create the gooey, delicious center
- CINNAMON – enjoy the classic taste of cinnamon wrapped around the soft dough
Frosting:
- CREAM CHEESE – creates the base for the rich frosting
- BUTTER – adds fat to the frosting
- MAPLE SYRUP – adds the perfect flavor to the frosting
- POWDERED SUGAR – thickens the frosting
- OPTIONAL: MAPLE EXTRACT – add for an extra strong maple flavor
Find the full ingredients list in the recipe box below
How To Make High Altitude Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls:
- MIX WARM MILK & YEAST – warm the milk to 100-110° F. Let the mixture sit for 5-10 minutes
- ADD IN WET INGREDIENTS – mix in the butter, pumpkin, and egg
- ADD IN DRY INGREDIENTS – mix in flour, sugar, salt, and spices
- KNEAD THE DOUGH – the dough will be sticky and moist but should easy form into a ball
- FIRST RISE – let the dough rise for 1 – 1.5 hours (or doubled in size). – this time will depend on the warmth of your kitchen
- ROLL OUT THE DOUGH – to approximately a 15 inch x 18 inch rectangle.
- ADD THE FILLING – brush the dough with butter then sprinkle it with cinnamon and brown sugar
- CREATE THE ROLLS – cut the dough into 12 equal strips that about 1.5 inches wide. Roll each strip up and place in the baking dish OR roll up the dough on the long end and use dental floss or a sharp knife to create 12 rolls
- SECOND RISE – let the cinnamon rolls sit for 15-20 minutes to just start puffing up
- BAKE – for 35 minutes
- ADD THE FROSTING – spread the frosting over the rolls while they are still slightly warm
Ingredient Substitutions / Variations:
Vanilla Frosting – No Cream Cheese:
Looking for a simple vanilla frosting that is rich and delicious without cream cheese. Use this easy recipe:
- 1/4 cup softened butter
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 4-6 tablespoons milk
Mix together the butter, salt, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Slowly add the milk 1 tablespoon at a time until you reach the right consistency. More milk will create a thinner frosting.
Make-Ahead Cinnamon Roll Recipe
Make these delicious cinnamon rolls ahead of time to save you from spending all morning in the kitchen or having to set your alarm super early. Follow these directions for make-ahead cinnamon rolls:
- Follow steps 1 through 8.
- Cover the dish tightly with plastic wrap or a lid and place in the refrigerator overnight.
- The next morning pull the dish out of the refrigerator and let it sit for 1-2 hours (depending on the warmth of your kitchen) until the rolls have doubled in size.
- Bake according to the directions.
Cream Cinnamon Rolls:
Adding room temperature heavy cream to cinnamon rolls before baking helps keep the rolls soft, gooey, and ultra-moist. It’s the secret to that irresistible bakery-style cinnamon roll with tender edges and a melt-in-your-mouth center. Just make sure the cream is at room temp so it doesn’t slow down the baking or affect the rise!
After the second rise, drizzle 1/2 cup of heavy cream over top of the rolls.
Brown Butter Cinnamon Rolls
For an amazing flavor boost add brown butter to the Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls. Brown butter is when regular butter is heated high enough and long enough to toast the milk solids in the butter which creates a beautiful rich butter sauce.
Check out these easy-to-follow directions on How to Make Brown Butter.
FAQs:
How to freeze cinnamon rolls:
Allow the cinnamon rolls to cool completely then cover tightly with plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Do not frost the cinnamon rolls prior to baking.
Place the cinnamon rolls in the fridge the night before to thaw. Cover the baking dish with foil and reheat at 350 degrees in the oven for 5-8 minutes or until warm.
How to store leftover cinnamon rolls:
Store cooled, down leftover cinnamon rolls in an airtight container. Cinnamon rolls stay fresh at room temperature for 2-3 days, in the fridge for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Other High Altitude Recipes:
If you make this delicious High Altitude Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls recipe please rate this recipe and leave a comment below about how it turned out. If you have any questions, post them below and I would love to help you out.
High Altitude Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
Wild Flour Recipes | Baking at 8,000 ft
www.wildflourrecipes.com
Equipment
- mixing bowls
- Rolling Pin
- Sharp Knife or pizza cutter
- 9×13 Baking Dish
- Plastic wrap
Ingredients
Bread Dough
- 1½ cup Milk warmed to 100-110° F
- 2 tsp Active Yeast
- 6 tbsp Butter melted
- 1 Large Egg room temperature
- ¾ cup Pumpkin Puree NOT pumpkin pie filling
- 6 tbsp White Sugar
- 2 tsp Salt
- 1½ tsp Cinnamon
- ½ tsp Nutmeg
- ¼ tsp All Spice
- 5 cups All Purpose Flour extra for kneading & rolling out
Filling
- ½ cup Butter softened
- 1 cup Brown Sugar packed
- 1½ tbsp Cinnamon
Frosting
- 4 ounce Cream Cheese room temperature
- 4 tbsp Butter melted
- 3 tbsp Maple Syrup
- 1 – 1½ cup Powdered Sugar
- 1 tsp Maple Extract OPTIONAL
Instructions
- MIX WARM MILK & YEAST – warm the milk to 100-110° F and add the yeast. Let the mixture sit for a few minutes.
- ADD IN PUMPKIN, BUTTER, & EGG – mix until combined
- ADD IN FLOUR, SUGAR, SALT, & SPICES – mix until all the ingredients are combined
- KNEAD THE DOUGH – knead the dough for approximately 5 minutes. The dough will be sticky and moist but should easily form into a ball
- FIRST RISE – cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size. The time will depend on the warmth of your kitchen. For the quickest rise, use the bread proofing setting in your oven or leave the oven light on.
- ROLL OUT THE DOUGH – roll the dough to approximately 15 inch x 18 inch rectangle.
- ADD THE FILLING – brush or spread the softened butter over dough. Combine the cinnamon and brown sugar together and sprinkle over the butter. Slightly press down the cinnamon sugar to ensure it sticks to the butter. TIP: add the filling to the very edge of the bread dough
- CREATE THE ROLLS – Trim the edges of the bread dough so the rectangle is equal.OPTION 1: using a pizza cutter or sharp knife cut the dough in half, starting at the long side. Then cut 6 strips on each side that are about 1.5 inches wide. Roll each strip up and place in the baking dish.OPTION 2: roll the dough up, starting on the long end, all the way to the other side. Use a sharp knife to cut 12 equal rolls about 1.5 inch wide.
- SECOND RISE & PREHEAT – let the cinnamon rolls sit for 15-20 minutes just until they start puffing up. Preheat the oven to 375° F during the second rise.
- BAKE – bake for 35 minutes
- ADD THE FROSTING – mix together the cream cheese, butter, and maple syrup until smooth. Add the powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time until the right consistency is achieved. For a stronger maple flavor add maple extract.
Notes
- Follow steps 1 through 8
- Cover tightly with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator overnight
- Take out of fridge the next morning and let it sit for 1-2 hours (depending on the warmth of your kitchen) until the rolls have puffed up.
- Bake 375° F for 35 minutes
- 1/4 cup butter – softened
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 4-6 tbsp whole milk
