The idea of pumpkin cinnamon rolls didn’t initially excite me, to be honest (I’m ducking behind my couch in anticipation of the outrage). But once I got to the final stages of recipe testing and really made this one my own… OMG.

These are so ridiculously delicious, and that’s coming from someone who’s not a huge pumpkin lover, aside from a good pumpkin cream cold brew. My husband said the same – he loathes pumpkin sweets like pumpkin pie, but he prefers this version of cinnamon rolls for the flavor complexity.

Over 150 bakers from around the world tested this recipe for me, and I’m thrilled that it required virtually no revisions – it received an incredible average rating of 4.70/5.

“While I love cinnamon rolls, this one wins hands down over plain cinnamon rolls.” –Recipe tester from Star, ID

“The rolls were so soft and fluffy, the softest rolls from a recipe I’ve ever tried. 10/10!” –Recipe tester from Edmond, OK

This recipe takes everything that works from my winning soft sourdough cinnamon roll recipe and weaves in pumpkin, plus supporting flavors like nutmeg, vanilla, and most importantly, maple.

Ready to dive in?

Disclaimer: Some of the products I recommend in this post are affiliate links – if you choose to purchase after clicking one of my links, I may earn a small commission, which helps fund this website, recipe development, and monthly giveaways. I sincerely appreciate your support.

Why You’ll Love These Pumpkin & Maple Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls 

• Recipe tested by real bakers like you: This pumpkin spice variation was tested by 156 home bakers across 6 countries and 31 US states, earning an impressive 4.70 out of 5 stars. From cool kitchens in Canada to humid Florida days, bakers everywhere achieved soft, fluffy rolls that their families devoured—proving this recipe works across different climates, skill levels, and kitchen conditions.
• Pumpkin spice in every bite: These aren’t just regular cinnamon rolls with a dusting of spice. The pumpkin puree and spice blend are mixed right into the dough and the filling. Maple extract takes these to the next level. Bonus: your whole kitchen will smell like an autumn day while they’re in the oven.

“Oh my heavens yes and yes…I absolutely love anything pumpkin flavored and these were divine.” –Recipe tester from Erie, PA

• Maple cream cheese icing: Classic cream cheese frosting gets the fall-inspired upgrade it deserves with the addition of maple. Maple syrup is good, but adding maple extract is great. It brings just the right balance of sweet and tangy, and it’s the perfect finishing touch for pumpkin rolls. Fair warning: you’ll probably want to lick the icing bowl.
• Bake-ready in the morning: This recipe does an overnight second rise, so these are bake-ready first thing in the morning. Cinnamon rolls for breakfast, anyone?!

“I really like being able to roll up and place in pan and let proof overnight. I was able to stick in oven first thing this morning and breakfast was ready.” –Recipe tester from Fairhope, Alabama

• Stays soft for days: Thanks to the tangzhong in the dough, these rolls stay pillowy even after a couple of days. If they happen to last that long without being devoured, you’ll still be enjoying soft rolls on days 2 and 3.
• Same base, seasonal twist: If you’ve baked my original Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls before, you’ll recognize the same soft, foolproof dough — but this time, it’s all dressed up for fall.

“I am normally not a fan of pumpkin, but this was DELICIOUS! They are soft and decadent.” –Recipe tester from Leesburg, GA

Ingredients 

Sweet Starter

• 25 g sourdough starter: Ideally fed within the last day so it’s strong and healthy.
• 25 g sugar or honey: A touch of sweetness tames the tangy flavors of sourdough.
• 65 g warm water
• 85 g bread flour

Tangzhong

• 35 g bread flour + 175 g whole milk: Cooked together into a smooth paste (you’ll make this in the microwave or on the stovetop in just a few minutes — full directions below). This step is the secret to rolls that stay pillowy-soft for days. The tangzhong also helps prevent staling!

Read more: Tangzhong: The 3-Minute Secret to Softer Sourdough

Main Dough

• All of the sweet starter and tangzhong: This is your foundation for success.
• 25 g cool water:  Just enough extra hydration to bring the dough together.
• 1 egg: Adds richness, softness, and structure.
• 1 tsp vanilla extract: Rounds out the flavor profile. I make my own! Here’s the recipe.
• 1 tsp maple extract (optional): This right here is your secret weapon. Without it, these cinnamon rolls are very good. With it? People will track you DOWN, asking if you’ll make more.
• 150 g pumpkin purée: Adds subtle flavor and a gorgeous golden color without weighing the dough down. (About half a 15-ounce can. Use the other half to make these waffles.)
• 515 g bread flour: Gives your rolls structure.
• 1 tsp cinnamon + 1 tsp pumpkin spice blend: Warm fall spices baked right into the dough so the flavor runs through every bite. I make my own pumpkin pie spice (here’s the recipe) but you can also buy it from the store.
• 12 g sea salt: Always needed, balances everything out.
• 84 g unsalted butter, softened: Brings tenderness and richness.
• 85 g half & half: Poured over the shaped rolls before baking for that soft, gooey texture.

Filling

• 142 g unsalted butter: Softened and spreadable.
• 175 g brown sugar: Gives a caramel-like sweetness you’ll want with the pumpkin.
• 8 g cinnamon + 8 g pumpkin spice blend: Double the cozy factor.
• 40 g pumpkin purée: Keeps the filling moist and adds another hit of pumpkin flavor.

Maple Wash

• 20 g melted butter + 20 g maple syrup: Brushed on top for shine, moisture, and a hint of maple sweetness.
• 1 tsp maple extract (optional) + pinch of salt: Amps up the maple and fall vibes and keeps the flavor balanced.

Maple Cream Cheese Icing

• 28 g unsalted butter, softened: Always butter for richness.
• 170 g cream cheese, softened: Tangy and creamy, this is the classic base for cinnamon roll icing.
• 20 g maple syrup + 1 tsp maple extract (optional): Makes this frosting taste like fall. If you aren’t using the maple extract, consider doubling the amount of maple syrup.
• 200 g powdered sugar: For sweetness and structure.
• Pinch of salt: A little balance for the sweetness.

Equipment

The full equipment list is on the recipe card, and most is self-explanatory.

But there are two things I want to explain:

1. Square or rectangle container for the first rise: Since you’ll be rolling this dough into a square later, save yourself the hassle and proof it in a square or rectangle container from the start. A glass casserole dish like this one works great, or I love using this 6L Brod & Taylor container (it fits perfectly in their proofing box).
2. Use a 9×13 baking pan: I’ve been testing both a 9×13 and a larger 10×16 pan, and I think the 9×13 is the winner after all. With the smaller baking pan, the rolls nestle together as they rise, creating those soft, pull-apart edges we all love.

Baker’s Timeline

DAY 1
7-9 PM	Make the sweet starter
DAY 2
8 AM	Cook the tangzhong
9 AM	Mix the dough
9:30 AM – 12:30 PM	First rise in a warm place (timing depends on the temperature)
12:30 PM	Move the dough to the fridge
9 PM (or before bed)	Make the filling, roll and shape the dough, and let it sit out overnight in a cool place Note: you can shape the rolls earlier in the evening if you prefer; just stick them back in the fridge until bedtime
DAY 3
7 AM	Bake the rolls, coat with the maple wash, & make the icing
8:30 AM	Ice and enjoy

Regarding the baker’s timeline, a few testers made adjustments based on their home temperature.

For those with cooler homes, they simply had to wait longer:

“Worked great for me, just knew I could have a final counter rise that was longer as my house is cool” –Recipe tester from Cork, Ireland

“Due to the coolness in my kitchen it took a little longer to rise but over all just fine in the time” –Recipe tester from Muscle Shoals, Alabama

And for those with warmer homes, some actually skipped the fridge chill and baked these same day:

“I adjusted the timeline as my starter was very active and I wanted the rolls the same day” –Recipe tester from Central Florida

“I made adjustments, making it a one day bake” –Recipe tester from Akron, Ohio

“The suggested timeline works great, but honestly I could have made these same day! They were done fermenting in 6 hours at 75 degrees.” –Recipe tester from Ohio

Recipe Testing Process (Behind the Scenes)

This recipe testing journey isn’t quite as rocky as all the others on my website, and that’s because it’s a variation of an existing winner.

If you follow along with my recipe testing on social media, you know that it often takes fail after fail after fail to get to something decent… then fail after fail after fail to get to the winner.

Then, I send the recipe off to a group of over 2,500 sourdough recipe testers (y’all deserve a special seat in heaven), tweak and improve some more, and that’s the recipe you see on my website.

Whew. It’s a process.

With this one, I had the jumpstart of a cinnamon roll recipe that’s already perfected. My job now is to adjust it to accommodate pumpkin and all the flavors that come with it.

But I found that came with its own unique issues.

Recipe Test 1: Adding Pumpkin Puree

For my first recipe test, I did the obvious – added pumpkin puree to the main dough, threw in some pumpkin pie spice, and called it a day.

The cinnamon rolls were delicious. (Can you have a bad one, to be honest?!)

But… they were expected. Nothing new or fun. Just boring. Good, but boring.

That just wouldn’t do. So, unlike usual testing journeys, I was faced with a dilemma: this is a great recipe, but it doesn’t stand out. How can I improve it to be a true showstopper? Something you cannot wait to gift to friends, coworkers, and family?

If I can’t make the flavor profile more exciting, perhaps there’s something unique I can do here that others haven’t.

Perhaps I can create a recipe that uses an entire can of pumpkin puree, reducing food waste.

Recipe Test 2: Reimagining Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

I mulled over the ingredient list so much that I literally started dreaming of pumpkin cinnamon rolls.

No matter how I moved the ingredients around, added, removed, anything – I could not fit an entire can of pumpkin into a 12 cinnamon roll recipe. The only way to even get close – and even then, it’d be a gamble – is to take out all the moisture as I could, but that introduced new issues.

So, I went back to the drawing board, set on using half a can of pumpkin puree. That way, you can freeze the other half for another batch later, double the batch altogether, or make another recipe that uses the other half of the can (that’s why I developed these pumpkin waffles!).

And here I am faced again with the question: how can I make these pumpkin cinnamon rolls unique?

I started thinking about flavor combinations, and pumpkin/maple seemed like a great fit.

After my first test with an amped up maple flavor profile, I knew this was it. Another test with some maple extract added blew my socks off, and I sent it off to recipe testers.

Recipe Tester Feedback

This Pumpkin Spice & Maple Sourdough Cinnamon Roll recipe was put through its paces by 156 dedicated home bakers from around the world—and the results speak for themselves with an average rating of 4.70 out of 5 stars. An impressive 74.2% of testers gave it a perfect 5-star rating, and 84.8% said they’d highly recommend it to a friend (giving it a 5/5 on the recommendation scale).

Testers represented 6 countries including the USA, Canada, Australia, United Kingdom, Ireland, and Greece, spanning 31 US states from California to New York.

Whether you’re just starting your sourdough journey or you’ve been baking for years, this recipe delivers consistently soft, flavorful rolls that earn rave reviews. One tester summed it up perfectly: “The dough is a dream!”

The recipe is also very beginner-friendly. It has flexibility and margin for error.

“This recipe is so forgiving, so even though I wasn’t able to do the first rise as long, I stuck them in the fridge before the second rise and was able to do everything else as the recipe stated and they were perfect.” –Recipe tester from Phoenix, AZ

Here’s a look at just a few of the recipe testers’ photos:

How to Make Pumpkin Spice & Maple Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls 

If you’re new to sourdough cinnamon rolls, or you just want to be sure this cozy pumpkin spice and maple version turns out amazing, this is the section to dig into. 

I know it’s tempting to scroll straight to the recipe card, but this step-by-step guide is where you’ll find super detailed photos and tips.

Step 1: Make the Sweet Starter (7-9pm)

In the evening, combine in a jar: 

• 25 g sourdough starter (fed within the last 24 hours and bubbly)
• 25 g sugar (or honey)
• 65 g warm water
• 85 g bread flour

Cover loosely, and let it rest overnight at room temperature.

Why is this ratio different from other sweet, stiff starter recipes on your website? One of the main troubleshooting issues I help bakers with on recipes like these is the stiff, sweet starter. Bakers have trouble knowing when it’s at peak. I decided to increase the hydration a little bit, and it’s much easier to tell now when it’s ready to bake with. When it flattens out on top (and is about triple in size), you’re good to go.

By morning, the sweet starter should be tripled in size, be full of bubbles, and smell lightly sweet. This process takes 10-12 hours, depending on your kitchen temperature and the strength of your starter.

If it’s not there yet when you check it in the morning, give it extra time; it’s better to let it go a little past peak than to use it prematurely.

Tip: Set out your butter (84 g or 6 tbsp) so it’s softened when it’s time to mix your dough tomorrow.

Step 2: Make the Tangzhong (morning)

In the morning, whisk together 35 g bread flour and 175 g whole milk in a microwave-safe bowl until smooth.

Note: you can make the tangzhong up to 2 days in advance. Hold in the fridge until you need it.

Microwave in 30-second bursts, whisking after each round, until it thickens into a glossy, pudding-like paste and hits about 150°F / 65°C. This usually takes me 4 rounds.

Set the tangzhong aside to cool until it’s below 80°F / 26°C before adding it to your dough. (If it’s too warm, it can kill your starter or scramble the egg.)

I recommend popping your tangzhong in the fridge for about 20 minutes. It’ll cool down while you measure out your other dough ingredients. 

Tip: No microwave? Use the stovetop, whisking constantly over medium heat until the mixture thickens and reaches 150°F/65°C. Don’t walk away—this part comes together fast!

Want to know more? Check out my full tangzhong post for all the geeky details on why this method keeps your rolls soft for days.

Step 3: Mix the Dough

If you’re mixing by hand, scroll down slightly! There’s a whole section (with the beige background) dedicated to it.

In the bowl of your stand mixer (fitted with a dough hook), add the following:

• All of your stiff sweet starter — make sure it’s peaked before starting
• All of the tangzhong (cooled below 80°F / 26°C)
• 25 g cool water
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp pumpkin spice blend
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp maple extract optional
• 150 g pumpkin purée
• 515 g bread flour
• 12 g sea salt

Mix on low speed for 2–3 minutes until all the ingredients come together and you have a very shaggy dough.

Related: Ooni vs Bosch vs KitchenAid vs Ankarsrum: Best Stand Mixer for Sourdough

Knead and build strength: Turn the mixer up to medium-low (KitchenAid Speed 2) and knead for 7–15 minutes.

The exact time depends on your mixer, so go by visual cues:

• The dough will shift from bumpy and rough to smooth and almost silky
• It will feel elastic and supple instead of tearing easily

That change in texture is your cue that it’s strong enough for butter. Butter inhibits gluten development, which is why we are doing that work upfront before adding it.

Incorporate the butter: Drop the speed to low and add 84 g softened butter one pat at a time. Wait until each piece is mostly absorbed before adding the next.

If the butter looks like it’s smearing around instead of mixing in, pause, scrape down the bowl, rotate the dough, and keep going.

You can also briefly increase the mixer speed to medium or medium-high to slap things around; then go back to low or medium-low.

Once all the butter is added, continue mixing for 2–3 minutes until the dough looks super smooth, soft, and slightly tacky (but not sticky). It should clean the sides of the bowl and feel pillowy when you touch it.

Give the dough a few kneads if needed to help smooth it into a cohesive ball.

Step 4: First Rise 

Transfer the dough into a lightly oiled rectangular tub (or mixing bowl), cover, and let it rest in a warm spot (75–85°F / 24–29°C).

What you’re looking for: About a 30% increase in size, not a full double. The dough should feel puffier and show tiny bubbles around the edges and surface.

This rise usually takes 3–5 hours, depending on the strength of your starter and your kitchen temperature. In my 80°F (26°C) Brod & Taylor proofing box, this step typically takes about 3-3.5 hours.

Once you see those signs of fermentation, move the container to the fridge until evening. While it chills, set out 10 tbsp (142 g) of butter to soften for your filling later.

Step 5: Make the Filling

Timing note: once the dough has chilled (approximately 2-3 hours), you can make the filling and shape the rolls at any time. I don’t always have the energy to do this at bedtime, so I’ll shape the rolls around dinnertime when the kitchen is already a mess. Then, I’ll just pop the pan in the fridge until later. Be sure to set a timer so you don’t forget to bring them back out onto the counter for the overnight second proof!

Before bed, pull your chilled dough out of the fridge. In a medium bowl, whisk together:

• 142 g softened butter
• 175 g brown sugar
• 8 g cinnamon + 8 g pumpkin spice blend
• 40 g pumpkin purée

Mix until it forms a soft, spreadable paste.

If your mixture isn’t spreadable (this is typically due to using American butter), you may find that microwaving the mixture for 5-10 seconds helps.

Step 6: Roll and Shape the Dough

Generously flour your counter and turn out the chilled dough. Flour the top of the dough and your rolling pin as well.

Roll into a large square, about ¼″ thick and 19.5″x19.5″.

Why a square and not a rectangle? The more I make cinnamon rolls and experiment with the height and width of the dough sheet, the more I’m convinced a square is the way to go! This allows the cinnamon rolls to be wider and shorter in the pan, ensuring they maintain their shape and don’t tip over due to being too tall and skinny.

As you roll, lift the sheet with a bench scraper now and then to be sure it’s not sticking, dusting a little more flour underneath if needed.

If you want, you can trim off the uneven edges around the square.

Spread the filling: Take your pumpkin-spice filling and spread it evenly over the dough. Go all the way to the bottom edge (this will be the center of the rolls) and out to the sides, but leave about a 1-inch gap along the top edge so you can seal the rolls shut.

Use a pizza cutter or pastry wheel to cut the sheet in half. If you rolled your dough sheet to the suggested dimensions of 19.5″x19.5″, you’d cut at the 9¾ mark.

Then cut each half in half again – at 4⅞ and 14⅝ – giving you four equal sheets.

Cut each of those four sections into three equal strips (1.5–2″ wide):

• 1⅝”
• 3¼”
• 4⅞” (already cut)
• 6½”
• 8⅛”
• 9¾” (already cut)
• 11⅜”
• 13″
• 14⅝” (already cut)
• 16¼”
• 17⅞”

This makes 12 strips total. Trim the edges if needed so the strips are tidy.

Starting from the bottom edge, roll up each strip into a spiral. Brush a little milk or cream along the top edge to help it seal, if you’d like. You’ll end up with 12 cinnamon rolls.

Alternate shaping method: If you don’t love the strip method, you can go traditional—roll the whole sheet into one big log, then cut 12 even rolls with a bench scraper or dental floss. Both ways work, but the strip method gives a beautiful, even spiral. It’s also more fun 🙂

Place your rolls in a greased baking pan. I usually use avocado oil spray or just rub in whatever butter’s left on a wrapper.

For pan size, a 9″ × 13″ is perfect. I also sometimes use the USA Pan that’s 10″ × 16″ (internal dimensions 13.75″ × 10″). But I’m finding that I’m preferring the slightly smaller 9″ x 13″ pan.

Tip: If making the cream cheese icing, set out 28 g unsalted butter so it’s softened by the morning. We’ll set the cream cheese out as soon as you wake up.

Step 7: Overnight Proof 

Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap and let the pumpkin cinnamon rolls rise on the counter overnight.

This works great for me, doing about 10 hours at 70-74°F (21-23°C). And honestly, I could have gone a little longer – there’s wiggle room in the proofing time with these! Once, I really overproofed them, but once baked and topped with icing, you’d never know. Delish!

Home temperature note: Try not to keep your dough in a place above 77°F (25°C), or the butter may melt out of the rolls, puddling in the bottom of the pan. You also risk slight overproofing. I probably would not proof these on the counter overnight if my home were any warmer than 75°F (24°C).

By morning, the rolls should look noticeably puffier, fill most of the pan, and be touching each other.

Under/overproofing tips:

• If your home is cool and the rolls don’t look fully puffed up, move the pan somewhere warmer and let them keep rising until they do.
• If they look overproofed (deflating, breaking apart, or starting to collapse), bake right away.
• For next time: keep them in a cooler spot overnight, or do the second rise during the day when you can check in more often.

Step 8: Bake

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) conventional.

Warm 85 g half & half (or heavy cream) in the microwave for 10-15 seconds, or until it reaches about 80-90°F (26-32°C). Pour over the cinnamon rolls.

Half and half is a US dairy product that’s half milk, half cream (10-12% fat). Substitute with single cream, or mix equal parts whole milk and heavy cream.

This soaks into the dough and makes the bottoms wonderfully gooey, almost caramel-like. The pumpkin purée in the dough already adds extra moisture, so this step takes the gooey factor up another notch. If you prefer a slightly less sticky-bottomed roll, you can skip it.

Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and the centers register around 195°F (90°C).

Step 9: Make the Maple Wash

When the cinnamon rolls are almost done baking, whisk together 20 g melted butter, 20 g maple syrup, 1 tsp maple extract, and a Pinch of salt in a small bowl.

Immediately brush on top of the hot cinnamon rolls when they come out of the oven.

Step 10: Make the Maple Cream Cheese Icing

In a bowl, whisk together 28 g softened unsalted butter, 170 g softened cream cheese, 20 g maple syrup, and 1 tsp maple extract (optional) until smooth. (A hand mixer works great if a whisk isn’t cutting it.)

Sift in 200 g powdered sugar + a pinch of salt and continue whisking until silky smooth.

It should be spreadable, but still soft enough to spoon over the rolls.

Step 11: Ice and Enjoy

Let the rolls cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before icing. This keeps the topping from melting straight off while still letting it sink into the warm spirals.

Spread your maple cream cheese icing generously over the tops. Dig in while they’re still warm and gooey.

Storage Instructions

Because these rolls are usually topped with cream cheese icing, they technically should be refrigerated. That gives you two main storage options:

Option 1: Store rolls and icing separately
Keep the rolls tightly covered at room temperature for up to 3 days (thanks to the tangzhong, they stay soft and fluffy). Store the icing in the fridge, and add it when you’re serving. This way, you avoid the fridge drying out your rolls, while still keeping the icing food-safe.

Option 2: Store them iced in the fridge
Cover the pan tightly and refrigerate for up to 5 days. The rolls will firm up a bit in the cold, so warm them gently before serving to bring back that pillowy texture.

My honest take: Growing up, leftover cinnamon rolls never made it to the fridge at my house, even with cream cheese frosting on top. If your kitchen is cool and you know you’ll eat them within a day or two, keeping them tightly covered on the counter works just fine. (Not the official food-safety line, but it’s what many of us do.)

If you’re planning to share your cinnamon rolls, here are some of my favorite boxes. These boxes fit 4 cinnamon rolls, and these boxes fit a single cinnamon roll.

Reheating Tip

A quick 10–15 seconds in the microwave or a few minutes in a warm oven will bring back that soft, gooey just-baked texture (works if stored at room temp or fridge). 

How to Freeze These Cinnamon Rolls

Who doesn’t want pumpkin spice sourdough cinnamon rolls ready to pull from the freezer on a random chilly morning? Here’s how to make that happen:

Option 1: Freeze after baking
Let the rolls cool completely, then wrap the pan in two layers of plastic wrap and a layer of foil. They’ll keep well for 2–3 months. When you’re ready, thaw overnight in the fridge and warm (covered with foil) at 350 °F (175 °C) for 15–20 minutes. You can freeze them with icing or without.

Option 2: Freeze unbaked
Instead of the overnight proof, cover the shaped rolls tightly and pop the pan straight into the freezer. Make the icing and freeze it in a zip-top bag.

When you’re ready to bake, pull the frozen pan out the night before and let the rolls thaw and rise on the counter. By mid-morning, they should be puffed and ready for the oven. If they need more time, just let them hang out in a warm spot until they catch up. Snip the corner of the icing bag and pipe it right on once they’re baked.

My honest take: I’ve tested this second method, and the rolls came out so good you’d never know they were frozen. But for ease and zero stress, freezing fully baked rolls is still my preference. It’s unclear just how long the wild yeast will survive in the freezer.

FAQs

Tips from Recipe Testers

After testing with 156 bakers, here are the top tips that kept coming up:

• Don’t stress about perfect proofing. Multiple testers accidentally overproofed their rolls (including me in one test bake) and reported they still turned out delicious once baked and iced. The recipe is forgiving!
• Adjust the icing quantity to suit you: 66% of recipe testers said the amount of icing is perfect. 19% said they’d reduce the amount by 25%, and 11% said they’d reduce the amount by half. Only 4% said they’d want more icing.
• Adjust the amount of pumpkin spice to suit you: same story with the pumpkin spice flavor – 67% of testers said the recipe as written has the perfect amount of pumpkin flavor. However, 33% of testers said they’d like more. While we can’t squeeze any more pumpkin purée into this recipe, you can definitely double up on the pumpkin spice blend.
• Use a thermometer. Several bakers mentioned their rolls needed a few extra minutes in the oven. Check that internal temperature—you’re looking for 195°F (90°C) in the center. I overbaked mine to 210°F (99°C) once and they still tasted great.
• The maple extract is worth it. This came up repeatedly. Testers who skipped it wished they hadn’t, while those who used it raved about the flavor boost.
• Butter leaking during overnight proof: A few testers woke up to melted butter pooled in the bottom of their pan. This isn’t a huge deal, so don’t worry about it! It will absorb back into the rolls during baking.

“My youngest son doesn’t care for pumpkin, and he DEVOURED 3 of them… he is very picky, so that is saying something!” –Recipe tester from Southwest Louisiana

“The rolls taste delicious. They are soft and fluffy and stay moist, which is a common issue with cinnamon roll recipes and the reason I’ve been testing hundreds of them over the years. This one is a definite keeper, alongside the original.” –Recipe tester from Ontario, Canada

Conclusion

I know fall just started, but these are the gooey, pumpkin-spiced, wildly soft sourdough cinnamon rolls I’ve been dreaming of. The maple icing on top? Pure fall magic.

I can’t wait to hear what you think! Drop your tips or questions in the comments below, and if you bake these, snap a photo and tag me on Instagram. I LOVE seeing your bakes.

Happy fall baking, friends!

Similar recipes:

• Fast & Easy Pumpkin Spice Sourdough Discard Waffles
• Apple Crisp Sourdough Bread Recipe (with a Cinnamon Swirl)