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These vegan pumpkin cinnamon rolls are packed with pumpkin spice flavor in every bite, thanks to pumpkin purée in both the soft, pillowy dough and the rich spiced filling. Topped with a fluffy dairy-free cream cheese frosting, they make for a quintessential fall bake!
Emily’s Recipe Notes:
- Flavor:Lots of pumpkin, cozy spices, and caramel undertones from the brown sugar in the filling. Plus a sweet yet tangy cream cheese frosting on top. What’s not to love?
- Texture: Soft, pillowy dough with a gooey pumpkin filling swirled inside.
- Difficulty: Beginner to intermediate. If this is your first time making cinnamon rolls from scratch- no worries this post will walk you through exactly how to make them.
- Time: About 3 hours start to finish. Most of this is hands-off rising time for the dough.
Why We Love These Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls: Pumpkin is a staple flavor for fall, and I love giving classic comfort foods a seasonal twist—especially when it comes to vegan cinnamon rolls, which hold a special place in my heart and my husband’s. After many tests, I found the perfect way to pack these rolls with intense pumpkin flavor, both in the pillowy dough and the spiced filling. And they are SO good!
Ingredients:
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
- Pumpkin Purée: I used Libby’s Pumpkin purée. I’ve found it has the best consistent taste and color pay off in baked goods. Definitely recommend using this brand if you have it available. This is unsweetened real pumpkin not pumpkin pie filling.
- Soy Milk: I’ve tested these cinnamon rolls with both soy milk and almond milk. Both turned great, but soy milk is the closest to regular dairy milk in terms of protein content, so I love using it in enriched doughs like this one for the best results. That being said, most non-dairy milks will work in it’s place.
- Light Brown Sugar: This adds a nice caramel flavor to the dough and to the filling. You can also use regular granulated cane sugar in the dough. However, I definitely recommend using brown sugar in the filling.
- Vegan Butter: I used Salted Violife Plant Butter in the dough, the filling and the frosting. It has an amazing flavor so similar to regular butter. You can learn more about the best brands of vegan butter for baking in this article.
- Active Dry Yeast: To help the dough rise.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice: I used a store-bought mixture for convenience. However, you could use a mixture of ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground cloves, and ground ginger instead.
Helpful Equipment
Here are a few tools that will make creating this recipe extra easy:
- Clean Kitchen Towel: For covering the dough while it rises
- Clean Work Surface: For kneading and rolling out the dough
- Large Bowl (or Stand Mixer with a Dough Hook): For mixing up the vegan pumpkin dough
- Digital Scale: To accurately measure all the ingredients, especially the all purpose flour and the pumpkin
- Baking Dish: For baking!
Step-by-Step Instructions
🎃 *Ingredient Quantities are in the Recipe Card Below!*
Make the Vegan Pumpkin Dough
STEP 1: Mix the warm soy milk and half of the sugar together in a glass measuring cup. Sprinkle in the active dry yeast, give it a quick stir, and let sit for 5-10 minutes until frothy.
STEP 2: In a large mixing bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer), mix together the dry ingredients. Make a well in the center and add the yeast mixture and the wet ingredients (melted vegan butter, pumpkin purée and vanilla extract).
STEP 3: Use a silicone spatula to mix the wet and dry ingredients together. Then, knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for 9-11 minutes.
STEP 4: Cover with a damp tea towel and let rise in a warm spot for 1 ½ – 2 hours or until doubled in size.
Make the Filling & Roll out the Dough
STEP 5: After the dough has doubled in size, gently punch it down.
STEP 6: Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out into an 18” long by 10-11” wide rectangle. The dough should be around 1/4” thick.
STEP 7: Use paper towels to pat dry the pumpkin purée for the filling to remove the moisture. Repeat with fresh paper towels until the purée is about ¼ of the size by weight and volume (15g or 1 tablespoon).
STEP 8: Cream the brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and softened vegan butter in a small bowl. Mix in the patted dry pumpkin purée until uniform.
Shape the Rolls, Rise Again & Bake
STEP 9: Spread the filling on the dough. Using a pizza cutter or knife, slice the dough into 8 evenly sized 1.25” inch wide strips. Roll each strip from the short edge into a roll.
STEP 10: Place the rolls in the prepared baking dish. Cover and let the rolls rise again until they are about 1.5x in size.
STEP 11: Preheat the oven to 375F during the second rise. Then, bake for 24-26 minutes or until golden brown on top.
Serving Ideas
To top these pumpkin cinnamon rolls, I make a vegan cream cheese frosting that’s creamy and lightly tangy, with a hint of orange zest. The zest adds a touch of brightness that complements the pumpkin perfectly for fall and winter.
For the best texture, I recommend Violife Vegan Cream Cheese. Let it soften at room temperature for about 15-20 minutes; any longer, and it can get a bit too soft for frosting.
Violife’s flavor is also ideal—not overly tangy. I used to love Trader Joe’s vegan cream cheese, but since they updated the formula, it has a savory taste that doesn’t work as well in desserts.
Once the frosting is ready, spread it over the pumpkin rolls after they’ve cooled for 10-15 minutes. This way, the rolls are still warm enough to soften the frosting just right, letting it melt into each swirl.
Storage
The iced cinnamon buns can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
If enjoying the next day, I recommend heating them slightly in the microwave (about 15-25 seconds). This help soften the dough back up.
If the rolls aren’t iced, you can wrap the baking dish with plastic wrap and keep them at room temperature for about 1-2 days.
Of course, like most baked goods, these homemade cinnamon rolls are definitely the best when fresh out of the oven!
Helpful Tips for Perfect Vegan Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
- Make Sure the Yeast Froths Up: If the yeast doesn’t foam, it might be expired or the milk may have been too hot, which can kill the yeast.
- Add Extra Flour Sparingly: Too much flour will make the dough dry and tough. Use just enough to knead it into a smooth, slightly tacky dough ball for the best pillowy texture.
- Measure Flour Accurately: Use a digital scale or the spoon-and-level method to avoid using too much flour. This helps keep the dough soft and light.
- Dry Out the Pumpkin Purée for the Filling: Pat the purée dry to avoid a watery filling that can seep into the dough or spill out during rolling. This step keeps the filling rich and easy to spread.
More Vegan Pumpkin Desserts:
- Chewy Vegan Pumpkin Sugar Cookies
- The Best Vegan Pumpkin Bread
- Vegan Pumpkin Pie Cream Cheese Danishes
- Easy Vegan Pumpkin Pie
More Vegan Pumpkin Recipes:
- Fluffy Vegan Pumpkin Pecan Pancakes
- Pumpkin Brioche French Toast
- Vegan Pumpkin Biscuits with Maple ‘Butter’
Vegan Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
Vegan Pumpkin Spice Dough
- ½ cup soy milk, warm but not hot to the touch
- ¼ cup granulated or light brown sugar, 50g, divided
- 2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast, 8g
- 3 ¼- 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour, 395g-425g, + an extra 2-4 tbsp for kneading
- 1 ½ tbsp pumpkin pie spice, 15g
- ½ tsp salt, 3g
- ¼ cup salted vegan butter, 56g, melted Violife Plant Butter
- ¾ cup pumpkin purée, 188g, like Libby’s
- 1 tsp vanilla extract, 4g
Pumpkin Spice Filling
- ¼ cup pumpkin purée, 60g, patted dry to be 15g or 1 about tbsp (see instructions below)
- ¾ cup light brown sugar, 120g, loosely packed
- 2 tbsp pumpkin pie spice, 20g
- ⅓ cup salted vegan butter, 90g, room temperature, like Violife Plant Butter
Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 tbsp salted vegan butter, 14g softened
- 3 tbsp vegan cream cheese, 45g softened -like Violife Vegan Cream Cheese
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar, 180g, also called icing sugar
- ⅛ tsp lemon or orange zest
- ½ tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- ½-1 tsp soy milk, as needed
Instructions
Make the Dough
- Heat the soy milk in the microwave until it is warm but not hot to the touch (100-110°F).½ cup soy milk
- Mix the warm soy milk and half of the sugar (2 tbsp) together in a glass measuring cup. Sprinkle in the active dry yeast, give it a quick stir, and let sit for 5-10 minutes until frothy.¼ cup granulated or light brown sugar, 2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast
- In a large mixing bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer), mix together 3 ¼ cups of all purpose flour, the other half of the sugar (2 tbsp), salt, and pumpkin pie spice.3 ¼- 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour, 1 ½ tbsp pumpkin pie spice, ½ tsp salt
- Make a well in the center and add the yeast mixture, melted vegan butter, pumpkin purée and vanilla extract.¼ cup salted vegan butter, ¾ cup pumpkin purée, 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Use a silicone spatula to mix the wet and dry ingredients together. Then, knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for 9-11 minutes. If using a stand mixer, mix with a dough hook on medium speed for 5-6 minutes. Note: The dough should be soft, smooth and slightly tacky to the touch. If the dough is very sticky, sprinkle an additional tablespoon of flour onto the dough at a time as you knead until it is soft and no longer sticky.
- Cover with a damp tea towel and let rise in a warm place for 1 ½ – 2 hours or until doubled in size.
Shaping the Cinnamon Rolls
- Grease a 9×13” (23x33cm) baking dish.
- Layer 3-4 paper towels on top of each other and place the pumpkin purée for the filling in the center. Pat dry to remove the moisture. Repeat with fresh paper towels until the purée is about ¼ of the size by weight and volume (15g or 1 tablespoon.)¼ cup pumpkin purée
- Prepare the filling by creaming the brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and softened vegan butter in a small bowl. Mix in the dried pumpkin purée until combined.¾ cup light brown sugar, 2 tbsp pumpkin pie spice, ⅓ cup salted vegan butter
- Once the dough has doubled in size, roll out on a floured surface into an 18” (45.7cm) long by 10-11” (25-28cm) wide rectangle. The dough should be around 1/4” thick.
- Spread the filling evenly on the dough.
- Using a pizza cutter or knife, slice the dough into 8 evenly sized 1.25” (3.2cm) wide strips. Roll each strip from the short edge into a roll. Place the rolls in the prepared baking dish.
- Cover the rolls with a damp cloth and let them rise for 20-30 minutes or until they are about 1 ½x in size.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) while the rolls rise for a second time.
- Then, bake for 24-26 minutes or until golden brown on top.
Making the Frosting
- While the rolls are baking, stir together the ingredients for the frosting in a medium sized bowl.1 tbsp salted vegan butter, 3 tbsp vegan cream cheese, 1 ½ cups powdered sugar, ⅛ tsp lemon or orange zest, ½ tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste, ½-1 tsp soy milk
- The mixture should be thick yet spreadable. If the icing looks thick, add more dairy-free milk. If the mixture looks runny, add powdered sugar until you reach the desired consistency.
- Let the rolls cool slightly before spreading the frosting on top.
Video
Recipe notes
Rising Tip:
- I love letting my dough rise in a recently run microwave (that is of course turned off) when the ambient temperature in my house is on the colder side. The inside of the microwave is a much warmer place and means the dough will rise faster than if it was sitting on my counter.
Other Tips:
❶ Make Sure the Yeast Froths Up: If the yeast doesn’t foam, it might be expired or the milk may have been too hot, which can kill the yeast. ❷ Add Extra Flour Sparingly: Too much flour will make the dough dry and tough. Use just enough to knead it into a smooth, slightly tacky dough ball for the best pillowy texture. ❸ Measure Flour Accurately: Use a digital scale or the spoon-and-level method to avoid using too much flour. This helps keep the dough soft and light. ❹ Dry Out the Pumpkin Purée for the Filling: Pat the purée dry to avoid a watery filling that can seep into the dough or spill out during rolling. This step keeps the filling rich and easy to spread.Alternate Baking Dishes
- I’ve also tested these cinnamon rolls in a round pie dish and muffin tins. A standard pie dish will hold 6-7 cinnamon rolls and a deep dish pie pan will hold about 5-6 cinnamon rolls. If using these pans, you can place the extra rolls into greased muffin tins.
- The rolls in the pie pans will take about 24-26 minutes to bake, but the pumpkin cinnamon rolls in the muffin pans will only take 21-22 minutes.
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