These Vegan Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls are soft, warmly spiced, and completely dairy-free and egg-free. Pumpkin is baked into the dough, swirled through the filling, and stirred into the cream cheese frosting. If you love fall flavors, this is your new favorite weekend bake.
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These cinnamon rolls started as a happy accident. I was developing my pumpkin cream cheese muffins and had leftover pumpkin puree and vegan cream cheese sitting on the counter! The idea of combining them with a vegan cinnamon roll dough just made too much sense to ignore.
What I ended up with was a vegan pumpkin roll that has pumpkin in all three components: the dough, the filling, and the frosting. It's not an overwhelming pumpkin flavor — it's more of a warm, cozy background note that makes every bite feel like it belongs in October.
The texture is on the heartier side compared to a classic cinnamon roll, which is exactly what you'd expect when you add pumpkin to a yeast dough, and honestly, I think that's part of the charm.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Triple pumpkin: It's in the dough, the filling, and the cream cheese frosting, so the flavor carries through every single bite.
- Fully vegan. No eggs, no dairy, yet no compromises on flavor.
- Small batch: Makes 6 rolls, so it's ideal for a cozy weekend breakfast or fall brunch without the leftovers pressure. It also doubles easily if you need more!
- The gooey bottom trick: Any leftover filling goes on the bottom of the pan before baking. It caramelizes into something really special.
- The frosting stays put: Thick, creamy, and dolloped on top once the rolls have cooled so it holds its shape instead of melting away.
Love pumpkin? I've got lots of dairy-free pumpkin recipes to try! For non-dessert dishes, I really love these pumpkin pancakes and pumpkin pasta.
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Ingredients
- Dairy-free milk: Any dairy-free milk works, but make sure to use unsweetened, unflavored varieties for the best flavor.
- Pumpkin puree: Use store-bought canned pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling, to make these dairy-free pumpkin cinnamon rolls. We will use it in the dough, filling, and icing. For the filling and frosting, make sure to squeeze it in cheesecloth to remove extra moisture, which may impact the consistency. I also use it to make pumpkin baked oatmeal.
- Yeast: You will need active yeast for your egg-free pumpkin cinnamon buns. It's important to check the expiration date for the best results. If it's expired it may not yield the same results.
- Sugar: You will use granulated sugar for the dough, brown sugar for the filling, and powdered sugar for the icing. While you can use any type of sugar for the filling, I find brown sugar adds a more interesting flavor.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Variations
- Use pumpkin spice blend. This recipe keeps the spice profile simple, just cinnamon and nutmeg, so the pumpkin flavor can really shine through. If you prefer a more complex, spiced-forward roll, swap both for 1 ½ teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice in the dough and 1 ½ teaspoons in the filling.
- Add a crunchy topping. For a little texture contrast, scatter a handful of roughly chopped toasted pecans or walnuts over the filling before rolling up the dough. They caramelize slightly as the rolls bake and pair beautifully with the brown sugar and pumpkin.
- Swap the frosting. The pumpkin cream cheese frosting is the star here, but if you don't have vegan cream cheese on hand, a simple vanilla glaze works just as well. Whisk together ¾ cup powdered sugar, 1–2 tablespoons dairy-free milk, and a splash of vanilla extract until smooth, then drizzle it over the warm rolls. For something richer, a vegan vanilla buttercream is another great option or replace half the cream cheese with vegan butter, similar to the frosting in this lemon cupcake recipe.
How to Make Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
- Step 1: Activate Yeast. Place the yeast in a bowl of warm milk and a tablespoon of sugar, and allow it to sit for 5-10 minutes covered. It should look slightly foamy when it's ready. Make sure the liquid is warm to the touch, not hot.
- Step 2: Combine Ingredients. Combine the flour, sugar, pumpkin, butter, spices, salt, and the activated yeast mixture in a mixing bowl.
- Step 3: Knead. Start kneading the dough until everything is well combined. I used the dough hook attachment on my stand mixer to knead the dough for about 5-10 minutes. At this stage the dough should be smooth and slightly tacky but not sticky.
- Step 4: Proof. Cover the bowl of dough with a towel and leave it in a warm place for 45 minutes, or until the dough has doubled in size. While the dough is rising, whisk together the filling ingredients.
Step 5: Roll and Add Filling. Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough on a clean surface sprinkled with flour into a rectangular shape (about 15 x 12 inches long). Spread the filling on top.
Pro Tip: If you have any extra filling, save it for later, and spread it on the bottom of the pan that you bake the rolls in for extra gooey rolls.
Step 6: Slice. Use a knife or pizza cutter to cut the dough into six 2-inch strips, starting from the shorter 12-inch side.
Step 7: Roll. Carefully roll each strip with the filling inside.
Step 8: Add to Pan. Transfer the rolls to a pan.
Step 9: Proof. Cover them with a towel and place them somewhere warm for 45 minutes. Once the rolls have grown in size, preheat the oven to 350°F.
Step 10: Bake, Frost, and Serve. Place them in the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes, until the edges are golden-brown. While the rolls are baking, whisk together the frosting ingredients. Once the rolls have cooled off, add a large dollop of frosting on each roll and dig in!
Expert Tips
- Check your yeast first. After mixing the yeast with warm milk and sugar, wait 5–10 minutes. It should look foamy and slightly puffed. If it's flat, your yeast is dead or the milk was the wrong temperature. You will need to start over rather than waste the rest of your ingredients.
- Nail the milk temperature. Too cold and the yeast won't activate, and if it's above 115°F, you'll kill it. Aim for 105–110°F. It should feel warm on your wrist, like bath water. When in doubt, use a kitchen thermometer.
- Squeeze the moisture out of your pumpkin. Canned pumpkin holds a lot of water. For both the filling and frosting, press your pumpkin firmly into a few layers of paper towels or cheesecloth until no liquid pools underneath. This keeps your filling gooey (not soggy) and your frosting thick.
- Give the dough a warm place to rise. Turn your oven on for one minute, switch it off, then place the covered dough inside with just the oven light on. That gentle warmth is all it needs. If your kitchen is cold it will slow down the rise.
- Wait to frost. This is a thick, dollop-style cream cheese frosting. Let the rolls cool completely so it holds its shape on top. Prefer a melty frosting? Apply it while the rolls are still warm.
Serving Suggestions
These fall cinnamon rolls are the perfect addition to your fall breakfast or brunch table. Set them out for a holiday brunch with savory oatmeal and vegan bagels.
Leftovers are great during the week, paired with a mango protein smoothie. They're also great for dessert, especially when topped with a scoop of pistachio ice cream.
Recipe Video
Vegan Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls Recipe FAQs
Absolutely! Make them all the way through cutting and placing the rolls in the pan. Cover them tightly and refrigerate overnight before the second rise. In the morning, let them sit at room temperature for 45–60 minutes until puffed, then bake as directed.
To keep them fresh, store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 2 days at room temperature, or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can also freeze them if unfrosted. Wrap unfrosted rolls individually in plastic wrap, then freeze in a zip-lock bag for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat before frosting.
No! Make sure you're using pure canned pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin pie filling is pre-sweetened and already seasoned with spices, which will throw off the flavor balance and sweetness of both the dough and filling. The can label will tell you which one you have. Pure pumpkin puree should have one ingredient: pumpkin.
Vegan Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
Yeast Ingredients
- ¼ cup dairy-free milk
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 ¼ teaspoon yeast one package
Dough Ingredients
- 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoon sugar
- 2 tablespoon vegan butter softened at room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ cup canned pumpkin puree
Filling Ingredients
- ¼ cup room temperature vegan butter
- ¼ cup canned pumpkin puree squeeze the moisture out*
- ⅔ cup dark brown sugar or any other sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients
- ⅔ cup vegan cream cheese
- 2 tablespoon pumpkin puree squeeze the moisture out*
- ⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
- a generous pinch of pumpkin spice or ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
Instructions
- Start by making the yeast. Combine room-temperature dairy-free milk and a tablespoon of sugar in a bowl and microwave them for about 1 minute. Use a thermometer to measure the temperature and ensure that it is between 105-110°F.
- Once you have reached this temperature, add the yeast to the mixture. Cover the bowl with a towel and let it sit for 5-10 minutes so the yeast can activate.
- In a large bowl, add the flour, sugar, pumpkin, butter, spices, salt, and the activated yeast mixture. Start kneading the dough until everything is well combined. I used the dough hook attachment on my stand mixer to knead the dough for about 5-10 minutes.
- Once you've created your dough, cover the bowl of dough with a towel and leave it in a warm place for 45 minutes, until the dough has doubled in size.
- While the dough is rising, whisk together the filling ingredients.
- After the dough has doubled in size, take it out of the bowl. Sprinkle a clean surface with flour and place the dough on top.
- Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough into a rectangular shape (about 15 x 12 inches long). Spread the filling on top. If you have any extra filling, save it for later and spread it on the bottom of the pan that you bake the rolls in for extra gooey rolls.
- Starting from the shorter 12-inch side, use a knife or pizza cutter to cut the dough into six 2-inch strips. Roll each strip.
- Transfer the rolls to a pan. Cover them with a towel and place them somewhere warm for 45 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Once the rolls have grown in size, place them in the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes, until the edges are golden-brown.
- While the rolls are baking, whisk together the frosting ingredients.
- Once the rolls have cooled off, add a large dollop of frosting on each roll and dig in!
Notes
- If your yeast doesn't foam after 10 minutes, it's dead so you will need to start over.
- Milk temperature matters. If it's too cold the yeast won't activate, and if it's above 115°F, you'll kill it. Aim for 105–110°F.
- Squeeze excess moisture from the pumpkin before adding it to the filling and frosting.
- For the best rise, place the covered dough in a briefly warmed (then switched off) oven with just the light on.
- Let rolls cool completely before frosting so it holds its shape as a thick dollop on top.
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