Everyone loves a classic sweet roll for brunch. Take it up a notch and add pumpkin for these perfect Sourdough Discard Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls.

Cinnamon rolls are definitely a labour of love! They take a decent amount of time to make but the taste is well worth it. Add sourdough discard, pumpkin, and fall seasonings to make these be a warm and homey breakfast.
Egg allergy? I've perfected true sourdough Egg-Free Cinnamon Buns for ya. You can also make monkey bread or Cinnamon Pull Apart Bread. If you aren't one for sourdough, yeast will help you achieve One Hour Cinnamon Rolls.
Key Ingredients
Flour - Bread flour will give you a nice chew to the dough, but all-purpose also works well. This isn't made for fresh ground wheat.
Milk - Whole milk is perfect because it adds both fat and sugar.
Pumpkin - Always use plain pumpkin, not pumpkin pie mix. You can also roast and puree your own pumpkin!
Sweeteners - We use a mix of sweeteners here, including brown sugar, white sugar, powdered sugar and maple syrup.
Leavening - Both rapid rise yeast and sourdough discard are used here. I'm always looking for ways to use up that discard!
Seasoning - Mix up pumpkin pie spice yourself, there's no need to buy a special bottle!
How to Make Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
***See recipe card below for precise measurements and instructions.***
Step 3: Mix well to combine.
Step 4: Stir in flour.
Step 5: Switch to the dough hook attachment and knead until smooth.
Step 6: Set in a greased bowl and let rise until doubled.
Step 7: Place dough on a floured surface and roll out to an even rectangle.
Step 8: Spread softened butter over the dough.
Step 9: Evenly sprinkle on cinnamon sugar filling.
Step 10: Roll up the dough and pinch shut. Then use a sharp knife to slice.
Step 11: Set in prepared pan and let proof again. Then bake until golden brown.
Step 12: Mix up cream cheese icing and spread over warm rolls.
Tips and Tricks
- Proofing your yeast in the warm milk will show you if it is still active before adding any more ingredients.
- Use a mix of bread and AP flour or all bread flour for the perfect chew.
- Let the rolls rest about 15 minutes before adding icing. This will allow it to spread nicely but not soak in and disappear.
FAQs
Because I keep my knives super sharp, I just go ahead and use it. If they get a little squashed you can gently reshape when placing in the pan. Definitely don't use a dull knife or they will smush flat and you won't see your swirl. Another trick is to use unflavored dental floss! Slide it under the log and bring the ends up. Cross them and pull taut and your roll will slice.
Sourdough discard on its own isn't enough to fully proof the dough. Enter rapid yeast! It might feel like cheating to some, but this isn't a true "soured dough." I find it the best of both worlds to help use up that discard from your fridge while adding a little of the sour taste. But the yeast is extra insurance to make sure your rolls are fluffy.
I included a nice cream cheese icing here, which I think is just perfect for holiday mornings. But you can always go simple and just mix powdered sugar with enough milk to be able to drizzle. There's also the option to keep them plain and slather them with freshly made butter.
Photos by Dante from Shire by the Sea
More Breakfast Recipes
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Sourdough Discard Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 ¼ cups bread flour or all-purpose flour
- 1 cup sourdough discard
- ¾ cup whole milk
- ¾ cup pumpkin purée
- ¼ cup sugar
- ¼ cup butter melted
- 2 ¼ teaspoons rapid rise yeast
- 2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 egg room temperature
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Extra flour for working and rolling out dough
- Lard/fat/oil for greasing pans
Filling:
- 1 cup dark brown sugar*
- 2 tablespoons cinnamon
- ¼ cup butter room temperature
Cream Cheese Icing:
- ½ cup spreadable cream cheese room temperature
- ¼ cup butter
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup icing sugar
- Pinch sea salt
Instructions
- Warm milk in a small pot till around 105-110°F.
- Pour warm milk into stand mixer bowl if using a mixer or a large bowl if mixing and kneading by hand.
- Add sugar, and sprinkle yeast on top. You can let this rest a couple minutes to make sure your yeast is happy before proceeding.
- Stir in egg, pumpkin purée, sourdough starter, and melted butter until mixture is creamy and combined well.
- Add flour, salt, and pumpkin pie spice and mix or stir in until sticky dough begins to form.
- Add dough hook to mixer and mix on low until a ball is formed, after approximately 10 minutes. Dough ball should be slightly sticky. If kneading by hand, place dough on a well floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes.
- Transfer dough ball to a well greased bowl, cover with a tea towel, and allow to rise until doubled in size for about an hour.
- After dough has doubled in size move to a well floured surface. Flour your rolling pin as well. Roll dough into a rectangle of approximately 14x16 inches.
- Spread soft butter over the dough leaving a margin of about ¼ inch at the far end (short end).
- Mix brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and then sprinkle over the rolled out dough, gently rubbing it into the butter.
- From the shorter side, roll dough as tightly as possible to the end with the ¼ margin and place seam side down.
- You can cut off the ends, so rolled dough is one nice 12-inch log. Make score lines so you know where to cut evenly.
- Ready your 9x13" pan by lining with parchment paper and greasing.
- Using a sharp knife, cut the dough into 1-inch rolls and snugly place rolls in a 3x4 grid down the length of the pan.
- Cover with plastic wrap or tea towel and let raise for half an hour, or put in fridge overnight and bake the next day if you wish.
- If you are baking right away, remove towel and preheat oven to 350°F and place in oven when 30 minute rise is up.
- If you are baking the next day, take rolls out of the fridge and let warm for at least half an hour. Take off plastic wrap. Pre-heat your oven to 350°F while second rise is happening.
- Bake for 20 minutes until rolls are slightly golden brown on the edges and still soft in the middle. Cool for 15 minutes.
- For the cream cheese frosting, mix soft cream cheese, butter, maple syrup, icing sugar and salt in a small bowl until smooth and creamy.
- Spread over rolls and serve.
Notes
- *No brown sugar on hand? Stir ¼ cup molasses into 1 cup granulated sugar.
- If you don't have pumpkin spice on hand, try this: 1 tablespoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ginger, 1 teaspoon nutmeg, ½ teaspoon cloves, ½ teaspoon allspice
Shelly
The printed recipe doesn’t have the sourdough included in the instructions.
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Thanks for letting us know!! It should be included in step 4. We will fix that asap.
Shelly
I did make these yesterday and they were fabulous! My family loved them! Thank you
Rebecca
Um, this is incredible! It has quickly become a family favorite/staple for many events {birthdays, Thanksgiving, and now Christmas!} Wahoo! Thank you for such a great and doable treat! May the Lord bless y'all!
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This is so lovely!
Cassandra
I absolutely love this recipe! Thank you so much! Is there a way to freeze these for the future?
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Yes, you can freeze these after baking.