Name: Pumpkin Roll Gooey Buns
Prep time: 120 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 145 min
Ingredients: ¾ c milk; ¼ c vegetable or canola oil; ¼ c sugar; 1 ⅛ tsp active dry yeast; 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice; 1 tsp ground cinnamon; ½ c pumpkin puree; 2-4 c all purpose flour; ¼ tsp baking soda; ½ tsp baking powder; ¼ tsp salt; 8 oz cream cheese (softened to room temp); ⅓ c plain greek yogurt (or sour cream); ¼ c sugar; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 6 tbsp butter; 6 tbsp light or dark brown sugar; ¼ c chopped or whole pecans; ¼ tsp pumpkin pie spice

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I don’t know about you, but I am a huge fan of cinnamon rolls. They are gooey, sweet and perfect for a holiday brunch, or any time you want to add a little something special to breakfast. In the spirit of fall, I decided to combine some of my favorite goodies (pumpkin rolls and cinnamon buns) into one! Grab some coffee and your handy dandy mixer and let’s make some pumpkin roll gooey buns! *This post contains affiliate links*

All About Pumpkin

I stocked up on cans of pumpkin puree this year because it became quite difficult to find last fall. You simply cannot get through the season (or Thanksgiving for that matter) without pumpkin! At least, I can’t. 😊 But of course, then I am left trying to figure out what to do with all of it. No worries though, it won’t go to waste in this house.

Let’s take a moment to remember that pumpkin puree is not the same thing as pumpkin pie filling. They are found together at the store and look quite similar. So similar that my store swapped them out once in my order (see what I did with it here). If you are whipping up a pie and want it to be easy peasey, then pie filling is what you want. But, if you are wanting to incorporate the pumpkin into a dish and add your own level of spice and sweetness, then you need plain old pumpkin puree.

Pumpkin Gooey Buns

Pumpkin puree is really awesome stuff. It is wonderful in oatmeal, pancakes, waffles, smoothies, cookies, pumpkin butter and the list goes on. But today, it is making its debut in some pumpkin gooey buns. They are tender and sweet, and yes, quite gooey.

Let’s get started on the rolls themselves. If you have never made a yeast bread or roll, don’t be scared. I used to be intimidated by the idea of using yeast, but I soon realized that it could not be easier. In fact, after making this recipe, you might just find yourself switching to homemade yeast breads too!

Making Dough

The dough is super simple to put together. You will first want to activate your yeast. This usually involves adding the yeast to a bowl with a warm liquid (105-110 degrees F) and allowing it to sit for about five minutes. You can also add your sugar to feed the yeast and help wake it up. I prefer to use rapid rise, but any active dry yeast will work here.

For this recipe, we are using warm milk. Simply put the milk into a microwave safe measuring cup and heat until it has reached the needed temperature. You can use a candy thermometer to get it just right. Then, add the yeast, milk, oil and sugar to a mixing bowl and give it a gentle stir. Wait five minutes before proceeding. You will know that the yeast is good and is activated if you see bubbles.

Let The Mixer Do The Work!

Now all that is left to do is to add the remaining ingredients and combine using the dough attachment of your stand mixer. The dough will be sticky, which is fine because you are not going to handle it at this point, but it should still have somewhat of a shape to it. If it is so sticky that it is clinging to the sides of the bowl or the dough hook, add a little more flour until it comes together. You don’t want to overdo the flour because you will be adding more during the rolling process.

Cover your mixing bowl with a clean towel and place it somewhere warm. We are not cooking the dough, we are just giving it a warm place to rise. My oven has a proof setting, so I just place the covered bowl in the oven (the towel is fine because the temp is very low) and let it rise for an hour. Wherever you place it, the dough should be doubled in size by the end of the rising time.

Cinnamon Rolls and Pumpkin Rolls

Towards the end of the rise time, you can get started on your cream cheese filling. This is where the nod to pumpkin roll comes in. Pumpkin roll is one of my favorite Thanksgiving desserts, but truth be told, I loathe making them. Why? Well, the rolling process can be somewhat unforgiving and they just never turn out as pretty as I would like.

So, let’s turn our pumpkin gooey buns into little pumpkin rolls! They are much easier to work with, and it doesn’t matter if you don’t end up with a perfect roll in the end because you are going to cut it anyway. And I have never known anyone to turn down a cinnamon roll because it wasn’t perfectly round.

Filling

The filling is simple, just cream cheese, sour cream (or greek yogurt), sugar and vanilla. I personally prefer Greek yogurt because its tangy flavor cuts back on some of the sweetness. It is also something I usually have on hand. Since your stand mixer bowl is probably hanging out in the oven or wherever you placed it, you can just use a large mixing bowl and hand mixer for this. Make sure you are starting with room temperature cream cheese so that it will blend together smoothly. Combine all your ingredients and set aside (or in fridge).

Back To The Dough

Now it is time to revisit our delicious pumpkin dough. Grab your dough and turn it out on a well floured surface. You can also flour the rolling pin and even your hands to ensure that it doesn’t stick. Roll it out into a rectangle about 10×14 inches. No need to be perfect here, it is more important that the thickness is uniform throughout. Once it is rolled out, spread your cream cheese mixture over the top, leaving about an inch or so around the edges.

Starting on the longer side, slowly roll the dough over the cream cheese mixture, just as you would a pumpkin roll. Using a sharp serrated knife, slice the rolled dough into about 1 ½ inch thick slices (or 8-10 rolls). Now let’s get the gooey going for our pumpkin gooey rolls.

Get Gooey

In a small saucepan, combine brown sugar and butter. Stir over medium heat until well combined and smooth. It will sort of look like a caramel sauce when it is done. Pour the sauce into a round 9 inch cake pan or square baking dish. After pouring the hot mixture into the pan, sprinkle with pecans.

Add the sliced rolls, face down into the gooey bath. It is ok if they are touching. In fact, they might even be a little squished, but that has never affected baking or taste. Place them in the oven and bake for about 20-25 minutes or until they are slightly browned and bubbly. A word to the wise, you might want to place a pan on the rack below, just in case some of the liquid bubbles out. Don’t ask how I know.

Time To Eat!

Once they have baked, turn them out onto a cutting board or serving platter and enjoy them hot! They are also just as good at room temperature. Ready for your own pumpkin gooey buns? What are you waiting for? Grab a can of pumpkin and get baking!

Looking for more great eats?

Stuffed Pumpkin Cupcakes

Pumpkin Rice Pudding

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Harvest Apple Cookies

Caramel Apple Cupcakes