This is how to make an easy Thanksgiving cinnamon rolls recipe with pumpkin puree only takes 30 minutes to rise, made homemade from scratch. If you loved our Thanksgiving Pancakes from Scratch, this too is an easy to make for a holiday breakfast kids love.
Self rising flour cinnamon rolls for Thanksgiving morning is just something we have made for years and years. We don’t cook from scratch very often but it has become a tradition and with these it has a quick rise time so they are more simple than other recipes out there. (affiliate links present)
Thanksgiving Breakfast Ideas
- Cut fruit is a nice side that will help cut down the sweetness of your other brunch items like;
- You can make bagel bread pudding and serve some strawberries on top when done
- Eggs and bacon are always a winner
- Pancakes are cheap to make and you can create a bar of toppings to make it more fun for guests
- Bake a sheet pan full of hash browns for everyone to share and enjoy with their other items
- Have cereal and milk available for picky children who won’t eat anything else
The filling is what differentiates these from others. Adding Libby’s pumpkin puree means it is Fall! There are other things you can include in this inner layer too though like chopped nuts, dried cranberries, raisins, white chocolate chips, the list goes on and on so use your imagination as far as that goes.
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30 Minute Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls Recipe
This is how long it will take to rise, about 45 total to make the dough and everything. I have used this same “sauce” on top of our Breakfast Bread Pudding to make it a bit sweeter but it is optional of course. That can be adjusted to be less or more sweet depending on your preference and items such as chopped dried fruits or chocolate chips could be added on top of that for a garnish.
Cinnamon Rolls with Self Rising Flour Ingredients
- Milk whole is best so the end result is more moist
- Active dry yeast will help them to rise but needs to be activated with warm liquid
- Self rising flour, not all purpose this go around – this is how to make self rising yourself
- Cinnamon is a great Fall add in
- Nutmeg flavor is synonymous with this time of year
- 2 eggs should be left out while oven is preheating
- Pumpkin puree out of the can will work
- Brown sugar will give dough a deeper sweetness
- Sugar is needed too for this treat
- Melted butter to make the buttery pastry
Cinnamon Roll Frosting Ingredients
- Cream cheese should be softened, half a block will do
- Powdered sugar or sometimes called confectioners sugar
- Pumpkin out of the can is included on the top as well as inside
- Milk, more or less depending on thickness desired
How to add more flavor to cinnamon rolls?
It is all about the filling I say, we use puree of pumpkin in this case but others would work too. Think apple butter, regular butter with a sprinkle of semi-sweet chips, peanut butter and jelly, you could keep going on and on. As far as flavoring the dough itself, use different sweet seasonings like pumpkin pie spice with your nutmeg etc.
Can you make Thanksgiving Cinnamon Rolls dairy free?
Yes of course. Whether you are baking side dishes like our Corn Bread Pudding Recipe for this special day or these sweets you can always alter ingredients for dietary needs. Dairy-free is usually simple to do as stores nowadays have lots of lactose free options for almost everything needed. You can even find vegan plant based butter from Country Crock that is remarkably similar to “regular”.
What to serve this with
You will likely want some protein to pair with this. I would suggest making our Tortilla Egg Bake, adding bacon bits into that filling is great too.
You can do this with homemade or make canned refrigerated cinnamon roll turkeys, you just need a few items to make them look this way for the holidays.
1. Bake rolls as directed, frost tops
2. Cook crispy bacon so it is firm and straight, break in half when cooled and hardened
3. Slide 4 halved bacon slices in near the end of the roll so they are standing up like feathers
4. Use 1 candy corn for the beak on the top near the bottom
5. Brown M&Ms or candy eyes go above that for eyeballs
6. Slide 4-6 straight pretzel sticks on the bottom for the feet and enjoy!
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Thanksgiving Cinnamon Rolls
Equipment
- 2 bowls
- 1 9×9 pan or 9×13 if you want 18 vs 12
Ingredients
- 1 c milk whole is best
- 1 tbsp active dry yeast
- 2 c self rising flour
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp nutmeg
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 c pumpkin puree
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 1 stick butter melted
Cinnamon Roll Frosting
- 4 oz cream cheese
- 1/4 c powdered sugar
- 1/4 c pumpkin puree
- 1-2 tbsp milk depending on thickness desired
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 320 F. Warm up milk (don’t make it to hot just lukewarm) mix it with dry yeast and granulated sugar until dissolved. Leave it in a warm place to proof for about 10 minutes. Then add melted butter and eggs, stir gently with a whisk until smooth.
- Add gradually the flour to the batter, until it forms dough consistency. Dust the table with flour and kneed the dough for about 2-3 minutes. Put it back in the bowl, cover with a thick towel or two and leave it raise in a warm place (or can put into oven covered with a dishtowel with the light on in colder temps) for at least 30 minutes so it can almost double in size.
- When dough is ready. Use your lightly floured area again to roll it out with a rolling pin making a rectangular flat shape. Spread pumpkin puree evenly onto it. Mix sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a small bowl, sprinkle it over the rolled dough. Roll the dough to form a log. Cut it into a 1 inch thick rolls.
- Line a parchment paper onto a 13 x 9 inch pan for 18 rolls or 9×9 for 12 thicker rolls and place the cut rolls onto it. Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown and toothpick in center comes out clean.
- Cinnamon roll frosting – In a small bowl whisk cream cheese, powdered sugar, and pumpkin puree, add powdered sugar and continue mixing until smooth. If consistency is too thick 1 tbsp of water can be added. Pour the mixture evenly onto a freshly baked roll. Leave it to set for 5-10 minutes. Serve with a pinch of cinnamon on top!
Awesome looking cinnamon rolls. I was looking for something to make my brother & sister-in-law when they come in October to visit. These will fill the bill. Thanks for all your great recipes.