Super Easy Pumpkin Filled Cinnamon Rolls

Cinnamon Rolls in 30 minutes? Yep, it's totally possible thanks to this convenient short cut - Pillsbury Crescent Roll Dough Sheets!

While I'm a firm believer in baking from scratch, there are times when you just don't have the time or energy. It's times like that when it's totally fine to take a short-cut now and then.

 

These crescent sheets are perfect for making regular cinnamon rolls, but this weekend, I decided to give them a Fall flavor makeover by adding pumpkin puree to the filling! This simple addition gave the cinnamon rolls a subtle pumpkin flavor without being too overwhelming.

Super Easy Pumpkin Filled Cinnamon Rolls w/Maple Cinnamon Glaze
Serves 3-4
Makes 8 small size rolls
Recipe adapted from Diethood

Roll Ingredients:
1 tube of Pillsbury Crescent Dough Sheets
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 tablespoon milk
2 1/2 tablespoons golden or light brown sugar
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
dash of ground nutmeg

Glaze Ingredients:
1 cup powdered sugar
dash of vanilla extract
dash of cinnamon
pinch of salt
1/2 tablespoon real maple syrup
a few tablespoons of milk or half & half


Preheat oven to 375f

Line an 8" baking pan with parchment paper or spray with nonstick spray

Combine the pumpkin puree, brown sugar, milk, cinnamon and nutmeg in a small bowl

Unroll the crescent sheets onto a cutting board.

Spread the softened butter into an even layer leaving a small 1/2" border on the long/wide end that is farthest from you. Spread the pumpkin mixture over the butter in an even layer leaving the same 1/2" border.

Starting with the long end that is closest to you, roll the dough towards the other end rolling as tight as possible without causing the filling to ooze out of the ends.

Using your hands, shape the log so that it is smooth and evenly shaped, gently pressing in the ends if needed.

Cut into 8 rolls. Note: you'll have a blank spot in your baking pan which is totally fine.

Place the rolls in the baking pan (I had 2 rows of 3 and 1 row of 2) and bake at 375f for approximately 18 minutes or until lightly golden brown and done.

Remove from oven and place the pan on a wire cooling rack to cool for a few minutes.

While the rolls are cooling, make the glaze - place the powdered sugar in a med size bowl, add the cinnamon, vanilla, salt and maple syrup. Stir to combine. Add a tablespoon of the milk/half & half and stir well to combine. Add additional milk a little at a time, stirring after each addition, until you reach your desired consistency. The glaze should be thick but should be able to drizzle with a fork or spoon.

Drizzle over the slightly warm rolls. Note: you want the rolls to be warm when you apply the glaze but not too hot or your glaze will melt into the rolls

Serve warm or room temp & enjoy!

Store leftovers - what leftovers? I guarantee there won't be any! But if there are, store at room temp in an air tight container for one day.

Simply Cinn-full Cinnamon Rolls with Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Glaze

The concept of "springing forward" every year is great; you gain an extra hour of sunlight (yay!) but losing an hour of sleep hurts. Somehow these cinnamon rolls made it all better.

 

 Normally Cinnamon Rolls take hours to make, require hours of rising time and advance planning otherwise you're enjoying them just in time for lunch! This recipe only requires 30 minutes to rise thanks to the rapid rise yeast and they still produce, light, tender, delicious rolls.

 

Next time you're craving homemade cinnamon rolls and don't have 4 hours to spare, try this simple recipe.

 

 

 

Simply Cinn-full Cinnamon Rolls w/Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Glaze

Makes One Dozen amazingly delicious rolls

 

Ingredients:

 

1 cup milk (I used low-fat)

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes

3 1/4 - 3/12 cups all purpose flour

1  .25 oz package rapid rise yeast

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup brown sugar (I used a combination of light & dark)

1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

 

Glaze Ingredients:

4 oz cream cheese, softened

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

2 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (vanilla extract is fine too)

a splash of heavy cream

 

 

Directions:

 

Make the dough

 

Place the milk and cubed butter in a microwave safe bowl and heat in the microwave for 1 minute and 30 seconds. Remove from microwave and stir to melt the butter. Allow to sit at room temperature until barely lukewarm.

 

In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the 2 cups of flour, sugar, yeast and salt. Mix to combine.

 

Add the milk/butter mixture that is now barely warm and the egg. Mix until well combined.

 

Remove the paddle attachment and switch to the dough hook.

 

Add the remaining 1 1/4 cups of flour. Mix until combined. The dough should come away from the sides of the bowl and just stick to the bottom. If dough looks too sticky, add the remaining 1/4 cup flour and mix.

 

 

 

Continue to mix/knead the dough for 5 minutes. Dough should feel smooth and slightly tacky.

 

 

 

Remove to a well floured surface and rest for 15 minutes.

 

 

 

 

While the dough is resting, make your filling.

 

 

Make the filling

 

In a medium size bowl, combine the well softened butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. Mix well to combine. My filling was a little difficult to spread because my butter wasn't softened enough. Make sure your butter is super soft, almost slightly melted. For the brown sugar, I used a mixture of both light and dark brown sugar (or Golden Brown Sugar would work).I've found that the flavor using only light brown sugar is too subtle and all Dark Brown sugar is too strong. A mixture of both (or using Golden Brown Sugar if you can find it) is just right.

 

 

 

 

Assemble the rolls

 

Flour your rolling pin and roll the dough to a 12"x14" rectangle.

 

 

 

 

Spread the butter/cinnamon/sugar mixture over the surface of the dough leaving a small area uncovered along the upper edge of the dough.

 

 

 

Starting with the side closest to you, roll the dough into a log making sure to roll tightly. Position the seam underneath.

 

Cut the log evenly into 12 slices. Use a sharp serrated knife, a sharp bench scraper or dental floss. Some people swear by the dental floss method for nicely cut rolls, but Im usually too lazy to go upstairs to get dental floss so I haven't tried this method yet.

 

 

 

 

 

Place the rolls into a 13x9" glass pan sprayed with nonstick spray or well coated with butter.

 

Cover loosely with a light kitchen towel and allow to rise for 30 minutes in a warm, draft free spot. My house wasn't very warm, so I preheated my oven to 250 degrees then turned it off. Then I placed the rolls in the warm oven to proof.

 

 

 

After the rolls have risen for 30 minutes, bake in a 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned and the centers are done.

 

 

 

While the rolls are baking, make the glaze:

 

 

In a large bowl, cream the cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar and vanilla bean paste with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy (approx 2 minutes). Adjust consistency if needed by adding more powdered sugar if needed. Add a splash of heavy cream, and mix to combine. I like adding a splash of heavy cream to my glaze for creaminess and extra richness. If you don't have vanilla bean paste, you can use a combination of vanilla extra and vanilla bean seeds, or just plain old vanilla extract is fine, you just won't have those beautiful vanilla bean seeds running through your glaze.

 

 

 

Remove the rolls from the oven when they are lightly browned and the centers are done. Allow to cool for a few minutes then slather with the glaze. Serve warm with a nice cup of coffee.

 

 

 

 

Enjoy!!