You might be like Nutella and Pumpkin in a… whaaaa?!! In a cinnamon roll?

Of course. How rad is that!? They might sound like a mouthful, but they are just as easy as any other homemade cinnamon roll… only like 78 times better.

You make the dough.

You let it rise.

You make the filling. You roll out the dough and smear the buttery Nutella goodness and generously sprinkle the spiced brown sugar mixture over top, and a handful of chopped pecans.

You roll it up and cut them evenly into cinnamon rolls. You place them, in a greased (with butter) 9 X 13 baking dish, so they are close to each other but not too snug.

You let them sit out to rise again, covered with a towel, for about 30 minutes.

You pop them in the oven for 35-40 minutes. Let them sit out for a couple of minutes before covering them in the pumpkin cream cheese frosting and extra pecan pieces. Oh yeah!

Consume, preferably while still piping hot, because somehow they are the best like that.  And if//when you burn your mouth, you will know it was for a good cause.

Check that off your bucket list. Now, you can say that you’ve done it all.

Treat yourselves to these delectable cinnamon rolls this weekend! We are headed to beautiful San Francisco for the FoodBuzz Festival and can’t wait to come back completely stuffed with good food and ready to share our adventures!

Nutella Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

{with Pumpkin Cream Cheese Frosting and Pecans}

Print Recipe!

Makes 18-20 rolls


Adapted from: King Arthur’s Flour

Pumpkin Dough:

1/4 cup warm water (about 100 degrees)

2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast or 1 packet

1/3 cup warm milk (about 100 degrees)

1 egg, beaten

3/4 cup canned pumpkin puree

1 Tbsp melted butter

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

½ tsp vanilla

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour

1/2 tsp salt

½ tsp cinnamon

½ tsp pumpkin pie spice

Filling:

6 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

½ cup Nutella

2 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 cup brown sugar (loosely packed)
½ cup pecans, chopped, plus more for topping garnish

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Frosting
:

4 oz cream cheese (light cream cheese)

1 tsp vanilla

3 Tbsp canned pumpkin purée

1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 1/2 Tbsp pure maple syrup

1 tsp water

4 1/2 Tbsp powdered sugar (or more to taste)

Directions: 

In the stand mixing bowl pour the warm water in and sprinkle the yeast on top. Let the yeast stand for about 5 minutes while the yeast proofs and slightly foams.

On medium speed, fitted with the dough hook attachment, add the milk, egg, pumpkin puree, melted butter, vanilla and brown sugar and stir until combined.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flours, salt, ½ tsp cinnamon and ½ tsp pumpkin pie spice. On a low speed, gradually add the dry to the wet mixture, scraping down the sides of bowl, as needed. Let the stand mixer knead the dough for another minute or so.

Lift the ball of dough to spray cooking spray on the bottom of the bowl. Also, spray on the top of the dough. Cover with a towel and place in a warm spot until about doubled in size, about 1- ½ hours. 

For the filling, in a small glass bowl, melt the butter and let it cool slightly. Add the Nutella and mix well. In another small bowl, mix the brown sugar and spices together. Chop the pecans and set aside.

When the dough is finished rising, transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface. Cut the dough in half. Working with one half at a time, roll the dough into a rectangle, about ¼ inch thick, or just a tad thinner. Spread the Nutella mixture all over the dough, leaving about ¾ inch margin around the edges. Sprinkle half of the sugar and spice mixture, evenly. Sprinkle ½ of the chopped pecans.

Starting with the long edge, roll the dough and then pinch the seam/edge into the roll to seal. Cut crosswise into 1 ½ inch-2 inch pieces.

Do the same thing with the other half of the dough, placing the slices into a greased 9×13 baking dish.

*Little Yellow Note: If you are making these for the next morning, cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge overnight. When you are ready to make them in the morning, remove them from the fridge and let them sit out for about an hour, covered with a clean towel to allow them to rise again. Bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes at 350 degrees F.

Cover the cinnamon rolls with a clean kitchen towel and let them sit a warm spot until rolls are nearly double in size, about 30 minutes.

Place in a pre-heated oven and bake for 30-40 minutes at 350 degrees F.

Meanwhile, when the rolls are baking, make the pumpkin frosting. In a mixing bowl (using the paddle attachment of a stand mixer), add the cream cheese, vanilla, pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice and mix on medium-high speed, for about 1 minute, until the mixture is smooth and completely combined. You might have to scrape down the sides, as needed. Add the pure maple syrup and mix. Then, add the powdered sugar gradually, on a medium-low speed, until it is all combined, tasting and adding in more sugar if desired. You can make this ahead of time and keep it in the fridge. Just allow it to sit out at room temperature, 30 minutes prior to use, so that it is easy to drizzle.

When the rolls are ready (sometimes it is nice to slightly undercook them so that the middles are filled with dough goodness), let them sit out for a couple minutes before adding the frosting and serving.

Enjoy, seriously.

From the Little Yellow Kitchen,

Chrissy