Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls Recipe [Lower Calorie & Vegan]

Holla, if you love pumpkins? I know you do! Does fall love get any better than pumpkins? As for me, I love nothing more than a giant pile of pumpkins displayed. OK, so I might be a little pumpkin crazy, but I know I’m not alone.

Look at our pumpkin plant! It started out as two teeny tiny plants that we planted on a weed covered hill in our yard. Now I’m envisioning a hill-side pumpkin patch in the future 😉

I have two suggestions for the Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll recipe that I’m excited to share:

1. Make them for your family on a quiet weekend morning while you leisure around in your robe and thick cozy socks, or…

2. Get a group of your girlfriends (or guy friends) together for coffee while the kids are in school and make them a batch of these fall cinnamon rolls. Is there any better way to give your friends some love than baking them a homemade treat with heart?

These cinnamon rolls are delicious and indulgent. The pumpkin dough, with a touch of spiced sugar in the middle, topped off with creamy frosting loaded with flecks of vanilla bean, is so tasty and delightful. On the plus side these cinnamon rolls are lower in calories than your traditional cinnamon roll, giving you the best of both worlds – a wonderful treat without sending you completely over the edge.

Please enjoy each and every bite!

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

Yields: 6 pumpkin cinnamon rolls

Ingredients:

Dough:

• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• ½ tsp. baking soda
• ¼ tsp. salt
• 2 Tbsp. vegan butter spread, room temperature, plus more for greasing pan (I used Earth Balance Organic Whipped Buttery Spread)
• ¼ cup Almond milk
• ½ tsp. apple cider vinegar
• ¼ cup + 2 Tbsp. pumpkin puree

Filling:

• 1 Tbsp. vegan butter spread, melted
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 1 ½ Tbsp. pumpkin pie spice

Frosting:

• ½ cup powdered sugar
• 1 Tbsp. vegan butter spread, room temperature
• Seeds from 1 vanilla bean
• 1 ½ tsp. almond milk, plus more if needed to reach desired consistency

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Line a cake pan with parchment paper, grease paper and pan with vegan butter spread to prevent sticking.

In a medium bowl, whisk together dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, blend vegan butter spread, pumpkin puree, almond milk and vinegar until smooth.

Add the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl, half at a time; gently mix until combined being careful not to over mix the dough.

On a generously floured surface (flour the rolling pin too!) roll the dough into a rectangle ¼ inch thick. Cut the edges of the dough with a pastry cutter or knife into fairly straight lines. The approximate size of the rectangle should be 8 inches wide, by 14 inches long, and ¼ inch thickness.

In a small bowl mix together the brown sugar and pumpkin pie spice.

In another small bowl, melt 1 Tbsp. of vegan butter spread, and brush evenly over the top of the dough.

Sprinkle the sugar spice mixture over the dough, leaving a ½ inch border along all sides of the dough.

Starting on a smaller side of the rectangle, the 8 inch side; gently roll the dough into a log. Cut into 6 equal size pieces.

Place cinnamon rolls into the greased cake pan.

Bake for approximately 16 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the vanilla bean frosting. Mix together the powdered sugar and earth balance.

Cut a vanilla bean in half lengthwise. Use a knife to scrap out the seeds of each half, placing the seeds into the mixing bowl. Add 1 tsp. of almond milk and mix until seeds are evenly distributed throughout the frosting. Add ½ tsp. at a time of almond milk until you reach the desired consistency. I like the frosting on the thick side so I only did that one time.

When the pumpkin cinnamon rolls are done baking, spread the frosting evenly over the tops of each roll, and serve.

*Tip: Reheating cinnamon rolls for leftovers takes about 10 seconds in the microwave.

Don’t you want to take a bite of that?

To Print, Email or Text recipe click here.

Sending lots of fall love your way!

Bonus Picture:

Before I leave you for today, I just have to share these copper mugs my husband surprised me with. He saw them on Groupon and knew I would love them. I adore copper. It’s so beautiful! A dream of mine is to start a copper collection on top of my kitchen cabinets.

Have a beautiful fall day, friends!

With love, gratitude & tasty bites,
Wendy Irene