Pumpkin Shaped Cinnamon Rolls are a fun and easy fall dessert. By tying kitchen string around cinnamon roll dough, you get a cinnamon roll that is shaped like a pumpkin!
» You might also like this fantastic Apple Cinnamon Bread and Pumpkin Shaped Dinner Rolls.
Why You’ll Love It
- Constructing these cinnamon rolls is a breeze, making them a quick and fun treat to make for breakfast or mid-morning snack.
- Serving these pumpkin-shaped cinnamon rolls for a weekend breakfast or brunch treat adds a touch of fun and fall festivity to your morning.
- You don’t have to make the dough yourself. Use Grands Cinnamon Rolls!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Store Bought Cinnamon Rolls – Any brand or size you like. I like to use Pillsbury Grands because they are bigger. The down side is that there are only 5 in a package. If you want to make homemade try this recipe.
- Cream Cheese Frosting – This is included in the can of cinnamon rolls.
- Cinnamon sticks – I break them in half and only use one piece each. If you don’t want to use cinnamon you can make your own stems out of a piece of dough.
- Half and half – Optional. You can use some half and half or milk to thin the packaged frosting to make it drizzleable.
Equipment Needed
- Kitchen string – You should be able to find this at your local store or you can order it here.
- Baking sheet – A small sheet is all you need.
- Parchment paper – For easy cleanup, line your baking sheet with parchment paper.
What Cinnamon Rolls to Use
I’ve used many different brands and sizes of cinnamon rolls with this recipe. They all work, so use any brand that is your favorite. For smaller buns, go with regular Pillsbury cinnamon rolls. They come in a pack of 8 small rolls. For giant fluffy ones, like Cinnabon, buy Grands Cinnamon Rolls. They come in a pack of 5 large rolls.
Make sure to adjust the cooking times depending on which kind/size you buy. Just follow the baking times listed on the package.
Additional Helpful Tips
- You don’t have to pull the string tight as you wrap the roll, just wrap it so there isn’t slack in the string.
- Wrap the string so that the loose edge of the cinnamon roll is tied down. That will help with the pumpkin shape.
- Bake the pumpkins with the knot of string underneath.
- Allow the cinnamon rolls to cool slightly before removing the string and frosting them. If not, the frosting will melt and glaze the cinnamon buns instead of remaining on top.
- You can easily expand this recipe as needed, which I sometimes do. Grands! rolls come in a package of 5, so you could make a small batch using one package or a larger batch with two.
How to Make Pumpkin Shaped Cinnamon Rolls
Step 1: Prepare the Cinnamon Rolls
Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Open the cinnamon rolls and remove the frosting that comes with them. Set it aside to use later.
Cut 5 peices of string to wrap around the rolls. For the Pillsbury Grands cinnamon rolls I used a 3 foot piece of string. That gave me some wiggle room, you can trim off the excess later.
Start by laying the string across the turn the roll and then turn it over, cross the string over each other, turn the roll 90 degrees and wrap the string around the other side.
Turning the roll and wrapping the string until you get 8 even sections. Tie the string in a knot and trim the edges. Turn the rolls over so the knot bakes under the roll.
Step 2: Bake
Bake the cinnamon roll pumpkins according to the directions on the package. For regular sized rolls, it takes about 15-17 minutes. For Grands rolls, it takes about 23-25 minutes. You’ll want to check the bottom of a roll to determine if it’s cooked through. Put them back in for a few minutes, if they are still gummy on the bottom.
Let the rolls cool for a minute or two, then cut the string off of each roll. Carefully pull the string off taking care not to rip the rolls.
Step 3: Stems & Glaze
Cut each cinnamon stick in two with kitchen scissors and push a half into each roll as a stem. Spread the cream cheese frosting over the top of the rolls and serve them hot.
Questions About the Recipe
How can I store these cinnamon rolls?
Although it’s preferable to eat them while they’re fresh, they can be kept in the refrigerator for up to three days if they are sealed in an airtight container. Simply place them in the microwave for a few seconds to reheat. Make sure not to microwave them for long though because they can become soggy.
Can I make these ahead of time?
It’s not really necessary to make these ahead of time because there isn’t a difficult or time consuming process. All you have to do is open the can of cinnamon rolls, pour over the heavy cream, and bake. However, if you did want to make them ahead, you can bake them, then cool them. Wrap with plastic wrap until you want to serve them. They can be heated slightly in the microwave or returned to the oven for a few minutes to heat them up.
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Pumpkin Shaped Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 package Pillsbury cinnamon rolls
- 3 Cinnamon sticks cut in half
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Cut each cinnamon stick in half using kitchen shears, set aside.
- Cut a length of kitchen string long enough to wrap around the cinnamon roll 2 times. Lay the string across the roll, turn the roll over and cross the string over each other, turn the roll and wrap the string around the other side. Turning the roll and wrapping the string until you get 8 even sections. Tie the string in a knot and trim the edges. Turn the rolls over so the knot bakes under the roll.
- Bake for 23-27 minutes until golden brown and cooked through, according to the package instructions.
- Let cool for a few minutes then cut the strings and carefully remove them. Pull slowly so you don’t rip the roll.
- Top with the frosting provided and push a cinnamon stick half in the center as the pumpkin stem.
Equipment Needed
- Kitchen string
- Kitchen scissors
- Parchment paper
Notes
- You don’t have to pull the string tight as you wrap the roll, just wrap it so there isn’t slack in the string.
- Try and wrap the string so that the loose edge of the cinnamon roll is tied down. That will help with the pumpkin shape.
- Allow the cinnamon roll to cool slightly before removing the string and frosting them.
- Bake the roll with the knot underneath.
- You can easily double to triple this recipe.
Nutrition
Angela’s passion for discovering and experimenting with new flavors and recipes is at the heart of her culinary philosophy. Residing in a quaint Oregon town, she finds joy and inspiration in her kitchen. Angela has a lot of expertise in cooking and she eagerly shares her discoveries and unique creations with you.