Pumpkin & Dark Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls

How to Make Pumpkin & Dark Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls

1. Activate the Yeast

Dissolve the yeast with 1 teaspoon of sugar in 4 tablespoons of lukewarm water and leave it to stand until foamy. It takes about 5–10 minutes.

2. Make the Dough

In a large bowl, combine 550 grams of plain flour, ½ teaspoon of salt, and 75 grams of caster sugar.

Add the activated yeast, 180 millilitres of lukewarm milk, 150 grams of pumpkin purée, 30 grams of yogurt, 1 egg, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, finely grated zest of ½ orange,  ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon, 75 grams of unsalted butter.

Knead with the dough hook of the mixer for 5–7 minutes (or 8–10 minutes by hand), until a smooth and elastic dough forms.

If it feels unusually firm, add some of the remaining milk a little at a time. The dough should be soft and slightly tacky, but not wet.

3. First Rise

Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover it with a tea towel, and let it rise in a warm place for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

4. Make the Filling

Melt about 60 grams of the dark chocolate gently and allow it to cool slightly.

Beat the softened butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla and salt until creamy. Mix in the melted chocolate.

Finely chop the remaining 40 grams of chocolate.

5. Roll Out the Dough

Transfer the risen dough to a lightly floured surface and roll it out into a 35×45 cm rectangle (approximately 14”×18”).

6. Assemble the Rolls

Spread the chocolate mixture evenly over the dough, leaving a small border around the edges. Scatter over the chopped chocolate and finely chopped toasted hazelnuts.

7. Shape the Rolls

Starting from one of the longer sides, carefully roll the dough into a log shape. Using a sharp knife or unflavoured dental floss, cut the log into 12 individual rolls. Aim for 2.5–3.5 cm (1–1 ½”) thick.

Arrange the sliced rolls in a greased baking dish, leaving some space between them for the second rise. Cover the rolls with a clean kitchen towel and leave them to proof again until the rolls are very puffy and almost touching.

8. Preheat the Oven

While the rolls are resting, preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F) with the rack in the middle position.

9. Add the Milk Drizzle

Just before the rolls go into the oven, gently drizzle the milk over the tops. Lightly coat the tops and let some milk seep between them. Don’t souk or flood.

10. Bake the Rolls

Bake for approximately 25–30 minutes, or until the rolls are lightly golden and cooked through.

Try not to overbake them. They should remain soft and pillowy rather than becoming deeply browned.

11. Make the Glaze.

While the rolls bake, beat the cold Mascarpone with the icing sugar until smooth. Add the pumpkin purée, vanilla, cinnamon and salt.

Add the milk gradually until you have a thick but spreadable glaze.

12. Finish.

Allow the rolls to cool for about 10 minutes.

Spread generously with the pumpkin vanilla Mascarpone glaze, then scatter over the toasted hazelnuts and, if using, a little chopped dark chocolate.

Baker’s Note

Pumpkin purée can vary considerably in moisture, so don’t be tempted to add all the milk at once.

Start with most of the milk and add the remainder only if the dough needs it. The finished dough should be soft, supple and slightly tacky, but it shouldn’t feel wet or impossible to handle.

I also recommend using thick pumpkin purée. If your homemade purée is watery, drain or reduce it before adding it to the dough.

Tips for Soft and Fluffy Pumpkin Rolls

For a smooth bake from start to finish, keep these tips in mind:

Use Thick Pumpkin Purée: Watery purée will make an already soft dough unnecessarily difficult to handle.

Don’t Over-Flour the Dough: Pumpkin dough should feel soft. Adding too much flour will give you heavier rolls.

Toast the Hazelnuts: It takes only a few minutes and makes a surprisingly big difference to their flavour.

Cool the Mascarpone, Soften the Butter: For the filling, beat the very soft butter first, then add the cool Mascarpone if using it elsewhere. For the glaze, keep the Mascarpone cool so it stays thick and creamy.

Don’t Overbake: The rolls should be puffed and lightly golden rather than deeply browned. Pumpkin contributes moisture, but you can still lose that lovely softness by leaving them in the oven too long.

Let Them Cool Briefly Before Glazing: About 10 minutes is enough. You want the glaze to soften over the rolls without completely melting away.

Variations to Try

Pumpkin, Dark Chocolate & Pistachio: Replace the hazelnuts with chopped pistachios, perhaps with a little pistachio paste in the glaze.

Pumpkin, Dark Chocolate & Almond: Use toasted flaked almonds or finely chopped almonds in the filling.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use homemade pumpkin purée?

Absolutely. In fact, homemade purée works beautifully here. Just make sure it is smooth and reasonably thick. Different pumpkins contain different amounts of water, so you may need to adjust the amount of milk in the dough slightly.

Can I make the dough ahead?

Yes. Prepare the dough, cover it well and refrigerate it after kneading. Let it come back towards room temperature before rolling and shaping, then continue with the recipe.

You can also prepare the shaped rolls and refrigerate them overnight. Allow them enough time to become properly puffy before adding the milk and baking.

Can I use milk chocolate?

You can, but I prefer dark chocolate here. The bittersweet flavour gives the rolls more contrast and prevents the pumpkin dough and Mascarpone glaze from becoming overly sweet.

Can I use walnuts instead of hazelnuts?

Yes. Walnuts would work very well. Hazelnuts are my first choice for this particular combination because they bring a slightly deeper, more roasted flavour, but walnuts are an easy substitution.

Do I have to add the orange zest?

No, but I recommend it. You won’t taste a strong orange flavour; it simply adds a little brightness to the pumpkin, chocolate, and cinnamon.

How should I store the rolls?

Because of the Mascarpone glaze, store leftover rolls covered in the refrigerator. Bring them towards room temperature before serving, or warm them very gently if you prefer them soft and slightly warm.

From My Kitchen

There is something particularly satisfying about making cinnamon rolls when the seasons begin to change.

The dough is familiar, but the filling can take it somewhere completely different.

This time, pumpkin went into the dough, dark chocolate replaced the usual cinnamon-sugar centre, and toasted hazelnuts found their way between the layers. The final touch was a pumpkin vanilla Mascarpone glaze. Just enough pumpkin to tie everything together without making the whole thing taste like pumpkin spice.

The result is soft, fragrant and deeply chocolatey, with a little crunch in every bite.

Looking for more sweet roll ideas? Try these next:

Pear & Walnut Cinnamon Rolls

Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls

Apple Cinnamon Rolls

Final Thoughts

These Pumpkin & Dark Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls are soft, golden and full of autumn flavour, but they are not quite the pumpkin-spice bake you might expect.

And that is part of the fun of this series. The dough may be familiar, but there is always another flavour combination waiting to be discovered.

If you make these Pumpkin & Dark Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls, I hope they bring a little warmth to your kitchen and give you a new favourite for the autumn months.