Getting ready to bake these pumpkin cinnamon rolls is an adventure that rewards your efforts with soft, sweet bites full of flavor. Start by warming the milk and butter together until just lukewarm, then in a separate bowl, whisk the pumpkin purée, granulated sugar, nutmeg, and salt. Add the milk-butter mixture, the egg, and the yeast; stir to combine before incorporating 1 cup of the flour, then add the remaining flour.

Knead the dough by hand or with a mixer for about 5 minutes until it’s soft, slightly tacky, and pulls away from the bowl sides. Once done, lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough inside, cover it, and let it rise in a warm spot for roughly 2 hours, or until doubled in size. This first rise is key to achieving that fluffy texture everyone loves.

1-Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan and turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface, rolling it into a 10×14-inch rectangle.

2-Spread the softened butter evenly over the dough, then sprinkle the brown-sugar and spice mixture uniformly.

3-Starting from the long edge, roll the dough tightly into a log and cut it into 10-12 equal pieces, placing them upright in the prepared pan.

4-Cover the rolls and let them rise for about 1 hour, or until noticeably puffed.

5-Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and bake the rolls for 22-28 minutes; after the first 15 minutes, loosely cover the pan with foil to prevent over-browning.

6-Finally, beat together the softened cream cheese, maple syrup, milk, and confectioners’ sugar to make the icing, then drizzle or spread it over the top while the rolls are warm.