Recipe: Brown Butter Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

As you can imagine I keep a long list of bookmarked recipes. There’s nothing better than having a few free hours on the weekend to make whatever I want with a long list of possibilities in my collection. I had some extra pumpkin left over from my pumpkin shopping spree and had the perfect recipe inspiration: Smitten Kitchen’s Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls. I changed the recipe a bunch and this is what I came up with. These cinnamon rolls are an excellent seasonal treat and I hope you try these!

Domestocrat’s Brown Butter Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
6 tbsp. brown butter
3.5 cups AP flour
1/2 cup warm water
2.5 tsp. yeast (I use SAF Red Instant Yeast)
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp. greek yogurt
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
2 tsp. cinnamon (I use King Arthur’s Vietnamese cinnamon)
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1 can pumpkin puree

For cinnamon filling:
3/4 cup brown sugar
4 tbsp. butter
2 tsp. cinnamon

For glaze:
2 tbsp. confectioner’s sugar
1 tbsp. almond milk (any milk will do here)

Start by making the brown butter. Brown butter is, literally, butter that has been browned like you would brown meat or vegetables. By browning it, the butter releases all of its’ water, the flavor intensifies, and the milk solids toast to perfection. The first step is to melt the butter over low heat in a saucepot. After a few minutes it will begin to foam. As the foam dies down (which is the water cooking out), the melted butter will turn a pale gold and almost look clear (at this point it’s technically clarified butter). This is when the milk solids begin to brown. Stir often and do not take your eyes off the pot! The brown butter is done when the brown bits are a deep brown color (the color of milk chocolate). Set the brown butter aside to cool for at least 15-20 minutes. Browning the butter first adds such a great depth of flavor to these cinnamon rolls. You can skip it and add the butter as is, but I wouldn’t.

While the brown butter is cooling, begin to make the cinnamon roll dough.

In a large bowl or stand mixer bowl, mix the dry ingredients together, stir in the pumpkin, and then add the wet ingredients including the cooled brown butter.

Put the dough in a large greased bowl to rise. Cover with plastic wrap and keep in a warm place for up to 4 hours.

When the dough has doubled in size, it’s time to make the rolls! On a floured surface, roll the dough out into a large rectangular shape.

Quickly make the filling – mix together the brown sugar, melted butter, and cinnamon.

Spread the filling out on to half of the rolled out dough.

Roll the dough up into a tight roll and crimp the ends.

Gently slice into 1″ pieces and place the rolls in a parchment paper lined baking dish. At this point I covered the rolls with plastic wrap and left in the fridge overnight.

The next morning take the rolls out of the fridge and let them come to room temperature on the counter for 1-2 hours. Bake for 20-25 minutes on 350 degrees until the tops are golden brown.

As the cinnamon rolls cool, make the glaze. Brush the glaze on top of the rolls. This will add an extra layer of sweetness but also will keep the rolls moist.