These cinnamon rolls are baked right in the Instant Pot for delicious, sweet and savory rolls the whole family will love – with no proofing in under 45 minutes!

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At Sweet C’s, I add lots of tips in all of my recipes – because I am a home cook without any formal training, and I find I am more confident making dishes when I understand why it works, and what each ingredient means to the flavor of a recipe – my goal is for even the most beginner home cook to feel empowered in the kitchen.

I want each reader to walk away with a solid knowledge of each recipe, with all of the tips I’ve gathered from extensive testing of each recipe. I also answer questions my friends and family have asked about my recipes, to help everyone better understand the processes we use – and why!

Quick, Sweet, and Spicy Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

Is there anything better on crisp fall mornings than a big cup of coffee, dose of cinnamon, and delicious pumpkin loaded flavor?

These cinnamon rolls are an easy, quick pumpkin treat that take less than an hour – with no proofing or kneading needed – and they cook right in an Instant Pot, so you don’t need to worry about heating up your whole house if you’re craving a pumpkin kick, but it’s not quite fall just yet.

To Make These Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls, You’ll Need:

Ingredients:

• Pillsbury crescent dough sheet – using premade dough will save you a lot of time and hassle. When you are making these early in the morning you don’t want to have to worry about the hassle of making and proofing dough, pre-made pillsbury dough is the way to go. 
• Pumpkin puree – you can use either canned or fresh pumpkin puree, this is going to give the cinnamon rolls that fall flavor and savory touch that pumpkin brings to the table. 
• Brown sugar – brown sugar has molasses in it which makes it perfect for a more spicy filling that will have a pop plus it gives the roll filling that nice dark filling color and consistency. 
• Cinnamon – cinnamon is a must for “cinnamon rolls.” I recommend buying high quality cinnamon. The slight increase in price will pay off in a more intense spicy flavor for this and other recipes.
• Pumpkin pie spice – pumpkin pie seasoning is basically a combination of cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and allspice. If you don’t have pumpkin pie seasoning you can sub with a mixture of those spices just use more cinnamon and ginger than the other ingredients. 
• Salted Butter – butter will give the cinnamon buns the fat the filling needs to bring the spices and sugar together. We are using salted butter in this recipe because we aren’t going to add salt to the filling. If you only have unsalted butter just add about ½ tsp of salt to the filling. 
• Maple extract – maple extract can usually be found near vanilla extra in large retail stores. It is often a seasonal fall item so grab an extra bottle in the fall if you want to make these a different time of year. This will give the filling a savory maple syrup sweetness and dark flavor. 
• Salted Butter – We will be using more salted butter for the frosting, make sure your butter is at room temperature so you can mix it easily and quickly with an electric mixer. When making frosting we are using butter to add fat, flavor, and create a smooth texture. 
• Powdered sugar – powdered sugar is super fine in texture which will make a smooth frosting and add intense sweetness. You want a sweet frosting to contrast with the savory, spicy filling in the cinnamon rolls. 
• Cream cheese – cream cheese will add an additional fat and therefore flavor and richness to the frosting as well as a tang and create a thicker icing. 
• Whole milk – you will want to use milk as needed to thin the icing to your liking. The whole milk should balance out the thickness of the cream cheese a bit.

Equipment Notes

While these cinnamon rolls are super easy thanks to a trusty Instant Pot, there are a couple things that help make this dish easier to prepare. I’m including them in my buying guide below.

• Instant Pot – If you don’t already have an Instant Pot, I strongly suggest buying an Instant Pot model with the crisping lid and air fryer capabilities… so you can make easy air fryer favorites like Air Fryer French Fries! I recommend this model.
• Nonstick Cutting Tool – When baking a lot its super helpful to have a nonstick cutting tool, I recommend this one.
• IP Nonstick Pot – A nonstick Instant Pot pan to cook cinnamon rolls in is essential for this recipe – to save tons of time and frustration with the cleanup to a minimal later. I recommend this one.
• Measuring Spoons – to buy the copper measuring spoons pictured you can click here.
• Smooth Cutting Board or Pastry Prep Mat – These two are essentials for those who love to bake. Click here for my favorite smooth cutting board and here for my favorite pastry prep mat.

How To Make Pumpkin Instant Pot Cinnamon Rolls

Once you’ve gathered your ingredients, we will use the following method:

Step 1 – Flour a cutting board and open the pillsbury crescent roll sheet and lay it out flat. If it has predetermined cuts in it (for crescent rolls) pinch them together to make one big sheet.

Step 2 – In a bowl mix the pumpkin puree, cinnamon, pumpkin spice, and maple extract well. See the pictures below of what it should look like.

Step 3 – Spread the mixture out evenly on top of the dough and tightly roll the dough starting on the short side of the dough rectangle. 

Step 4 – Cut the dough into 8 even pieces. Spray a pan and place the cinnamon rolls inside. Set a paper towel over the rolls, cover it with foil, and place it onto the instant pot trivet.

Step 5 – Add the water to the Instant Pot and lower the trivet into it. Seal and set the pot on high pressure for 30 minutes. Allow natural release for 10 minutes before doing the quick release to let the rest of the steam out.

Step 6 – Mix the frosting ingredients together with an electric mixer in a small bowl until smooth. 

Step 7 – Be careful removing the pumpkin cinnamon rolls from the Instant Pot. Spread the frosting on top of the warm rolls and enjoy them warm!

Tips and Tricks for Baking with Instant Pot

Tip 1 – Make sure you spray the pan well. It’s important to spray the pan well with nonstick spray if you want the rolls to come out easily.

Tip 2 – Don’t worry too much about the shape of the cinnamon rolls. They will look a bit anemic when you put them into the instant pot but will soon get puffy, big, and look picture-perfect.

Tip 3 – Cover with paper towels and foil. Cover cinnamon rolls with a paper towel in the pan, and then cover pan with foil. This will keep moisture needed to seal the Instant Pot from making the cinnamon rolls soggy.

Tip 4 – What to do if they come out undercooked. We tested this recipe to be sure it didn’t come out undercooked – but if your rolls do come out a bit undercooked, add back to Instant Pot, seal, and cook for additional 5 minutes.

FAQs

How can I keep the frosting thick? If you want the frosting to stay thick wait to frost the pumpkin cinnamon rolls until they are cooled.

How can I store the leftover pumpkin cinnamon rolls? If you have leftovers, you can store them in an airtight container for up to 4 days. While these cinnamon rolls can be frozen and thawed overnight in the refrigerator, they are much better freshly made – freezing can dry out dough and make the icing watery while thawing.

Other Delicious Pumpkin Recipes

To try some oof our other favorite pumpkin recipes, be sure to check out the following easy baked recipes:

Instant Pot Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls Recipe

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