Same-Day Pumpkin Chai Cinnamon Rolls
Updated September 4th, 2026Originally Posted August 5th, 2025
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As the mornings start to cool and the light softens just a little earlier each evening, I find myself craving all things cozy cozy cozy!!!
Yesterday, I spent the morning making my first Pumpkin Chai Cinnamon Rolls of the season and the entire house smelled like the start of fall. This recipe has quickly become one of my favorite fall traditions.
Whether you’re hosting a fall brunch, baking for loved ones, or simply taking your own Sunday morning slow, these cinnamon rolls are the perfect cozy addition to your day!
These smell like the first day of Fall
These pumpkin rolls have the most perfect burnt orange color!
For the glaze, I added a little twist! I opened up one of the spiced chai tea bags and whisked the spices right into the frosting. It added a beautiful speckled texture and gave the glaze an extra depth of flavor that felt so cozy and fall-like. I loved the way it subtly tinted the glaze and added just a touch of warmth. If you want to deepen both the color and flavor even more, you can also add an extra pinch of cinnamon. It brings out the spices in the chai and makes the whole thing taste like a warm hug.
Pumpkin Chai Cinnamon Rolls
Makes 8 large rolls
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Rise Time: 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours 15 minutes
Bake Time: 25–30 minutes
Total Time: About 2½–3 hours
These pumpkin chai cinnamon rolls are everything I want to bake as soon as fall starts. The dough has real pumpkin purée and warm chai spices baked right into it, then gets rolled with a buttery brown sugar chai filling with just a touch of molasses. Before baking, I pour heavy cream over the rolls to make them extra soft and gooey. They're finished with a cream cheese frosting made with chai steeped milk. They are soft, fluffy, warmly spiced, and basically fall in cinnamon roll form.
Ingredients
Pumpkin Dough
¾ cup whole milk, warmed to about 110°F
2¼ teaspoons instant yeast
¼ cup packed brown sugar, divided
1 large egg, room temperature
½ cup pumpkin purée
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon kosher salt
3 cups all purpose flour, plus 1–2 tablespoons more as needed
Cinnamon Chai Filling
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon molasses
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
Pinch of kosher salt
For Baking
¾ cup heavy cream
Chai Cream Cheese Frosting
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 chai tea bags
¼ cup whole milk
Pinch of kosher salt
Instructions
Make the dough. Whisk together the warm milk, yeast, and about 1 tablespoon of the brown sugar. Let sit for 5–10 minutes, until foamy. Add the remaining brown sugar, egg, pumpkin purée, melted butter, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, cloves, and salt. Mix until combined.
Add the flour. Add 3 cups of the flour and mix until a soft dough forms. If the dough is still too sticky, add additional flour about 1 tablespoon at a time. You don't want to add too much. The finished dough should be very soft and slightly tacky, but it shouldn't stick heavily to your hands.
Knead and rise. Knead the dough for 6–8 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Transfer to a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let rise somewhere warm for about 1–1½ hours, or until doubled in size.
Make the filling. Mix the softened butter, brown sugar, molasses, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, cloves, and salt until you have a thick, spreadable paste.
Shape the rolls. Roll the dough into a large rectangle about ¼ inch thick. Spread the chai filling evenly over the dough, leaving a small border around the edges. Starting from a long side, tightly roll the dough into a log. Cut into 8 large rolls and arrange them in a greased 9 × 13 inch baking dish.
Let them rise again. Cover the baking dish and let the rolls rise for 30–45 minutes, or until noticeably puffy and pillowy.
Add the cream and bake. Heat the oven to 350°F. Warm the heavy cream just enough to take the chill off, then slowly pour it around and over the risen rolls. Bake for 15-25 minutes, until lightly golden on top and the centers are cooked through. If the tops begin to brown but the rolls need more time, feel free to cover with some aluminum foil!
Make the chai cream cheese frosting. While the rolls bake, warm the milk and steep the chai tea bags in it for 5–10 minutes. Remove the tea bags and let the chai milk cool completely. Beat the softened butter and cream cheese together until smooth and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, salt, and 1 tablespoon of the chai milk. Beat until creamy, adding another tablespoon of chai milk only if needed to reach your desired consistency.
Frost and serve. Spread the chai cream cheese frosting generously over the cinnamon rolls while they're still slightly warm. Serve warm and enjoy.
A Few Tips
Don't add too much flour. I needed about 3 cups of flour when I made these, with just a tablespoon or so added as needed. The dough is supposed to be very soft and a little tacky. Adding too much flour can make the finished rolls denser.
Pumpkin matters. I use ½ cup pumpkin purée in the dough. It gives the rolls their pumpkin flavor and color without adding so much moisture that the dough becomes difficult to work with.
For the fluffiest rolls. Use the look of the dough rather than watching the clock during both rises. You want it doubled after the first rise and visibly puffy and pillowy after shaping.
A Recipe by Madeline May
Pumpkin Chai Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
Pumpkin Dough
Cinnamon Chai Filling
For Baking
Chai Cream Cheese Frosting
Instructions
- Make the dough Whisk together the warm milk, yeast, and about 1 tablespoon of the brown sugar. Let sit for 5–10 minutes, until foamy. Add the remaining brown sugar, egg, pumpkin purée, melted butter, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, cloves, and salt. Mix until combined.
- Add the flour Add 3 cups of the flour and mix until a soft dough forms. If the dough is still too sticky, add additional flour about 1 tablespoon at a time. The finished dough should be very soft and slightly tacky, but it should not stick heavily to your hands.
- Knead and rise Knead the dough for 6–8 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Transfer to a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let rise somewhere warm for about 1–1½ hours, or until doubled in size.
- Make the chai filling Mix the softened butter, brown sugar, molasses, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, cloves, and salt until you have a thick, spreadable paste.
- Shape the rolls Roll the dough into a large rectangle about ¼ inch thick. Spread the chai filling evenly over the dough, leaving a small border around the edges. Starting from a long side, tightly roll the dough into a log. Cut into 8 large rolls and arrange them in a greased 9 × 13-inch baking dish.
- Let them rise again Cover the baking dish and let the rolls rise for 30–45 minutes, or until noticeably puffy and pillowy.
- Add the cream and bake Heat the oven to 350°F. Warm the heavy cream just enough to take the chill off, then slowly pour it around and over the risen rolls. Bake for 15–25 minutes, starting to check the rolls around 15 minutes. They are ready when the tops are lightly golden and the center rolls are cooked through and no longer doughy. If using a thermometer, the center of the dough should be around 190°F. If the tops are browning too quickly before the centers are done, loosely cover the pan with foil and continue baking.
- Make the chai cream cheese frosting While the rolls bake, warm the milk and steep the chai tea bags for 5–10 minutes. Remove the tea bags and let the chai milk cool completely. Beat the softened butter and cream cheese together until smooth and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, salt, and 1 tablespoon of the chai milk. Beat until creamy, adding another tablespoon of chai milk only if needed to reach your desired consistency.
- Frost and serve Spread the chai cream cheese frosting generously over the cinnamon rolls while they are still slightly warm. Serve warm and enjoy.
Don't Add Too Much Flour
I needed about 3 cups of flour when I made these, with just a tablespoon or so added as needed. The dough is supposed to be very soft and a little tacky. Adding too much flour can make the finished rolls denser.
Watch Them While They Bake
Ovens can vary quite a bit, so start checking these around 15 minutes. You want lightly golden tops and centers that are cooked through but still soft. If they start getting too brown on top before the middle is ready, loosely cover the pan with foil for the remaining bake time.
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