These Blood Orange Cinnamon Rolls have been adapted from my favorite Maple Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls. I wanted to blend one of my favorite winter flavors of blood orange with another. I love to bake pumpkin and sweet potato breads as they are interchangeable for me. The flavors marry beautifully and I can never get enough of that pretty blush color form the blood oranges. It took everything from me not to eat the icing by the spoonfuls. It’s ok if you want to make extra.
Check out more recipes using blood oranges
Blood Orange Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
- August 6, 2018
- 8 Servings
- 2 hr 30 min
- Print this

Ingredients
- For the Dough
- 1/2 package instant vanilla pudding mix (3.4 ounce box)
- 1/4 cup whole milk
- 1 cup canned pumpkin
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1 package (1/8 ounce) active dry yeast
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 1/4 cup warm water (110-115 degrees)
- 4 cups all purpose flour
- Filling
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 1/2 Tbsp ground cinnamon
- Blood Orange Icing
- 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
- 6 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup Blood Orange juice
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsps whole milk
- Zest of one blood orange
Directions
- Step 1
- In a bowl, whisk together half of the package of the instant pudding mix and milk.
- Step 2
- Add the pumpkin puree and wish to combine.
- Step 3
- Add the kosher salt and ground nutmeg and mix.
- Step 4
- Wish in the melted butter and lightly beaten egg. Set aside.
- Step 5
- In the stand mixer bowl, mix together the yeast and the Tbsp of sugar. Add the warm water and mix thoroughly until combined. Let stand for 5 minutes until its nice and foamy.
- Step 6
- Slowly pour in the pudding/pumpkin mixture in with the yeast on low speed using the paddle attachment.
- Step 7
- Add the flour, 1/2 cup at a time. After all of the flour has been added, switch to the dough hook and mix on low speed for 7 minutes.
- Step 8
- If you don’t have a hand mixer, knead the dough by hand for 9 minutes.
- Step 9
- Once the dough is done mixing, stop the dough out onto a floured surface and knead by hand 1-2 minutes. Form the dough into a ball and place into a well oiled bowl. Roll the dough around to make sure the entire surface is covered. Cover with plastic wrap or tea towel. Place in a warm draft free area and let rise for 1 hour.
- Step 10
- After an hour, the dough should have risen about half it’s size, not quite doubled. Take the dough out and place it on a well floured surface. Roll the dough to a
- Step 11
- 11’ x 18’ rectangle.
- Step 12
- Spread 1/3 cup softened butter over the surface of the dough leaving about an inch border on the left and right sides.
- Step 13
- Miix together the brown sugar and cinnamon and spread over the buttered dough and press the mixture in the dough.
- Step 14
- Fold the border edges in making a i1 inch seam to “seal in” the sugar.
- Step 15
- Start rolling up the dough (long ways) starting on one end pinching up you way to the other until you can roll it to the other end. pinch the ends into the roll to seal.
- Step 16
- Pinch the sides.
- Step 17
- Cut off about an inch on both sides.
- Step 18
- Cut rolls in 2 inch thickness. seal/pinch the end of each roll to close so they wont open in the oven. You should get about 8 rolls.
- Step 19
- Place in a well greased 10’ pan about 2 inches apart. They will grow even more in the oven. Cover with wrap or a tea towel and let rise again for about 20 minutes.
- Step 20
- Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
- Step 21
- While the cinnamon rolls are baking, start making the blood orange icing.
- Step 22
- ICING
- Step 23
- Sift powdered sugar and set aside.
- Step 24
- In a bowl or stand mixer with paddle attachment, start mixing softened cream cheese until smooth.
- Step 25
- Slowly add powdered sugar to cream cheese on low speed until smooth. Add the blood orange juice, milk, vanilla, zest and mix until blended.
- Step 26
- When the rolls come out of the oven let cool a few minutes then pour over icing.
- Step 27
- Enjoy!