Pumpkin Sugar Buns
These Pumpkin Sugar Buns are everything a sugar bun should be; soft, flavorful and easy to whip up. If you can make and bake cinnamon rolls, you can definitely make these sugar buns with your eyes closed. The best part is that you can bake them the night before and then finish assembling them in the morning, right before you start cooking that turkey and making those sides. I like these sugar buns because they’re a bit more flavorful than regular sugar buns, thanks to the pumpkin and cinnamon. I’m all about cinnamon rolls with lots of cream cheese frosting, but sometimes we all just need a roll covered in cinnamon sugar, especially during the holidays. P.S. They’re not just for breakfast! They happen to make a great dessert as well. Bring them to your Friendsgiving party instead of pumpkin pie. Trust me, everyone will thank you for it.
Pumpkin Sugar Buns
Equipment
- Mixer
- Muffin pan
- Rolling Pin
- Wire rack
Ingredients
Dough:
- 1/4 cup warm water
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 1/2 cup pumpkin purée
- 1 large egg lightly whisked
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 3 1/2 to 4 cups all-purpose flour
Filling:
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Coating:
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoons ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Dissolve the water and yeast in a medium bowl. Let rest in a warm spot until frothy and foamy, about 10 minutes.
- Warm the milk, butter and sugar in a small saucepan until the sugar has dissolves. Set aside to slightly cool. In a large bowl, stir together the milk mixture, salt, pumpkin purée, eggs and water/yeast mixture until evenly combined. Add the pumpkin pie spice and half of the flour in batches, mixing until well incorporated. Add as much of the remaining flour as needed to form a smooth and somewhat sticky dough. It should pull away from the sides of the bowl while mixing. Knead on high for about 8 to 10 minutes to create a soft dough. Transfer to a well oiled bowl, cover loosely with plastic wrap and a damp kitchen towel. Set in warm spot and allow the dough to rest until doubled in size, about 2 hours.
- To make the filling, in a small bowl, stir together the sugar and cinnamon. Punch the dough down and transfer to a lightly floured work surface. Then roll out into a large rectangle, about 1/4 of an inch thick. Brush with the melted butter and sprinkle with sugar mixture. Roll into a tight log, lengthwise. Cut into 12 even pieces and place in a well oiled muffin tin. Cover both muffin tins with plastic wrap and let rest in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake the sugar buns until golden brown and puffed up, about 20 to 25 minutes. Make sure your oven racks are spaced far enough apart because the sugar buns tend to rise high during baking. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely on wire racks.
- Meanwhile, make the coating by mixing together the sugar and cinnamon. Brush or dip the cooled buns in melted butter and then roll around in cinnamon sugar. Serve immediately or cover tightly with plastic wrap. Will keep at room temperature for up to 2 days. You can also, freeze the baked buns and then thaw and roll in butter and sugar when you're ready to serve and eat. Enjoy!
