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Pumpkin Pie Buns with Salted Caramel Glaze sprinkled with pepitas on a cooling rack

Pumpkin Pie Buns with Salted Caramel Glaze

These Pumpkin Pie Buns are out of this world! Pillowy, buttery yeasted buns made from a pumpkin enriched dough filled with a Spiced Pumpkin Pie Filling and topped with a decadent Salted Caramel Glaze! Make these sweet buns for Thanksgiving or Halloween ! 

Course Breakfast, brunch, Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword baking, buns, dessert, pumpkin pie, pumpkin spice, thanksgiving
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Resting time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings 16 buns
Calories 320 kcal

Ingredients

For the Pumpkin Yeasted Dough:

  • 1 package dry yeast 7 g
  • 1/4 cup very warm water about 100-105 degrees F.
  • 1/2 tsp white sugar
  • 1/2 cup pure pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie filling
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1 tsp fine salt
  • 1/4 cup melted butter
  • 50 g sugar 1/4 cup
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 large egg
  • 3 to 4 cups all purpose flour divided, as needed

For the Pumpkin Pie filling:

  • 4 tablespoons/56g butter melted (plus more for pan)
  • ¼ cup/50g light brown sugar
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar 50 g
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/4 teaspoon allspice
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • big pinch of salt
  • ½ cup pumpkin puree
  • ½ cup condensed milk
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon flour

For the Salted Caramel Glaze

  • 1 block cream cheese at room temperature
  • 3 Tbs Butter at room temperature
  • 1,5 - 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/2 cup salted caramel + more for deko
  • pumpkin seeds for deko optional

Instructions

To make the buns:

  1. Mix water, sugar and yeast and let it stand for about 15 minutes until you have a foamy mixture going on. Add pumpkin puree, cream, salt, butter, sugar, vanilla and spices and whisk until combined. Now add half of the flour (1,5 cup) and the egg and knead with the hook attachment for about 2 minutes. 

  2. Now add more flour (max 1,5 cups) and keep on mixing. You have to add enough flour to the mixer so that dough just barely pulls away from sides, and a very soft, slightly sticky dough form. So maybe you have to add more to your dough (hence 3-4 cups in ingredients), but maybe you don´t even need to. 

  3. Knead the dough for at least 6-7 minutes until smooth, elastic and only slightly sticky. Now shape it into a ball, give it a little oil massage and let it rest in a covered bowl for about 1,5 h.

  4. Once the dough has doubled in size you knock it back and roll it out on a floured surface into a 20x12 rectangle which you spread with the pumpkin filling (see below).
  5. Roll the dough up nice and tight and cut the roll into 16 equal pieces.

  6. Place the buns in a buttered dish, cover it with foil and let the pumpkin pie buns rest again for about 45 min until the double in size.

  7. Bake them in a 230 oven for about 30 minutes and let cool slightly before you frost them.

To prepare the Pumpkin Pie Filling

  1. In a medium saucepan, whisk together all the ingredients and turn the heat to med-high heat and whisk until the mixture starts to bubble.
  2. Turn the heat all the way down and continue mixing until it thickens to a spreadable consistency. Remove from the heat and allow the filling to cool completely.

To make the frosting:

  1. Beat cream cheese and butter until fluffy, then slowly add in the powdered sugar until you have a smooth, thick frosting. Now slowly add the salted caramel until you think your frosting has the perfect texture.
  2. Spread the frosting onto your cooled Pumpkin Pie Buns, drizzle some more caramel on top and sprinkle the Pumpkin Pie Buns with some roasted pumpkin seeds.