The Pioneer Woman: Ree Drummond’s Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls Are the Ultimate Fall Treat

October’s here and that means it’s time for Pioneer Woman pumpkin dessert recipes. Enter Ree Drummond’s Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls. Ooey and gooey, they’re packed with fall flavors. So grab a can of pumpkin purée and head to the kitchen. 

Ree Drummond’s Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls are a labor of (pumpkin) love

Pumpkin lovers probably won’t mind spending a considerable amount of time in the kitchen making these. According to Drummond’s recipe instructions on The Food Network’s website, the Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls take just over three hours to make. However, that includes cooling, standing, and rising times plus an hour of “active” work. 

All in all, this isn’t one of Drummond’s quick Pioneer Woman desserts. So expect to spend an afternoon in the kitchen whipping up a batch of her Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls. And, remember, there’s a lot of waiting for the dough the rise etc., which might be the perfect opportunity to watch Hocus Pocus. 

The Pioneer Woman’s ‘trick’ to perfect looking cinnamon rolls is in the dough

For those who get bummed out that their homemade cinnamon rolls don’t look like, well, cinnamon rolls Drummond’s got a tip. Once she’s made the dough and it’s time to roll it, she always does one “trick” before putting them in the pan.  

“The trick is to turn the roll over so the seam is facing down,” the cookbook author said on The Pioneer Woman. 

That’s not the only tip the 52-year-old shared. Drummond also explained from her ranch in Pawhuska, Oklahoma, that she recommends frosting the cinnamon rolls when they’re warm. 

“I always like to ice cinnamon rolls right when they come out of the oven,” she said. “When they’re nice and warm they just suck up all that beautiful, beautiful icing.” 

“And it does look like a lot of icing but as the rolls sit it’s going to settle down into the crevices,” she added. 

Reviewers love the Pioneer Woman’s Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

At the time of publication, Drummond’s cinnamon rolls average 4.5 stars on Food Network’s website. The recipe’s been reviewed nearly 70 times and, although some reviewers commented that the pumpkin flavor’s too subtle for their liking, most really enjoyed them.

Calling them “DIVINE,” one review described the cinnamon rolls as “pillowy, tender, and subtly pumpkiny.” One even boldly described them as the best dessert they’ve ever made. “My daughter said they should be illegal they are so yummy!!” wrote another. Meanwhile, others gushed about the “phenomenal” cream cheese frosting and how easy the recipe is to follow. Another loved that the cinnamon rolls filled their house with the smells of fall. 

Besides the many glowing reviews were a few notes from those who’d made them at home. Reviewers suggested not holding back on the flour because, as Drummond mentioned on The Pioneer Woman, the dough can get sticky. Another thing to note is just how many cinnamon rolls the recipe makes. Some reviewers even cut the recipe in half and the rolls still filled a large baking dish.