Make this pumpkin pull-apart bread once and you’ll make it over and over! Imagine cinnamon rolls + pumpkin pie + an irresistible cinnamon glaze. This recipe is a hit everywhere it goes.
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Pumpkin Pull-Apart Bread Recipe
Everything about it is good, from the melt-in-your-mouth soft centers to the cinnamon glaze that melts into every groove. You’ll want this glaze on all your pumpkin-baked goods. It’s truly THAT GOOD!
This is a treat for breakfast, brunch, or dessert, and is sure to become a Fall favorite just like my Pumpkin Pie and Cinnamon Rolls. It’s well-loved by kids and adults, and you don’t even have to slice it! Portions easily pull apart from the loaf to expose gorgeous swirls of pumpkin spice.
P.S. This recipe makes 2 loaves, and you will love the make-ahead option, so you can enjoy this freshly baked pumpkin bread in the morning! The last picture has your name written all over it!
Ingredients for Pumpkin Pull-Apart Bread
Warm milk (not hot) – about 100˚F
Active dry yeast – helps the dough rise
Pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling), or use well-drained homemade pumpkin puree
Dry ingredients: Sugar, all-purpose flour (measured correctly), and salt
Egg – also at room temp
Unsalted butter – for the batter and to grease the pan
Filling for Pull-Apart Pumpkin Bread:
Unsalted butter, softened, divided (6 for the filling and 1 Tbsp to brush tops)
Light brown sugar – packed so it holds it’s form in the cup
Spice – cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice
Ingredients for Cinnamon Glaze:
The glaze reminds me of my maple-glazed cinnamon rolls – you’ll love how it melts into every groove. All you need is powdered sugar, cinnamon and heavy cream (or substitute with half and half, adding it to your desired consistency).
How to Make Pumpkin Pull-Apart Bread:
1. In bowl of an electric mixer, add 3/4 cup warm milk, sprinkle top with 1/2 Tbsp yeast and let sit for 7 min.
2. Whisk in 1/2 cup flour and 2 Tbsp sugar then whisk in 3/4 cup pumpkin puree. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm oven** for 25-30 minutes or at room temp 35-45 min. It will be puffy.
3. Whisk in 1 egg, 1 Tbsp melted butter, remaining 2 Tbsp sugar, and 1/2 tsp salt.
4. Using dough hook on speed 2, add remaining 3 cups flour (1/2 cup at a time allowing it to incorporate between each addition). Dough should feel barely sticky to the touch but should not stick to fingertips or the sides of the bowl while mixing. You may need an extra 1-2 Tbsp of flour, depending on how you measured it. Once all flour is in, continue kneading on speed 2 for 10 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm oven** for 1 hour or at room temperature for 2 hours. The dough should double in size.
5. Generously dust flour over a clean work surface and place dough in the center. Sprinkle dough with flour (just enough to keep the rolling pin from sticking) and roll into an even 16″x10″ rectangle. Dot the top of dough with 6 Tbsp softened butter and spread it out gently with a spatula.
6. Stir together 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1 Tbsp cinnamon and 1/2 tsp pumpkin spice and sprinkle it all evenly over buttered dough.
This is a very exciting step for little helpers!
7. Roll the dough up starting with the longer side, keeping a tight roll. Push ends in slightly to make them a little more uniform then slice in half. Slice both halves into 1″ pieces, keeping the dough rounds connected at the base (don’t cut all the way through).
Butter 2 (9×5) bread pans with 1/2 Tbsp butter each, then transfer the sliced dough halves into buttered pans, connected side down. Gently pull the sliced rounds in opposite directions to create a layered effect.
(Note: if baking the following day, see notes***). Cover with plastic and let rise in a warm oven** for 30-45 minutes or at room temperature for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until puffy.
8. Brush each loaf with 1/2 Tbsp melted butter and Bake at 350˚F for 22-25 min. I think it’s perfect at 23 minutes. Bread will be a light golden brown. Let bread cool in pan 10 minutes, then apply glaze (see instructions below) generously over the top of each loaf while inside the pan.
How to Make the Cinnamon Glaze:
1. Stir together the glaze ingredients, adding cream to reach the desired consistency. Pour/spread generously over your two warm pumpkin loaves
To serve, each “cinnamon roll” pulls apart into perfect serving sizes. No need to slice it! 🙂
I want you to experience this pumpkin pull-apart bread! Just be aware – it has been known to disappear in seconds! 😉
Pumpkin Pull-Apart Bread Recipe
Ingredients
Ingredients for the Pumpkin Bread:
- 3/4 cup warm milk, not hot
- 1/2 Tbsp active dry yeast
- 3/4 cup pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling
- 4 Tbsp granulated sugar, divided
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour + 1-2 Tbsp, 465 grams *See note on measuring
- 1 large egg, room temp
- 2 Tbsp melted unsalted butter, divided (1 Tbsp for batter, 1 Tbsp to grease pans)
- 1/2 tsp salt
Ingredients for Pumpkin Bread Filling:
- 7 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened, divided (6 for the filling and 1 Tbsp to brush tops)
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed (64 grams)
- 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
Ingredients for Cinnamon Glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 5-6 Tbsp heavy cream or half and half
What You’ll Need:
- 2 Bread Pans, An electric stand mixer (or knead by hand), Rolling Pin
Instructions
How to Make Pull-Apart Pumpkin Bread:
- In bowl of a stand mixer, add 3/4 cup warm milk, sprinkle top with 1/2 Tbsp yeast and let sit for 7 min.
- Whisk in 1/2 cup flour and 2 Tbsp sugar then whisk in 3/4 cup pumpkin puree. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm oven** for 25-30 min or at room temp 35-45 min. It will be puffy.
- Whisk in 1 egg, 1 Tbsp melted butter, remaining 2 Tbsp sugar, and 1/2 tsp salt.
- Using dough hook on speed 2, add remaining 3 cups flour (1/2 cup at a time allowing it to incorporate). Dough should feel barely sticky to the touch but should not stick to fingertips or the sides of the bowl while mixing. You may need an extra 1-2 Tbsp flour. Once all flour is in, continue kneading on speed 2 for 10 min. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm oven** for 1 hour or at room temp 2 hours. Dough should double in size.
- Generously dust flour over a clean work surface and place dough in the center. Sprinkle dough with flour (just enough to keep the rolling pin from sticking) and roll into an even 16″x10″ rectangle. Dot the top of dough with 6 Tbsp softened butter and spread it out gently with a spatula.
- Stir together 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1 Tbsp cinnamon and 1/2 tsp pumpkin spice and sprinkle it all evenly over buttered dough.
- Roll the dough up starting with the longer side, keeping a tight roll. Push ends in slightly to make them a little more uniform then slice in half. Slice both halves into 1" pieces, keeping the dough rounds connected at the base (don't cut all the way through). Butter two 9×5 bread pans with 1/2 Tbsp butter each then transfer the sliced dough halves into buttered pans, connected side down. Gently pull the sliced rounds into opposite directions to create a layered effect. Cover with plastic and let rise in a warm oven** for 30-45 min or at room temp for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until puffy.
- Brush each loaf with 1/2 Tbsp melted butter and Bake at 350˚F for 22-25 min. I think it’s perfect at 23 min. Bread will be a light golden brown. Let bread cool in pan 10 min then apply glaze generously over the top of each loaf while inside the pan.
How to Make the Cinnamon glaze:
- Stir together the glaze ingredients, adding cream to reach desired consistency. Pour/spread generously over your two warm pumpkin loaves
Notes
**Oven should not be hotter than 100˚F or you will cook and ruin the yeast.
***For make-ahead overnight pumpkin bread: Once dough is in the pan and before the last rise, cover dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Dough may be refrigerated up to 18 hours prior to baking. Remove from refrigerator and keeping them covered, let cinnamon rolls rise in a warm oven** for 35 min or at room temp 1 1/2 hours or until puffy then proceed with step 8.
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I might have missed it, but I don’t see what size bread pans the recipe calls for. I can’t wait to make this. I have all of the ingredients already.
Hi Peggy, the loaf pan is a 9×5 standard sized loaf pan and I fixed the link in the post above. I hope you love this pumpkin pull-apart bread!
I’m wanting to make these but wondering if instead of baking in 2 bread pans I can lay them out side by side (like cinnamon rolls) and bake in bigger pans? I’m wanting a pumpkin twist to cinnamon rolls for church moms group and plan to ice them with the cream cheese icing.
Hi Natasha! That should work. These aren’t exactly like cinnamon rolls, but they were adapted from my cinnamon roll recipe.
I was looking for something other than pumpkin bread and came across your recipe. I had everything to make it so I put it together. So delicious and exactly what I was looking for ! I made only one change, only because I love cream cheese with pumpkin- cream cheese glaze. So so good. Great flavors all the way around! Thank you 🙏🏼
That’s wonderful, Liz! I’m so glad you found this recipe!