Easy Pumpkin Roll Recipe

5 from 4 votes

Published on July 27, 2020

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You are going to love this Easy Pumpkin Roll Recipe! Everyone loves digging into a classic pumpkin roll with cream cheese filling. It will be perfect for your holiday celebrations or just because!

Close up image of pumpkin roll stacked on a white plate with slices in the background on a cutting board.

Easy Pumpkin Roll Recipe:

A while back I was at a get-together and someone brought what looked like a giant pinwheel of deliciousness. I know you’ve seen them before – a thin pumpkin-flavored cake rolled into a tight spiral, filled with some sort of frosting/cream cheesy goodness. I have seen rolls like this many a time and thought, I wish I could do that!

When fall hits, it’s almost instant for me to be craving all things pumpkin. Now seems like the perfect time for me to try and make a pumpkin roll. I started with a basic Libby’s pumpkin roll recipe and adjusted a few things to add to the flavor.

I am happy to report that this was actually VERY easy to make. The hardest part of this pumpkin roll recipe was probably just having to wait for the pumpkin cake to cool!

Close up image of pumpkin roll stacked on a white plate.

Why does my pumpkin roll crack?

I’ve heard over and over how people stray away from making a pumpkin roll because they can’t get it to roll without cracking. All it takes is one quick and simple tip to get the perfect pumpkin roll every time!

Most of the time your pumpkin roll will crack if you’ve let it cool to room temperature before you begin to roll it. I suggest that you roll the pumpkin cake into a prepared tea towel as soon as it comes out of the oven and is cool enough for you to touch it.

You want it to still be pretty warm when you roll it up in the tea towel. The heat and moisture from the cooling cake helps it keep its shape and remain crack free.

How to roll a Pumpkin Roll?

You want to make sure your cake is warm before beginning to roll it. Prepare your area with a kitchen towel that has been dusted with powdered sugar. Carefully put your warm cake on the towel and remove the parchment paper.

You will then begin rolling the cake, keeping the seam side down so that it stays. It will definitely feel odd rolling the cake, but the warmth of the cake will keep it together.

If you wait until the cake is cool, it will dry out the cake and that is when it will start cracking.

Close up image of a slice of pumpkin roll on a white plate in a slice on a cutting board with two silver forks.

How long is a pumpkin roll good for?

Pumpkin rolls freeze beautifully. I like to make a couple extra of them so that I can pop the extras in the freezer for when guests come over or when I need something for a potluck.

They can last for up to a month in the freezer. When you’re ready to serve them, let it thaw for about an hour then slice it and serve!

Due to the cream cheese frosting, you need to store any leftover pumpkin roll in the fridge. They can last in the refrigerator for a couple of days, if you can keep from eating it that long!

Close up image of a slice of pumpkin roll with a bite on a fork.

Tools for making the perfect Pumpkin Roll:

If I can be successful in making this pumpkin roll, I know you will be able to do it well, too. Here are a few of the tools I used to make this successful:

jelly roll pan (aka large cookie sheet with small sides)
silicone baking mat
icing spatula

Easy Pumpkin Roll Ingredients:

Cake:

Flour

Baking soda

Baking powder

Cinnamon

Nutmeg

Ground cloves

Salt

Eggs

Sugar

Canned Pumpkin

Vanilla

Filling:

Butter

Vanilla

Cream Cheese

Confectioner’s Sugar

How to make a Pumpkin Roll:

The Pumpkin Roll takes about 30 minutes to prep.

Preheat oven to 375. Place the silicone baking mat inside your 10-inch jelly roll pan. If you don’t have a silicone baking mat, line your pan with parchment paper and spray well with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl whisk together eggs, sugar and vanilla. Add pumpkin and slowly incorporate into mixture. You can also easily make homemade canned pumpkin, too.

Close up image of a clear bowl with the ingredients to make the pumpkin cake.

Close up image of in process of making the pumpkin cake.

In a separate bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and spices.
Slowly add dry ingredients to pumpkin mixture. Stir until just blended. Do not over mix.
Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for about 15 minutes or until the center of cake springs back when touched.
Layout a clean kitchen towel on the counter and sprinkle well with powdered sugar. Place cooked cake on top of the prepared towel.
Starting on the small end, roll up the cake inside the towel. You do this just to get the cake to cool in the final shape. Let cool completely on a wire rack, about 1 hour.
Now you are ready to make the filling. Use an electric mixer to blend together butter, vanilla, and cream cheese. Slowly mix in powdered sugar.

Close up image of cream cheese being mixed with a mixer in a clear bowl.

Carefully unroll cake. Spread the batter all over the top side of the cake.

Close up image of pumpkin roll unrolled with the cream cheese batter being spread with a spatula.

Roll the cake back up. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Close up image of rolled pumpkin roll wrapped in saran wrap on a cookie sheet.

Now your pumpkin roll is ready to slice and serve.

Close up image of slices of pumpkin roll on white plates and cutting board with forks.

How to freeze Pumpkin Roll?

Freezing your pumpkin roll is easy to do. You will wrap your pumpkin roll in a plastic wrap tightly. Then wrap again with foil.

Your pumpkin roll last about 1 month in the freezer. When you are ready to serve, remove from the freeze and let it thaw to room temperature. It will take about 1 hour to unthaw.

You can start making this pumpkin roll now for all your holiday get-togethers.

Print your pumpkin roll recipe below:

There are several ingredients and a few different steps to follow, but this really is an easy pumpkin roll recipe. Try this pumpkin roll the next time you’re in a baking mood. We would love to hear how it turned out for you.