Happy National Pumpkin Day! Life is about celebrating the little things and when you are a foodie that means acknowledging all your favorite national food holidays. Today I am sharing my Super Easy Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls and 10 facts that I betcha didn’t know about pumpkin.
These Super Easy Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls are not overwhelmingly pumpkin – it’s a more subtle infusion that I just adore. The cinnamon rolls are stuffed with a gooey brown sugar pumpkin spice filling and topped simple powdered sugar glaze that suits the spiciness of the pumpkin flavor perfectly. Trust me, you will be wishing it was pumpkin season all year.
1. The word “pumpkin” showed up for the first time in the fairy tale Cinderella.
A French explorer in 1584 first called them “gros melons,” which translates into Latin as “pepon,” which means large melon. It wasn’t until the 17th century that they were first referred to as pumpkins.
2. The original jack-o’-lanterns were made with turnips and potatoes by the Irish.
In England, they used large beets and lit them with embers to ward off evil spirits. Irish immigrants brought their customs to America, but found that pumpkins were much easier to carve.
3. Over 1.5 billion pounds of pumpkin are produced each year in the United States.
The top pumpkin-producing states are Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and California. Pumpkins are also grown on every continent except Antarctica.
4. The world’s largest pumpkin was more than five feet in diameter and weighed over 1,800 pounds.
It was presented in Minnesota in October 2010.
5. The largest pumpkin pie ever baked weighed 2,020 pounds.
Pumpkin pie originated in the colonies, just not as we know it today. Colonists would cut the tops of pumpkins off, remove the seeds, and fill the pumpkins with milk, spices, and honey, and bake them in hot ashes.
6. Each pumpkin has about 500 seeds.
And they take between 90 and 120 days to grow. High in iron, they can be roasted to eat. The flowers that grow on pumpkin vines are also edible.
7. Delaware hosts an annual “Punkin Chunkin” championship.
Teams compete in a pumpkin launching competition, where pumpkins are shot almost 5,000 feet from an air cannon.
8. There are over 45 different varieties of pumpkin.
They range in color like red, yellow, and green, and have names like Hooligan, Cotton Candy, and Orange Smoothie.
9. Pumpkins are fruits.
More specifically, they are a winter squash in the family Cucurbitacae, which includes cucumbers and melons.
10. Pumpkins are 90% water.
And that makes them low calorie. One cup of canned pumpkin only has 83 calories and only half a gram of fat. In comparison, the same serving size of sweet potato has triple the calories. They also have more fiber than kale, more potassium than bananas, and are full of heart-healthy magnesium and iron.
- 2 cans Pillsbury Crescent Rounds
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- ½ cup pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
- ¼ cup packed light brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 8-oz cream cheese, softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- Preheat oven to 375.
- Lightly grease one 12-inch cake pan with non-stick spray; set aside.
- Separate the dough into 16 rolls, unroll, and lay flat
- Brush each piece of dough with melted butter.
- In a small bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, milk, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg.
- Evenly divide pumpkin filling and spread over each piece of rolled-out dough.
- Carefully roll up each dough, lightly pinching seams together.
- Arrange the rolls 1 inch apart in the prepared cake pan.
- Bake for 16 to 18 minutes, or until tops are golden brown.
- In the meantime prepare the frosting.
- Place cream cheese in your mixer's bowl and cream for 1 minute.
- Gradually add in powdered sugar and continue to beat until well combined.
- Mix in pumpkin pie spice.
- Add vanilla and mix until thoroughly combined.
- Remove pans from oven and immediately brush each roll with frosting.
- Serve.
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