I’ve got one simple trick that makes this classic Pumpkin Roll recipe EASY and mess-free! It has the best soft texture and flavor with a delicious cream cheese filling.  
I truly love all of my pumpkin recipes, but there are only a few that I regularly bake every single year and they include this pumpkin roll, Pumpkin Cupcake, and my mom’s amazing Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies!
One round slice of a pumpkin roll on a white plate with sprinkled powdered sugar and a fork.

Pumpkin roll

Do you know why pumpkin rolls are intimidating?  Because our moms’ method of making them made a HUGE and SCARY mess that rarely resulted in a nice and pretty pumpkin roll.  I’m excited to share the simplest trick and tastiest recipe for making a beautiful and mess free pumpkin roll!

Most recipes have you invert the baked cake onto a large towel that has been dusted with powdered sugar. Then you’re supposed to roll the cake up in the towel.  Honestly, this method has always been a dusty, powdered-sugary MESS for me. Not to mention that you end up with a sticky mess of a rag when it’s done.

Guys, there is such a BETTER and EASIER way!  Parchment paper is the trick!

For a MESS-FREE pumpkin roll:

Use Parchment paper! The biggest tip to making an easy, mess-free pumpkin roll is to roll the pumpkin cake up inside the parchment paper that it was baked on. Allow it to cool, rolled up. Then unroll it and spread with cream cheese frosting.

A pumpkin roll laying vertically with four slices of pumpkin roll laying in front of it.

How to make a homemade pumpkin roll:

  • First, line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper, leaving a little overhang on the long edges, so that it’s easier to lift the cake from the pan when it’s done baking.
  • Next, spread the cake batter on top of the parchment paper in the pan and smooth it into an even layer.  Bake it for about 15 minutes.
A jelly roll pan lined with parchment paper and pumpkin roll filling being spread over top.
  • When the cake is finished baking, carefully lift the cake from the pan and roll the hot cake up inside the parchment paper. This method is SOO much easier than turning it out onto a towel and praying that it doesn’t crack, or stick to the towel.
A cooked pumpkin roll, laying horizontally, and being rolled in parchment paper.
  • Allow the cake to cool completely, rolled up in the parchment paper, on top of a wire cooling rack. Once it’s cool unroll the pumpkin roll and discard the parchment paper.  Spread the cream cheese filling all over the top of the pumpkin roll and roll it back up into a log (without the parchment paper).
The cooked and cooled pumpkin roll laying on parchment paper with cream cheese filling being spread evenly on top.
  • You’ll be left with a beautiful, simple, pumpkin roll and hardly any mess to clean up. #winning

Does a pumpkin roll need to be refrigerated?

Yes, store it in the refrigerator. Once you have spread the cream cheese filling and rolled the pumpkin roll back into a log, wrap it in plastic wrap and leave it in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before serving!

How to keep pumpkin roll from cracking:

The biggest trick to preventing your cake roll from cracking is to roll the cake up in the parchment paper as soon as it comes out of the oven. The hot cake will be soft and pliable and should roll up without cracking.
Making a classic pumpkin roll has never been easier with this handy trick! We love this beautiful, simple dessert. Pumpkin cake with a cream cheese filling | tastesbetterfromscratch.com

To make ahead:

Pumpkin roll can be prepared completely and refrigerated for 1-2 days ahead of time, before serving. OR, you can bake the cake, roll it in the parchment paper to cool. Once cool, refrigerate it (rolled in the parchment paper) for up to one day, before frosting.  Once you have fully assembled your pumpkin roll, you can also store it in the refrigerator for a few days!

Can I freeze a pumpkin roll?

Yes, you can freeze a prepared pumpkin roll for up to 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before slicing and serving.

Consider trying these pumpkin recipes:

 

You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOKTWITTERINSTAGRAM and PINTEREST for more great recipes!

Recipe

Making a classic pumpkin roll has never been easier with this handy trick! We love this beautiful, simple dessert. Pumpkin cake with a cream cheese filling | tastesbetterfromscratch.com
Prep 10 minutes
Cook 15 minutes
Total 25 minutes
Save Recipe

Ingredients
  

Filling:

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a jelly roll pan (15 x 10'') with parchment paper, leaving an extra inch of parchment sticking up on both long sides of the pan so that you can easily lift the cake out after baking. (You can VERY lightly grease the parchment paper, if you want to, but you don't need to!)
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice. In a separate bowl mix the eggs, sugar, vanilla and pumpkin until smooth.
  • Add dry ingredients to the bowl and stir just until combined and no dry streaks remain.
  • Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan.
  • Bake for 12-15 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Every oven is different, so watch it closely.
  • Immediately lift the payment paper and hot cake out of the pan and onto a flat (heat-safe) surface. 
  • While the cake is hot, starting at one of the short ends, use your hands to gently and slowly roll the cake (and parchment paper!) all the way up. Allow it to cool completely, on top of a wire cooling rack. (This allows it to cool underneath the roll, and keeps the cake from sweating).
  • While the cake roll is cooling, mix the cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and powdered sugar together with an electric mixer until it is fluffy and smooth.
  • Once the cake roll is cooled completely, unroll it very carefully. Gently smooth the filling in an even layer over the cake.
  • Roll up the cake without the parchment paper. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, before serving.
  • Dust the top with powdered sugar, if desired. You could use a duster, spoon, or even your fingers to lightly sprinkle it on top of the roll. Cut into slices and serve.
  • Store in the fridge, covered, for up to three days.
  • For more pumpkin treats, click here!

Notes

Make ahead:
Pumpkin roll can be prepared completely and refrigerated for 1-2 days ahead of time, before serving. OR, you can bake the cake, roll it in the parchment paper to cool. Once cool, refrigerate it (rolled in the parchment paper) for up to one day, before frosting.  Once you have fully assembled your pumpkin roll, you can also store it in the refrigerator for a few days!
Freeze:
Prepared pumpkin roll can be frozen for up to 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before slicing and serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 260kcalCarbohydrates: 27gProtein: 5gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 108mgSodium: 353mgPotassium: 119mgFiber: 1gSugar: 16gVitamin A: 3745IUVitamin C: 0.8mgCalcium: 48mgIron: 1.3mg

Did You Make This Recipe?

Tag @TastesBetterFromScratch on Instagram with #TastesBetterFromScratch!

Have you tried this recipe?!

RATE and COMMENT below! I would love to hear your experience.

 

Recipe adapted from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe.

 

I originally shared this recipe October 2014. Updated September 2017 and October 2019.

This post contains affiliate links.

Related Posts

Share Recipe

Categories

About The Author

Lauren Allen

Welcome! I’m Lauren, a mom of four and lover of good food. Here you’ll find easy recipes and weeknight meal ideas made with real ingredients, with step-by-step photos and videos.

Leave A Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I made it as is, and it was great. Now, however, I’d like to substitute some of the ingredients to make it a bit healthier, since my husband and I are older and attempting to improve our health stats. Do you believe that substituting some or all of the flour for whole grain or almond would produce a roll without cracks? Also, would substituting low fat cream cheese for full fat work, do you think? Thanks for sharing your knowledge!

  2. Hello Lauren…my Grandson loves sissy chocalate chip cookies and I have always failed him I would love to try your recipe 😋 and hope it works

  3. 5 stars
    This is the BEST pumpkin roll recipe ever! Made it three times so far, and each time, turned out perfect. So delicious and MUCH easier than the old tea-towel method. Wish I would have had this recipe 30 years ago! Thank you so much, Lauren! 🤗

  4. Always make punkin roll for the holidays, they love this recipe.
    Easy to make and instructions are simple. Love it

  5. 5 stars
    best advice was rolling up cake right out of the oven—holding the parchment paper is not hot at all, then let cool, completely. Thank you for the tips—my multiple pumpkin rolls this season were enjoyed by all! It is just not as intimidating as it looks!

  6. 5 stars
    This is the same recipe that I have used for almost forty years and my husband tells every one it is so much better than any other pumpkin roll he has ever had, so it must be good! I also put chopped pecans on top before baking.

  7. 5 stars
    Made this multiple times more and it always comes out so good. DON’T ignore the instructions like mixing the dry and wet ingredients separately before combining, and make sure your roll is 100% cool before unrolling and adding the icing.

  8. 5 stars
    I love this recipe! I tried the old way with the towel a few times and gave up. When I came across this recipe with the parchment paper alternative I had to try. It works wonderfully! This is now one of my Thanksgiving staples. My granddaughter cheered this year when she saw it because she forgot to tell me she wanted it and was glad I made it. She is really a picky eater too. I think it was the first dessert gone from the table.

  9. My pumpkin rolls are cracking when I unroll them to put in the filling. They didnt use to do this.. Help please!!

    1. 3 stars
      I always make this with the tea towel with no cracks. It cracked with the parchment paper. I think that’s why. I’m going back to the old way.

      1. 4 stars
        Yes, very sticky. Unless someone can tell me how to avoid stickiness, and even last section detaching, I do not want to make again.

  10. If I chose the 3x option, would that make 3x the batter? I want to divide it up so that I can make 3 individual rolls. I would like to make a large amount of batter at once

  11. 4 stars
    I loved this. I followed your directions exactly. The roll was delicious 😋. I only have one problem. Why did the outside get sticky after I put it in the refrigerator?

  12. I love this recipe! I doubled the recipe. I accidentally forgot to double the powdered sugar in the filling but as it turned out it was a great mistake! The filling turned out absolutely delicious without being overly sweet. Everyone loved it. I’m making two more today and have decided to purposely leave out the other cup of powdered sugar from the filling.

  13. 5 stars
    Idk if its because I’m using Splenda sugar I’m making it sugar free but the cake part isn’t rising to the thickness when I used granulated sugar. Do you know of anything i can use to counteract that so it will rise cause its coming out really dense and thin but I’m using the exact measurements just with 1 cup of Splenda instead of granulated sugar.

  14. 5 stars
    I made this yesterday following the recipe to an T and served it today. It turned out great! I was nervous because of some of the negative comments – but it turned out to be as easy as the recipe says. It cracked slightly during the final step of rolling with icing, but it was hidden inside of the roll and still looked and tasted great.

  15. 5 stars
    Forty Thanksgivings/Anniversaries and I *finally* made my man a Pumpkin Cake Roll last night! Not that he’s been begging for one – I just knew he deserves something special and this was one thing I could think of that 1.) I’ve never tried to make 2.) He was sure to like.
    I don’t understand all the negative comments. This was my first attempt making one and I had no problem at all, even though I doubled the recipe (filling, too) and used a 15×20 pan. I used Reynolds no-stick baking paper – it’s parchment on one side & foil on the other, and it’s wide enough for the huge pan. (I put it foil side down in the pan & sprayed the parchment side.) BTW, one reason I was attracted to your recipe on Pinterest was the photo – it genuinely had “rolls.” So many I’ve seen should be more accurately classified as a Pumpkin Cake Taco! 😆
    Thanks for your hand in making our 40th even more memorable. ♥️

  16. 3 stars
    Tried this twice and it cracked both times. I chilled it for most of the day the first time and chilled it for roughly an hour the second. Rather disappointed. It is tasty; not presentable though.

    1. 5 stars
      you mentioned that you chilled the rolls I am assuming before you frosted them? That may be part of the problem, I just cool on a rack on the kitchen counter. Also, some of mine still crack on occasion, just go slowly rolling and unrolling—(I served one with cracks, I never mentioned it, neither did anyone else, and it was still enjoyed!)

  17. 2 stars
    Idk what happened , as I make pumpkin rolls every year. I hadn’t tried this recipe before though and I should just stick to my old one.

    The filling was just a gooey mess that spilled over the sides of the cake and overflowed when I tried to roll it. That’s even after I added extra sugar (like a whole extra cup) bc it was so thin as I was mixing it. It was basically the texture of royal icing. Everything was unusable then bc both sides of the cake had the icing on it.

    I took a few bites with a fork just to try it anyway , and it tasted fine. It was just basically pumpkin cake instead of a roll.

  18. 5 stars
    This has been my recipe of choice for the pumpkin rolls I make for the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. It turns out beautifully every time. One of the most important (in my opinion) details in this recipe is use a jelly roll pan not just a cookie sheet. The jelly roll pan is bigger and gives you the nice thin cake perfect for rolling. If you must use a cookie sheet I suggest using a little less batter to prevent a cake too thick to roll nicely.

  19. 4 stars
    I’ve been cooking this every year for decades and made the parchment switch. It was so easy and CLEAN. I added a coat of cooking spray to the paper— both sided. Perfect! So happy to not deal with the mess. The cake rolled out with no tears or breaks.

  20. I found this recipe last year and made 3 of them for family members and all 3 came out amazing! Followed all of the instructions and tips, step by step and everyone absolutely loved it! I’m currently making another 3 for the same family/gatherings tomorrow. Happy Thanksgiving and thank you again for the awesome recipe!! 😋

  21. Made this recipe one perfectly and it was so yummy. Tried again a year later and failed twice. I followed it very closely and failed both times. I’m not sure what changed and caused this but cake was dense and chewy. Put it for less time the second attempt but still bad.

  22. 5 stars
    I made this with Gluten free 1-1 flour and let me tell you it was amazing! It rolled perfectly I did pre spray the parchment paper so it did not stick and no cracks. Everyone loved it! I will be doing this every year. Thank you!

  23. 5 stars
    I made this cake as directed (I did add a little oil to the batter, ~1tbs) and it turned out perfectly. No cracking and it didn’t stick to the parchment paper. Thanks for the great recipe!

  24. My cake stuck to the paper. Need to oil next time. I had to use metal egg turner to loosen so the cake would not crack. otherwise it was fine.

  25. 1 star
    I followed this recipe very thoroughly. This was disappointing and a waste. Not nearly enough time for roll to bake completely. I had to throw it all away as it stuck to itself and wasn’t even salvageable. I ALWAYS use this site for recipes. That stops today.

    1. Hey Chanda, really sorry to hear about the trouble with the roll! 🙁 Oven temps can be sneaky sometimes – they’re often a bit off. I regularly check mine to keep recipes spot-on. Maybe give your oven a quick temp test? It could make all the difference for perfect results next time!

  26. 4 stars
    I made this recipe with GF flour as my daughter is gluten free. The recipe was easy to follow and the flour was the only ingredient I had to change. It was delicious, but it stuck badly to the parchment paper causing multiple cracks where the filling came thru. A really big mess! It may have been the GF flour that caused it to stick, but it seems other people have had the same problem. The instructions say you can LIGHTLY grease the parchment paper…I would definitely advise doing so. I will say again, it tasted great! I just tried to make it look better with a LOT of power sugar on top.

  27. 3 stars
    Cake was very sticking and dense. When I unrolled it, it cracked in many places. I live at 6400 feet above sea level. Is there an adjustment for high altitude? Very disappointed in the cake.

  28. I need help. I have made these for years on a conventional oven, but now have new conventional/ convection oven. I have ruined 3 batches. They get crispy on the edges and don’t bake or rise. It’s like hot batter. I tried changing temperature. I used regular conventional setting to no avail. Help

  29. Hi!
    I made this once before and it was excellent!! I do have a question… can I use pumpkin pie mix instead of puree? It seems I would have to omit the spices. Should I also omit the salt and reduce sugar? Ugh, I thought I had purée on hand! Thanks!
    Happy Thanksgiving!

  30. 5 stars
    Yummy! IF I am making multiple – how much batter should I use in one pan? I’m a measuring type of gal 😉

  31. The cake and parchment paper were way too hot to roll. I had to use the towel to immediately roll! What am I missing?

      1. I have made lots of pumpkin rolls in my life. Request from friends and family. Always from scratch.(I’m 75yr,’s young) this is the easiest one yet. I’m going to try it. Indeed a break. Making them all day today.Many request for Christmas. Thank you God bless in Jesus name I pray 🙏

    1. You need bigger parchment paper than your cookie sheet. I buy parchment from Costco it’s wide enough for full size cookie sheets. When using a 15×10( jelly roll pan) it will stick out the sides, down the length of it. I figured out if I just grabbed that and start turning to roll it up it worked out really nice. Hope that helps.

  32. This is the best recipe I have found, I make dozens of them every year. HINT! I add1-2 Tsp oil and it keeps the cake roll from cracking and is easier to handle. { I live in Az, so the dry climate may be the reason they tend to crack w/o oil}

  33. 5 stars
    Kudos and thank you!! 1. Delicious, incredibly so. 2. Gorgeous. And 3. Pretty easy for this tentative baker. Kudos and thank you!!

  34. 5 stars
    This Recipe is awesome!! Everyone has loved it so far! The only issue I had the first time I made it was that my parchment paper wasn’t non-stick, so even though I sprayed it with cooking oil, it still stuck to the parchment. I learned the lesson, the second time I made it I used non-stick parchment paper and this time it worked amazing!!
    Thank you so much!!

  35. I made this recipe and doubled it. I wanted 2 pumpkin rolls, anyway the pumpkin batter was not enough for each pan, I split it evenly so each pan had the same amount of batter. I rolled them after they came out of the oven and cooled on a wire rack. Moved them to the fridge and finished them today. They both stuck to the parchment paper and I used a spatula to loosen it, filled them with the filling and rerolled it. Wrapped in Saran wrap then in aluminum foil. I will keep these to use here at home. If I make this recipe again I would add more flour. It’s possible that it turned out this way because I used Jumbo eggs instead of large, but that never affected any other recipe I have made.

  36. 5 stars
    Absolutely phenomenal! I didn’t have pumpkin spice so I just used cinnamon and nutmeg. I also buttered the parchment and sprinkled the cake with powdered sugar before I rolled.

  37. 3 stars
    When I tried to unroll it, it was so sticky, and it really cracked. The parchment paper was so moist.

  38. 5 stars
    I lost my original recipe from my grandma and thought Oh My Gosh! Need to find one like hers.
    I found yours, made a test run and BAM! This is spot on. Thanks so much, from me and my family.

  39. 5 stars
    These came out so delicious! I made this for a Halloween party and all my friends loved it. After my caked cooled down it ended up cracking and I got so worried that my roll would fall apart. But it didnt and it all worked out! Hardest part was rolling it while super hot. Definately trust the process. it’s worth it.

  40. 5 stars
    Have always loved pumpkin roll. Was pleased to find this recipe which seems to be most like my mom’s old recipe, minus chopped walnuts.

    When I made this recipe, the cake was super sticky. Not sure what I did wrong. Taste was superb!

  41. 5 stars
    Yum! This was my first attempt at a pumpkin roll, and it rocked! I sprinkled cinnamon on top as well as powdered sugar, just for fun

  42. super easy to make but the cake part is so sticky for some reason so it made it difficult to roll without parts of the cake coming off

  43. Haven’t tried the pumpkin roll yet. You sure make it look easy. I will try today. I love making everything from scratch.

    1. 5 stars
      Truly delicious! I was pleasantly surprised at how easy this was to make, yet it looks (and tastes) impressive. I made it exactly as the recipe stated, no ingredient substitutions, and it was excellent.

  44. 5 stars
    I gotta say, this was delicious and so easy to make! I initially made pumpkin roll with my pumpkin cupcake recipe which was slightly different from your recipe. It cracked in multiple places. Then I tried it with your recipe and it was perfect! No cracks, easy to make and delicious! This will be my go to recipe for pumpkin roll!!

  45. 5 stars
    Pumpkin Roll is a must at my house, everyone loves it! My family insists on it for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

  46. I’m so anxious to try this tomorrow for my Dad’s birthday. Baffled by the complete opposite comments though; some has awesome luck with the parchment, some disaster, any advice?

    1. 4 stars
      So I did make this and took other’s recommendation of adding Cool Whip, good call! This is so very good, but I was wondering if anybody else has trouble with the roll sweating a lot. Mine did, and I made another today and it was even worse. To the point that it gets gooey. I rolled in a powder sugar coated towel.

      1. You want to make sure you’re using a towel that is very breathable, so the steam has a way to escape while it is cooling down. I like to use a flour sack towel, they usually come in a pack of 10 at Walmart, they are completely white and very thin. You want to put a good amount of powdered sugar on the towel, not too much, not too little. If the cake sweats and the steam is trapped, the powdered sugar can turn to goo on the cake. Also, make sure you’re allowing the cake to cool on a wire rack. Hope this helps! 🙂

  47. 5 stars
    Very easy to make and so delicious. I made 2 rolls on my second one I mixed 1/2 cup cream cheese and 1/2 cup cool whip and the filling was so much fluffier and lighter..it was a big hit at Thanksgiving Dinner

  48. 5 stars
    I have never commented on a recipe before, but I had to…. This is incredible. My two kids and husband cannot stop eating it. We are lucky if it lasts more than two days. It’s so easy to make, and the icing sugar sprinkled before you roll it works so well. Definitely a hit!!

  49. 5 stars
    I’ve never made a pumpkin roll before, and I got inspired by a friends post on Facebook. I followed your recipe to the letter and use the parchment paper. I don’t know if I let it cool too long or if I didn’t let it cool, long enough, but the actual cake part stuck a little bit to the parchment paper.
    I think next time I may spray it with some cooking spray just to make sure? What do you think?
    It didn’t really take any cake off. It just looked like it was sticking.

  50. 5 stars
    literally so good! i haven’t had a store pumpkin roll but i imagine this is even better i couldn’t stop eating it. will definitely make again

    1. When I used to turn onto tea towel with powder sugar, I put chopped walnuts on before baking. then when you turn onto towel, the nuts were on outside. dont know how would work with parchment paper method.

  51. 5 stars
    Add 1 8 oz tub Cool Whip to filling. My family loves the ‘thicker’ filling. When served frozen, it tastes like an ice cream dessert!

  52. 5 stars
    What a wonderful recipe! I have made many pumpkin rolls over the years, but this is by far the easiest and most delicious one I have made. Thank you. 😊

  53. 5 stars
    So, I’m not sure if I didn’t bake mine long enough, but I had rolled it in the parchment paper and when I unrolled it it cracked in like four spots.

    I seemed as if moisture had gone to it because it was still hot, it was a tad sticky. I can only presume that it was due to that.

    Which, bummed me out because I made two of them, and both of them did it.

    I’m going to try one more time, but I’m going to let it have more time in the oven.

    1. Try sprinkling some powder sugar on the cake before you roll it. Sprinkle as soon as it comes out then roll immediately. I do this regularly with my rolls. Good Luck!

  54. 3 stars
    The flavor of the roll was amazing, but mine stuck so bad to the parchment paper. I know you said greasing wasn’t necessary so I didn’t do it. They made great “cake pops” though so ir wasn’t a total loss. Gonna try again with greased parchment paper

  55. 5 stars
    My boyfriend and I love this cake. It’s super easy to make, almost as easy as brownies. I do a half cream cheese and half whipped cream filling because I love lighter fillings and it’s sooooo tasty. I make homemade whipped cream and use the cream cheese recipe here. Delicious

    1. 5 stars
      I tried your suggestion of the half cream cheese and half cool whip and it tasted so much better and fluffier.
      Thank you Anna

  56. 5 stars
    This is such a great recipe and really easy to make. I was doing it with rolling it in a cloth. Never again! I am looking forward to making more of your recipes in the future.

  57. 5 stars
    This was by far the easiest and best tasting pumpkin roll recipe I’ve tried. The cake was moist and easy to roll. The filling was the perfect consistency and not too sweet. I will definitely be adding this to my list of favorite recipes. I’d recommend checking this one out for anyone who wants to make an amazing and easy pumpkin roll.

  58. 5 stars
    Thank you for easy tips on the pumpkin roll cake. I always have enjoyed baking for the holidays! My grandchildren and I make and bake every year. It’s so much fun!!! The oldest grandchildren said this is our family Tradition. I hope we can do it for many more years to come.

  59. 5 stars
    Using Parchment paper instead of a towel is the best idea! I have made Pumpkin Rolls for years and always dreaded the clean up. This year it was quick and easy. Thank you so much !

  60. 5 stars
    Family loooves this! I made 10 for Christmas. The first 3 disappeared fast. I sent some home with each of our kids. Still have a few in the freezer. Perfect for pumpkin lovers. Thank you

  61. Hands down the best pumpkin roll recipe that I’ve found! Just finished making 24 of these today and all came out beautiful and free of cracks! My go to recipe for pumpkin rolls!

  62. 4 stars
    The recipe was great but my pumpkin roll cracked when I was rolling it up after it cooled with the filling. Any advice as to why?

  63. 5 stars
    Your ideal o rolling the cake right out the oven was great . it turned out beautiful will use this recipe again and again.Thank you.

  64. This pumpkin roll is so delicious!! I used to short of a pan in length and width but it still came out amazing!!

  65. 5 stars
    Super easy and so deliciously full of pumpkin flavor. Even a novice could look like a baking rock star with this recipe!

  66. 5 stars
    First time making pumpkin roll or any roll and it came out delicious! Everyone fought over it for thanksgiving. Making again for friends tomorrow. So yummy!

  67. 5 stars
    I’ve made this recipe eight times. It’s my favorite of all. I’m so delighted with all the recipes I’ve tried from your site. I’m working on pumpkin chocolate chip cookies now. Thank you so much for sharing all the delicious recipes.

  68. I made the Pumpkin Roll. This was the first time I tried one! It turned out fantastic and it was gone in no time. Everyone said that’s going to be what I bring from now on!!!

  69. 4 stars
    Taste as expected, always a hit.t
    Tried the parchment paper, thinking what a brilliant idea! Total failure. Cracked in 4 places and looked horrible. Just sliced and sprinkled with powered sugar and o one was any wiser o the flop. Followed directions 100% so not sure why split. Will grease paper next time and see if that works better.

  70. Thank you! the next pumpkin roll i make I am going to roll up in the parchment paper. My past issue lately has been that the roll cracks when I unroll it. I hope it doesn’t do it this way.

  71. This temperature was wrong at least for my oven, I had to bump yo 375° after the 15 minutes and continue to cook another 10 minutes at least!

  72. I’ve used this recipe twice and have been very pleased with how it turned out! I can cook but I am not a baker. My coworkers and family both loved this and it turned out pretty. Love using the parchment paper method. Thank you!

  73. 5 stars
    This is fairly easy and tastes wonderful! I was told I should make this more often by my great-grand kids! They loved helping, too!

  74. Every year I make 3-6 pumpkin rolls. I use the the parchment paper and every time my cake sticks to the parchment paper when I unroll it after it has cooled completely(before the filling it put on). What am I doing wrong?!

  75. 1 star
    I normally love your recipes, but not this one. Wanted to try a different way, less messy to make pumpkin roll. With a high rating I was hoping this is the one!
    Sadly, this is disappointing.
    After I rerolled, the cake was wet and greasy. It also tasted too much baking soda (why no baking powder at all?) and was very dense( and I didn’t overmix it). Had to throw away and made another one. Used my go-to recipe with a powdered sugar towel rolling and it turned out fine.

  76. Do yourself a favor & spray or oil the parchment paper! Mine were a disaster to unroll. Tastes really good though.

  77. Using the parchment paper was a disaster BIG time. The whole stuck like glue! I was planning to take it to a church get together. But it was such a disaster I have none to take! Thanks a heap!!!!

  78. I followed this recipe to a T! And the cake part still split and cracked. Please help me. What am I doing wrong? It was definitely a lot easier than using a towel

  79. The parchment paper was a disaster for me. It was a sticky mess. It was not under cooked. Honestly I think it trapped too much heat creating moisture as it cooled. I will continue to use my old method with the towel and powdered sugar. It was messy, but it always came out fine.

  80. 3 stars
    Years ago I used a recipe using a towel and froze it and then unrolled it and spread on the filling. It worked. This recipe called for parchment paper so I thought I would try it. My roll turned out to be a disaster! I did everything the recipe said, but when I went to take the parchment paper off it all fell apart. So had 6 or 7 strips and lathered on the filling and put them in the freezer. What a waste of time and money. I probably wont make it again.

  81. 1 star
    Really really disappointed in this recipe. I usually like your stuff, so I went forward and made four separate. Every single one of them stuck to the parchment paper and has giant cracks. The cake is greasy and not fluffy at all. I followed your recipe to a T.

    Not a single one of these is servable or gift of all other than to myself. Super disappointing

    1. I had the exact same experience. The cake was greasy and dense. Flavor was good but not cake like the way it should be. I plan to use the powdered towel in the future. Glad I was not alone in this recipe not turning out.

  82. 5 stars
    This roll is amazing!! I love the trick of rolling it in parchment. I had ZERO cracks it was so beautiful. I got so many compliments on the no cracks, the perfect swirl and taste. This will be my go-to from now on.

    For those who had cracks make sure you don’t over-bake it. Mine had a few moist crumbs when I took it out and it came off the parchment easily with no cracks.

  83. 5 stars
    I made this. It is delicious and very easy to make. Rolled up easy too. This was the first time I ever made a pumpkin roll. Thank you

  84. I made the cake exactly as the directions said. Rolled it IN the parchment paper. It sai ON A WIRE COOLING RACK about 2 hours. Was completely cool … u raveling I found it sweat inside and was actually a mess. I think I will go with a lined towel next time dusted with lots of powdered sugar. The flavor was really good …just glad I wasn’t taking it anywhere.

    1. That was exactly my situation as well as several others. I hope it is salvageable. Rewrapped and I’ll deal with it later. No time to fix another. I sadly did not read the comments first as it had such a high rating. Lesson learned, continue to read the reviews.

  85. I just made two pumpkin rolls let them cool completely made filling and when I unrolled the cake I had cracks. Never had them when I did the messy version. I kept the worst one for my family to eat and froze one for Thanksgiving. Needless to say I’ll go back to the old way.
    I’m sure they’ll taste wonderful and my family will enjoy them.

  86. I’ve made a pumpkin roll in the past, but it’s been a few years. Found this recipe and tried it. Something is missing. The cake part of the roll stuck to the paper so badly, it was broken in several places with cream cheese filling showing through. As I was trying my best to get it unstuck, I remembered there was a trick to prevent this from happening but I can’t remember what exactly. I will keep looking for another recipe.

    1. 3 stars
      The recipe itself is tasty but don’t roll it with the parchment. I let it cool on a rack and it still was sweaty inside. Lots of cracks and it was a pain to keep together. I’ve used the towel method before and never had that problem, so I’ll probably do that next time but use the same recipe.

  87. I gotta tell you what I did. Trust me you’re gonna laugh as I sure did. I had a lot of rolls to do so I did double batches & would just split before baking. Was in hurry to get started which led me to doing a double batch on a single batch pan. Luckily enough it didn’t go over the edge. What I ended up with was an extremely large pumpkin roll. As for taste it was extremely good but made regular batches after.

  88. 5 stars
    I made this pumpkin roll and it was so amazingly easy and delicious.One of the easiest dessert I have ever made.My favorite I give it a 10

  89. 5 stars
    This recipe is awesome! I had these every year during the holidays back home in Louisiana and this recipe makes me feel like I’m home again.

    1. The parchment method was so easy! I did feel like the cake was a bit thin so the layers in the slices didn’t seem that thick. Any tips for making sure the batter is spread evenly?

  90. I just made this recipe and it is Amazing. I have never made a jelly roll or pumpkin roll because it was very intimidating to me. I followed the recipe and turned out wonderful. No cracks at all and first time doing a pumpkin roll. In fact I made 2 pumpkin rolls today – one for my husband and I to eat this week and one for the freezer to share at Thanksgiving with family. Thank you so much for recipe and video- both were helpful to me.

  91. 5 stars
    So. At this point I have followed the recipe to the letter. Currently waiting for all components to acclimate to the same temp. Icing left out and covered while cake cooled in the fridge, for easy application. Rolling & unrolling, and then finally RE-rolling. Pretty sure I went a bit heavy on the icing, just not spreading it thin enough towrds the edges. Super easy to follow. I’ll update after we taste test.

  92. 5 stars
    I’ve been making pumpkin roll for over 20 years and was skeptical about not using a powdered sugar dish towel to roll the pumpkin roll in to cool but I decided to give it a try.
    Let me tell you, I will NEVER go back to the dish towel method again! Not only did this recipe & technique yield a delicious, perfect (no cracks) pumpkin roll, there was no mess to clean up and it was wonderful.
    My intention was to try ONE and ended up making EIGHT pumpkin rolls in one day, I even shared this recipe & technique with my mom who is now excited to ditch the towels as well.
    GREAT recipe and thank you so much for sharing!

  93. I had never made or tasted a pumpkin roll until today. This recipe was very easy to make and the directions were easy to follow. It was delicious. My husband even asked for seconds.

  94. 5 stars
    I made this. I’ve never made any kind of roll cake ever. I didn’t have the right size pan so I used a bigger one. It came out perfectly. No cracks or anything. My family of 7 demolished it in minutes!!!

    1. 5 stars
      OMG!!! This was absolutely amazing!! I have always wanted to make a pumpkin roll (especially now since they are extremely costly) but have always been intimidated with the process and mess! This was my 1st time making one and it could not have been easier!!! Everyone will be getting a pumpkin roll! Thank you!!

  95. I have made many using this recipe, they come out perfect and have never had any cracks. My wife loves them and i like to bake and cook.

  96. I just made it the batter was a bit slippery and then the roll was sweaty so it broke in to pieces after I filled it with cream cheese I still refrigerated it not sure what went wrong

  97. 5 stars
    Great recipe. The only problem I’m having is the parchment paper is leaving creases in my cake sometimes Deep enough to crack it. I’ve thought about ironing it and using cooking spray to anchor it. Any ideas?

  98. 5 stars
    I love baking and am not sure why I have never tried baking a pumpkin roll before today given that it is one of my family’s fall faves. I doubled the recipe and made two. Absolutely delicious and the parchment paper roll up step made this super easy! This will be my go to recipe whenever we get the urge for a pumpkin roll.

    1. What I do is slice them and sprinkle lightly with powdered sugar and they never notice the cracks. I’ve been making them for yrs and I’ve found it’s almost impossible to make then with no cracks. I’ve tried everything. Let the eggs set out, put the nuts on the inside & the outside, made no difference. I’ve done everything everyone has suggested. Stop beating yourself up. Just slice them. They’ll never know. 😂😂

    2. Practice makes perfect, Amanda! 🥴 I haven’t ever met someone that can make the prettiest, most perfect, pumpkin roll, their very first time making one. Maybe with the air cooling off, and the humidity not being an issue anymore, you’ll have better luck? Also, are you in part of the states where elevation is high? That may also be something to keep in mind? Ultimately, I think you should take another stab at it! 😊

  99. 5 stars
    I am 42 years old and have been scared to try pumpkin roll recipes! I just made two using your recipe and the parchment paper trick and they turned out perfectly! Thank you!

  100. 5 stars
    Great recipe and the parchment paper made clean up that much easier. My only negative would be you just said that you could freeze them but you did not provide the fact that you need to roll them in plastic wrap and then foil. I’m making 8 and freezing for a couple of weeks.

    1. In the past I’ve frozen the pumpkin roll on a cookie sheet and when it’s hard, used my food saver to freeze. Works great!

      1. Maybe for you. For young first time bakers, this may not be a “no brainer”. The best recipes make no assumptions about what the individual may or may not know. I am not a first time baker.

    1. 5 stars
      I love the idea of using the parchment paper instead of the mess from the tea towel. The only thing is, I add chopped nuts to the top of the batter. When I rolled it with the towel, the nuts are on the outside. I’m not sure how to accomplish this using the parchment paper. Suggestions? Thanks!

  101. 5 stars
    We made this in a 9×13 pan, so it was more of a pumpkin LOG filled with cream cheese than a roll, but it surprisingly still rolled up and kept it’s shape! And it tasted AMAZING!! We also used 1:1 gluten free flour and the texture is perfect 🙂 great recipe will definitely be using it again when we get the correct size pan haha

  102. Rolled it while hot made the whole log really sticky and wet. As a result it broke into pieces. Not sure how to avoid the sweating and heat from making it turn soggy. On the plus side it looks much better than it turned out 😛

  103. 5 stars
    I plan to make this for a family picnic this Saturday, only I will use gluten free flour, like Bob’s red mill cup for cup. I love the parchment paper idea!!

  104. 5 stars
    Very easy to make, make sure the cake is completely cooled before adding the filling. I love that this can be made ahead and frozen if needed.

  105. 5 stars
    I have a dairy allergy so I altered the recipe a little to make it dairy free. I also accidentally added the vegan butter into the cake batter, and it was so moist and spongy 🙃
    I did my filling with coconut creme, maple syrup, vegan butter, vegan cream cheese and the other ingredients mentioned.
    It was a hit at the family holiday party and at home. Even my fiance who doesn’t care for pumpkin said it was absolutely delicious and ate more than 1 piece eagerly!

  106. I made a pumpkin roll once and it stuck to the parchment paper when I tried to remove the cake. No, I didn’t spray the parchment paper before I placed the cake batter on it. Why did it stick to the parchment paper? Now I’m afraid to try using parchment paper again.

  107. What an easy recipe to put together. I followed to the tea. Of course held my breath with the unrolling to fill. Worked out great. I used a light dusting of baking spray. What fun.

  108. Recipe was easy peasy. The only thing I did different to elevate the flavor was add a tsp of pumpkin spice to the cream cheese frosting. Excellent!!!!

  109. I made two of these and they are awesome! The first one cracked but think I let it cool too long. Unrolled the second one while it was still lukewarm to spread the icing and it did just fine! They certainly taste better after refrigerating overnight. Thanks for sharing the recipe and tips because I never would have tried this.

  110. I follow the instructions exactly. I let the cake cool for 2 1/2 hours. Is this not long enough? When I unrolled it the cake split into places quite a bit. I was very careful when I’m rolling it. What should I do differently?

  111. 1 star
    My mother always made a pumpkin roll for thanksgiving from a recipe she created and I’d occasionally make it instead if she didn’t have the time. She just moved and the recipe got lost in the chaos. This recipe looked promising instead. Was really disappointed that it was rather bland. We couldn’t taste the pumpkin at all and it mostly tasted like an underwhelming spice cake.

  112. I have been making pumpkin rolls for 15 year by turning them out on towel and praying they don’t crack. In fact, I didn’t even like making them anymore, but they are always requested. This parchment paper trick has save HOURS of repair, waiting, and cleaning. There was ZERO mess to clean up! Sure seems like a no brainer! LOL. Thanks!

  113. 5 stars
    I LOVE pumpkin roll, but was too intimidated to make one. Turned out perfectly! Thank you so much for this foolproof (and delicious 😋) technique!

  114. 5 stars
    I make many pumpkin rolls at Thanksgiving and Christmas they are a huge hit and people ask for them every year. This recipe is very very good. Thanks for posting it.

  115. 4 stars
    I only use half the amount of sugars and they come out delicious, you can taste the pumpkin better and its not overly sweet.

  116. Hi, the recipe looks great and I would like to try it but in my country we don’t use canned pumpkin puree. I have a homemade puree, but I have no idea how much should I use, can you help, please?
    Maybe if you could tell me how much puree is in the standard can you are mentioning? Thank you so much!

      1. Recipe calls for 2/3 cup of pumpkin purée.
        A standard small can of pumpkin is 15 oz.
        1 can will make 3 pumpkin rolls.

  117. I am a decent baker and this was my first time doing a roll of any kind. I was giddy at the finished product. Perfection. So easy and so delicious. I made mine a day ahead, assembled and kept in plastic wrap until ready to serve. Thanks so much

    1. 5 stars
      I couldn’t wait to taste this once it was done!!! Absolutely delicious AND!!!! No Cracks in the cake!👍
      I looked over about 5 other recipes, like I always do before I pick one👍& yours looked easy & yummy & was the only one that didn’t just say “a can of pumpkin”???? I have 2 cans, 2 different amounts!??
      Thank you for your perfect recipe!

    1. My best tip is to make sure to roll it up in the parchment paper right when it comes out of the oven and is still very hot!

  118. 3 stars
    DON’T use parchment paper! I have always used the wax paper method, greasing and flouring the wax paper. Always came out beautifully with no cracks. I tried the parchment paper today. The roll stuck to the paper towel. I tried ever so gently to pull it off the towel without it sticking, to no avail. I have cracks in my pumpkin roll. I patched it the best I could with the cream cheese. I am so disappointed. Never again. Next time: Back to the tried and true wax paper.

    1. I’m so sorry you had trouble, but no where in the recipe does it say to use paper towel…Sorry if you got confused….Wax paper is a good replacement for parchment paper if you don’t have any, but wax paper is also cheaper, flimsier and absorbs easier than parchment, making parchment the superior choice.

  119. 5 stars
    This came out perfect! The tips were very helpful. I personally roll mine in a clean kitchen towel leaving the parchment paper on to train it. Came out perfect didn’t crack once. Thank you!!

  120. 5 stars
    The best recipe! One and only recipe for me. I make many during Christmas as gifts and many compliments follow.

  121. Delicious recipe. I’ve made this several times. The outside of the pumpkin roll always is wet and sticky. Any ideas?

  122. I have always wanted to make a cake roll but been afraid to try. This Thanksgiving I decided to give it a try. I loved it. It was so easy. It will be on my menu from now on. Thanks for the recipe so easy.

  123. 5 stars
    This is the easiest pumpkin roll ever! I have used your advice before about the parchment paper and why anyone would do it different would be insane! ❤️❤️❤️

  124. 4 stars
    I liked this recipe
    . Was curious about the parchment paper rolling it up. It did work. But I prefer the old way I use a clean pillow case powder and roll it up. I found my cake damper than I like. I think the cloth absorbs a lot of the moisture

  125. Just made one with my 2 year old, looks good so far. Is the cake part supposed to have a flowery taste? Mine does and I put the right amount of everything in it.. Please let me know if that is normal, it is currently cooling…Fingers Crossed!!!

    1. This has happened to me before, and I learned that it was because my flour was old. It has a very distinct taste! Maybe that’s the trouble?

    1. Roll right away while it’s still hot. Use gloves!
      I sprayed parchment paper with a bit of Pam beforehand . When it was COMPLETELY cooled it released nicely . Good luck!

    2. 5 stars
      To avoid sticking, I sprayed a little Pam on the parchment paper and used a napkin to spread it out. No issues with sticking.

      I made 2 yesterday, and while they were delicious, they both didn’t roll so well … kind of turned into pumpkin foldovers instead of pumpkin rolls. Any advice on how to roll with no cracking? I did have to cook for 20 minutes instead of 15 as it was not done enough.

      I also added a little nutmeg and allspice.

  126. I made this today and the result was an impressive looking dessert. BUT: Really not much flavor and requires more of the traditional spices. Also thinking that letting it warm a bit may bring out more flavor.
    Disappointed considering my investment of time.

    1. my recipe is roll:
      3 eggs, 2 cups pumpkin, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp baking powder, 2 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp ginger, 1 cup sugar, 1/2 tsp nut meg, 3/4 cups flour.

      filling: 4 tsp soft butter, 1/2 tsp vanilla, 8 oz cream cheese, 1 cup powdered sugar.

      EVERYONE LOVES IT…………LOTS OF FLAVOR. I AM MAKING FOR THANKSGIVING AND MAYBE CHRISTMAS 🙂

      1. I worried about only adding cinnamon so I used Marsha’s recommendation and added nutmeg. I also added more pumpkin — the recipe called for 2/3 cup and Marsha said she uses 2 cups. 2 cups seemed like a lot so I went with 1 cup. I think maybe baking POWDER, as referenced in Marsha’s recipe would be better than baking SODA as called for in this one. With the added pumpkin I ended up with a very wet cake. I was able to roll it but it is wayyyyyyy too moist. I am just glad it’s only my husband and I this year because I would not want to serve this to guests. I will try this recipe again at some point, but will follow it as written.

  127. 5 stars
    I had low hopes for myself, because any type of roll seems challenging, but this was simple and it turned out great! It was not hard to roll or unroll, and there were no cracks! The cake part tastes perfect and, truly, you can’t go wrong with cream cheese frosting.

  128. Just a question – could I use canned pumpkin pie filling and omit the spices? I’m using a cup of pumpkin pie filling for another recipe and rather than toss the rest I would like to use it for this.

  129. 5 stars
    I have always used a recipe very very similar to this one, however, it wasn’t until I read your tutorial that the roll turned out perfectly with less stress and mess! I followed your recipe except I added two teaspoons of cinnamon and one quarter of a teaspoon of nutmeg, that’s one thing my family likes about our recipe. For anyone reading this review, the true greatness of this recipe lies in the step by step instructions! Thanks so much.

  130. I am a towel user but wanted to try this. The middle of the roll was super moist and I ended up with cracks in three our of four rolls. Is there a way to avoid that?

  131. I love this recipe . make it all the time. I use wax paper instead of parchment paper works great thanks again.

  132. 2 stars
    In theory sounded great. I always work with parchment paper for everything else. But this did not work. I have made pumpkin roll hundreds of times with the towel method although messy with no issues. This way totally made a mess, stuck and cracked and pulled apart. Maybe flouring first would have done better.

    1. 5 stars
      Hmm, I’ve had zero problems with this method! As a matter of fact, I’ve abandoned the dish towel method and will only use these instructions from now on. I even bookmarked this page!

      Regarding flavor, last year I used Trader Joe’s canned (organic?) pumpkin and did not care for the taste. This year I used good old Libby’s pumpkin and I much prefer it! If your flavor is off, try a different brand of pumpkin!

  133. 3 stars
    I loved how easy these directions were and the 6 I made came out beautiful. However, the reviews I got from my friends who I gave them to were that it was not “pumpkiny” flavored enough. I would suggest to add nutmeg, clove and ginger or just pumpkin pie seasoning.

  134. 5 stars
    I made this for 2 thanksgiving dinners and it was a huge hit at both! Super easy to make and prepare in advance – so no pre-dinner rush. Tastes similar to a carrot cake. No overwhelming pumpkin taste! Really impressed and I’ll definitely be making it again! Thanks!

  135. 5 stars
    To make the filling extra decadent .I used about a cup of white chocolate melted add to the cream cheese filling comes out awesome.

  136. 5 stars
    Hi Lauren! I made this last week and it was super delicious! I used Gluten free flour, didn’t turn out fluffy (laughs) but still very tasty. Love the cream cheese too…Mmm yum! Thanks for the recipe. This will be my Fave Pumpkin dessert for parties! 😀

  137. Just made this pumpkin roll cake! So good and came out perfect!!! I doubled the recipe and made two pans. So easy to roll and make for my first time. Always wanted to make one of these so when I read to just roll it with the parchment I couldn’t wait to try it!

  138. 5 stars
    Sooo easy and delicious! I used to buy these every year but not anymore! I make it myself and its better. This technique was so easy that it gave me the confidence to try other jelly roll recipes. Fun!

  139. 5 stars
    Finally an easy delicious recipe for pumpkin roll. No more messy towels! Parchment paper worked great with your cooling process! This will be my go to recipe and my husband is happy!! Thanks

  140. This was my very first pumpkin roll and I’m soooo pleased!! It was as easy as it was made out to be rolling it in the parchment paper!! Thanks!!

  141. the cake is too hot on your hands to roll in the parchment paper. I left the parchment paper on and rolled it all in a dish towel.

  142. 5 stars
    I have used this recipe for over 40 years! I add a teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice to the batter. Also add chopped walnuts or pecans to either the batter or sprinkle on the filling before rolling. This is the first year I saw the brilliant idea of parchment paper to bake and roll up!!! I can’t tell you the number of tea towels I threw away making it the difficult way.

  143. I made this using a larger jelly roll pan. I didn’t notice that my pan was bigger until to late. This still turned out pretty good. A couple small cracks because the the batter was spread a bit thin. It tastes great still looks great and much easier than the old fashioned powdered dish towel way. I’ll make it again using a smaller pan or increasing the batter for the pan I have.

  144. 5 stars
    First time roll maker here! This was super easy and everyone loved it. I will be making this every year for Thanksgiving.

  145. 5 stars
    Foolproof recipe!! Great tip on how to roll it. Second year making it for thanksgiving and I think it’ll come back for years to come. Everyone from adults to the kids loved it.

  146. 5 stars
    This is my husband’s favorite Fall treat. Thanks for helping me to bake like a kitchen goddess. This recipe is simple and delicious.

  147. Making this with my daughter while she is home from school for Thanksgiving break. It’s our first ever “roll” cake after being inspired while we watched the Great British Bake Off! This recipe was so easy and we are having fun making it together. Might become a Thanksgiving tradition.

  148. 5 stars
    I made this last year for Christmas. It was awesome. This is my adult son’s favorite dessert. So easy using a the parchment paper. Planning on making it for Thanksgiving this year and for Christmas gifts for mail carrier and doctor office. Thank you for the detailed instructions that made such a great difference in making it successful.

  149. I love it already and haven’t even made it yet! So many receipes like this have nutmeg in them, and when considering nut allergies being a spice it is forgotten that it is also a nut and cause a reaction.

    1. Thanks Sally. Nutmeg is actually a seeds for a tree (not a nut). My son is allergic to all peanuts and tree nuts and he can safely eat nutmeg.

  150. I just made this and I used honey instead in the cream cheese and it was delicious, I used coconut sugar in the dough, but I used einkorn flour and when I rolled it up with the cream cheese in it, it split in several places. I also rolled it in the long instead of short way as it makes more than a short roll would be. Would that make a difference with it splitting?

    Thanks, I do love the recipe!

  151. Could you please recommend a good jelly roll pan? Trying to process all the reviews is proving to be more challenging than expected.

    1. I found this recipe before Thanksgiving and decided to make it. I didn’t even know what a jelly roll pan was, I had to google it. It was Sunday afternoon, instead of driving 15 miles to Walmart I went to the local Dollar General, low and behold they had a 2 pack in different sizes. They work great!

      I never thought I could roll a cake, so easy.

      Thank you for the recipe. It was a hit at Christmas, I made one tonight because I had an 8 oz pack of cream cheese that was about to expire. Thats how easy this recipe is for me. Even after working all day.

  152. 5 stars
    I am normally not a fan of baking from scratch, but decided to try this for dessert for my bridge club tonight. It turned out great!!! Thanks for the step by step directions.

  153. 5 stars
    Was planning on making some for the kids teachers for Thanksgiving! I made a run through tonight!!! AMAZING!!!!! Super moist, cream cheese was great!!
    Hubby loves it!! He’s not a sweets person!! So I will be making 5 more this week!! Plus one for thanksgiving!!
    Thank you!!!

  154. Will it change the texture or moisture of the cake if the pumpkin puree is refrigerated? I made another pumpkin dish over the weekend, and want to use the rest of the puree for my pumpkin roll, but the first time I made this recipe, the puree was straight out of the can, and it was perfect! I dont want to think refrigerated puree will change it at all. Thanks!

  155. 5 stars
    This pumpkin roll is PHENOMENAL!! It was the first one I’ve ever made and it was perfect. I’ve eaten pumpkin rolls and they are normally pretty good but usually on the dry side. But let me tell you, this was so moist and SO GOOD!! I added some pumpkin pie spice to make it a little more fall inspired, but didn’t change anything else. People went nuts over this pumpkin roll and I almost ate the whole damn thing myself. It was rolled perfectly and has the perfect ratio of cake to filling. Ugh, so goooooood

    1. Rolling it up in the parchment paper???? Yes yes yes!!!!!!!! Thank you!!!! I hate that stupid dish towel sprinkled with powdered sugar!

  156. Hi! I am planning to make this for a dinner that will be out of town. What’s the best way to go about traveling with this? Will the prepared cake hold well for a 2.5 hr drive?

    1. Hi Ali, it should be fine on a big serving platter, or you could cut it and place the slices in a cake box or on a plate. If possible it would be great to bring it in a cooler to keep it chilled.

  157. 5 stars
    I made this for the first time, I am not a baker. It turned out beautiful and it was so easy. GREAT JOB

  158. 5 stars
    Thanks for the parchment paper tip! It went together so quick and easy. AND no yucky tea towel to clean afterwards,

  159. 5 stars
    I made pumpkin rolls with my grandmother, with my mother and by myself. Also made Bouche de Noel Always used the towel because that was the way one did them. I am so very happy that you let us know the advantages of using parchment paper!!!!!! I made 3 last night between 3 and 5 am and all turned out beautifully by using parchment a[er! Thank you again!! Lord bless you!

  160. I have never done a roll. Once you let it cool and then refrigerate it rolled in the parchment paper, does it unroll easily to frost?

  161. 5 stars
    Made my 1st Pumpkin Roll using this recipe….NAILED IT!! may add some different spices to the roll part of the recipe but all in all EXCELLENT and EASY!!

  162. 5 stars
    I would love to make this but I’m lacking wax or parchment paper. Can this be rolled with foil by chance? Has anyone tried that?

    1. Never bake with wax and I would wait to make it until you get the parchment paper. Foil never works well and you would be better off just coating the pan really well with butter and flour.

      1. Did you allow it to cool completely? You could even put it in the fridge. It shouldn’t be hard to come off at all if it has properly cooled and you’re using good quality parchment 🙂

    2. You can roll it in a kitchen towel. I have done that for years. Also, you can make cake rolls of any type, ie: chocolate, yellow, spice, any kind of cake you choose!

  163. Wow!! The way you roll the pumpkin roll made this 100% easier than the towel way! I swore off rolls because mine would crack but not this way. Thank you!

  164. Hi! I’d love to make this, but I’m more of a fan of pumpkin + chocolate. Could you add chocolate chips to the cake batter?

  165. I’ve been making this for years. I’ve made as many as 12 for for people for Christmas. It’s always a big hit. I even do one for my hairdresser every Christmas.

  166. I made this roll. It was very easy BUT again I had a major crack in 2 of them. That aggravates me. Why is this happening? What is the answer?

    1. Usually the cracking can be prevented if the cake is rolled up as soon as it comes out of the oven (make sure not to let it rest and cool first).

    1. It should (haven’t tested it), but I’d suggest blending the cooked pumpkin with a little bit of water until you reach the same smooth consistency of the canned pumpkin, before adding it to the batter.

  167. Thanks for sharing this new method!! I never liked the idea of putting my cake on a towel lol. Using the parchment paper just makes sense!!! Can’t wait to try this out!

  168. Thank you so much for this recipe! I hve always been intimidated by roll cakes until I found your recipe. It was my first successful roll cake and everyone loved it!

  169. 5 stars
    The first time I attempted to make one of these and it turned out fantastic! Everyone loved it and not a crumb was left. I’ve made it four times now and it’s always delicious and so easy to make.

  170. I have made this recipe a number of times and it’s a huge success! I even made it twice this year over Thanksgiving lol. I added a bit of cinnamon to the cream cheese filling…so good. I want to make a non pumpkin versi9n that is as delicious and moist…do you have any recipes or suggestions? I pondered swapping the pumpkin for yogurt but scared to try lol. Love this recipe and the new tip on using parchment! Mind blown ha

  171. Spray pan with cooking spray a tiny bit. I’ve always made mine with wax paper. And I dust a tea towel and flip it out of the pan onto powdered sugar remove wax paper then roll. Sometimes it blows powdered sugar everywhere but baking is sometimes messy lol. Cool unroll proceed with filling. Hope this helps.

  172. 5 stars
    Hello Lauren, thank you so much for this recipe and your specific directions. In all my 54 years of baking, I have never attempted a jelly roll! Then I saw your post on Pinterest and thought….”Here goes. If it cracks badly, I won’t serve it to company.” I popped it in the oven and I had dangerous thought that that was quick easy, but we’ll see when it comes to the roll up and re-roll. Lauren, you Sweetheart, I aced it thanks to you. And bonus, no messy towel!
    Thank you!

  173. 5 stars
    Love pumpkin roll. This is by far the best and easiest recipe I have ever found. Using parchment instead of towels was pure genius. Thanks!!

    1. 5 stars
      I made this tonight it was easy, but my cake part stuck and split. Should I spray the parchment paper I let it cool for about 3 hours. Thank you

  174. 5 stars
    I made this tonight it was easy, but my cake part stuck and split. Should I spray the parchment paper I let it cool for about 3 hours. Thank you

  175. I made this just like the recipe said and when I took it out of the oven and let it cool. When I unrolled it the top of the cake was wet and it cracked. I frosted it and rolled it up but it had cracks all over it.

  176. 5 stars
    I made this pumpkin roll for Thanksgiving and it was a huge hit with the whole family! The cake is moist and the cream cheese filling is not too sweet. Love the tip about rolling the cake in the parchment paper right out of the oven. The cake roll turned out perfectly – no cracking! This recipe is now one of my favorites!!

  177. 5 stars
    Your recipes are amazing! This one being my favorite so far! The first time I made it, there were no flaws! & it was delicious! My 1 & 3 year old ask for it all the time!!

  178. 5 stars
    Just made this tonight and it is delicious!!! I was hoping to freeze it and have it at Thanksgiving but it will be gone by tomorrow, so making another one right now. Super easy up make. And I used a gluten free flour and it’s still moist and yummy!

    1. Exactly the reason I read comments! I wanted to see if anyone had attempted with gluten free four! Claudia – what brand did you use? I generally use Namaste Gf flour – seems to work best for me.

  179. 5 stars
    Okay so I am baking challenged and my hubby & I made this for my Moms family birthday party at home the weekend before Thanksgiving and it was a CROWD HIT!!!! THANK YOU 1,000,000 TIMES ?

  180. 5 stars
    Thank you! Absolutely the best pumpkin roll ever!! It’s easy to mix up and love your idea to use parchment paper rather than the messy towel used in many other recipes. I have a question…I seem to get wrinkles in my parchment paper & the roll tries to break/crack a little in those places. Any suggestions what I’m doing wrong with my parchment? Thank you.

    1. Thanks Mary Beth! My only suggestion would be to pull on the outer sides of the parchment as you roll it to make sure they are flat. 🙂

  181. I’m looking to try a new recipe. I’ve been making them for years. Cracking is my biggest problem. Not all of them crack, but I’d like to find a way for them all to look nice. Would wax paper work the same way? I don’t have parchment and not planning a trip to the market.

      1. I’ve made this recipe hundreds of times and have never had a cracked pumpkin roll. Roll it up immediately out of the oven, allow it to cool completely before unrolling and frosting it.

        1. I just used your recipe and made two. I rolled mine up in a tea towel that I sprinkled with powder sugar and they did not crack. I did, however, forget the butter in the cream cheese filling. 🙁 Do you think they will taste delicious? They look beautiful!

  182. Never made pumpkin roll before in my life, was always afraid it wouldn’t come out well. I came across this recipe and thought why not. This recipe is Awesome! And so easy. I will be sharing this one. Thank you for sharing this with us.

  183. 5 stars
    Tis the season for pumpkin everything and for me it’s this season a bit all year round (lol)

    I just love pumpkin, and I have been using it a lot lately. I just came across your recipe through Pinterest and the photo caught my attention and made me think that I have some more pumpkin in the fridge therefore I definitely have to try this pumpkin roll! It simply looks delicious from start till finish.

    1. I usually use a 15 oz can, but it really doesn’t matter as long as you just measure out 2/3 cup (and you can refrigerate the leftover canned pumpkin to use in another recipe) 🙂 Hope you enjoy it!

  184. 5 stars
    I make this pumpkin roll every year at thanksgiving an Christmas , so super easy to make an really delicious , goes really quick, so most of the time , I would make 2 an slice an place onto a platter, with garnish , powdered sugar , or pecans , or which ever u choose for your garnish.

  185. I’ve made this and it’s AWESOME! Everyone just raved about how delicious it was, I also added chopped Walnuts to the batter when I had spread it in the pan. Yumm!

  186. 5 stars
    Delicious and so easy! I was searching for an easy pumpkin dessert recipe and came across this one. Fast and easy is a must (I’m a mom with a one year old). It was perfect for the Halloween party at work. So happy I tried it out. Now, I’m adding it to my favorites!

  187. 4 stars
    Any tips for making it smoother before baking it? I couldn’t get it even enough, it’s not terrible, but the perfectionist in me wants it to be better!

  188. 5 stars
    Made your pumpkin roll and it was very good. I believe it was better the second day after being in the frig. Flavors seemed to be meld perfectly. I did not use the pumpkin pie spice but made the combination of spices you suggested. Will do again. Thank you for a tasty and easy recipe.

  189. 5 stars
    I am making a cookbook and i was wondering if i could use you recipe in my cookbook?
    Im jenny and im 11 years old i want to open a bakery when i get older, we have a project in bible class called changer the world project so i am going to make a gospel cookbook!

    1. Hi Jenny,
      I’m sorry, my recipes are copyrighted. I think it’s fantastic that you want to open a bakery. You could always adapt my recipe to make it your own!

  190. 5 stars
    Excellent recipe! This is even better than the one I grew up making! I will definitely be putting this in the family recipe box; my 6 year old days it’s his favorite! Looking forward to making and eating this for our Thanksgiving dessert!

  191. 5 stars
    Made this for the first time ever. Loved it!!!! I have a very picky son whom I made this for and he loves it!!! I will be making this many more times. It is as it says easy to make.

  192. 5 stars
    Tried it last night came out good. I substituted the 4x the baking powder for baking soda, and only left it in over for 10 mts it turn out delicious!!

  193. 5 stars
    I was always intimidated by this silly pumpkin roll. Especially, the part with a tea towel. Your method is a piece of cake. Made 2 and impressed myself!

  194. 5 stars
    I made this recipe several times last holiday season. They were a huge hit at every party I brought them to. I can’t wait to make it again this year!

  195. 5 stars
    This way is simple but I still like the towel way with the powered sugar to give the pumpkin roll up a little extra flavor. I make it every year for the holidays and special occasions.

  196. 4 stars
    This was my first time making a pumpkin roll. It was super easy but both of my rolls cracked when I unfilled them. I did not grease the parchment paper prior to baking them and I let them cool for more than 5 hours. Not sure what happened.

  197. 5 stars
    I made two for my son’s 2nd grade class. The kids and teacher lover them! A very easy to follow recipe with an outstanding outcome!

  198. 5 stars
    I make 20+ of these every year. I agree parchment paper can stick. I use a silicone mat under each one while baking then put a double thickness of sturdy paper towel on top, then flip it over and roll up in the paper towels. Everything else is the same.

  199. 5 stars
    This was delicious! It rolled beautifully in the parchment paper. I did add 1/4 tsp ginger, 1/4 tsp nutmeg and 1/8 tsp cloves to cake recipe.

  200. 5 stars
    Turned out delicious! This was my first time making a pumpkin roll and it was very easy to make. 100 times better than store bought rolls. Definitely will be making this again.

    1. Hi Abby, thanks so much for taking the time to comment. I am so happy that it turned out well for you! Happy holidays!

  201. 4 stars
    I’ve made this recipe twice now, and like other people both times it has cracked when I unroll because it sticks to the parchment, even though I’ve tried the suggestions. But otherwise it’s super simple and delicious!

  202. 5 stars
    Finally, i lost my original recipe for PUMPKIN ROLL and YOURS IS EXACTLY LIKE MINE. I had paniced because I didnt want to make all of the other ones i was finding. AND THEN I found yours. I make it the same way too. This one is By far the BEST ONE BY FAR. Ive been making this one for so many years, I will write this down in MANY places. THANK YOU SO MUCH….HAPPY THANKSGIVING LOVE YOUR RECIPES

    1. Delores, you are so sweet and I am so glad you found! I am glad you enjoy the recipe as much as I do! Thanks for following Tastes Better From Scratch and Happy Thanksgiving!

  203. 5 stars
    Complete GAME CHANGER! I did not have high hopes for this recipe (sorry) but I gave it try and was complete amazed at how simple and delicious it is. I have looked yet but do you have a recipe for a yule log?

    1. I am so happy to hear it!! Thanks for sharing! I don’t have a “yule log” specific recipe yet but I will be sharing a new chocolate peppermint cake roll recipe in December!

  204. 4 stars
    Made this today. The parchment paper trick is great. My kids thought it was delicious as did I. The cake did crack a little, but it didn’t matter after I sliced it up. Also, the parchment paper crinkled up before I put it in the oven (unbeknownst to me). So there were indentations in the cake. Again, it didn’t matter after I sliced it up.

  205. I just started making my Pumpkin rolls on Parchment paper this year. I have made 10 to date & always think I wonder if anyone else knows how much better this is than the traditional method lol. Store bought Pumpkin rolls to me anyway, do not have a good flavor. It tickles me to see you add additional spices as do I. You go girl! ?

  206. 5 stars
    I added pumpkin spice too the mixture also…yummy, and when I iced the cooled cake, I added extra filling, balanced it out perfectly.

  207. 1 star
    I was so happy to try the parchment paper virus the messy tea towel method, I tried using the parchment paper, rolled them up and let them cool completely. Went to unroll them and they stuck to parchment paper and cracked. Needless to say they are in the trash can. What did I do wrong?. Have to use the rea towel method now, since I have the filling made! Feeling disappointed!

    1. Hi Linda, I am so sorry to hear that! My best advice, along with making sure the cake is completely cooled before unrolling it (you could even refrigerate it after it’s cooled off), is to allow them to cool on top of a wire cooling rack so that it prevents sweating inside or on the botton of the cake. Also make sure the cake is really well cooked–it’s such a moist cake that if it’s undercooked at all it may just be too soft and moist to come off of the parchment easily.
      Again, sorry you had trouble and hope you get to try again. I’ve made this so many times with no trouble, and it’s so much easier than the towel method.

    2. Don’t throw it out if it doesn’t turn out right .instead make a trifle out if it using the messed up cake then vanilla pudding add some chopped nuts some whipped cream then repeat untill you’ve used up the cake😁

  208. Dear Lauren,

    I wanted to ask how would I go about making a roll cake just like this but vanilla/plain so I can fill it with different jams or other fillings. I have tried making it with other cake roll recepies and failed twice already 🙁 Any advice is really appreciated!

    Thank you so much!!
    Fiorella

    1. I would put it on your serving plate, and then tent the tinfoil over the plate to cover it. Hope you love it!

  209. I added some cloves and nutmeg for additional flavor. Yummy. And I’d make more icing next time. Just so that it would look like the picture a bit more. The recipe makes for a thin icing center. A nice rich one would be “icing on the cake”so they say.

  210. 5 stars
    Debby..I have made this pumpkin roll twice..turned out perfect the first time…on the second one I had a problem with it cracking really bad when I unrolled it to put the filling on it..what causes this and thank you…

    1. Hi there, I would be interested to know if you did anything differently between the first and second time? Some things that may cause the cake to crack are if it’s over-baked (dry) or if it cools too long before it gets rolled up, when it comes out of the oven.

    1. Great question! Rolling the cake while it’s hot creates “muscle memory” for the cake to be shaped that way. If you try to roll it after it has cooled it will crack and fall apart as you roll it up.

  211. Could you make a double batch, and use a regular cookie sheet to bake the cake then cut it in half to make 2 rolls?

    1. Hi Alanna, what size cookie sheet are you referring to? This recipe uses a jelly roll pan size (10×15”) which is as big as most cookie sheets…

  212. Just curious, in your instruction it says line pan with parchment paper, then grease bottom & sides of pan. Would that mean grease parchment or the pan itself? Love the idea of the ease of using the parchment to roll it in. I get asked to make these every year for Thanksgiving, for a few family members & always dread the task due to the towel & sugar mess. So Thank you so much for this!!

    1. I lightly grease the parchment paper and sides of the pan, with the parchment sitting in the pan. Hope you enjoy this recipe–it really does make it so much simpler and cleaner!

  213. 5 stars
    Made this roll today and we loved it!! My son ate 2 pieces and said it’s his favorite ever! Only change I made was adding some mascarpone to the cream.

  214. 5 stars
    I just made two of this recipe. It was the first roll cake I ever made. So easy and delicious! Definitely will make more for gifts.

  215. 5 stars
    I generally don’t like making pumpkin rolls because of all the mess with the towel and powdered sugar. Your tips for rolling this in the parchment paper have totally change do my mind! This recipe is amazing! It’s so easy and results in very little mess!

  216. 5 stars
    Your tip about rolling up in the parchment paper is the BEST.
    This is beautiful and looks impressive even though its pretty easy.
    Love it!

    1. I just wanted to know if your roll was the least bit sticky? I just finished two and use parchment paper for the first time and after cooling and unrolling I had them split. I am use to using wax paper so I’m not sure if I did something wrong. Thanks

  217. 5 stars
    So so easy to make! Made for a coworker for the first time ever and he loved it! Definately making some more for thanksgiving and christmas!!

  218. i make at least 35-40 of these every Christmas. The only thing I suggest to use instead of tea towel is another piece of wax paper. I have also found that parchment paper works better than wax paper. Doesn’t seem to stick to parchment paper as it does to wax paper. These are great gifts!!! I get lots of orders.

    1. I made 4 of these tonight and I am having problem with them sticking to the parchment paper! Can someone please can anyone help me with this problem?

      1. I am so sorry to hear that! My advice would be to first, make sure the cake is really well cooked–it’s such a moist cake that if it’s undercooked at all it may just be too soft and moist to come off of the parchment easily. Also after rolling them I always allow them to cool on top of a wire cooling rack so that it prevents sweating inside the cake. Again, sorry you had trouble, but those are my best tips, along with making sure it’s a good quality parchment paper, and making sure it’s completely cooled before trying to unroll it. You could even stick it in the fridge, before unrolling.

  219. I was looking for a good pumpkin roll recipe to make for my daughter. This looks perfect. Can’t wait to try it, thanks!