The best and easiest Pumpkin Roll recipe with a moist and tender crumb, filled with smooth cream cheese frosting. I have the best trick to make this simple and completely mess-free!
Do you love pumpkin recipes? Try Pumpkin Spice Eggnog, Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies, Pumpkin Snickerdoodles, or Pumpkin Cake!
Our Pumpkin Roll is No-Fuss, No-Mess, All Flavor
Our Pumpkin Roll is No-Fuss, No-Mess, All FlavorDon't be intimidated to make pumpkin roll! It's the most basic sheet cake, rolled up to look fancier than it is. And we don't mess with your Grandma's old-fashioned method of dumping the cake on a towel covered in powdered sugar –what a mess! My method is the easiest and works great every single time! If you want to take this dessert to the next level, try using homemade pumpkin purée.
How to make a Pumpkin Roll:
Prep Pan: Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly spray a 10×15” pan with cooking spray, then line with parchment paper and leaving an extra inch of parchment paper hanging over the long sides so you can easily lift it up after it bakes. Lightly spray the parchment paper with non-stick spray.
Make Batter: Combine flour, salt, cinnamon, baking soda, and pumpkin pie spice in a bowl. Mix eggs, vanilla, sugar, and pumpkin in a separate bowl, until smooth. Pour dry ingredients into wet ingredients, just stirring until combined.
Bake: Pour batter in prepared pan, spreading into an even layer. Bake for 13-16 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Watch it closely since every oven is different. Remove from oven. Lift the parchment paper up and place on a heat-safe flat surface. While cake is hot, start at a short end and slowly roll the cake inside the parchment paper all the way. Let cool completely on a wire cooling rack.
- Tip: It's very important to roll up the cake when it's hot from the oven, so it doesn't crack. The hot cake is soft, pliable, and will roll and set in this shape, so it doesn't crack.
Add Filling: Mix cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and powdered sugar together with an electric mixer until it's fluffy and smooth. Carefully unroll cooled pumpkin cake then gently smooth the filling in an even layer. Roll up the pumpkin swiss roll back up, without the parchment paper and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerator for at least 1 hour before serving.
Serve: Dust the top of the pumpkin roll cake with powdered sugar, if desired. Cut into slices and serve. Keep leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions:
To Make Ahead: The assembled pumpkin roll with cream cheese filling can be made and refrigerated, covered, for 1-2 days. Or if you just want to make the cake part ahead of time, you can bake it, roll it in parchment paper to cool, then refrigerate it while it's rolled in the parchment paper for one day before spreading the frosting. Keep leftovers covered and in the refrigerator.
To Freeze: Wrap in plastic wrap and aluminum foil then freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw completely overnight in the refrigerator before slicing and serving.
More Fall Cake Recipes:
- Pumpkin Cheesecake
- Fresh Apple Cake
- Carrot Cake Loaf
- Pumpkin Cupcakes
- Pumpkin Mug Cake
- Apple Coffee Cake
- Flourless Chocolate Cake
- Gingerbread Cake
- Sticky Toffee Pudding
- Homemade Rum Cake
Follow me for more great recipes
Recipe
Pumpkin Roll
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 2/3 cup canned pumpkin (or homemade pumpkin puree)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Filling:
- 8 ounces cream cheese , softened
- 2 Tablespoons butter , softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup powdered sugar , plus more for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Prep Pan: Lightly grease a jelly roll pan (10 x 15'') with non stick cooking spray. Place parchment paper on top so it sticks, 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. Lightly grease the parchment paper.
- Dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice.
- Wet Ingredients: In a separate bowl, mix the eggs, sugar, vanilla and pumpkin until smooth.
- Combine: 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.
- Roll: 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 a short end, 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).
- Frosting: 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, leaving a 1-inch border.
- Roll up the frosted cake without the parchment paper. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, before serving.
- Serve: Dust the top with powdered sugar, if desired. Cut into slices and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Follow Me
I originally shared this recipe October 2014. Updated September 2017, October 2019 and October 2024.
Original recipe adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe. I've added more spices.
This post contains affiliate links.
This recipe is amazing, but omg!! If you are going to make it, put a clean towel under your roll as soon as it gets out of the oven to roll it. I burnt my hands 🥹. All worth it though because it tastes AMAZING
Wear heat proof gloves like for grilling, no burns
I use parchment paper to bake and roll it up in the same after lifting it out of the pan
Love this recipe! I have friends/family ask for these pumpkin rolls on repeat!
Oh my goodness, this recipe is fantastic!!!!!! I made 1 on Thursday to freeze for Thanksgiving, but the hubby liked it so much that he ate half of it. It was easier than I expected and I have since made 2 more that are hidden in the freezer!! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Tried this recipe this week, my first time ever making a pumpkin roll cake. It was so easy and so good! I got lots of compliments on it!
I just started making these this week and WOW!! They are a HUGE HIT AROUND THIS HOUSE. THANK YOU.. AN SO EASY TO PUT TOGETHER. . this is a HUGE mood lifter cause I feel like I’m baking like a PRO.. 😁❤
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! 🤗
The filling needs to be doubled to look like the photograph with the recipe. Also, we don’t love super sugary flavor, so I use half the amount of confectioner sugar for the tang of the cream cheese to shine and not be overpowered by the sugar. With that change, it’s 5 stars 🌟 from me…
Help! Why did my pumpkin roll cake feel wet when I rolled it AND still wet after I unrolled it to fill? Did I spray too my non stick spray in the pan and parchment paper? Fortunately, it rolled ok, but again it feels wet :(. I was also able to fill it with the filling with no problem, but again when I wrapped it in the plastic wrap it was damp/moist. Hope I didn’t ruin it :(. Please let me know if there is anything I can do. Not serving it until tomorrow. Thank you! Donna
After rolling the hot cake with the parchment, make sure it’s elevated on a wire rack with space all around (not on a flat surface) and let it cool completely before unrolling and filling.It should be great by tomorrow!
Can I use bread flour for the AP flour?
I wouldn’t recommend it. bread flour has more protein and will make the cake tougher and less flexible, which could cause cracking when you roll it. Stick with all-purpose flour for the best tender, rollable texture!
Can I replace the flour with almond flour and sugar with sweetener to make keto friendly
Unfortunately, I wouldn’t recommend it for this recipe. Almond flour doesn’t have the structure and flexibility that all-purpose flour provides, which is crucial for rolling the cake without it cracking. Pumpkin rolls need to be soft and pliable, and almond flour tends to make cakes more dense and crumbly.
Question…if I double the recipe the directions say to still use a 10×15 jelly roll pan. Would I need two 10×15 jelly roll pans if I am doubling the recipe?
Yes you would need two pans!
Question…if you double or triple the recipe it still says to use a 10×15 jelly roll pan. Is that right? If I tripled the recipe should I be using 3 10×15 jelly roll pans?
I would use 3 jelly roll pans!
Is this pure pumpkin or pumpkin puree?
Pumpkin puree.
Thank you! Purchased both just in case!
I’ve been scared to make this for the last 15 years. I tried it yesterday after watching your video- it was delicious! My son said it was the best cake he’s ever eaten. Thank you!!
This recipe is amazing. I have made a total of eight. With my own pumpkin purée I made my own pumpkin purée for the first time last week. And I used the store-bought carving pumpkins. Which isn’t as sweet they say or doesn’t work as well, but mine is working just fine and it taste good. I have made four to go in the freezer, but I neglected to read the tinfoil. I put them in saran wrap and then put them in a freezer gallon bag. I’m hoping that that will still work? Will the freezer bag still work? They’re in saran wrap so they won’t stick together.I’m just hoping the freezer bag doesn’t ruin the freezing.
And I am so thankful for this recipe. It was so much fun. I made it because my husband said He wanted a pumpkin roll. I’ve made a bunch and I have so much pumpkin purée that I plan to make more and some pumpkin cookies. Thank you for this recipe. Just have to shout out this rocks so much and it’s delicious.
Can I make this gluten free, using a g/f all purpose flour?
We’d recommend King Arthur’s Gluten-Free 1:1 Baking Flour. Just swap it in 1:1 for the regular flour. Keep in mind the texture might be slightly different, and it could be a bit more delicate when rolling. Let us know how it turns out if you try it!