Pumpkin Brioche Cinnamon Roll Braided Bread

There’s something about the smell of freshly baked bread on a crisp fall morning that feels like pure comfort—and this pumpkin cinnamon roll brioche braided bread captures that magic perfectly. Soft, golden, and full of warm cinnamon swirls, it’s a cozy twist on classic brioche that tastes like a hug straight from the oven. The dough is rich and buttery with a hint of pumpkin, giving it the perfect balance of sweetness and spice. Made with simple pantry ingredients and no bread maker required, this loaf looks beautifully impressive but is surprisingly easy to make.

I enjoy this sliced a number of ways — toasted with cream cheese, toasted with butter, but perhaps my favorite is using this to make French toast!

I was inspired to make this from a Trader Joe’s fall item, Pumpkin Brioche Twist bread and I thought “surely I can make that!” and I.m so glad I gave it a try. I would say it came out better than the original!

Pumpkin Brioche Cinnamon Roll Braided Bread

5 from 2 votes

This pumpkin cinnamon roll brioche braided bread is the ultimate cozy fall bake—soft, buttery, and swirled with sweet cinnamon. Made with simple ingredients and no bread maker required, this beautiful braided loaf tastes just like a bakery treat fresh from your oven. Perfect for brunch, gifting, or slow fall weekends at home.

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Course: Breakfast, Dessert

Keyword: bread, cinnamon roll, pumpkin

Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 1 cup warm milk (whole milk)
• 2¼ tsp dry active yeast
• ⅓ cup + 2 tbsp brown sugar divided
• ½ cup pumpkin purée
• 4 tbsp melted butter
• 1 egg
• 3½ cups all purpose flour + ½ cup more as needed
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

For the Cinnamon Filling:

• 6 tbsp softened butter
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• 1 tbsp cinnamon

For the Glaze:

• ½ cup powdered sugar
• 1-2 tbsp whole milk

Instructions

• In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, add 1 cup warm milk, 2¼ tsp yeast and 2 tbsp brown sugar. Mix and allow to stand until it becomes foamy/ bubbly, about 5 minutes.
• Add remaining bread ingredients of ½ cup pumpkin purée, 4 tbsp melted butter, 1 egg, 3½ cups all purpose flour, ½ tsp salt, 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice and remaining ⅓ cup brown sugar. Stir until all ingredients are combined and a shaggy dough forms. Transfer to a clean, floured surface and bring the dough together with your hands, adding up to ½ cup more flour as needed if too sticky. Knead for about 5 minutes. (*If using a stand mixer, mix ingredients with a dough hook and knead for same time).
• Place kneaded dough ball in a lightly oiled large bowl and cover with clear wrap or a towel and let rise in a warm, dry place for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
• While dough is rising, mix cinnamon filling ingredients of 6 tbsp softened butter, ¾ cup brown sugar and 1 tbsp cinnamon together in a bowl until smooth.
• Transfer risen dough to a cleaned, floured surface and roll it out into a wide, thin rectangle, about ½" thick. Spread cinnamon filling using a rubber spatula or back of spoon evenly across dough, reaching corners. Roll lengthwise as you would cinnamon rolls and fold the long log in half, pressing the seams of dough together. Using a knife or pastry cutter, cut two seams into the dough, leaving 1” connected at the top, so you are left with three dough strands to braid. Overlap pieces into a braid and pinch seam at end to seal pieces together. Transfer to a parchment lined 9×5" loaf pan, cover with a towel and let rise once more for 30 mins.
• Bake at 350℉ for 45-60 minutes, covering with foil half way through to avoid browning. Internal temperature should read 190℉ in the center of the bread, baking times vary depending on oven and size your loaf rose to.
• Remove from oven and allow to cool on a baking rack for at least 20 minutes before combining icing ingredients of ½ cup powdered sugar and 1-2 tbsp milk depending on desired consistency and topping loaf.

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