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Grandma’s Pumpkin Roll Recipe

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Grandma’s Pumpkin Roll recipe is one of my family’s favorites.  Sweetened cream cheese filling rolled in a light, and moist pumpkin cake makes this dessert unforgettable.

Before my family and I moved to Florida, we lived near my grandmother.  Each year, she made several pumpkin rolls and sent them home with various family members to enjoy over the holidays. Everyone in the family absolutely loved them.

John and I always ended up with at least two at our house.  He usually ate them because I wasn’t a big fan of pumpkin.  One year, he talked me into trying a bite.

Grandma’s pumpkin roll recipe was so good that I wanted to be able to continue to make them long after she was gone. The next time we visited Grandma, I asked for her pumpkin roll recipe. My grandmother was thrilled to share her recipe with me, and I’m so glad she did.

Four slices of pumpkin roll on a white plate with two forks.

Over the years, I’ve practiced making her pumpkin roll recipe but couldn’t get the technique quite right. The pumpkin cake usually ended up in a big heap of crumbs and was a huge mess.

If you’ve read my earlier posts, this year is the year I’m learning to make pumpkin related recipes like Pumpkin Spice Muffins, and Pumpkin Pie Spice.

How could I get by without baking Grandma’s pumpkin roll recipe? This time, I followed the directions better and used the right materials.  Plus, a little experience never hurts.  The result was a moist, cream-filled, pumpkin roll almost as good as Grandma’s.

Pumpkin roll on a long rectangular dish.

How to Make a Pumpkin Roll:

Prep and Preheat:

Grease a jelly roll pan or baking sheet with butter.  Cover the pan with waxed or parchment paper.  Make sure the paper stays in place by pressing down, so it sticks to the butter.  Apply more butter or cooking spray to the top of the paper. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Make the Cake Batter:

Add the sugar, pumpkin, baking soda, flour, pumpkin pie spice, and eggs to the bowl of a stand mixer.  Use the paddle attachment, and mix on low until combined.  Pour the batter onto the prepared baking sheet and use a silicone spatula to smooth it into one even layer.

Top down of photo of sliced pumpkin roll on a white plate.

Bake the Pumpkin Roll:

Place the pan in the oven and bake for 15 minutes.  The cake will rise slightly and should spring back when touched.  Do not overbake or the edges will harden.

Cool the Roll:

While the cake is baking, take a large kitchen towel and liberally sprinkle it with powdered sugar.  After the cake bakes, remove it from the pan leaving the waxed or parchment paper attached.

Flip the cake upside down on the kitchen towel (paper side up, cake side down touching the towel and powdered sugar).  Carefully peel off the paper taking care not to tear the cake, then discard the paper.

Roll the cake up with the kitchen towel inside.  Allow the cake to cool completely while still rolled in the towel.  In the meantime, you can make the cream cheese filling.

Close up of pumpkin roll slices.

Make the Filling:

Add the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, butter, and vanilla the bowl of a stand mixer and use the whisk attachment to combine.  If you want to add chopped pecans, remove the bowl from the mixer and gently fold them in.  Store the filling in the refrigerator until you are ready to fill the cake.

Fill the Cake:

After the cake cools, carefully unroll it, but don’t force it to lay flat.  Use a spatula to apply the cream cheese filling to the interior of the cake.  Smooth it out so it’s one even layer and covers to all the edges.

Roll the cake back up with the filling on the inside.  Cover the pumpkin roll with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours to set. Once it has set, sprinkle the cake with powdered sugar and slice it to serve. It can be stored in your fridge for up to three days.

We have a few more of my grandmother’s recipes. Here they are:

Blueberry Lattice Pie

Mexican Rice

One Pot Spaghetti (Mexican Spaghetti Casserole)

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5 from 7 votes
Grandma's Pumpkin Roll is one of my family’s favorite fall recipes.  Sweetened cream cheese filling rolled in a light, and moist pumpkin cake makes this dessert unforgettable.
Print
Grandma’s Pumpkin Roll
Prep Time
2 hrs 15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
2 hrs 30 mins
 
Grandma's Pumpkin Roll is one of my family’s favorite fall recipes. Sweetened cream cheese filling rolled in a light and moist pumpkin cake makes this dessert unforgettable.
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Pumpkin Roll Recipe
Servings: 10 Slices
Calories: 322 kcal
Author: Kimberly
Ingredients
Cake Batter
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 Tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3 eggs
Filling
  • 2 Tablespoons softened butter
  • 8 ounces softened cream cheese
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Grease the bottoms and side of a jelly roll pan or baking sheet (mine was 10 x 15 inches).
  3. Place waxed or parchment paper in the pan then grease the paper.
Cake Batter
  1. Place all the cake batter ingredients sugar through eggs in the bowl of a stand mixer. Use the paddle attachment to mix on low speed until combined.
  2. Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and bake for 15 minutes.
  3. Remove the cooked cake from the oven and place cake side down on a clean kitchen towel sprinkled with powdered sugar.
  4. Carefully remove the paper.
  5. Roll the towel and the cake together and allow the cake to cool.
Filling
  1. Use a whisk to combine the butter, cream cheese, vanilla, and powdered sugar.
  2. Add pecans if using.
  3. Unroll the cooled cake.
  4. Use a spatula to spread the filling over the cake but don't try to make it lay flat. The cake will try to roll at the ends.
  5. After filling the cake, roll the cake back up and wrap it in plastic wrap.
  6. Store it in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours to set.
  7. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.
  8. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Nutrition Facts
Grandma’s Pumpkin Roll
Amount Per Serving
Calories 322 Calories from Fat 135
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 15g 23%
Saturated Fat 6g 30%
Cholesterol 80mg 27%
Sodium 222mg 9%
Potassium 123mg 4%
Total Carbohydrates 42g 14%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Sugars 33g
Protein 4g 8%
Vitamin A 66.1%
Vitamin C 1.1%
Calcium 4.4%
Iron 7%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Grandma's Pumpkin Roll is one of my family’s favorite fall recipes.  Sweetened cream cheese filling rolled in a light, and moist pumpkin cake makes this dessert unforgettable.

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Comments

  2. chefcarolb2014

    This brings back SUCH wonderful memories of both my grandmother and my mom! Love classic recipes like this! Your photography is great!

    Reply

  5. Jodie Morgan

    Oh I love pumpkin rolls! And grandma’s always make the best ones. I’ve made a few myself and the rolling is always the scary part, but it always tastes delicious all the same. THanks so much for sharing your granny’s recipe!

    Reply

    • John

      Thank you, Jodie! It’s interesting how the bread can roll up like that. It’s a mystery to me, but I’m glad Kim can do it lol! Thank you again for commenting and have a lovely day 🙂

      Reply

  7. Sam Monaco

    Kimberly and John, Once again you pictures are amazing. There is nothing like preserving old family recipes. I try to do the same with my mother’s and grandmother’s recipes. Your pictures have really put me in the Fall mode. Looks delicious. Thanks.

    Reply

    • John

      Thank you, Sam! We appreciate your kind words. It’s a labor of love when creating a beloved family member’s recipe. We are so happy you enjoyed the post. Thank you again for commenting and all your shares on other mediums. Have a great day, Sam!

      Reply

  14. Ashley @ Big Flavors from a Tiny Kitchen

    This roll looks PERFECT! I can tell it’s nice and tender – pass me a slice (or 3) please!

    Reply

  16. Jessica Randhawa

    I have wanted to make a pumpkin roll like this for YEARS! Yours looks amazing! Definitely bumping to the top of my list 🙂

    Reply

  17. Carol Borchardt

    Love this! Your photos are gorgeous and they take me back to when my grandmother and mother would make pumpkin rolls. I was always mesmerized by the technique. One of these years I’m going to give it a try and I’m going to refer back to this post!

    Reply

    • John

      Thank you, Carol! Kim does such a great job baking and taking pictures. I’m glad the recipe brought back some nostalgic memories for you. Thank again for your comments, have a lovely Monday 🙂

      Reply

    • John

      Thank you, Renee! Perfect, you can practice with this recipe. And hey, if it doesn’t turn out perfectly, it will still be a delicious concoction of ingredients 🙂

      Reply

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