If cooking isn’t your forte, the annual Thanksgiving can often feel like an impending doom. Whether it’s a formal sit-down Thanksgiving dinner or a casual Friendsgiving gathering, nobody likes to show up empty-handed — which means you’re basically forced to take a store-bought cake (inconsistent at best) and bring another bottle of wine (boring) or try a homemade dessert (usually nerve wracking). For your celebrations this year, fear not: I happened upon this recipe that will ease your holiday angst.
Last Thanksgiving, a shockingly simple dessert from Meals and Munchies, made its rounds on TikTok. Brooke, the recipe creator, introduces the video: “It’s Thanksgiving Day and you want people to think you know how to bake. She goes ahead and whips up a one-dish, three-ingredient dessert that I can only describe as a hybrid of pumpkin pie and cinnamon rolls, and when I saw her pull it out of the oven, I knew I had to try it myself .
The ingredients are ridiculously simple, and you only need three of them: 1 chilled 8-count can of cinnamon rolls (Brooke specifies the variety of cream cheese frosting), 1 15-ounce can of 100% pumpkin puree, and some pumpkin pie seasoning.
STEP #1: You start by preheating your oven to 350ºF…
…then spray a 9- or 10-inch cake pan with nonstick cooking spray.
STEP #2: Open your cinnamon rolls. I will not lie – the pop always scared me as a kid and it definitely scares me now. So I can say with complete confidence that even if you can’t open a can of cinnamon rolls without letting out the smallest and most embarrassing scream in the world, you’re still more than capable of making this dessert.
STEP 3: Cut each cinnamon roll in half with kitchen scissors, then place the cinnamon roll halves on your greased cake pan.
Oh, important, stick to the icing container! You will need it after baking.
STEP #4: Mix in your pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice. First put the puree on the cinnamon rolls…
…then add about 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice.
Mix everything together until well combined, then smooth out so the cinnamon roll pieces and pumpkin mixture are evenly distributed.
STEP #5: Bake! Place the cake pan on a rack in the center of your preheated oven and bake for about 30 minutes.
While baking, wash the four small kitchen utensils you used to make this dessert. Breathe a deep, necessary sigh of relief that you didn’t have to take out every last piece of cookware and utensils you own.
When the cinnamon rolls no longer feel doughy and they are only When they start to turn golden brown on top, they’re done. Take the dish out of your oven and let it cool down a bit. At this point, your house will smell absolutely gorgeous.
STEP #6: Microwave your icing container for 10 seconds and You’re welcome Don’t forget to remove the metal lid. When the glaze is nicely melted, drizzle it over the warm, pumpkin-like cinnamon rolls.
That’s it! From start to finish it took me less than 45 minutes to put everything together – 5 minutes or less to put everything together, 30 minutes of total inactive time, then about 10 more Waiting minutes so I don’t scald my mouth with boiling hot pumpkin puree. TBH, it might be the easiest dessert I’ve ever made.
Aside from its simplicity, it’s also outrageously delicious. You taste the velvety warm spiced squash first, which feels fitting given the Thanksgiving vibes palpable. Then you get the soft, pillowy chew of cinnamon rolls. Not only does the squash add flavor, but it also helps keep the cinnamon rolls moist and fluffy. If you’re always fighting for the middle (read: best) cinnamon roll, this dessert is basically made for you.
When baking isn’t your thing and you need to some In celebration of this year, I’m happy to report that this dish is virtually foolproof. Heck, even if you’re a seasoned baker, this dish would be the world’s easiest kid-friendly Thanksgiving breakfast to serve to your family while you worry about cooking five thousand dishes for dinner.
For easier recipes, you can follow Brooke (aka Meals and Munchies) on TikTok, Instagram, or her website. And if you make this recipe for your friends and family this Thanksgiving, let me know what you think of it in the comments below.
