This Sweet Pumpkin Focaccia is a delicious take on classic focaccia made with pumpkin puree, a layer of cinnamon sugar swirl in a soft and tender dimpled dough, all smothered in a sweet cream cheese frosting. It's like an indulgent pumpkin cinnamon roll, only lighter.

Sweet Cinnamon Roll Pumpkin Focaccia cut into large squares with cream cheese frosting dappled with golden light on a simple light background.

This recipe takes about 2½ hours start to finish and is made with instant yeast, not sourdough starter.

Focaccia is ultra flexible. It can be made thick and bubbly, thin but still bubbly, or even pizza thin and crispy, all of which I saw on a recent trip to Rome. But it also lends well to sweet varieties, like Apple Cinnamon Focaccia. It's strong enough to hold inclusions, like apples and raisins, as well as hold up to glaze and cream cheese frosting.

Make this pumpkin focaccia as a sweet fall dessert, for Thanksgiving or cool weather holidays, or skip the cream cheese frosting and use it as a breakfast on the go or an after school snack. My kids are pretty pumped when I warm up slices in the oven when they get home from school.

If you end up with extras that you don’t plan to freeze, this cinnamon sugar pumpkin focaccia would make really awesome Focaccia Croutons.

Ingredients

Below are the ingredients needed to make this Sweet Pumpkin Focaccia with Cream Cheese Frosting.

Pumpkin Focaccia

Water: Warm the water slightly to speed up the rising process.
Honey: Just a small amount to get the yeast going.
Yeast: To keep it simple, I use one packet of instant yeast.
Olive Oil: Use extra virgin olive oil, if possible. However, the olive oil is used in such a small amount and is not a focus of the recipe (the star is the pumpkin and cinnamon), that this is not strictly necessary.
Salt: I use 2% salt, which is standard for bread recipes.
Pumpkin Puree: Use pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling.
Bread Flour: Bread flour has higher protein, which means more potential for gluten development. The structure of the bread will be stronger than if using all-purpose flour.

Filling

Brown Sugar: Either light or dark brown sugar works.
Cinnamon: Use a high quality cinnamon. I recommend using Ceylon Cinnamon. I use a brand called Simply Organic, which can be found at Whole Foods and some specialty grocery stores.

Frosting

Cream Cheese: Use one full fat cream cheese bar, softened, not whipped cream cheese.
Butter: I use salted butter, but this is personal preference. You can use unsalted butter.
Powdered Sugar: Also known as confectioners’ sugar.
Vanilla Extract: Use real vanilla extract, not imitation vanilla.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

Cross section of the Sweet Pumpkin Focaccia showing the soft bubbly interior and cinnamon sugar swirl.

How to Make Sweet Pumpkin Focaccia with Cream Cheese Frosting

Below are the step-by-step instructions for how to make Sweet Pumpkin Focaccia with Cream Cheese Frosting. It's like the focaccia version of Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls!

*Note: The recipe card with instructions, ingredient list, and quantities is included further below these step-by-step photos.

The Sweet Pumpkin Focaccia dough ingredients roughly combined in a white mixing bowl.

Step 1. Start the Dough: In a large bowl, combine the warm water and honey. Add the yeast, extra virgin olive oil, salt and pumpkin puree. Add the bread flour and combine. It will be a wet and sticky dough. Cover and let rest for 20 minutes.

Four steps in the first set of stretch and folds showing picking up, lifting, stretching, and folding the dough.

Step 2. Stretch and Folds: To make the pumpkin focaccia, you will do one set of stretch and folds and two sets of coil folds with a 20 minute rest after the set of stretch and folds and the first set of coil folds.

To complete the first set of stretch and folds, rinse your dominant hand with water (this prevents the dough from sticking) and pick up one edge of the dough, stretch it upwards, and fold it over the remaining dough. Continue this process, working your way around the bowl until all the dough has been worked this way, about 6-8 times. Then cover and let rest for 20 minutes.

Three steps in the first set of coil folds showing picking up the dough, stretching it, and folding it over itself.

Step 3. First Coil Folds: Complete the first set of coil folds. Rinse both hands under water. Use both hands to pick up the dough (one hand on either side, starting at opposite sides of the bowl), stretching it upwards until it gently releases from the bowl, and then folding it over itself. Turn the dough 90 degrees and repeat one more time. Cover and let rest for 20 minutes.

Three steps in the second and last set of stretch and folds showing picking up, stretching, and folding the dough over itself.

Step 4. Second Coil Folds: Complete a second set of coil folds in the same way that you completed the first set. This helps to strengthen the dough.

Butter a 9x13 metal baking dish, including up the sides of the dish.

Four steps in stretching the dough in the 9x13 baking dish, topping with cinnamon and sugar and completing a letter fold.

Step 5. Letter Fold: Transfer the dough to the prepared baking dish. Gently stretch the dough towards the edges of the baking dish. It does not need to go all the way to the edges, just stretch it enough so that it roughly resembles the shape of the dish. Sprinkle ¼ cup of brown sugar and ½ tablespoon of cinnamon evenly over the surface of the dough.

Complete a letter fold. Fold the top third of the dough over the middle third of the dough like you are folding a letter in thirds. Fold the remaining bottom third of the dough up over the middle and pinch to seal the dough. Place the seam side down and turn the dough so the length of the dough matches the length of the 9x13 baking dish. Gently stretch it out towards the edges. It does not need to go the entire way. It will expand as it rises.

Cover and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour. About 30 minutes before you plan to bake, preheat the oven to 450°F.

The fully risen sweet pumpkin focaccia, the focaccia after being dimpled, and after being baked both with and without cinnamon sugar topping.

Step 6. Dimple and Bake: Rinse your hands under water again and gently dimple the dough, pressing all the way to the bottom but without tearing the dough.

Optional: Sprinkle with an additional 2 tablespoons of brown sugar and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon if you prefer an extra sweet topping. This is optional. I've done it both ways, and I generally prefer baked goods that are less sweet, so I tend to skip this additional cinnamon sugar (especially if topping it with the cream cheese frosting).

Bake: Place the dish in the bottom third of the oven and bake for 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes, cover the top with aluminum foil to prevent the top of the dough from burning and bake for another 10 minutes.

Remove the aluminum foil and bake for about 3 more minutes to ensure a nicely browned top.

Watch closely and do not allow the top to burn. The dough should be medium golden brown in color when done. Remove and allow to cool slightly.

A bowl of cream cheese frosting, the focaccia topped with cream cheese frosting, and the focaccia cut into large squares.

Step 7. Cream Cheese Frosting: While the bread is baking, make the cream cheese frosting. In a medium bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, softened butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy. I find this easiest to do with a hand mixer, but it can be done by hand or with a stand mixer.

Allow the focaccia to cool slightly, about 5-10 minutes. Then remove it from the pan. Run a butter knife around the edges and use a large spatula to lift it out of the pan. Then spread the cream cheese frosting over the top of the focaccia and cut it into slices. Serve warm.

Additional Tips for Making the Best Sweet Pumpkin Focaccia

Measurements: This recipe is best made by measuring the ingredients by weight in grams. Methods for measuring flour in a cup are not universal or standardized, which produces variable results when baking.
Pumpkin Puree:
- Puree: Use pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling.
- Spices: The pumpkin puree gives the bread a beautiful golden color, but pumpkin by itself is not a strong flavor. Additional flavor is added here with the cinnamon sugar, but if you're looking for a super strong fall pumpkin spice flavor, feel free to add in other spices like nutmeg, cloves, ginger, or allspice.
- Dough Hydration: Because pumpkin puree has a high water content, the water in this recipe was reduced as compared to my classic focaccia.
Rinsing Hands with Water: Rinsing your hands with water before handling the dough helps to prevent the dough from sticking to your hands.
Warm Space to Rise: The dough will rise much faster in a warm environment than a cold one. If your house is cold, consider putting the dough in front of a sunlit window, or at the back of the stove with the oven on (not the stove on), or in the microwave with a mug of boiling water beside it (do not microwave the dough).
Oven Temperature: All ovens are different, some run hotter or colder, and some take upwards of 30 minutes to fully preheat (even when the oven indicates it has preheated), and some maintain their heat differently during the baking process. Keep this in mind and adjust accordingly based on your oven and how your focaccia looks.

Storage and Freezing Tips

To Store: The Pumpkin Focaccia can be stored in an airtight container for 1-3 days if it has not been covered in cream cheese frosting. Because of the added pumpkin, this focaccia lasts better at room temperature than a standard focaccia. If it has already been covered with cream cheese frosting, then store it in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-3 days.
To Reheat: Gently reheat in the oven at 350°F for about 8 minutes, only if the focaccia has not been covered with the cream cheese frosting. If it has been topped with frosting, let it sit at room temperature briefly to warm up before eating. Don't reheat it in the oven or it will melt the frosting.
To Freeze: Focaccia is excellent for freezing. If you intend to freeze any portion of the pumpkin focaccia, it's best to do so without the cream cheese frosting. To reheat, let it thaw in the fridge or at room temperature, warm gently in the oven, then top with fresh cream cheese frosting if desired.

Variations

Depending on the ingredients and baking dishes you have on hand, consider these focaccia variations.

A collage of different types of focaccia including 9x12, cast iron pan, loaf pan, apple cinnamon focaccia, and sheet pan focaccia.

Apple Cinnamon Focaccia: Like an apple fritter, but not fried, simpler, but just as indulgent.
Sheet Pan Focaccia: A giant sheet of focaccia for a crowd or for ensuring leftovers.
Loaf Pan Focaccia: A smaller serving, made in a loaf pan.
Cast Iron Focaccia: Want an extra crispy bottom? Make your focaccia in a cast iron dish. This recipe is a high hydration dough that uses slap and fold technique.
9x13 Focaccia: A standard focaccia in a 9x13 baking dish. It's big and bubbly and made with stretch and folds and coil folds.