Are you looking for a new dinner roll recipe for Thanksgiving? These pumpkin dinner rolls are pillowy soft and fluffy, with hints of pumpkin spice.
If you love this homemade bread recipe, then you might also enjoy our Hawaiian rolls and our Japanese milk bread rolls.
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Ingredients
Make the best pumpkin dinner rolls for all your fall holiday meals and special occasions with just a few simple, pantry staple ingredients. Here's an overview of a few.
- Bread Flour: This high gluten flour is perfect for baking homemade rolls, giving them a higher rise and better texture.
- Pumpkin Puree: This gives the rolls their color and mild pumpkin flavor.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice: This complements the pumpkin puree and enhances the flavors.
- Light Brown Sugar: Add a hint of sweetness and caramel color.
How to Make
Measure out the ingredients for our pumpkin dinner rolls before you start. It makes the whole process much easier!
- Put the flour in the bowl of a stand mixer, and add the salt and yeast on opposite sides of the bowl. Stir each one in with your finger. Add the sugar, butter, and pumpkin pie spice, then stir until combined.
- Dump in the pumpkin puree and eggs. Pour in half of the milk mixture. Turn the mixer on medium-low speed, and gradually add more of the milk mixture until you have a sticky dough.
3. Knead for about 5 minutes with the hook, until it's smooth and stretchy. Don't know when the dough is ready? Check out the instructions in the recipe card for our secret tip.
4. Let it rise until at least doubled in size, about 1 hour in a warm place.
5. Punch down the dough, then divide it into 12 pieces.
6. Roll each piece into a tight, smooth ball and place in a buttered 9 by 13-inch pan.
Cover with buttered plastic wrap and let them rise until the dough is springy to the touch and their sides are touching about 45 minutes.
7. Bake at 375°F for 15 minutes, until nicely browned. They should have an internal temperature of 190°F.
8. Enjoy them while they're still warm! Serve with cinnamon butter or garlic herb butter.
Recipe FAQs
These pumpkin dinner rolls can be sweet or savory and are best eaten warm with your favorite toppings such as butter, plain, sweetened or savory, or a delicious fruit jam. Try serving them with cinnamon butter or garlic herb butter, or make leftover rolls into tuna melts for lunch.
Technically you can use both, but you will not get the best results with all-purpose. Bread flour contains additional protein that strengthens the dough, giving it a higher rise and a soft, fluffy texture.
If they don't turn out fluffy, there are a few likely causes. First, check that you used the right flour and measurements of ingredients. Also, make sure the dough is kneaded for just enough time. If it is kneaded too much, the dough may turn out a bit tough. Last, make sure you allow plenty of time for your pumpkin dinner rolls to prove.
Dinner rolls go with all types of meals from weeknight dinners, holiday meals, and special occasions. They pair perfectly with hearty meals, especially those with sauces. Serve them up with soups, stews, chilies, meatloaf and gravy, pork chops, or your favorite pasta dishes.
Store
- Make Ahead: Pumpkin dinner rolls work great to make in advance. Follow these instructions for the best results. First, mix and knead the dough, then let it do its first rise in the fridge overnight. The cold air of the fridge will slow down the yeast, but it will still grow. The next day, shape the rolls and let them rise as written in the recipe. They will probably take longer to rise than written because the dough is still cold from the fridge.
- Leftovers: Store leftovers in a zip-top bag or airtight container at room temperature. Storing them in the fridge will make them go stale.
- Freeze: Pumpkin dinner rolls can be frozen once they are fully baked and cooled. To freeze, wrap them in aluminum foil and seal them in a zip-top freezer bag or airtight container, and store in the freezer for up to 1 month.
- Reheat: Reheat for 20-25 minutes in a 300°F oven. Serve while still warm.
Expert Tips
- Be sure to use bread flour and knead until the dough passes the windowpane test to ensure the best texture and rise.
- Make sure the salt and yeast don't touch each other directly. The salt can kill or stunt the yeasts' growth.
- Roll the buns tightly and smoothly to get beautifully shaped dinner rolls.
- Create a warm place for the bread to rise by placing the dough in a cold oven. Put a casserole dish filled with boiling water on the shelf underneath.
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Recipe
Pumpkin Dinner Rolls
Ingredients
- 4 cups + 2 tablespoons bread flour
- 3 teaspoons fast-action yeast
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 5 tablespoons light brown sugar, packed
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- ¾ cup canned pumpkin puree
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup whole milk
- ¼ cup water
Instructions
Making the Dough
- Pour the milk and water into a small saucepan and set over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Once it begins to steam, remove it from the heat and let it cool until it's 115°F.
- Put the flour into the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the salt and yeast on opposite sides of the bowl, then stir in each one with your finger.
- Dump in the brown sugar, softened butter, and pumpkin pie spice. Mix with the paddle attachment on low speed until blended.
- Add the pumpkin puree, eggs, and half of the milk mixture. Stir on medium-low speed until all the flour is mixed in, gradually adding enough of the liquid to make a sticky dough.
- Switch the attachment to a hook and knead for 5 minutes on medium-low speed. The dough should be smooth and stretchy, in addition to passing the windowpane test. Test it by breaking off a lump and stretching it between the thumb and forefinger of each hand to create a windowpane shape. If the dough is translucent in places without breaking, then it's kneaded enough. If not, knead for a minute longer and check again.
- Form the dough into a ball, place back in the bowl, and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let it rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Shaping
- Lightly butter a 9 by 13-inch cake pan.
- Once the dough has risen, turn it out onto a floured surface and punch it down all over to knock out the pockets of gas.
- Divide into 12 equal pieces, using a kitchen scale for accuracy, then roll each piece into a tight, smooth ball.
- Space them evenly in the pan, then cover with a piece of buttered plastic wrap. Let the buns rise in a warm place until their sides are touching and the dough springs back when gently poked with a fingertip, about 45 minutes.
- About 10 minutes before they are done rising, preheat the oven to 375 F.
Baking
- Bake at 375 F for 15 minutes, until they are browned on top and have an internal temperature of 190 F.
- Immediately transfer the rolls to a wire cooling rack and let them cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Be sure to use bread flour and knead until the dough passes the windowpane test to ensure the best texture and rise.
- Use canned pumpkin puree instead of homemade; it contains less water than homemade does.
- Create a warm place for the bread to rise by placing the dough in a cold oven. Put a casserole dish filled with boiling water on the shelf underneath it. The steam will warm the interior of the oven, encouraging the yeast to work.
- Make sure the salt and yeast don't touch each other directly. The salt can kill or stunt the yeasts' growth.
Nutrition
Our pumpkin dinner rolls recipe post was originally published on September 21, 2018.
Beth
These fluffy rolls are awesome 👏!! I love the photos and they taste divine. I think the pumpkin is a great idea.
Emma
Thank you, Beth! Pumpkin dinner rolls are fun and yummy. 🙂