Pumpkin Dinner Rolls With Cinnamon Butter

These homemade pumpkin rolls are perfect for Thanksgiving dinner, fall gatherings, Sunday dinners, or anytime you want a soft homemade dinner roll. One batch makes 24 rolls, and they freeze well, making them a great make-ahead option for the holidays.

The pumpkin adds a beautiful golden color and richness to the dough, but these aren't sweet pumpkin-spice rolls. If you want more traditional pumpkin spice flavor, I've included an easy option for adding pumpkin pie spice to the dough.

Why You'll Love These Pumpkin Dinner Rolls

• Soft and fluffy. These rolls have a pillowy-soft texture and stay soft for days.
• Beautiful golden color. Pumpkin gives the rolls their gorgeous color and adds richness to the dough.
• Not overly sweet. They're savory enough to serve alongside Thanksgiving dinner.
• Makes 24 rolls. One batch is enough for a large family dinner or holiday gathering.
• Easy to make ahead. The rolls can be frozen and reheated when you're ready to serve them.
• Perfect for Thanksgiving. They're a fun seasonal twist on traditional homemade dinner rolls.
• Delicious with cinnamon honey butter. The sweet, creamy butter is the perfect finishing touch.
• Great for sliders. The soft texture makes these rolls perfect for sandwiches and sliders, too.

Do Pumpkin Dinner Rolls Taste Like Pumpkin?

The canned pumpkin gives these dinner rolls their beautiful golden color and adds richness and moisture to the dough, but the finished rolls don't have a strong pumpkin flavor.

If you want a more noticeable pumpkin spice flavor, simply add 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice to the dough along with the other dry ingredients.

I actually love these rolls as written because they're subtle enough to serve with a savory Thanksgiving dinner while still looking festive for fall.

What Others Are Saying

I'm new at bread making and these rolls turned out delicious!---Laurie on Pinterest

Tips for Making Soft Pumpkin Dinner Rolls

• Use canned pumpkin puree. Make sure you use 100% pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling.
• Don't add too much flour. This dough is a little stickier than traditional bread dough. Add just enough flour to make it manageable when kneading.
• Give the dough a warm place to rise. Yeast dough rises faster in a warm environment. I preheat my oven for about 1 minute, then turn it off and use the slightly warm oven as a proofing spot.
• Don't skip the second rise. Letting the shaped rolls rise for another 30–40 minutes before baking helps create a lighter, fluffier roll.
• Brush with butter while warm. Brush the baked rolls generously with melted butter as soon as they come out of the oven.
• Make cinnamon honey butter. The sweet cinnamon butter is especially delicious with these rolls, but regular butter works, too.
• Use a dough whisk if mixing by hand. A Danish dough whisk makes it much easier to mix sticky yeast dough without overworking it.

Ingredients

Pumpkin Dinner Rolls

• Warm water: Warm, not hot, water helps activate the yeast.
• Yeast: Active dry or instant yeast both work.
• Sugar: Adds a little sweetness and helps the yeast get started.
• Egg: Adds richness and helps create a soft texture.
• Pumpkin puree: Use 100% canned pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling.
• Butter: Melted butter adds flavor and richness. You can substitute oil if needed.
• Salt: Enhances the flavor of the rolls.
• All-purpose flour: You can also use bread flour.

Cinnamon Honey Butter

• Butter: Use softened butter for easy mixing.
• Honey: Adds natural sweetness.
• Powdered sugar: Gives the butter a smooth, creamy texture.
• Cinnamon: Adds warm cinnamon flavor.

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

How to Make Pumpkin Rolls

Step 1: Combine water, yeast, and sugar. Cover and let sit for 5 minutes or until the yeast looks foamy.

Step 2: Add egg, canned pumpkin, and melted butter to the water and yeast mixture.

Step 3: Add salt and flour (1 cup at a time) and stir until combined. You can mix the dough in a stand mixer on low speed or mix by hand (a Danish dough whisk works great for this).

Step 4: Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth (if using a stand mixer use the dough hook attachment). Add enough additional flour to keep your hands from getting too sticky while kneading.

Step 5: Add a tablespoon or two of oil to a large bowl. Place dough in the greased bowl and turn the dough over once to coat in oil. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour.

Step 6: After the dough has doubled in size, punch down and form into 24 rolls.

Step 7: Grease two 9x13 baking dishes (or a large baking pan) and divide the rolls between the two pans. Cover and let rise for 30-40 minutes.

Step 8: Bake rolls for 18-20 minutes. Brush with melted butter while hot.

Step 9: Combine ingredients for the honey butter and place in a small bowl. Split each roll in half and spread with cinnamon honey butter or regular butter.

What to Serve With Pumpkin Dinner Rolls

These soft pumpkin dinner rolls are especially good alongside:

• Thanksgiving turkey
• Roast chicken
• Ham
• Mashed potatoes and gravy
• Stuffing
• Green bean casserole
• Soups and stews
• Holiday dinners

For Thanksgiving, serve them warm with plenty of cinnamon honey butter.

More Pumpkin Bread Recipes To Make

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