These super easy Pumpkin Dinner Rolls are made with pumpkin puree for the perfect pumpkin flavor and the tastiest side dish on your Thanksgiving dinner table! They're soft and fluffy, and are shaped into the croissants for a beautiful touch that's eye-catchy and crowd-pleasing!
They go well with just about everything, and kids and adults both seem to love them alike which makes them an ideal side dish for any dinner meal! They're especially perfect for the holidays, and the flavors work great with anything turkey and Thanksgiving.
This recipe is also simple enough for even absolute beginners to try! Trust me, you're about to fall in love with it!
Want to learn how to make these delicious Pumpkin Dinner Rolls? Then keep on reading!
Table of Contents
- What are Pumpkin Dinner Rolls?
- What Makes This Pumpkin Dinner Rolls Recipe Special?
- What You Need to Make Pumpkin Dinner Rolls at Home
- How to Make Pumpkin Dinner Rolls (Step-by-Step)
- How to Store Leftover Pumpkin Dinner Rolls
- Similar Recipes You'll Love
- Recipe Card
- Easiest Pumpkin Dinner Rolls (Ideal Thanksgiving Side Dish)
- Comments
What are Pumpkin Dinner Rolls?
Pumpkin dinner rolls are a delicious combination of dinner rolls with a pumpkin twist to them! They're made with a special ingredient! Any guesses about what it is? It's pumpkin puree!
The flavor is filled in every single bite, while still being incredibly delicious and light! They're the perfect fall-flavored rolls that are going to fit right into your Thanksgiving dinner table!
The pumpkin flavor is rich, yet light and works well as the perfect side dish for just about any dinner meal you can think of! And they're especially perfect for the holidays. What's best is that this recipe is super easy, so even if you're a beginner you can make these at home for your family!
What Makes This Pumpkin Dinner Rolls Recipe Special?
Looking at the pictures, you must be wondering: are they croissants or are they dinner rolls? Let's put it out there, they are croissant-shaped dinner rolls!
Sometimes a little twist like making dinner rolls look cooler makes it more appealing for kids to grab and eat. And adding seasonal favors just makes them even better.
When it's rainy out, it is the perfect season to stay in and enjoy all kinds of comfy, nothing-like-homemade seasonal foods, such as these delicious, soft, fluffy, and pillowy pumpkin dinner rolls.
And take the 'boring' out by rolling them into croissants, and they are that much tastier! At least that's what my kids said. You'll be finding yourself sneaking in a few extras even after dinner is over.
Trust me, if you try them once you'll be absolutely amazed and will want to make them every single year again and again!
What You Need to Make Pumpkin Dinner Rolls at Home
- Water: We'll, first of all, need some lukewarm water that we'll use to activate our yeast. Making sure it's not too hot, and neither too cold is important to get our yeast activated perfectly for the fluffiest and most delicious pumpkin dinner rolls ever!
- Sugar: You'll also need some white granulated sugar to add to our lukewarm water. Sugar helps to activate the yeast and make the process faster as the yeast will have something to eat. It helps make the bread softer as some of the water will be absorbed by it and it slows down the formation of gluten strands.
- Yeast: We'll use active dry yeast in this recipe that we'll add to our sugar and white mixture.
- Eggs: Eggs add an additional layer of flavor and richness to these delicious dinner rolls.
- Salt: To balance everything out, we'll also use a little salt as it'll bring out the flavors even more.
- Pumpkin puree: This is definitely our star ingredient! I've used homemade pumpkin puree for the best flavor, and you can easily make it too by following the super easy recipe by clicking on the link. Otherwise, you can go for store-bought canned pumpkin puree.
- Butter: For a delicious flavor and richness, we'll also be needing some unsalted softened butter to make our pumpkin dinner rolls.
- All-purpose flour: We'll be using some simple all-purpose flour in this recipe to give our bread structure and to create the perfect gluten strands for soft, fluffy bread.
- Sesame seeds: You'll also need some sesame seeds as a topping on our tasty dinner rolls!
How to Make Pumpkin Dinner Rolls (Step-by-Step)
This recipe for Pumpkin Dinner Rolls is so simple and easy to follow that you can make it even if this is your first time ever baking! Here's what you need to do step by step along with pictures for each of the steps:
How to Make Pumpkin Dinner Roll Dough
Let's first start by making our pumpkin dinner roll dough!
To do this, combine lukewarm water, sugar, and yeast in a mixer bowl and give it a good stir, until the sugar melts. Place the bowl in a warm place while you're preparing the rest of the ingredients. This will give the yeast enough time to activate.
In a separate bowl, measure out and sift the flour, and set it aside until ready for use.
Crack the eggs into a small bowl. Set aside the egg white from the yolk of one egg in a separate small bowl since you will need this egg white for brushing the rolls later.
Add the three egg yolks and two egg whites into the bowl of a stand mixer along with the yeast mixture. Alternatively, you can also use a large mixing bowl in case you decide to knead it by hand.
How to Add Pumpkin Puree to Pumpkin Dinner Rolls
Time for our pumpkin puree! Now add salt, and pumpkin puree, and whisk it all together for a couple of minutes or until combined.
Next, add half of the flour, and mix using the dough hook attachment on low/med speed. Then, mix in the butter that has been softened to room temperature.
Add in flour next, and add about ½ cup at a time thereafter while the dough is mixing. After all of the flour is in and the dough is not sticking to the spatula or sides of the bowl, that's the sign of thoroughly mixed yeast dough. It should look like a smooth ball at this stage.
Finally, cover the mixer bowl with plastic wrap, puncture a few holes with a knife so the dough can breathe, and place it into a warm place for an hour to rise. Alternatively, you can cover it with a tea towel.
If you're going the hand kneading route, you may need some additional flour to get the right texture of the dough. You can easily knead it as you'd normally knead any dough. Just make sure to do it on a lightly floured surface. Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover it in the same manner you would with a mixer bowl as mentioned above.
How to Shape Pumpkin Dinner Rolls
Preheat the oven to 325 F. After the dough has tripled in size, gently push it down with a silicone spatula or your hand.
Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough into a log and split it into four equal-sized pieces. I personally like to use a kitchen scale to make sure all the pieces weigh the same, but you can also eye it.
Work with one piece of dough at a time. Roll it into an even circle, and slice twelve equal triangles. Then, just roll each triangle into a croissant-like roll.
Place rolled dinner rolls onto a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Time to make our egg wash! Beat one egg white and two tables of water until combined. Brush each roll with the egg white wash and then sprinkle them with sesame seeds. The egg wash will give the dinner rolls a beautiful golden brown color.
How to Bake Pumpkin Dinner Rolls
Bake in a preheated oven to 325 F for 17 minutes, or until golden brown in color. Remove from the oven and transfer onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
Your delicious Pumpkin Dinner Rolls are ready to be served! Serve it warm and watch as your family and friends enjoy every single bite of these delicious pumpkin-flavored rolls!
How to Store Leftover Pumpkin Dinner Rolls
These pumpkin dinner rolls always disappear within minutes off the dinner table in our house, but if you have some leftovers you can easily store them! You can store them at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 to 3 days, or in the fridge for up to 5 days.
You can even freeze these delicious dinner rolls. All you need to do is place cooled pumpkin dinner rolls in an airtight container and pop them in the freezer for up to 3 months! This way you can enjoy fall flavors even months later!
Similar Recipes You'll Love
- Mashed Potatoes Dinner Rolls
- Homemade French Bread
- Multi-Grain Honey Wheat Bread
- Dutch Oven White Crusty Bread
- Amazing Breadsticks Recipe
- Homemade Rye Bread
- Garlic Dinner Rolls
Check out all bread recipes HERE.
Recipe Card
Easiest Pumpkin Dinner Rolls (Ideal Thanksgiving Side Dish)
Ingredients
Pumpkin Rolls Batter Ingredients
- 1 cup – warm water
- ¼ cup – organic sugar (or white granulated sugar)
- 1 tbsp. – dry active yeast
- 2 large eggs + 1 egg yolk
- ½ tsp. – sea salt
- ½ cup – pumpkin pure (I used homemade pumpkin puree)
- 4 oz. – unsalted butter (softened to room temperature)
- 5 cups – flour
Pumpkin Rolls Wash Ingredients
- 1 large – egg white
- 2 tbsp. – water
- Sesame seeds
Instructions
How to Make Pumpkin Dinner Roll Dough
- Let's first start by making our pumpkin dinner roll dough!
- To do this, combine lukewarm water, sugar, and yeast in a mixer bowl and give it a good stir, until the sugar melts. Place the bowl in a warm place while you're preparing the rest of the ingredients. This will give the yeast enough time to activate.
- In a separate bowl, measure out and sift the flour, and set it aside until ready for use.
- Crack the eggs into a small bowl. Set aside the egg white from the yolk of one egg in a separate small bowl since you will need this egg white for brushing the rolls later.
- Add the three egg yolks and two egg whites into the bowl of a stand mixer along with the yeast mixture. Alternatively, you can also use a large mixing bowl in case you decide to knead it by hand.
How to Add Pumpkin Puree to Pumpkin Dinner Rolls
- Time for our pumpkin puree! Now add salt, and pumpkin puree, and whisk it all together for a couple of minutes or until combined.
- Next, add half of the flour, and mix using the dough hook attachment on low/med speed. Then, mix in the butter that has been softened to room temperature.
- Add in flour next, and add about ½ cup at a time thereafter while the dough is mixing. After all of the flour is in and the dough is not sticking to the spatula or sides of the bowl, that's the sign of thoroughly mixed yeast dough. It should look like a smooth ball at this stage.
- Finally, cover the mixer bowl with plastic wrap, puncture a few holes with a knife so the dough can breathe, and place it into a warm place for an hour to rise. Alternatively, you can cover it with a tea towel.
- If you're going the hand kneading route, you may need some additional flour to get the right texture of the dough. You can easily knead it as you'd normally knead any dough. Just make sure to do it on a lightly floured surface. Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover it in the same manner you would with a mixer bowl as mentioned above.
How to Shape Pumpkin Dinner Rolls
- Preheat the oven to 325 F. After the dough has tripled in size, gently push it down with a silicone spatula or your hand.
- Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough into a log and split it into four equal-sized pieces. I personally like to use a kitchen scale to make sure all the pieces weigh the same, but you can also
- Work with one piece of dough at a time. Roll it into an even circle, and slice twelve equal triangles. Then, just roll each triangle into a croissant-like roll.
- Place rolled dinner rolls onto a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Time to make our egg wash! Beat one egg white and two tables of water until combined. Brush each roll with the egg white wash and then sprinkle them with sesame seeds. The egg wash will give the dinner rolls a beautiful golden brown color.
How to Bake Pumpkin Dinner Rolls
- Bake in a preheated oven to 325 F for 17 minutes, or until golden brown in color. Remove from the oven and transfer onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Your delicious Pumpkin Dinner Rolls are ready to be served! Serve it warm and watch as your family and friends enjoy every single bite of these delicious pumpkin-flavored rolls!
Thank you for following me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest!
Larry Sclafani says
Your recipe was so easy to follow and the buns came out successfully and so yummy. these pumpkin dinner rolls are so perfect. They just look like the original pumpkin. Awesome work. Thanks so much!
Valya of Valya's Taste of Home says
I'm so happy to hear that, and thank you for an amazing five-star review!
Patricia says
Can the Pumpkin dinner rolls be made ahead of time and frozen?
Valya of Valya's Taste of Home says
Absolutely! Enjoy!