Pumpkin Dinner Rolls (2024)

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These soft and tender Pumpkin Dinner Rolls will be the talk of your Thanksgiving Table! Adorably delicious and easier than you might think with the option of Whipped Brown Sugar Cinnamon Butter!

Pumpkin Dinner Rolls (1)

Don’t these plump little Pumpkin Dinner Rolls just make you smile?! They are just SO CUTE! Every time I catch a glimpse of them on my counter, I can’t help but smile. Now just think of the ooohs and aaaahhhs of your Thanksgiving family and friends when you unveil this enchanting side.

I saw the idea for pumpkin shaped rolls on Facebook a while back and althoughI am not usually the crafty type, these were just too cutethat I had to find the original source. Surprisingly, however, there are LOTS of pumpkin shaped rolls recipes, so I am not sure who to give credit too. I ended up following the method from Rhodes Bread but with my own pumpkin dough. If you already have an absolute favorite roll recipe, then you can certainly use that recipe and just follow this recipe for the method of how to make the pumpkin shaped rolls. But if you want a pumpkin dinner roll with actualpumpkin dough, than be sure to follow my full recipe. The pumpkin is mild in flavor so these rolls still go with absolutely everything and mild enough that even the non-pumpkin eaters will still devour them.

Pumpkin Dinner Rolls (2)

To create the shape of the pumpkin rolls, divide your already risen dough into 15 balls, flatten with the palm of your hand, then make 8 cuts around the outside of each ball. I use my kitchen shears to make the cuts and it is super fast! You cover the rolls and let them double in size then poke a deep hole in the center of each roll with the handle of a wooden spoon. This hole is where you will place a sliced pecan for the pumpkin stem – so cute! Now wasn’t that easy?!

Pumpkin Dinner Rolls (3)

Before you pop your rolls in the oven, you brush them with either melted butter and sprinkle with sesame seeds for the “savory” Pumpkin Dinner Roll Option OR for a sweeter version, you brush with melted WhippedBrown Sugar Cinnamon Butter. To make theWhippedBrown Sugar Cinnamon Butter, you simply beat softened butter, brown sugar and cinnamon together, then you remove a couple tablespoons to melt and brush all over your Pumpkin Dinner Rolls.

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Both options are completely delicious. You might just have to make the rolls twice before Thanksgiving so you know what you prefer 🙂

Pumpkin Dinner Rolls (5)

Happy almost Thanksgiving with Pumpkin Dinner Rolls. So your food can also be your Thanksgiving centerpiece that makes your guests smile with every adorably delicious bite.

LOOKING FOR MORE PUMPKIN RECIPES?

  • Pumpkin Bars with Nutella Cream Cheese Frosting
  • Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Pound Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Glaze
  • Pumpkin Praline Pie
  • Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Caramel Sauce
  • Pumpkin Bread
  • Pumpkin Crepes with Nutella Filling
  • Soft and Chewy Pumpkin Cookie with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
  • Double Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake
  • Pumpkin Angel Food Cake French Toast
Pumpkin Dinner Rolls (6)

Looking for more Thanksgiving recipes?

  • Soft and Fluffy Dinner Rolls
  • (Nutella) Pumpkin Crepes
  • Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Pound Cake
  • Apple Cranberry Bacon Candied Walnut Salad
  • Dijon Maple Green Beans
  • Cranberry Apple Pecan Wild Rice Pilaf
  • Cornbread Sausage Stuffing
  • Slow Cooker Ricotta Bacon Creamed Corn

Want to try these Pumpkin Dinner Rolls?

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Pumpkin Dinner Rolls (7)

Pumpkin Dinner Rolls (8)

Pumpkin Dinner Rolls

Servings: 15 rolls

Total Time: 50 minutes mins

Prep Time: 30 minutes mins

Cook Time: 20 minutes mins

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Ingredients

Pumpkin Dough

  • 1 package active dry yeast (2 ¼ teaspoons)
  • 1/4 cup warm water (120-130 degrees F)
  • 3/4 cup warm milk (120-130 degrees F)
  • 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
  • 1/3 cup butter, melted
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • Pinch cayenne pepper
  • 4 ½ -5 cups flour, plus more for dusting

Savory Butter Option

  • 3 tablespoons butter, melted divided
  • sesame seeds

Whipped Brown Sugar Butter Option

Pumpkin Roll Stems

  • 15 pecan slices

Instructions

  • In the bowl of your standard mixer, dissolve yeast in warm water and let sit 5-10 minutes or until slightly foamy. (If it doesn’t foam, start again)

  • Add all remaining Dough ingredients except flour and whisk gently to combine. Add 3 cups flour and stir until combined.

  • Fix mixer with dough hook and generously spray hook with nonstick cooking spray.

  • With the mixer running on low, gradually mix in 1 ½ cups more flour. Once dough has pulled away from the bowl, knead on medium-low speed for approximately 5 minutes (or by hand for 10) until dough is smooth and elastic. If dough seems too sticky (it should still be somewhat sticky for light rolls), gradually add up to 1 cup additional flour, one tablespoon of flour at a time.* (I used a total of 5 cups flour)

  • Remove dough and spray mixing bowl with nonstick cooking spray. Knead dough a few times on a lightly floured surface, then knead dough into a ball and place back into your greased mixing bowl. Cover tightly with greased plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until doubled in size, about 2 – 2 ½ hours.

  • Remove dough and punch down. Divide dough into 15 equal pieces, then roll each into a ball and place equally spaced on a greased baking sheet (or use a nonstick slip mat). NOTE: If you do not want your rolls to touch, then use two baking sheets instead.

  • Flatten each ball with the palm of your hand. Using scissors or a knife (I find scissors much faster), make 8 equally spaced cuts about ½ inch deep around the outside of each ball, leaving the center uncut.

  • Cover rolls with a towel or greased plastic wrap and allow to rise until almost double in size.

  • Using the handle of a wooden spoon, poke a deep hole into the top center of each roll (this will be the hole for your stem).

  • Brush rolls with either 1 ½ tablespoon melted butter OR 1 ½ tablespoons melted Brown Sugar Butter (recipe follows). If using butter only, then also, sprinkle with sesame seeds.

  • Bake rolls at 350 degrees F for approximately 20 minutes or until golden brown and sound slightly hollow when tapped.

  • Remove from oven and brush with 1 ½ tablespoons additional melted butter or melted Brown Sugar Butter.

  • Insert pecan pieces into pumpkin rolls for stems.

  • Serve with butter or remaining Brown Sugar Butter. Also delicious with honey.

  • BROWN SUGAR BUTTER: Beat butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon together with an electric mixer until creamy and smooth. Remove 3 tablespoons to a small bowl to melt.

Notes

Total time does not include rising time as this will vary between individuals.

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Pumpkin Dinner Rolls (10)

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Carlsbad Cravings Original Pumpkin Roll Recipe with Pumpkin Shaped Rolls idea from RhodesBread

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Reader Interactions

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10 Comments

  1. Iga Dietmap says

    i have to avoid normal one, can i use oat milk?

    Reply

    • Jen says

      Hi Iga, I have never used oat milk so I don’t know how it will work or not work. Sorry!

      Reply

  2. Kelsey says

    Did you do anything to your pecans, or leave them raw?

    Reply

    • Jen says

      Hi Kelsey, I just leave them raw as they are more of a decoration but you can certainly toast them if you want!

      Reply

  3. Sarah says

    Can they be made in advance and frozen or best made that day?

    Reply

    • Jen says

      Hi Sarah, I think rolls are always better the same day but I do think these would still be delicious frozen – don’t know if that helps any 🙂

      Reply

  4. Shannon says

    These look so cute! Are they best served warm?

    Reply

    • Jen says

      thank you! I think they are best served warm but they are still delicious room temperature too 🙂

      Reply

  5. Allie says

    I just finished making these pumpkin rolls! The look and texture of the rolls are fantastic, and the recipe is very easy to follow. My one critique is that they’re a bit lacking in pumpkin flavor. Next time I might roast the puree for a richer flavor and use 1.5x/2x the spices used in the recipe.

    Reply

    • Jen says

      That is a great idea!

      Reply

Pumpkin Dinner Rolls (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to rolling a pumpkin roll? ›

Roll the cake while it's hot!

This is the secret to a perfectly-swirled roll cake. While the cake is still hot, use the parchment to transfer the cake from the baking pan onto a clean kitchen towel. Using the towel as a hot mitt, roll the cake into a tight spiral from the narrow side.

How do you make a pumpkin roll not crack? ›

How to keep pumpkin roll from cracking: The biggest trick to preventing your cake roll from cracking is to roll the cake up in the parchment paper as soon as it comes out of the oven. The hot cake will be soft and pliable and should roll up without cracking.

What is pumpkin roll filling made of? ›

Pumpkin Roll Ingredients

You likely have most of the ingredients you'll need on hand. If not, here's what to add to your grocery list: For the Cake: eggs, sugar, pumpkin puree, cinnamon, all-purpose flour, and baking soda. For the Filling: cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, butter, and vanilla extract.

What's the difference between a biscuit and a dinner roll? ›

Rolls vs Biscuits

Rolls typically use yeast as their main rising agent, whereas biscuits use baking soda or baking powder to rise. Due to the need for the yeast to activate and rise, they often take much longer than biscuits to make.

How to keep pumpkin roll from cracking when unrolling after? ›

Remove from oven and imeaditaly flip on to a four sack type towel. Carefully remove the parchment paper and roll up the cake with the towel and allow to cool. Once cool carefully unroll and frost/ fill. Less is more with the fillin as too much will make a gooey mess and may cause the cake to crack again.

Why is my pumpkin roll wet or sticky? ›

As the pumpkin roll cools, it has a tendency to form a little bit of condensation on the outside. This can cause it to feel a little wet or sticky. That's where the powdered sugar comes in! Not only does it add a little bit of extra sweetness, but it helps absorb some of that excess moisture.

Why did my pumpkin bread crack? ›

The thick, rough crack is a sure sign of insufficient steam. The crust wasn't moist enough to be flexible, so it hardened and set before the loaf was done expanding. Another possible reason is that your baking temperature was too high, resulting in the same effect.

Why did my homemade rolls get hard? ›

Too much flour, or not the right kind, could be to blame. Dough made only from flour with a high or even average amount of protein (like bread flour or all-purpose flour) can become tough from overmixing. Protein gives bread structure in the form of gluten—the more you mix and move the dough, the more gluten you get.

How long can pumpkin roll sit out at room temperature? ›

Homemade pie that has been left out for longer than two hours should be thrown away. If you left any pumpkin pie out for too long, don't be tempted to roll the dice.

What's the difference between canned pumpkin and pumpkin filling? ›

They are the same product. Both canned pumpkin puree and pie filling are useful, shelf-stable ingredients that can help speed up your kitchen prep time. Just remember that puree is unsweetened, while pie filling contains sugar and spices. This will help you choose the right pumpkin product for your recipes.

Does pumpkin roll go bad? ›

Pumpkin rolls keep well in the refrigerator and freezer, so they're the perfect dessert to make ahead of time if you'd like. To store your pumpkin roll, wrap it up tightly in plastic wrap. Then you can either refrigerate it for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.

Can you eat raw pumpkin filling? ›

Frequently featured in flavorful recipes like pies, curries, cookies, and trail mix, pumpkin and pumpkin seeds are staple ingredients in many households, especially during the holidays. Although most people prefer eating them cooked or roasted, you can also eat pumpkin and pumpkin seeds raw.

Should I use parchment paper for dinner rolls? ›

I suggest using parchment paper to line the baking dish to ensure that the rolls are easy to remove from the pan to serve. Once the homemade dinner rolls are formed and placed in the baking sheet, let them rise again until they are doubled in size (30-60 minutes).

What is the difference between Rhodes Texas rolls and dinner rolls? ›

Texas Size rolls are 50% larger than our Dinner Rolls. The only difference is the roll size.

What do the English call dinner rolls? ›

This included the 'bap' and 'bun', as well as lesser known terms like 'cob', 'batch' and 'barm cake'. After questioning more than 14,000 native English speakers, the most popular name was 'bread roll'.

Why does my Swiss roll crack when I unroll it? ›

Your cake may crack when you roll it if it's overbaked. A dry cake is more prone to cracking. Waiting too long to roll the cake will lead to cracking as well.

How to roll a Swiss roll without it cracking? ›

Score a line along the bottom of the sponge, approximately 2.5cm away from the edge. Don't cut all the way through. Using the line scored, roll the sponge up tightly and leave to cool completely. When the sponge is cool, unroll it gently.

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