I am going to be totally honest with you and go against popular opinion right now… I am not a big fan of pumpkin spice. I know, I know it is all the rave this time of year. Every type of food basically turns into pumpkin spice in the Fall, but I just don’t love it. It’s blasphemy, right? But before you condemn me for my unpopular opinion, please make a batch of these pumpkin dinner rolls. They are delicious!
If you are a fan of pumpkin spice, let’s please still be friends. I do like pumpkin breads, it’s just that spice I can do without. These pumpkin dinner rolls have a subtle taste of pumpkin and are so soft and festive, especially when you form them into cute little pumpkins. Lather on some homemade cinnamon butter and I promise you will be coming back for more.
Pumpkin Dinner Roll Recipe
In a large microwave safe liquid measuring cup, add the milk and butter and heat in the microwave for one minute. The butter will not be fully melted, but the milk should be warm.
Pour the milk mixture into a large bowl or the bowl connected to a stand mixer. Add the yeast and brown sugar to the bowl and stir. Let the mixture sit for 5-10 minutes or until small bubbles form around the mixture and it grows slightly.
Add the salt, pumpkin puree, and egg and mix. With the dough hook attached, add the flour, one cup at a time, until the dough pulls away from the sides and bottom of the bowl. The dough should be tacky.
Knead the dough for 5-7 minutes, until the dough appears smooth and not shaggy.
Cover the dough with a clean dish towel or plastic and let it rise for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
Remove the dough from the bowl onto a clean surface and form into a large ball. Divide the dough into 24 equal sections and form each into a ball shape.
Forming A Pumpkin Shape
With the dough in a ball shape, make an indention with your finger in the very center of the ball.
With kitchen shears, cut 5 equally spaced snips around the dough about halfway to the center.
Place each pumpkin roll onto a baking sheet about 2 inches apart.
Cover the rolls with a clean dish towel and let them rise for 30-45 minutes.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 12-15 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 190 degrees F. Once they have cooled for 5-10 minutes, break a pretzel stick in half and insert each half, broken side down, into the center of the roll to complete the pumpkin look. Enjoy!
Homemade Cinnamon Butter
Beat together a 1/2 cup of unsalted butter, a pinch of salt, 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon of brown sugar until creamed together. If you are a pumpkin spice lover, you can add some to the butter mixture too. Serve with the rolls.
Pumpkin Dinner Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 cup milk, warmed
- 1/4 cup butter, softened
- 1 Tbsp yeast
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 can pumpkin puree (15 oz)
- 1 egg
- 6 cups flour
Instructions
- In a large microwave safe liquid measuring cup, add the milk and butter and heat in the microwave for one minute. The butter will not be fully melted, but the milk should be warm.
- Pour the milk mixture into a large bowl or the bowl connected to a stand mixer. Add the yeast and brown sugar to the bowl and stir. Let the mixture sit for 5-10 minutes or until small bubbles form around the mixture and it grows slightly.
- Add the salt, pumpkin puree, and egg and mix. With the dough hook attached, add the flour, one cup at a time, until the dough pulls away from the sides and bottom of the bowl. The dough should be tacky.
- Knead the dough for 5-7 minutes, until the dough appears smooth and not shaggy.
- Cover the dough with a clean dish towel or plastic and let it rise for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
- Remove the dough from the bowl onto a clean surface and form into a large ball. Divide the dough into 24 equal sections and form each into a ball shape.
Forming A Pumpkin Shape
- With the dough in a ball shape, make an indention with your finger in the very center of the ball.
- With kitchen shears, cut 5 equally spaced snips around the dough about halfway to the center.
- Place each pumpkin roll onto a baking sheet about 2 inches apart.
- Cover the rolls with a clean dish towel and let them rise for 30-45 minutes.
- Bake at 350 degrees F for 12-15 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 190 degrees F. Once they have cooled for 5-10 minutes, break a pretzel stick in half and insert each half, broken side down, into the center of the roll to complete the pumpkin look. Enjoy!
Homemade Cinnamon Butter
- Beat together a 1/2 cup of unsalted butter, a pinch of salt, 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon of brown sugar until creamed together. If you are a pumpkin spice lover, you can add some to the butter mixture too. Serve with the rolls.
