These light, melt-in-your-mouth dinner rolls get an extra-boost of moistness and flavor from pumpkin! Slather these rolls up with fresh butter for maximum enjoyment 😀
Ever had pumpkin in your yeast rolls? Up until last week, when I finally broke down and decided to give pumpkin yeast rolls a try, I never had either. To be honest with you, the idea of pumpkin in my dinner rolls sounded kinda icky to me. That’s coming from the Yeast Queen who loves ANYTHING yeast.
I’ve never been so wrong in my life 😉 Right now, you are looking at the moistest, fluffiest, melt-in-your-mouth dinner rolls you will ever taste. (and don’t you just LOVE their pretty orange tint?) I seriously think I was insane to putting off making these awesome things for so long.
My family gobbled down these rolls like they were starving ( *ahem* NOBODY’S ever starving in this house!) They didn’t even question the slight orange color or the extra-moistness in these rolls. I got busted however, when my younger brother informed everyone that there was, in fact, pumpkin in the rolls (he was spying on me while I was making these) Nobody really cared, though. By that point, every single roll was gone.
If you didn’t know that there was pumpkin in these rolls, you probably wouldn’t even guess it by tasting them. I noticed a slight difference in taste—they tasted slightly nutty and rustic to me—but the texture was the biggest difference and my favorite part….Super moist, unbelievably fluffy, and so light they just melt in your mouth. I like slathering up these rolls warm with fresh butter. Yeast-y, pumpkin-y heaven.
These rolls would be perfect for Thanksgiving dinner, but I would definitely recommend doubling the recipe….this recipe makes 1 dozen— which is the perfect amount for my family, but trust me: They disappear and they disappear FAST!
Very fast.
The first time I tested these rolls, they got eaten so quickly I didn’t have time to take pictures. Whoops.
Making these rolls couldn’t be easier: We’ve got basic yeast bread ingredients: Water, active dry yeast, oil, honey, eggs, salt, flour, and our “secret” ingredient, pumpkin.
Most of the time needed to make these rolls is inactive….Two rise times (1st one: 1-1/2 hours. 2nd one: 30 minutes) So you can go ahead and sit on Pinterest for a few hours, walk the dog, catch up on house-cleaning, ect..
Be sure to keep a close eye on these rolls while they’re baking—20-22 minutes at 375F should lightly brown the outside and ensure a soft, fluffy interior. Once they’re done baking, lightly brush the tops with softened butter for a sweet, buttery finishing touch.
Huh…Pumpkin dinner rolls…who would have thought it? 😀
Pumpkin Dinner Rolls
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup pure pumpkin
- 1/2 cup warm water
- 2-1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 3 tablespoons safflower oil
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 large eggs lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2-1/2 to 3 cups white whole wheat flour
- Softened butter for brushing
Instructions
- Place pumpkin in a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat until pumpkin registers 100F degrees. Remove from heat and set aside.
- In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let sit 5 minutes, then stir in oil, honey, eggs, salt, and warm pumpkin until smooth. Stir in 2-1/2 cups flour until mixture forms a soft dough. (dough should be slightly sticky)
- Turn dough onto a floured surface. Knead dough until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Place dough in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover bowl with a kitchen towel, and let rise in a warm place until dough is doubled, about 1-1/2 hours.
- Punch dough down, and shape dough into 12 balls. Place on two parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Cover rolls with a kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 30 minutes.
- Bake rolls at 375F 20-22 minutes until golden brown. Brush each roll with softened butter and transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Notes
Check out a few more of my seasonal recipe favorites!
Pumpkin Oat Shortbread With Caramel
Pumpkin Pecan Streusel Muffins
Maple-Rosemary Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Renew Your Space says
Wow – these look A-Mazing!!! My mouth is watering 🙂 I will try to make them for Thanksgiving! Never heard of them… ~Renee
Sarah says
Thanks so much, Renee! I have a feeling these rolls would be perfect for Thanksgiving. Let me know how they turn out!
Regina Partain says
Wow. These look amazing. I may just have to try them this holiday season. My daughter would love them, I am sure
Thanks for sharing..
Sarah says
I hope you enjoy them, Regina. Thank you!
Lisa Barton @ Vintage Celebrations says
Your pumpkin recipes look divine Sarah! Over here in England we generally only have pumpkins to decorate at Halloween rather than as part of our staple diet – I very much envy your white pumpkins/squashes that I’ve seen a lot of lately in fall porch/mantle tours! I too love anything made with yeast/dough – wouldnt be a happy bunny without my bread fix!
Sarah says
Thanks, Lisa! I don’t know what I would do if I didn’t have pumpkin! 😀
Kimberly says
These look awesome, and I really would like to make these for Thanksgiving. QUESTION! Would another oil besides safflower oil work? I only have olive oil (extra virgin), coconut oil, and vegetable oil. Thanks!
Sarah says
Hi Kimberly! Yes, you can substitute vegetable oil or olive oil for safflower oil—let me know how your rolls turn out!