Pumpkin Dinner Rolls

 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? 😀

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Pumpkin Dinner Rolls

Prep Time 2 hours 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes

Servings 1 dozen 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

Store rolls in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 days.

Tried this recipe?Leave a comment and rating below. Feel free to share a picture on Instagram and tag @wholeandheavenlyoven or hashtag it #wholeandheavenlyoven

Check out a few more of my seasonal recipe favorites!

Pumpkin Oat Shortbread With Caramel

Pumpkin Pecan Streusel Muffins

Maple-Rosemary Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Pumpkin Black Bean Chili