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Pumpkin Dinner Rolls Recipe For Thanksgiving Dinner

Pumpkin dinner rolls recipe – serve these cute pumpkin-shaped pumpkin dinner rolls at your Thanksgiving celebrations to really impress all your guests!

Thanksgiving pumpkin dinner rolls - serve these at your Thanksgiving celebration to really impress all your guests!

These soft, tender, delicious pumpkin rolls are sure to be the talk of your Thanksgiving table; they are utterly adorable and easier to make than you might think! The dough is lightly flavoured with pumpkin and spices, it gives them a delicious flavour but they are mild enough to be able to serve with anything.

Thanksgiving pumpkin dinner rolls - serve these at your Thanksgiving celebration to really impress all your guests!

There are two different ways to shape these and I have given directions for both below. The first way involves making cuts in the ball of dough with a pair of scissors or a sharp knife. The good thing about making them using this method is that it is very quick and easy to do, but on the downside they don’t look as much like real pumpkins as the buns made using the second method.

The second method involves wrapping a long piece of string around the ball of dough to divide it into eight sections. The rolls are baked with the string attached and the dough rises around the string forming little pumpkin shapes. The good thing about using this method is that the rolls do look exactly like little pumpkins, but the downside is that it is a little more fiddly and time consuming to do.

Thanksgiving pumpkin dinner rolls - serve these at your Thanksgiving celebration to really impress all your guests!

Either way you decide to shape these pumpkin dinner rolls they are sure to look awesome; and they aren’t just good for Thanksgiving either. Their pull-apart shape makes them perfect for dipping into soups and stews, and because they work with both savoury and sweet dishes they are also great for breakfast, ideally slathered in cinnamon honey butter!

Thanksgiving pumpkin dinner rolls - serve these at your Thanksgiving celebration to really impress all your guests!

Here’s what you’ll need for pumpkin rolls:

Makes 12-15

  • 3 tsp instant yeast
  • 2/3 cup milk, lukewarm
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
  • 1 large egg
  • 4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/2 tsp ground coriander
  • 1/4 tsp ground cloves
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/3 cup softened unsalted butter
  • 2 Tbsp melted butter for brushing
  • sliced pecans for stalks

Step by step indication to prepare delicious pumpkin rolls:

Pumpkin dinner rolls ingredients

  1. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer whisk together the yeast, 1/2 tsp of the brown sugar and 1/3 of the milk until the yeast has dissolved. Let rest for 5 – 10 minutes until foamy.
  1. Whisk in the rest of the milk, the sugar, pumpkin puree and egg.

Pumpkin dinner rolls step 1

  1. Add the flour, salt and spices and stir to form a rough dough. Mix on a medium speed for a couple of minutes then gradually add the butter a tablespoon at a time, mixing well after each addition.
  1. Turn the mixer up to high and continue to mix for about 5 to 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic and pulls away from the sides of the bowl cleanly. It should still be quite soft and sticky but should not be wet, if it is then you can add in a little more flour as needed.

Pumpkin dinner rolls step 2

  1. Transfer the dough to a large, lightly oiled bowl; cover and set aside to rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1-2 hours.

Pumpkin dinner rolls step 3

  1. Knock back the risen dough and divide it into 12-15 even pieces (I made 12). Shape each one into a ball on a lightly floured surface. Line two baking sheets with baking parchment.

Pumpkin dinner rolls step 4

  1. To shape the buns using scissors, oil your scissors (or a sharp knife) and make 8 cuts equally spaced around the ball of dough, leaving the centre uncut.

Pumpkin dinner rolls step 5

  1. To shape the buns using string, take a long piece of string and find the halfway point. Place the half way point on top of the ball of dough and flip the whole thing over. Pull the two pieces of string together and cross them over to create a cross on the bottom of the ball. Flip it over again and do the same thing until the ball is divided into 8 equal pieces. Tie the string at the top and cut off any excess. Make sure that you don’t pull the string too tight as the dough will expand a lot as it rises and in the oven.

Pumpkin dinner rolls step 6

  1. Place the shaped buns well spaced apart on the prepared trays. Cover loosely with oiled clingfilm and set aside to rise until puffy and the dough springs back slowly if you press it with a finger, about 45 minutes.

Pumpkin dinner rolls step 7

  1. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F. If you are using the scissors shaping method then use the oiled end of a wooden spoon to make a deep hole in the centre of each bun. Bake the buns for about 20 minutes until golden and they sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.
  1. Remove the buns from the oven and allow to cool for a couple of minutes then very carefully remove the string (if you used that shaping method). Brush the buns generously with melted butter and push a sliced pecan into the centre of each to make the stalk. Best served on the day they are made; store in an airtight container.

Pumpkin dinner rolls step 8

Thanksgiving pumpkin dinner rolls - serve these at your Thanksgiving celebration to really impress all your guests!

Yield: 15

Pumpkin Dinner Rolls Recipe For Thanksgiving Dinner

Thanksgiving pumpkin dinner rolls - serve these at your Thanksgiving celebration to really impress all your guests!

Pumpkin dinner rolls recipe – serve these cute pumpkin-shaped pumpkin dinner rolls at your Thanksgiving celebrations to really impress all your guests!

Prep Time 35 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Additional Time 2 hours 45 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 40 minutes

Ingredients

  • 3 tsp instant yeast
  • 2/3 cup milk, lukewarm
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
  • 1 large egg
  • 4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/2 tsp ground coriander
  • 1/4 tsp ground cloves
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/3 cup softened unsalted butter
  • 2 Tbsp melted butter for brushing
  • sliced pecans for stalks

Instructions

  1. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer whisk together the yeast, 1/2 tsp of the brown sugar and 1/3 of the milk until the yeast has dissolved. Let rest for 5 – 10 minutes until foamy.
  2. Whisk in the rest of the milk, the sugar, pumpkin puree and egg.
  3. Add the flour, salt and spices and stir to form a rough dough. Mix on a medium speed for a couple of minutes then gradually add the butter a tablespoon at a time, mixing well after each addition.
  4. Turn the mixer up to high and continue to mix for about 5 to 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic and pulls away from the sides of the bowl cleanly. It should still be quite soft and sticky but should not be wet, if it is then you can add in a little more flour as needed.
  5. Transfer the dough to a large, lightly oiled bowl; cover and set aside to rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1-2 hours.
  6. Knock back the risen dough and divide it into 12-15 even pieces (I made 12). Shape each one into a ball on a lightly floured surface. Line two baking sheets with baking parchment.
  7. To shape the buns using scissors, oil your scissors (or a sharp knife) and make 8 cuts equally spaced around the ball of dough, leaving the centre uncut.
  8. To shape the buns using string, take a long piece of string and find the halfway point. Place the half way point on top of the ball of dough and flip the whole thing over. Pull the two pieces of string together and cross them over to create a cross on the bottom of the ball. Flip it over again and do the same thing until the ball is divided into 8 equal pieces. Tie the string at the top and cut off any excess. Make sure that you don’t pull the string too tight as the dough will expand a lot as it rises and in the oven.
  9. Place the shaped buns well spaced apart on the prepared trays. Cover loosely with oiled clingfilm and set aside to rise until puffy and the dough springs back slowly if you press it with a finger, about 45 minutes.
  10. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F. If you are using the scissors shaping method then use the oiled end of a wooden spoon to make a deep hole in the centre of each bun. Bake the buns for about 20 minutes until golden and they sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.
  11. Remove the buns from the oven and allow to cool for a couple of minutes then very carefully remove the string (if you used that shaping method). Brush the buns generously with melted butter and push a sliced pecan into the centre of each to make the stalk. Best served on the day they are made; store in an airtight container.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

15

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 210Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 28mgSodium: 220mgCarbohydrates: 33gFiber: 2gSugar: 4gProtein: 5g

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