Pumpkin Dinner Rolls

Do you like pumpkins?

Do you like dinner rolls?

How about pumpkin dinner rolls, do you think you would like them?

Well let me convince you that YES, you DO like them! 😀

What's not to like about these super soft and fluffy rolls. Right?

And yes, let's not ignore the elephant in the room.

What's not to LOVE about these ridiculously cute and real looking small sized pumpkins. Right?

Disclosure: some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning at no extra cost to you, I will get a small commission if you click through and make a purchase. Everything I mention in this post is what I personally use and recommend.

Pumpkin Season

I always love it when September comes to an end. That means the heat is finally crawling away.

It also means the beginning of the holiday seasons! I mean pumpkin season.

Pumpkin is so versatile. You can turn it into savoury meals like soups, turmeric curry or simply have it baked.

You can also turn it into sweet treat like puddings, pies or simply have it as a pumpkin spice latte.

And of course, you can make super soft and fluffy dinner rolls out of it.

Tips For Not Wasting

For this recipe I'm using a butternut squash. For me I like it because it's the most common type of pumpkin that I can find in my city. And also, it's easier to prep 😀

Usually when I buy a butternut squash and I don't really have a plan for the whole squash (I bought 1 huge butternut squash for this recipe), I will bake it and then turn it into a puree.

Then I will portion it in zip lock bags and freeze it. My husband simply LOVES creamy pumpkin soup. Now that the temperature is going down, he's going to be happy with his pumpkin soups. Easier for me to prepare it also as I already have the frozen puree.

So that's a tip to share so that nothing goes to waste.

Making Pumpkin Looking Dinner Rolls

Ohhh this is the best part of this recipe!

If you're like me, you're going to love making the balls into pumpkins.

As you can see in the video below, it's nothing fancy. You simply need to tie the balls loosely with some kitchen strings so that for each ball you will get 8 sections.

And then leave the pumpkin balls to puff up and you will see the magic happens. They will start looking like real pumpkins!

As if that's not enough, wait until they're baked. The colors are so beautiful!

Just don't forget to brush them with some egg wash before baking and immediately brush them with some melted butter as soon as they come out from the oven.

The most boring part of this recipe is taking out the kitchen strings. Haha!

But trust me, it's all worth it. Carefully cut the strings on top and the bottom of the pumpkin rolls. Then gently pull them out. I said gently because the pumpkin rolls are soft and fluffy, you don't want to squish them.

For the final touch, insert a pumpkin seed on top of each pumpkin roll.

How about that? Fun, easy and yummy all in the same recipe.

Other Pumpkin Recipes

• Pumpkin cookies
• Cream cheese filled pumpkin bread loaf
• Fudgy pumpkin cheesecake brownies
• Pumpkin chocolate chip muffins

Video

Pumpkin Dinner Rolls

It's the season of pumpkin and why not make some pumpkin dinner rolls? These rolls are super soft and fluffy. Let's not forget they're super cute and beautiful like the real pumpkins. A fun bread project to do at home.

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Servings: 16 rolls

Prep Time: 30 mins

Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

The Rolls

• ⅓ cup warm water (80 ml)
• 1 tbsp honey (20 gr)
• 2 ¼ tsp dry yeast (7 gr)
• 2 ½ cup bread flour (325 gr)
• 1 tsp salt
• ¼ cup powdered milk (30 gr)
• 1 egg , room temperature
• ½ cup pumpkin puree (130 gr), room temperature
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter (30 gr), melted

Others

• egg wash (1 egg + splash of milk), for brushing
• unsalted melted butter , for brushing

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Instructions

The Rolls

• Mix honey and warm water. Then sprinkle dry yeast and give it a mix. Leave for 3-5 minutes for the yeast to activate.
• Put the rest of the rolls ingredients in a standing mixer bowl including yeast mixture. Mix to incorporate and then knead for 5 minutes. The dough will be a tad sticky. Grease your hands to avoid it from sticking.
• Form into a ball and place it in a greased bowl and coat the dough surface with some oil. Cover the bowl tightly with a cling film and leave the dough to rise until double its size.

Assembling

• Place the risen dough on a floured working surface and knead it lightly into a log. Cut it into 4 equal pieces and then cut each piece into 4 equal smaller pieces. You will end up with a total of 16 pieces. Form each piece into a ball.
• Take a ball and tie it loosely with a kitchen string to get 8 section. Make a tight knot at the end. Place it on a baking tray with a baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the balls. Leave them for around 30 minutes to puff up a bit.
• Brush the pumpkin balls with some egg wash. Bake in a preheated oven at 350ºF (175ºC) for 20 minutes or until golden brown and fully cooked. Remove from the oven and immediately brush them with some melted butter. Then leave for them to cool completely on a rack.
• Carefully cut the kitchen strings on the top and the bottom of the pumpkin rolls. Gently pull the strings to remove them. Place a pumpkin seed on each pumpkin roll. Serve and enjoy!

Equipment

Stand Mixer

Oven Tray (15.5"x10.5"x1")

Dough Scraper

Measuring Cups

Tried this recipe?Mention @elmundoeats and tag #elmundoeats!