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
📖 Recipe
Pumpkin Dinner Rolls
Ingredients
The Rolls
- ⅓ cup warm water (80 ml)
- 1 tablespoon honey (20 gr)
- 2 ¼ teaspoon dry yeast (7 gr)
- 2 ½ cup bread flour (325 gr)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup powdered milk (30 gr)
- 1 egg , room temperature
- ½ cup pumpkin puree (130 gr), room temperature
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter (30 gr), melted
Others
- egg wash (1 egg + splash of milk), for brushing
- unsalted melted butter , for brushing
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!
patricia hartley says
I put a teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice in the dough...
Bea says
Brilliant idea!
Jenilyn says
Hi thanks for the recipe… question for you? Can I make this like one week before thanksgiving and store in the freezer? Thank you
Bea says
Hi! Yes, you can. Just bake them per instructions, leave to cool and then freeze. Thaw the night before in the fridge and warm them in the oven at 375ºF for a few minutes before serving. Hope it helps!
Daphne Ong says
Made pumpkin buns today. Your recipe was so easy to follow and the buns came out successfully and soooo yummy.I have tried quite a number of your Malaysian recipes and they all came out great. Took a pic but could not find a button to post it. Thanks so much!
Bea says
Yeay! It was fun to make, right? I'm excited to know that you liked the recipes. You could dm me the photo in IG (elmundoeats). Would love to see. Thanks Daphne!
Namrata says
Hi,
When you leave them for puffing for 30 minutes, do you cover it or leave it open? Thanks
Bea says
Hi! I left them loosely covered. Hope it helps.
Suzie Veitch says
These are adorable and I’d like to make them today! I have 2 questions.
1). Can I use Rapid Rise Instant yeast?
2). When you roll out the log of dough, about how long should the log? I want to make sure I get the right sizes to make 16 rolls.
Bea says
Hi Suzie. About your questions.
1) I've never used Rapid Instant yeast but for what I searched, it's the same only that dry yeast (the one that I use) needs to be activated with some liquid first before using, while Rapid instant yeast can be used directly with the rest of ingredients. I'm not sure about the amount though, some say to reduce it by 25%, which means in recipe it would be 1 3/4 tsp.
2) I rolled it into more or less like 9-10 inch (23-25 cm) long. If you want to be more precise you can weight the dough and divide it by 16.
Hope this helps Suzie, and hope you like them as much as we do :). Thanks!
silpa says
Wow dear, these pumpkin dinner rolls are so perfect. They are just look like original pumpkin. Awesome work.
Bea says
Thanks Silpa! I'm glad to know you like them.