These pumpkin dinner rolls are what your holiday table needs this year. A soft, fluffy dinner roll that is 100% whole wheat, sweetened with honey, pumpkin puree, and pumpkin pie spice. These pumpkin bread rolls are a perfect addition to your Thanksgiving bread basket.
I don’t know about you but when it comes to Thanksgiving I’m all about the side dishes, and the bread basket. Sure I’ll eat the turkey. It’s there. But to me it’s never the star.
And every year I insist on making these homemade dinner rolls. But this year I decided let’s mix things up a bit and make pumpkin rolls. Because why not, right? Pumpkin in the pie. And now pumpkin in my rolls. Yes please.
Why These Are The Best Rolls
- 100% Whole Grain – I made these with white whole wheat flour. I love white whole wheat flour. It’s still 100% whole grain, but a softer variety of wheat then the regular bags of whole wheat flour.
- Naturally sweetened – These rolls are made with honey. I’ve been on a roll (pardon me for the puns!) lately and love baking with natural forms of sugar. And homemade bread rolls and honey go perfectly together.
- Make Ahead – The best part of bread rolls is that you can freeze these baked, or unbaked. Making them a perfect make ahead side for your holidays.
Pumpkin Dinner Roll Ingredients
- Milk – I used organic whole milk in these rolls. I figure if I’m going to bake, I’m going to use the best possible ingredients. You want to make sure to warm your milk to 110oF to proof the yeast before it’s added to the rest of the ingredients. I just warm mine in the microwave until it’s warmed. Just be careful, it’s too hot it will kill your yeast!
- Yeast – I used Red Star Instant Yeast and proof it first in the warm milk. Start with quality yeast and you will end up with quality bread! Make sure your yeast hasn’t expired and check those expiration date on the package.
- Honey – I use wild, organic raw honey to sweeten these rolls and help feed the yeast.
- Pumpkin puree – Make sure you use puree and not pie mix which has added ingredients. And make sure it’s room temperature.
- Unsalted butter – This helps to make a rich, soft dough in the end. Unsalted is best so you can control the salt, unlike salted butter. Please note the photo below shows a 1/2 stick, I tested it with less butter and found a whole stick added enough extra fat to create a softer roll.
- Eggs – You need two large eggs at room temperature (organic of course!). I like to place mine in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes before using.
- Pumpkin pie spice – Pumpkin rolls wouldn’t be complete without this spice added. I’ll give you substitutions in the recipe if you don’t have on hand!
- Salt – Of course you need salt in your bread dough to help strengthen the dough. Don’t mix it directly next to the yeast as it could kill it. I use kosher salt in my baking because it’s a pure form of salt with no off-taste like table salt can have.
- White whole wheat flour – You can always substitute this with whole wheat flour instead. I recommend weighing your flour instead of by volume, for best accuracy. Too much flour added can result in dense bread rolls instead of fluffy ones.
How To Make These Rolls
Proof Your Yeast
Start with heating your milk. I do this in the microwave, but a saucepan works too. You want the milk to be 110oF. Any warmer and it will kill your yeast. You want to add the yeast to the warmed milk and let it sit and get all bubbly for about 5 minutes.
No foam or bubbles? This could be that your milk was too warm or your yeast has expired. If after 5 minutes, still nothing – then it’s best to throw it out and start over!
Make Your Dough
Combine the rest of the dough ingredients in a large bowl. Add the yeast mixture and knead using the dough hook attachment or stir together in a bowl if mixing by hand. This dough will be very sticky, soft, and wet. You might be tempted to add more flour, but this will end up in a tough dry roll in the end.
Let the dough rise.
Since this dough is whole wheat, it won’t be all stretchy and “dough like” so you want to scrape the dough in a lightly greased bowl, and allow it to rise for 60 to 90 minutes, until it’s puffy though not necessarily doubled in bulk.
Shape the rolls.
Transfer dough onto a well floured surface. Flour your hands as well. This is a very soft, sticky dough. Flatten the dough into a large rectangle. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. Round each piece into a smooth ball.
Time for a second rise!
Space 12 rolls into a greased 9″ x 13″ pan. Cover the pans, and allow the rolls to rise until they’re crowded against one another and quite puffy, about 1 hour. Uncover the rolls and gently brush them with the egg wash.
It’s bake time!
Pre-heat oven to 375oF. Bake rolls for 25 minutes. If the top of rolls are browning too much, tent loosely with tinfoil. A digital thermometer inserted into the middle of a center roll should register at least 190°F. Remove the rolls from the oven, and brush with melted butter. After a couple of minutes, turn the rolls out of the pan onto a cooling rack.
I suggest you serve these warm but you can also store completely cooled rolls, well-wrapped, at room temperature for several days. Or you can also freeze these for longer storage.
Can I bake these pumpkin dinner rolls in a different pan?
I’ve only made these in a 9×13 pan, but you could divide the rolls between two round cake pans or a small sheet pan.
How do you proof bread in a cold house?
My kitchen (and house) is notoriously cold! Thank you electric heat. So if your house is cold like mine, your bread may take longer to rise than normal. You make your own bread proofer by preheating your oven to 150F, then turn your oven off and place your bowl of dough in the oven and let it proof in there.
How do you keep dinner rolls warm?
There’s nothing like warm rolls for your holiday dinner, right? But getting the timing right sure can be tough. So to keep them warm try warming some dried beans in a kitchen towel in the microwave for 1-2 minutes then keep the beans wrapped in a towel and place in the bottom of a bread basket and place your rolls on top. Voila! Warm. Rolls. Every. Time.
Can I freeze these pumpkin rolls?
You can always freeze your rolls unbaked before the final rise. Just shape them and then freeze them. Just be sure to cover them well with plastic wrap and a final layer of tin-foil. When ready to bake, you need to let them thaw overnight in the fridge. Then let them rise at room temperature for an hour and bake as normal.
Or freeze them baked as well! Let them cool completely first, then wrap the rolls in plastic wrap and then in tin-foil or a plastic bag. Then thaw at room temperature and reheat in a 300F for 7-8 minutes.
Boom, rolls when you want. This is a great way to get ahead of your holiday baking! If you like freezing your baked goods ahead of time, I actually put together “5 Desserts You Can Freeze Now and Bake Later” for you.
How do you reheat dinner rolls?
I love making dinner rolls, freezing them, and then just reheat when ready to serve them. Because who wants to make an entire Thanksgiving dinner AND fresh rolls all in the same day? Not this girl. So to reheat your rolls, set your oven to 300 degrees. Then brush your rolls with melted butter and place on a baking sheet. Bake them for about 7-8 minutes until warm.
Tips For Making These Pumpkin Bread Rolls
- Watch that milk! Make sure your milk is the correct temperature for the yeast. The yeast is a living thing and too hot of water will kill it. And too cold will never wake it up, leaving you with rolls that don’t rise! Major kitchen bummer. Check out my yeast 101 post to learn more.
- Use a scale. For best accuracy use a kitchen scale to measure your flour. This is a soft, sticky dough and you might be tempted to add more flour to the dough. But don’t! Just keep the surface and your hands floured as you shape the rolls. Adding too much flour can result in a dry dinner roll not a soft fluffy one!
- Handle the dough as little as possible. Yes it’s a soft sticky dough. You will be tempted to add more flour when shaping. Just keep your counter and hands well floured, and handle the dough as little as possible. The more you handle it, the stickier the dough will get.
- Let the dough rise in a warm place. My kitchen is notoriously cold. Ok, my house is! So I try to find the warmest room, or pop in an oven I pre-heated 15oF oven that you let warm up. Just turn the oven off before popping the bowl of dough in.
More Bread Recipes To Check Out
- No Knead Cranberry Walnut Bread
- Butternut Squash Bread
- Easy Buttermilk Honey Cornbread
- 1 Hour Cinnamon Rolls
What You Need To Make These Pumpkin Dinner Rolls
- 9×13 baking pan <– I love my Pyrex glass dish, but a metal one works as well.
- Red Star Platinum Yeast <– My go to yeast!!
- Stand Mixer <– You can try making it by hand but it’s much easier to make in my Kitchen-Aid with a dough hook attachment.
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Pumpkin Dinner Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 cup (240 mL) milk heated to 110oF
- 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast I used Red Star Platinum
- 1/3 cup (105 g) Honey
- 8 tablespoons (113 g) unsalted butter softened
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice or substitute 1 1/4 teaspoons cinnamon + 3/8 teaspoon cloves +3/8 teaspoon ginger
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 3/4 cup (170g) pumpkin purée
- 4 cups (482g) White whole wheat flour
- 1 egg + 1 Tbs. water for the egg wash
Instructions
- Combine the warmed milk and yeast in a small bowl and let it sit and get foamy for 5 minutes.
- Combine all of the dough ingredients in a large bowl of your stand mixer (or large mixing bowl if making by hand) Add the yeast/milk mixture. Stir the mixture together until it comes together into a soft, sticky dough.
- Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, and allow it to rise for 1.5 to 2 hours, until it's doubled in size.
- Transfer it to a floured work surface. Flour your hands.
- Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. Round each piece into a smooth ball, or shape into knots.
- Space 12 rolls into a greased 9" x 13" pan.
- Cover the pan, and allow the pull-apart rolls to rise until they're crowded against one another and quite puffy, about 1 hour. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Uncover the rolls and gently brush them with the egg wash. Bake the rolls for about 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown, tenting them with foil for the final 5 to 10 minutes of baking if they appear to be browning too quickly. A digital thermometer inserted into the middle of a center roll should register at least 190°F.
- Remove the rolls from the oven, and brush with melted butter. After a couple of minutes, turn the rolls out of the pan onto a cooling rack.
- Serve warm. Store completely cooled rolls, well-wrapped, at room temperature for several days; freeze for longer storage.
Notes
- Different Pans: I've only made these in a 9x13 pan, but you could divide the rolls between two round cake pans or a small sheet pan.
- Proofing: You make your own bread proofer by preheating your oven to 150F, then turn your oven off and place your bowl of dough in the oven and let it proof in there.
- Keeping the rolls warm: Warm some dried beans in a kitchen towel in the microwave for 1-2 minutes then keep the beans wrapped in a towel and place in the bottom of a bread basket and place your rolls on top.
- Freezing: You can always freeze your rolls unbaked before the final rise. Just shape them and then freeze them. Just be sure to cover them well with plastic wrap and a final layer of tin-foil. When ready to bake, you need to let them thaw overnight in the fridge. Then let them rise at room temperature for an hour and bake as normal. Or freeze them baked as well! Let them cool completely first, then wrap the rolls in plastic wrap and then in tin-foil or a plastic bag. Then thaw at room temperature and reheat in a 300F for 7-8 minutes.
- Watch that milk! Make sure your milk is the correct temperature for the yeast. The yeast is a living thing and too hot of water will kill it. And too cold will never wake it up, leaving you with rolls that don't rise! Major kitchen bummer. Check out my yeast 101 post to learn more.
- Use a scale. For best accuracy use a kitchen scale to measure your flour. This is a soft, sticky dough and you might be tempted to add more flour to the dough. But don't! Just keep the surface and your hands floured as you shape the rolls. Adding too much flour can result in a dry dinner roll not a soft fluffy one!
- Handle the dough as little as possible. Yes it's a soft sticky dough. You will be tempted to add more flour when shaping. Just keep your counter and hands well floured, and handle the dough as little as possible. The more you handle it, the stickier the dough will get.
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