Tessa’s Recipe Rundown
Taste: Is there anything better than the combination of slightly sweet pumpkin with cinnamon?
Texture: Super soft and slightly chewy, every bite is bread heaven.
Ease: I think you’ll be surprised by just how simple this recipe is!
Pros: Fun, adorable seasonal twist on bread rolls. These will become highly requested for every holiday dinner!
Cons: None at all!
Would I make this again? Absolutely.
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These Pumpkin Bread Rolls are as delicious as they are adorable, and perfect for any fall gathering.
The rolls are incredibly soft with a hint of pumpkin flavor. Plus, the butter is utterly delicious. And the best part is that both the rolls and the butter are surprisingly easy to make!
The idea for the shape of these Pumpkin Bread Rolls came from Beyond Kimchee blog. I wanted to make pumpkin bread rolls, and I was inspired to shape them this way thanks to Beyond Kimchee’s adorable pumpkin shaping technique.
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I think that extra step makes these rolls so adorable, memorable, and beautiful for any holiday table.
I hope you give these cute pumpkin bread rolls a try this Thanksgiving!
Sprinkle of Science
How to Make Pumpkin Bread Rolls with Cinnamon Butter
Which Yeast Is Best for Rolls?
Instant yeast, also called rapid rise or quick rise yeast, helps these pumpkin rolls rise faster. You can buy my favorite yeast on Amazon. This type of yeast is specifically formulated to allow you to skip yeast proofing (the step where you combine the yeast with warm liquid and allow it to sit for a few minutes until it becomes bubbly). Instant yeast can be directly added in with all of the other ingredients.
Can I Use Active Dry Yeast Instead of Instant Yeast?
Yes, you can swap instant yeast for active dry yeast at a 1:1 ratio. Active dry yeast will take about 20% longer to rise. Here’s how to slightly speed up that process:
- Combine the active dry yeast with the warm water and warm milk called for in the recipe and allow it to proof for 5 minutes, until frothy.
- Then add to the bowl with the other ingredients and proceed with the recipe as written.
What Type of Pumpkin Should I Use in Bread Rolls?
- I used store-bought canned pumpkin puree for this recipe.
- I don’t recommend using homemade pumpkin puree for this recipe, as homemade puree tends to contain more liquid, which can be detrimental to a yeasted bread recipe.
- Note: Be sure NOT to use canned pumpkin pie filling for this recipe – it is not the same thing as pumpkin puree.
- Check out my Fresh vs. Canned Pumpkin article for the differences between using fresh pumpkin puree, regular canned pumpkin, and organic canned pumpkin.
How to Knead Rolls
This Pumpkin Roll dough comes together quite easily in your stand mixer. If kneading by hand, be sure to knead the dough properly so your pumpkin rolls hold their shape and bake up nice and fluffy. To learn more about this, see my instructions for how to knead by hand here.
How To Tell If You Have Over-Proofed Your Rolls
This can happen easily if your kitchen is very hot, or if you’re super busy and forget to check on the rolls. If your rolls have over-proofed, they will likely deflate while egg washing, or look deflated once baked. Over-proofed rolls will look a little sad, but they should still taste fine.
How to Store & Freeze Pumpkin Bread Rolls
Store baked, cooled Pumpkin Bread Rolls in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days.
To freeze, store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to two months. Let defrost at room temperature before serving.
How to Make Pumpkin Bread Rolls Ahead of Time
Make One Day Ahead:
- After kneading the dough, transfer the dough to an airtight container with room for the dough to rise (it will still happen even in the colder environment, but more slowly). This will be the dough’s first rise.
- Once you’re ready to proceed with shaping the dough into little pumpkins, remove it from the fridge, punch it down, and allow it to rest and come to room temperature (about 30 minutes) before shaping as the recipe instructs.
- The final rise may be a little longer than directed in the recipe because the dough will still be cool.
Make Further Ahead:
- After its first rise, shape the dough into pumpkins as directed.
- Cover well with plastic wrap and immediately place in the freezer for up to 2 months.
- When you’re ready to bake, loosen the plastic wrap and defrost to room temperature.
- Let rise until an indentation made with your finger into the dough remains.
- Proceed with the recipe as written.
Parbaking:
- Prepare the dough, shape the pumpkin rolls, and begin baking as instructed in the recipe.
- Bake for half the baking time, or until the bread begins to hold its shape.
- Remove from the oven, cool completely, then wrap well in plastic wrap and tin foil.
- Label the remaining bake time and temperature on the bread before storing.
- Refrigerate overnight or store in the freezer for up to 1 month.
- When ready to bake, bring to room temperature and bake for the remaining time.
More Fall Recipes You’ll Love:
Pumpkin Bread Rolls with Cinnamon Butter
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Ingredients
For the rolls:
- 1 packet (2 1/4 teaspoons) instant yeast
- 1 cup whole milk, scalded and cooled to lukewarm
- 1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons (43 grams) unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 cup (113 grams) pumpkin puree
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 3/4 cups (476 grams) all-purpose flour
- Sliced pecan pieces, for the “stems”
For the butter:
- 1 stick (113 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup (31 grams) powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup (84 grams) honey
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
To finish:
- 1 large egg
Instructions
For the bread rolls:
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, stir the yeast, milk, sugar, butter, pumpkin, one egg, and salt until well combined. Gradually add the flour and knead on medium-low speed until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Turn off the mixer and let the dough rest for 3 to 5 minutes. Continue to knead the dough on medium-low speed for another 5 minutes, or until the dough is soft and smooth. If it seems too sticky, add more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time.
- Transfer the dough to a large greased bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise until doubled in size, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- Punch the dough down and turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface. Divide the dough into 15 equal pieces and shape into balls. Use the palm of your hand to flatten each ball slightly. With a pairing knife, cut 8 slices around each ball to make the pumpkin shape, being careful not to slice all the way into the center. Cover and let rise until doubled in size, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F. Use the wooden end of a small utensil or your finger to poke an indentation in the center of each roll to create a space for the “stem.” In a small bowl, beat the remaining egg with 2 teaspoons of water and brush all over the rolls. Bake the rolls for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Place a sliced pecan piece into the indentation of each roll.
For the cinnamon butter:
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the butter for 30 seconds, or until pale in color. Add the powdered sugar, honey, and cinnamon and beat until well combined, light, and fluffy, about 1 to 2 minutes. Serve immediately or store, covered, in the fridge for up to 1 week. Bring to room temperature before serving.
- Serve the rolls warm with the cinnamon butter.
Recipe Notes
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This post was originally published in 2014 and has been updated with additional recipe tips, a step-by-step video, and baking science information.
These turned out adorable. They taste like regular bread rolls, but that’s fine as I made them for the cuteness factor. Your video was most helpful. Thank you!
These are so delicious and delightful. Every time I make them they get rave reviews. I multiply the recipe and snip some (with scissors) into the cute pumpkin shape, and the rest, for home use, into regular round rolls or even loaves that don’t need as much time to shape.
I made this recipe twice–once as written, and second I adjusted heavily. As written, they are yummy rolls, but there is no sweet flavor (I even used pumpkin pie puree). So on the second time, I added a lot more sugar and spices and they were delicious.
My adjustments for sweet pumpkin rolls:
3/4 C milk, 1/4 C maple syrup. Use pumpkin pie puree and add 3 Tsp pumpkin pie spice and 1 Tsp vanilla extract. When they came out of the oven, I brushed the rolls with butter and sprinkled raw sugar and cinnamon on top. I made candied pecans and used those as the stems.
The first batch were very large so on the second batch, I divided them into about 20 rolls and they were a much more reasonable size to eat.
I made the cinnamon butter too which was delicious but after testing with these changes, was too much sweetness. Regular butter was perfect.
Also I used 1/4 C brown sugar instead of white.
They turned out very soft and beautiful on the inside.
My changes:
I added pumpkin pie spice into the flour. And about 2 T. Of maple syrup to the wet mixture before the flour.
I added 1/2 c extra pumpkin and reduced the milk by 1/4 c.
The family went Gaga for them, I shaped them into hearts instead because it’s February.
I was a little disappointed though that the pumpkin flavor was just not there for me, despite my attempts to enhance it
Gorgeous color, awesome dough but besides the shape, not quite pumpkin enough, for me personally.
Came out to be soft and fluffy. It has become my favorite.
I made these yesterday for Thanksgiving and it came out looking so beautiful. It was so easy to make. All my family complimented how delicious it was and they even took some leftover of it home. Thank you so much for the recipe and great idea for an addition to Thanksgiving meal!
So happy to hear your rolls were such a hit, Lolita!
I made these as a trial run for Thanksgiving. They are easy to make and super cute. I plan to add orange food coloring for more pumpkin coloring. I’d love to have more pumpkin flavor in my dough if anyone has suggestions!
How big of a difference will there be in the recipe if I use salted butter? Just wanted to check ^_^
Hi there! We personally don’t use salted butter in recipes as explained in this article about Salted vs. Unsalted Butter; however, the general rule of using salted butter in place of unsalted is to reduce 1/4 teaspoon of the salt in the recipe per 115g of butter. Since this recipe only uses 43g of unsalted butter, you’d reduce the salt by about 1/16 of a teaspoon. Please let us know how it goes!
These were delicious. My first attempt at making bread ever and they came out so well! The subtle subtle sweetness is so nice. Thank you for the clear instructions and the handy video!
Aw, yay! Congratulations on making bread for the first time! I’m so happy you loved them 🙂
So cute!! Rolls are delicious, recipe and video were easy to follow. Happy thanksgiving!
So glad you loved these rolls! Happy Thanksgiving to you as well!
Thank you so much for this recipe! I made these today. I I watched your video on how to knead dough by hand and this video with helpful instructions. I had the confidence to try it and use my intuition as well. Thanks for giving me the confidence and tools to cook my first bread rolls. They came out great. Will be back to your site. 🙂