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Pumpkin Dinner Rolls

These soft and fluffy pumpkin dinner rolls are shaped like mini pumpkins and full of rich pumpkin flavor. Fun and simple to make with your family, they’re a festive addition to any Halloween party or Thanksgiving dinner!

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Additional Time
1 hr 45 mins
Total Time
2 hrs 17 mins
Servings: 30 rolls
Course: Side Dish , Bread
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup whole milk scalded
  • 6 tbsp butter softened
  • 1/3 cup light brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup white sugar
  • 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/4 cup lukewarm water
  • 2 envelope (about 4 1/2 tsp) active dry yeast
  • 1 tsp white sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 5 cup + a little extra all-purpose flour
  • 10 pecan halves sliced into 3 vertical sections
  • 1/4 cup melted butter

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Pour hot milk in a large mixing bowl, add butter and stir to melt. Add sugars, pumpkin puree, salt to the milk and butter mixture; mix well.
  2. In a small bowl, combine lukewarm water, yeast, and 1 tsp sugar. Wait 5- minute for yeast to proof. When it gets foamy, add it to the pumpkin mixture, and add the egg; mix well. Add the flour gradually and mix with a wooden spoon until well combined. The dough will be sticky.
  3. Using electric mixer with a dough hook attached, beat the mixture on the low-speed setting until the dough itself pulls from the side of the bowl, about 5 minutes. You can add a little more flour if the dough seems too wet.
  4. Turn the dough out to a wooden board dusted with a little flour. Knead with hand for 1 minute. Form the dough into a ball shape, place in a greased bowl and cover with a cloth. Let it rise in a warm place until it doubles in volume, about 1 hr.
  5. Punch the dough to deflate. Knead the dough for a few seconds on a wooden board. Divide the dough into half and cut each dough half into 15 pieces, total of 30 pieces.
  6. Roll each dough piece into a ball shape with your hand. Flatten the piece with palm of your hand a little. Using a knife, give 8 cuts on the edge to mimic flower pedals but leave the center uncut.
  7. Poke the center with your finger to give a deep indentation. Repeat the same procedure to the remaining pieces.
  8. Place them, 2-inch apart, on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or baking mat. Let them rise again until they become double in volume, about 45 minutes.
  9. Preheat oven 350ºF. If the center indentation doesn't look obvious on the rolls, poke them again with your finger. Brush with egg wash and bake for 9-12 minutes, until the top gets slightly golden.
  10. Brush the hot rolls with melted butter immediately. Insert the pecan slices on the center of the rolls to mimic the stem.

Notes

  • Freezing tip: Put leftover rolls in a zipper bag and freeze up to 3 months. To reheat, bring the rolls to a room temperature first. Then warm up in the preheated 350˚F oven for 4-5 minutes or until hot to touch.