Pumpkin Dinner Rolls

These pumpkin dinner rolls, shaped like mini pumpkins, are soft, fluffy, and packed with pumpkin flavor. Easy and fun to make with the family, they’re the perfect addition to your Halloween party or Thanksgiving feast!

I’m bringing this beloved pumpkin dinner rolls recipe back just in time for Thanksgiving 2025 — it’s still the softest, most festive rolls you’ll ever bake.

Playing with food can be so much fun, and these Pumpkin Dinner Rolls were a joy to make! The best part? You get to enjoy them fresh from the oven.

Pumpkin makes the perfect addition to dinner rolls for the fall season. These rolls even look like little pumpkins, adding a festive touch to your Thanksgiving table.

The dough is a bit sticky, which helps create soft, fluffy rolls. Using canned pumpkin purée gives them a beautiful golden color and keeps things simple. To shape them like mini pumpkins, you just score the edges and use pecan halves for stems.

It’s easier than you might think, and it’s a fun activity to do with the family—kids will love helping out! Celebrate autumn with these adorable pumpkin dinner rolls, one of the most popular Western recipes on my site. Perfect for your Thanksgiving spread!

If you’ve got a fresh pumpkin and want a Korean twist, try my Korean pumpkin salad or creamy pumpkin porridge. Both make beautiful fall dishes—just like these dinner rolls

How to make Pumpkin Dinner Rolls

Heat milk to scalding hot, add butter and let the butter melt. Add sugars, pumpkin and salt; stir everything well.

Combine yeast, 1 tsp sugar and warm water in another small bowl and let the yeast to proof (about 5 minutes). Add it to the pumpkin mixture with an egg; mix well.

Gradually add the flour and stir with a wooden spoon.

Time to knead! I used my mixer to do the job. Knead until the dough pull itself from the side of the bowl, about 5 minutes.

Dump the dough on the lightly floured surface and knead with your hand for 1 minute.

Form the dough into a ball and place in a greased bowl. Cover and let it rise in a warm place until they get double in volume.

Here is the beautifully risen dough. Love the deep yellow color!

Give it a punch to deflate. The moment I’ve been waiting for…

Divide the dough in half. Roll each half to make a log and cut each log in 15 pieces or more if you prefer smaller rolls.

Shaping into mini pumpkins

Form each piece into a ball by pulling it together…

Press down gently with your hand.

Using a knife,  give 8 segments of cut on the edge but leave the center uncut. 

Poke deeply on the center of pedal with your pinkie.

Let them rise again. The center indentation somehow disappeared but you can always poke them again. You gotta love poking!

Brush with egg wash to give a golden look.

Bake them in the preheated 350˚F oven for 9-12 minutes. Don’t over-bake.

Brush with melted butter for a little shine. And the final touch? Use a sliced pecan piece as a stem! Cute, aren’t they?

Imagine the turkey in all its glory, surrounded by delicious fall side dishes on the Thanksgiving table. Now picture these adorable mini pumpkin rolls being passed around, bringing smiles to everyone’s faces.

In this season of gratitude, there’s so much to be thankful for—family, friends, laughter, and even the challenges that life brings. I hope these mini pumpkin dinner rolls add a special touch to your next Thanksgiving feast!

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.

Helpful Tips and Tricks

1. Using fresh pumpkin instead of canned purée: I recommend steaming the pumpkin rather than boiling it. Mash the steamed pumpkin and follow the recipe, adjusting the liquid to manage the dough’s moisture.
2. Making the dough ahead: Let the dough rise in the fridge overnight. The next day, bring it to room temperature and continue with the recipe.
3. Using instant yeast instead of active dry yeast: Instant yeast can be mixed directly with the flour—no proofing needed. Just ensure your liquid is lukewarm to avoid killing the yeast.
4. Nut allergy? Use mini pretzel sticks, broken into small pieces, instead of pecan stems for a fun alternative.

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Pumpkin Dinner Rolls

Servings: 30 rolls

Prep Time: 20 minutes mins

Cook Time: 12 minutes mins

Resting time: 1 hour hr 45 minutes mins

Total Time: 2 hours hrs 17 minutes mins

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!

4.97 from 28 ratings

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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 

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Poke the center with your finger to give a deep indentation. Repeat the same procedure to the remaining pieces.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

Cuisine: Western

Course: Bread, Side Dish

Author: Hyegyoung K. Ford

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