Soft Pumpkin Dinner Rolls with Honey Butter
These soft pumpkin dinner rolls are gently spiced, pillowy, and finished with a sweet honey butter glaze. The pumpkin puree gives them a beautiful golden color and keeps them moist for days. They’re perfect for Thanksgiving but honestly good enough to make any time you have a can of pumpkin in the pantry.
Is there anything better than a basket of warm, freshly baked rolls hitting the table? I don’t think so. These pumpkin dinner rolls are pillow-soft with a subtly spiced, slightly sweet flavor and a homemade honey butter that you’ll want to put on everything.
Like my brioche cinnamon rolls and sticky buns, these use a rich dough: milk, butter, and egg that tenderize the crumb and keep the rolls soft for days. The pumpkin adds even more moisture on top of that, plus a gentle warmth from the spices and a beautiful golden color. They’re not pumpkin-forward the way a pumpkin pie is. Just the best dinner roll you’ve ever had, with a hint of fall.
If you’re nervous about baking with yeast, don’t be. Most of the time here is hands-off. You can bake these same-day or refrigerate the dough overnight and shape and bake the next morning, which is my recommendation for a big dinner.
What makes these pumpkin rolls so good
Ingredients needed
Find the actual recipe amounts in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post, but here are some details about them.
Success tip: Warm the milk to the right temperature before adding the yeast. Between 95 and 104°F (35 to 40°C) is ideal. If it’s too cool, the yeast will be sluggish and the dough will take much longer to rise. If it’s too hot, it will kill the yeast entirely and the dough won’t rise at all. If you don’t have a thermometer, the milk should feel comfortably warm on your wrist, not hot.
Make them ahead
These rolls are make-ahead friendly, which is exactly what you want for a Thanksgiving timeline. After the first rise, cover the dough tightly and refrigerate it for up to 16 hours. The next morning, pull it out, let it rest for 10 minutes, then shape and do the second rise as normal. Cold dough is actually easier to shape than room-temperature dough, so this is genuinely the better option if you have the fridge space. The rolls go into the oven fresh on the day.
Equipment
- You will need a 9x13inch baking dish or one of a similar size.
- A stand mixer is helpful but the rolls can be made by hand.
Method
Method
Activate the yeast
- Warm the milk to 95 to 104°F (35 to 40°C) and pour it into the bowl of your stand mixer. Sprinkle the yeast and half the sugar over the top. If using active dry yeast, leave it to sit for 5 to 10 minutes until foamy. Instant yeast can skip this wait.
Build the dough
- Add the flour, remaining sugar, pumpkin puree, egg, spices, and salt to the bowl.
- Fit the dough hook and mix on low speed until everything comes together into a thick, shaggy dough.
Add the butter and knead
- With the mixer running on medium speed, add the softened butter a few cubes at a time.
- Once all the butter is incorporated, continue kneading on medium speed for about 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth, elastic, and pulls away cleanly from the sides of the bowl.
To test if the dough is ready: Let it rest for 5 minutes, then pull off a small piece and gently stretch it between your fingers. If you can stretch it thin enough to be almost translucent without it tearing, the gluten is well developed. This is called the windowpane test.
Kneading by hand: Mix the dough with a wooden spoon until it forms a rough ball, then turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead in the butter a few cubes at a time. The dough will be sticky at first. Keep kneading for 10 to 15 minutes, taking a short rest if needed. The dough responds well to rest.
First rise
- Shape the dough into a ball and transfer to a lightly greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or a lid and leave to rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour. The exact time will depend on your kitchen temperature.
- The dough can be covered tightly and refrigerated after the first rise for up to 16 hours. This is especially useful if you’re making these for Thanksgiving. Cold dough is actually easier to shape. Just let it warm up for 10 minutes at room temperature before dividing.
Divide and shape
- Punch down the risen dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Weigh the total dough, then divide by 15 to get the target weight for each roll. Use a kitchen scale to cut even pieces.
- Roll each piece into a tight, smooth ball by cupping your hand over the dough and moving it in a circular motion against the work surface.
6. Second rise
- Cover loosely and leave to rise in a warm spot until doubled in size and the rolls are puffed and touching, about 45 minutes to 1 hour before baking.
- While the rolls bake, whip together the softened butter, honey, and a pinch of salt until smooth and fluffy.
Glaze and serve
Brush the rolls generously with honey butter as soon as they come out of the oven.
- Brush the rolls generously with honey butter as soon as they come out of the oven.
- Serve warm, with any remaining honey butter on the side. A cinnamon cream cheese spread is also excellent here.
Storing
Store leftover rolls in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. Warm them briefly in the microwave before eating to bring back their softness. They can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and warm in the microwave or a low oven before serving.
More Thanksgiving Recipes
- Sourdough dinner rolls: fluffy, tangy, and a crowd favorite
- Whole wheat dinner rolls: a heartier option with great flavor
- No-bake pumpkin cheesecake bars: easy make-ahead dessert
- Pumpkin pie with graham cracker crust: classic, no fuss
- Easy pumpkin streusel muffins: great for the morning of
Happy baking!
Soft Pumpkin Dinner Rolls
Ingredients
Pumpkin bread rolls
- 180 g whole milk
- 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast or active dry yeast
- 50 g granulated sugar
- 500 g all-purpose flour
- 170 g pure pumpkin puree
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon cloves
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 55 g unsalted butter room temperature
Honey butter
- 55 g unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 Tablespoon liquid honey
- Tiny pinch of salt
Instructions
Rolls
- Warm the milk to 95 to 104°F (35 to 40°C) and pour into the bowl of a stand mixer. Sprinkle the yeast and half the sugar over the milk. If using active dry yeast, leave to sit for 5 to 10 minutes until foamy. Instant yeast can proceed immediately. 180 g whole milk, 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast, 50 g granulated sugar
- Add the flour, remaining sugar, pumpkin puree, egg, spices, and salt to the bowl. Fit the dough hook and mix on low speed until a thick dough forms. 500 g all-purpose flour, 170 g pure pumpkin puree, 1 large egg, 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1/8 teaspoon cloves, ¾ teaspoon salt
- With the mixer running on medium speed, add the softened butter a few cubes at a time. Continue kneading on medium speed for about 10-15 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic and pulls away cleanly from the sides of the bowl. To check, let the dough rest 5 minutes, then stretch a small piece. It should stretch thin without tearing (the windowpane test). 55 g unsalted butter
- To knead by hand: Mix with a wooden spoon until a rough dough forms, then turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead in the butter a few cubes at a time and continue kneading for 10 to 15 minutes until smooth and elastic.
First Rise
- Shape the dough into a ball and place in a lightly greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or a lid and leave in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- Overnight option: After the first rise, cover tightly and refrigerate for up to 16 hours. Let the cold dough rest at room temperature for 10 minutes before shaping.
Shape
- Punch down the risen dough and turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Weigh the total dough, divide by 15, and cut 15 even pieces using a kitchen scale. Roll each piece into a tight, smooth ball.
- Arrange the rolls in a parchment-lined or greased 9×13-inch baking dish. Cover loosely and leave to rise in a warm place until doubled and puffed, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) during the second rise.
Bake
- Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, until the tops are golden brown.
Honey Butter
- While the rolls bake, beat together the softened butter, honey, and salt until smooth and fluffy.
- Brush the hot rolls generously with honey butter as soon as they come out of the oven. Serve warm with extra honey butter on the side. 55 g unsalted butter, 1 Tablespoon liquid honey, Tiny pinch of salt
Notes
- Flour: Use a flour with at least 11% protein. Bread flour also works and will give a slightly chewier roll.
- Yeast: Make sure your yeast is fresh. If the active dry yeast does not foam in the milk after 10 minutes, it is likely no longer active and the dough will not rise.
- Milk temperature: 95 to 104°F (35 to 40°C) is ideal. Too hot kills the yeast; too cool slows it significantly.
- Pumpkin puree: Use plain canned pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling. You can also use homemade pumpkin puree.
- Storage: Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Freeze baked rolls for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and warm before serving.
- Measurements: Both grams and cup sizes are available for this recipe. Just use the toggle on the recipe card.
These are so good! I did a test run today for Thanksgiving and they definitely make the cut. I used home-made pumpkin puree and the dough hook on my Kitchenaid until the dough passed the window-pane test. A few years ago I attempted a similar recipe without a trial run on Thanksgiving day and they were dense and awful. Against my better judgement I used only the blogger’s suggested time for kneading instead of ensuring it reached the windowpane stage. These are definitely what my daughter would call a “redemption bake.” Mine took about 4 extra minutes to bake. Possibly because I used a glass 9×13. I just mention these random things in case they are helpful for anyone else giving these a try. They came out perfectly. Thanks for a great recipe!
Yay so happy to read this! Thank you so much!