Kristen Lawrence
June 17, 2021 12:00Last modified June 15, 2021 14:34

Most people only make pumpkin bread during the fall season, but you can enjoy it year-round! Sometimes, you have a random craving for foods you normally save for the colder months. If you want to start your Thanksgiving early this year, indulge in these delicious pumpkin bread rolls! You only need a few standard household ingredients, and they’re incredibly easy to make.

Pair these pumpkin bread rolls with a butternut squash soup or any comfort food you prefer. You can also make a cinnamon butter spread for the bread to make it even tastier! We’ll include directions for making this below.

Pumpkin Bread Roll Recipe

Are you ready to bake? Let’s go!

You need these kitchen supplies:

• Large mixing bowl
• Cutting board
• Baking sheet
• Parchment paper
• Large knife
• Measuring cups
• Teaspoons
• Wooden spoon for stirring ingredients
• Table or another large area for kneading dough
• Kitchen towel
• Cooking twine
• Pastry brush

Ingredients:

• One butternut squash
• 160 mL water
• 5 tsp active dry yeast
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt
• Olive oil drizzle
• Coconut oil for brushing on rolls
• Pretzels

How to make the dough for the pumpkin bread:

1. First, get out the cutting board and slice up your squash. You’ll want to cut the stem off first and then cut the squash in half.
2. Turn one of the halves over and slice off the skin all the way around.
3. Cut the squash half into thirds, and then slice these pieces into thirds. Next, line them up and make slices horizontally to create cubes.
4. Repeat this with the other half of the squash, and then put the cubes on a sheet of parchment paper. Place on a baking sheet, and bake at 375 degrees F for 30-40 mins.
5. Grab your large mixing bowl and pour in the 160mL water. Next, measure 1.5 tsp of the active dry yeast and pour this in.
6. Add the tablespoon of maple syrup and then let it sit for a few minutes to absorb the yeast. Now, add 1 cup of the pumpkin puree, setting the rest aside for any other pumpkin recipes you enjoy.
7. Mix the ingredients with a spoon and add the 2 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour.
8. Then, add the teaspoon of salt and mix with the other ingredients.
9. Now, mix the ingredients by hand until the flour is mostly combined into the dough.
10. Transfer to your table or large cutting board, sprinkling a little flour on the surface to prevent sticking.
11. Knead the dough further until the flour is no longer visible.
12. Now, wash the mixing bowl and drizzle some olive oil in the bottom.
13. Place the dough inside and rub the oil over it generously.
14. Cover with a kitchen towel until the dough rises to double in size.

Shaping the dough into pumpkins:

15. Take the dough out, knead it a little more into a ball shape, and cut into fourths.
16. Knead each of these pieces into a ball shape, and cut into halves until you have eight pieces.
17. Sprinkle a little more flour on the table and knead each dough piece into balls.
18. Next, grab your cooking twine and start wrapping it around one of the dough balls to create a pumpkin. To accomplish this, first lay the twine underneath the dough horizontally in the middle. Bring it around the top, tying a knot, then lay the twine vertically over the top.
19. Flip the dough over and lay the twine horizontally along the bottom. Tie the knot, then bring it diagonally across the dough, flipping it over and repeating across the top.
20. So, when you’re finished with this process, you should have eight “slices” in the dough from the twine. It should look exactly like a pumpkin! Tie a bow on the top, and cut off any excess twine. Repeat this with the other seven pieces of dough.
21. Transfer to a sheet of parchment paper, and lay a light pan or cutting board on top of the dough. Let it proof for about 30 mins so the yeast can rise.
22. Next, get out your pastry brush and rub some melted coconut oil on it. Brush the dough thoroughly with oil.
23. Place the pumpkin bread rolls in the oven for 20 mins at 375 degrees F.
24. Now, carefully undo the twine from the rolls. You may need a scissor to help you get started.
25. Once that’s done, take some pretzels and break off eight rounded edges to make stems.
26. Now, put your “stems” on the pumpkin bread, get out some butter, and enjoy!

Making cinnamon butter

If you’d like to make cinnamon butter for the bread, here’s how to do it.

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Have an electric mixer or hand mixer with a whisk attachment handy. You’ll need a stick of softened unsalted butter, 1/4 cup powdered sugar, 1/4 cup honey, and 1 tsp ground cinnamon. Now, add the butter into the bowl and whisk for 30 seconds until it’s soft. Add the powdered sugar, honey, and cinnamon and mix for a couple of minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy. Allow it to cool to room temperature before spreading on the pumpkin bread.

Final thoughts: these pumpkin bread rolls are a nice treat any time of year

You don’t have to wait until the autumn to have rolls – better yet, pumpkin bread rolls! This adorable pumpkin-shaped bread goes well with soups, roasted veggies, or any other warm meal. Or, you can make it to enjoy as a snack or even a dessert if you make the cinnamon butter. We know they may look too cute to eat, but who can resist a plate full of warm rolls?

Your whole family will love this recipe, and you probably have most of the ingredients lying around already. This sweet pumpkin bread will make you feel like it’s fall, even in the summer! Bread makes any meal better, perfectly complementing the comfort food of your choice. Plus, this recipe contains healthy ingredients like butternut squash, pumpkin, and coconut oil. Let us know how you like this adorable pumpkin bread!