These Pumpkin-Shaped Rolls Add a Delicious and Decorative Touch to Your Holiday Feast (2 Recipes)

Dinner rolls come in different shapes and sizes, but recently pumpkin-shaped buns have been all the rage online, especially on TikTok. These rolls look like brown and fluffy mini gourds, which is a decorative touch to the dinner staple. You can make them entirely from scratch or use a shortcut method to achieve similar results. Regardless, the rolls are a must-try dish for Thanksgiving or any upcoming holiday gathering. Read on for more on how to make pumpkin-shaped dinner rolls that guests are sure to gobble up!

What are pumpkin-shaped dinner rolls?

We’re so used to dinner rolls being round or square that seeing a pumpkin-shaped roll is out of the norm. But, it’s a fun and festive way to serve rolls to a crowd. They also bake up golden brown and fluffy just like regular dinner rolls, which makes them the perfect addition to a holiday feast.

2 recipes for pumpkin-shaped bread rolls

There are a couple of ways you can make these dinner rolls. So, pick the method that suits you best and get ready to savor the airy and buttery buns!

Shortcut Pumpkin-shaped Dinner Rolls

This easy pumpkin-shaped dinner roll recipe comes from Rhodes Bake-N-Serv®. Their signature dinner rolls or Texas rolls are recommended for this recipe, but any frozen dinner roll brand is fine to use too.

Ingredients:

• 12 dinner rolls or 12 Texas rolls, dough thawed but still cold
• 2 Tbs. butter, melted
• 12 pecan pieces, for stems

Directions:

• Yield: 12 servings

1. Shape each dinner or Texas roll into a slightly flat ball.
2. Using scissors, make 6 to 8 cuts, equally spaced, around the outside of each ball about ½-inch deep.
3. Using the handle of a wooden spoon, poke a deep hole into the top of each pumpkin shaped roll.
4. Place on a sprayed baking sheet and cover with sprayed plastic wrap. Allow to rise until almost double. Remove wrap and re-poke stem hole.
5. Preheat oven to 350°F.
6. Bake rolls 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and brush with butter. Insert pecan pieces into pumpkin rolls for stems.

Homemade Pumpkin-Shaped Dinner Rolls

@cassyeungmoney

Plssss don’t be intimidated by homemade breads!! Extra af with these little punkins bc Thanksgivings my fav holiday 🥰 #honeybutter #dinnerrolls #pumpkinbuns 1 cup of milk 5 Tbsp unsalted butter 1 packet yeast 4 cups flour 1/4 cup sugar (1 tsp reserved for yeast mixture) 1 tsp salt 3 egg yolks 3 Tbsp unsalted butter 2 Tbsp honey Flakey salt and pretzel sticks for razzle dazzle Heat your milk just until boiling. Remove and transfer to heat safe container and immediately add your cold butter. This will bring the milk down to the perfect temperature to activate the yeast. Mix in 1 tsp of sugar and yeast and set aside until frothy and fragrant. To a standing mixer, add flour, sugar, salt, and egg yolks followed by yeast mixture. Mix on low until the flour is combined then crank up to medium for 5 minutes or until the dough pulls clean from the side of the bowl. Form into a ball and set aside in an oiled bowl. Cover and let rest in a warm spot for 1 hr. Split dough into 12 pieces then form into balls. Tie kitchen twine that’s been oiled around the balls to create the pumpkin shape. Lightly cover and proof for 1 more hour. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Brush with honey butter, sprinkle with flakey salt and add half a pretzel to the center to create the perfect pumpkin!

♬ Vlog Video work Fashionable BGM(847726) – Tsuyoshi_san

If you have time to spare, try this recipe from TikTok creator Cassie Yeung. The dough is prepared from scratch and is transformed into pumpkin-shaped dinner rolls that are brushed with honey butter. Yum!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of milk
• 5 Tbs. unsalted butter
• 1 packet yeast
• 4 cups flour
• ¼ cup sugar (1 tsp. reserved for yeast mixture)
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 egg yolks
• 3 Tbs. unsalted butter
• 2 Tbs. honey
• Flakey salt and pretzel sticks, for decoration

Directions:

• Yield: 12 servings

1. Heat milk just until liquid is boiling.
2. Remove and transfer to heat safe container and immediately add cold butter. This will bring the milk down to perfect temperature to activate yeast.
3. Mix in 1 tsp. of sugar and yeast and set aside until frothy and fragrant.
4. In standing mixer, add flour, sugar, salt and egg yolks followed by yeast mixture.
5. Mix on low until flour is combined then crank up to medium 5 minutes or until dough pulls clean from side of bowl.
6. Form into ball and set aside in oiled bowl. Cover and let rest in warm spot 1 hour.
7. Split dough into 12 pieces then form into balls. Tie kitchen twine that’s been oiled around balls to create pumpkin shape. Lightly cover and proof 1 more hour.
8. Preheat oven to 350°F.
9. Bake 25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven. Brush with honey butter, sprinkle with flakey salt and add half a pretzel to center to create pumpkin appearance. Enjoy!