Savory Pumpkin Rolls

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These pull-apart Savory Pumpkin Rolls are soft, fluffy, and perfectly flavorful! Made with pumpkin, rosemary, and parmesan cheese, they would make a great addition to your weeknight dinner, Thanksgiving dinner, or holiday meal. 

Pan of golden savory pumpkin rolls topped with parmesan cheese.

I’m poppin in today with a fabulous new dinner roll. Move over plain white rolls (not that there is anything wrong with them), we are making room for these savory pumpkin rolls for fall!

These would make a great addition to your Thanksgiving table. Yes, I just said Thanksgiving, already. But don’t wait that long! These would also go great with a warm bowl of soup, a fall flavored pork loin, a pot roast, or any other fall dinner.

I started with just a standard white dinner roll recipe and added in canned pumpkin, fresh rosemary and grated Parmesan cheese. Trust me on this you guys, it was a match made in heaven. Don’t be intimidated by these rolls either. They really aren’t that hard to make, especially when using a stand mixer to get it done quicker.

Why you’ll love this recipe

  • These rolls are the perfect combination of fall flavors. The pumpkin, rosemary, and parmesan compliment each other so well and also go well with almost any fall meal.
  • They’re really not hard to make! Some people are intimidated by working with yeast, but this is a simple dough that comes together very well in a stand mixer. I promise you’ll be surprised at how easy it is!
  • If you want to serve these for a large gathering or special event, you can make them the day before. They will still be just as tasty.

Ingredients:

The essential ingredients for the dough are all-purpose flour, sugar, salt, and instant dry yeast. For adding flavor and moisture, you will need grated parmesan cheese, fresh rosemary, canned pumpkin, warm milk, melted butter, and eggs. That’s all you need!

As a note, if you can’t find any fresh rosemary I recommend replacing it with fresh thyme. I don’t suggest replacing it with dried herbs since the flavor does not come out the same.

Savory Pumpkin Rolls stacked on a gray plate with a blue towel on the side.

How to make Savory Pumpkin Rolls:

  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, 3/4 cup parmesan cheese, sugar, yeast, rosemary and salt.
  2. Add in the milk, pumpkin, butter and eggs. Mix on low speed until everything just starts to combine, then switch to the dough hook. Knead with the dough hook on low speed for 5-8 minutes.
  3. Cover and let rest in a warm place until doubled in size.
  4. Lightly grease a 9×13 inch baking pan. Punch dough down, then with lightly oiled hands shape dough into 20 rolls and place in prepared pan.
  5. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size.
  6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Sprinkle the tops of the rolls with reserved parmesan cheese and bake for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned.

Tips for making these rolls:

  • Use fresh yeast! Old or expired yeast will not activate, leading to dense, flat dough. If you aren’t sure your yeast is fresh, test it first. To test it, dissolve about 1/2 tsp of sugar in 1/2 cup of warm water. Add 1-2 tsp of instant yeast and leave it for 10 minutes. If it gets bubbly and foamy during those 10 minutes, your yeast is good to use.
  • Use real parmesan cheese and fresh rosemary for the best flavor. You won’t regret it!
  • Don’t overheat the milk. If the milk is warmer than 115°F it can kill the yeast, leading to dough that won’t rise.

FAQs

Can I make savory pumpkin rolls ahead?

I prefer rolls freshly baked, but you can make the rolls the day before if needed. Let them cool fully, then store in an air-tight container to maintain freshness.

Can I use homemade pumpkin puree?

You should be able to substitute the canned pumpkin with homemade pumpkin just fine, as long as your homemade puree is not watery. If seems especially loose or watery, strain it very well in a cheesecloth to remove as much extra moisture as possible.

Why didn’t my rolls rise?

If your dough did not double in size, it could be one of 3 things.
1. Your yeast is old or expired. Make sure to use fresh yeast.
2. Your milk was either too cold or too hot. Too cold and it won’t help the yeast activate, too hot and it will kill the yeast. Try using a thermometer to make sure it’s between 110-115°F.
3. The room was too cold for it to rise. If your house is a bit cold, try setting the covered dough in a warmer room (I find the laundry room is often warm after the dryer has been running). You can also heat the oven to about 80-100°F, then set the dough inside and leave the oven door cracked.

Can I store or freeze these rolls?

Store baked pumpkin rolls in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Freeze baked rolls wrapped tightly in plastic wrap for up to three months.

Pumpkin roll on white plate with butter spread on top.

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Savory Pumpkin Rolls

Course: Bread
Keyword: Dinner rolls, Fall, Pumpkin, Savory pumpkin rolls, Thanksgiving
These Savory Pumpkin Rolls will be a great addition to your dinner table! Soft, fluffy rolls made with pumpkin, rosemary and parmesan cheese.
Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 55 minutes
Servings: 20
Calories: 265kcal
Author: Countryside Cravings
Print Recipe Save Recipe

Ingredients

  • 4- 4 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 cup grated parmesan cheese divided
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons instant dry yeast
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup very warm milk 110-115 degrees F
  • 3/4 cup canned pumpkin
  • 1/4 cup butter melted
  • 2 eggs lightly beaten

Instructions

  • In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, 3/4 cup parmesan cheese, sugar, yeast, rosemary and salt. Add in the milk, pumpkin, butter and eggs. Mix on low speed until everything just starts to combine, then switch to the dough hood. Knead on a low speed for 5-8 minutes. Cover and let rest in a warm place until doubled in size.
  • Lightly grease a 9×13 inch baking pan. Punch dough down, then with lightly oiled hands shape dough into 20 rolls and place in prepared pan. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Sprinkle the tops of the rolls with reserved parmesan cheese and bake for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned.

Notes

  • Use fresh yeast! Old or expired yeast will not activate, leading to dense, flat dough. If you aren’t sure your yeast is fresh, test it first. To test it, dissolve about 1/2 tsp of sugar in 1/2 cup of warm water. Add 1-2 tsp of instant yeast and leave it for 10 minutes. If it gets bubbly and foamy during those 10 minutes, your yeast is good to use.
  • Use real parmesan cheese and fresh rosemary for the best flavor. You won’t regret it!
  • Don’t overheat the milk. If the milk is warmer than 115°F it can kill the yeast, leading to dough that won’t rise.
  • Store rolls in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. 
  • Freeze baked rolls tightly wrapped in plastic wrap for up to 3 months. 

Nutrition

Calories: 265kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 28mg | Sodium: 225mg | Potassium: 114mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1583IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 79mg | Iron: 3mg

4 thoughts on “Savory Pumpkin Rolls”

  1. I’m nervous about the fresh rosemary…..it may be hard to find at this time of year, and I saw somewhere else where it wasn’t recommended to use dried rosemary in it’s place because the taste would be entirely different. Can you suggest something else if fresh isn’t available, or would you just leave it out?

    Reply

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