If You Bring One Thing to Thanksgiving Dinner, Make It These Pumpkin Maple Dinner Rolls
Publish Date: November 2, 2026
Last Update: November 2, 2026
While the turkey and stuffing may take center stage, light, fluffy dinner rolls are often the unsung heroes at the Thanksgiving dinner table.
“Everybody loves a dinner roll during the holidays,” says recipe developer and Thrive Market’s Social Media Manager Alex Roberts. His recipe for a classic dinner roll adds real pumpkin puree and maple syrup to give the rolls a slightly sweet, fall flavor and an extra fluffy texture.
“If I could give you one tip, it’s to be patient with the proofing,” Roberts says. ‘Proofing’ is baking lingo for the final rest and rising time, and during the cooler months of the year, yeast works a lot slower. “Under-proofed rolls come out dense, while a properly risen dough will be much lighter and fluffier,” Roberts says.
If you want to make these ahead of time, Roberts recommends pausing after you add the rolls to the baking pan. Instead of letting them rise, just cover the baking pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. The next day, the dough will take an extra hour to rise as it comes to room temperature.
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Pumpkin Maple Dinner Rolls Recipe
Yield: 16 dinner rolls
Active time: 20 minutes
Total time: 3 ½ to 4 hours
Ingredients:
½ cup warm milk
2 ¼ teaspoons (1 packet) active dry yeast
⅓ cup maple syrup ½ cup pumpkin purée
1 large egg
2 egg yolks
⅓ cup melted coconut oil
1 teaspoon fine salt
4 ½ cups all-purpose flour
For topping:
3 tablespoon melted butter
2 tablespoon maple syrup
Maldon salt
Instructions:
Combine the warm milk, yeast, and maple syrup in the bowl of a stand mixer.
Add the pumpkin purée, egg, egg yolks, melted coconut oil, salt, and flour.
Knead on low speed for 10 to 12 minutes, until smooth and elastic. (Note: The dough will still be sticky, but will become more manageable after rising.)
Cover the bowl and let rise in a warm place for 1 to 1 ½ hours, or until the dough doubles in size.
Divide the dough into 16 equal pieces (around 70 grams each if using a scale) and shape each piece into a ball.
In a greased 9×9-inch baking pan, arrange the dough balls in four rows of four.
Cover and let rise for 1 to 1 ½ hours, until very puffy. (Note: If the room is cold, this can take 30 minutes to an hour longer. More time to rise means fluffier rolls.)
Preheat the oven to 375ºF.
Egg wash the tops of the rolls, if desired. Bake for 25 to 27 minutes, until the tops are a deep golden brown.
Combine the melted butter and maple syrup, then brush over the tops of the rolls. Finish with a pinch of flaky salt and serve warm.
More Thanksgiving recipes & tips:
#Thrivein5 Thanksgiving: Three Quick, Make-Ahead Side Dish Recipes
Your Complete Thanksgiving Dinner Prep Schedule
Make Thanksgiving Prep Easier & Healthier With These Holiday Essentials
Bring Something New to the Table with These Plant-Based Thanksgiving Recipes
Thanksgiving For All! We’ve Got the Ultimate Menu for Everyone’s Diet