Thanksgiving enthusiasts will thank us later for these easy steps for making pin-perfect pumpkin dinner rolls.

Pumpkin Dinner Rolls

In a medium bowl, combine warm water and yeast. Stir to combine and allow to sit for 5 minutes or until foamy. Whisk in pumpkin, butter, whipping cream, egg, sugar, and salt until well combined. 

In a large bowl, whisk together all-purpose and whole-wheat flours and cinnamon until well combined. Create a well in the center of the flour and add the yeast mixture all at once. Using a wooden spoon, stir until dough forms a ball. Turn out dough on a clean work surface and sprinkle with additional all-purpose flour. Knead dough 6 to 8 minutes or until elastic. 

Spray a large bowl with nonstick spray turn dough to coat with cooking spray. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm, draft-free area for 1 hour.

Add canola oil to a small bowl. Cut cotton twine into 8 (30-inch each) pieces. Place into canola oil and allow to sit while dough rises. 

Divide dough into 8 even portions. Roll each portion into smooth balls. Using a paper towel, remove excess canola oil from cotton twine. Loosely wrap twine, intersecting several times to create ridges of a pumpkin. Tie twine together to seal. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough. Cover, let rise 30 minutes.  

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake 15 minutes or until rolls reach an internal temperature of 200 to 210 degrees. Remove cotton twine from rolls. Cool on a wire cooling rack. When ready to serve, add a pepita to the center of the pumpkin roll to create a stem. 