November 1, 2022

Dairy Free Dinner Rolls

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Incredibly soft and fluffy, these homemade dairy free dinner rolls are a crowd favorite! Perfect for the holidays or an everyday meal, they’re finished with a dreamy honey butter topping making them impossible to resist. Overnight option included. Nut free and freezer friendly.

Dairy Free Dinner Rolls in a bread basket.

Calling all carb lovers! These incredible dairy free dinner rolls are a must-make for any meal.

Pillowy soft and oh-so-fluffy, they’re perfectly flavorful and will totally outshine your main dish. 

Yes, they are that darn good. 

Did I mention that an overnight option is also included? And that there’s no reason to limit these rolls to dinnertime? 

Try them with breakfast, dunked into your favorite soup, alongside a big salad, smeared with nut butter for snacking or, of course, alongside your supper.

You really can’t go wrong.

Dinner roll ingredients in small bowls.

Substitutions 

  • You can absolutely use a different dairy free milk in place of the oat milk. With that said, oat milk is a bit thicker and richer than some other options (which results in a better final product).
  • While I haven’t tested it myself, I think maple syrup should work just fine in place of the honey.
  • I would encourage you to stick with the listed bread flour for these rolls – it gives them the perfect amount of chew and fluffy tenderness. The recipe will still work if you use all-purpose flour, but the texture will be a bit different in the final product.

Bread dough in a mixing bowl and then fully risen in the mixing bowl.

Dinner roll dough shaped and then fully risen in a baking dish.

Tips & Tricks

  1. Please be sure to check the expiration date on your yeast, especially if you’ve had it hanging around in the house. If it’s too old, it won’t work and the dough will not rise properly. 
  2. Don’t overheat the oat milk – 105 to 115ºF will do the trick. If you go hotter, it will likely kill the yeast and then your dough won’t rise. Now, an instant read thermometer really is your best friend, but if you don’t have one, stick your finger in the milk. It should feel warm (like warm bath water) but not hot.
  3. A little trick – when adding the olive oil and honey to the mixer, alternate tablespoons back and forth (so 1 tablespoon olive oil then 1 tablespoon honey and so on). This allows the honey to slip out of the measuring spoon super easily. 
  4. When measuring out your flour, fluff in the container then scoop into your measuring cup with a spoon and level off. Don’t dunk the cup straight into the bag as you’ll likely use too much.
  5. Go by the visual guides listed in the recipe to know when your dough is done rising. Depending on how hot or cold your house is (as well as the humidity level), the times may vary.
  6. Finally, if you are using the overnight option, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE pay attention to the time frame – i.e. do NOT let the rolls sit in the fridge for longer than about 12 hours. The texture will get weird and hard and they won’t turn out right.

Dairy Free Yeast Rolls in a white baking dish.

How To Store

Counter: While the rolls are best enjoyed the day you bake them, they will keep for about 1 to 2 days at room temperature. 

Let cool completely, then cover the pan with foil or transfer the rolls to a container. Reheat briefly before enjoying for best taste and texture (I like to pop them in the oven on a baking sheet at about 350°F for no longer than 3 to 5 minutes).

Freezer: Let the rolls cool completely then transfer to a freezer safe baggie or container. They’ll keep in the freezer for about 3 months.

Thaw in the fridge then reheat briefly before enjoying.

Dairy Free Bread Rolls in a basket with one split open off to the side.

Additional Dairy Free Bread Recipes:

Did you make this recipe? Rate and review it down below! I’d love to hear from you.

Dairy Free Dinner Rolls in a bread basket.

Dairy Free Dinner Rolls

Yield: 12 rolls
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Additional Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours 20 minutes

Incredibly soft and fluffy, these homemade dairy free dinner rolls are a crowd favorite! Perfect for the holidays or an everyday meal, they’re finished with a dreamy honey butter topping making them impossible to resist. Overnight option included.

Ingredients

For the rolls:

  • 1 cup oat milk, warmed to 105ºF to 115ºF 
  • 2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil  
  • 2 tablespoons light honey 
  • 1 ¼ teaspoons fine sea salt
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  • about 3 ½ to 4 cups bread flour

For topping:

  • 2 tablespoons dairy free butter, melted*
  • 1 tablespoon light honey
  • flaky sea salt, for sprinkling (optional)

Instructions

For the rolls:

  1. To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the oat milk, yeast, olive oil, honey, salt and egg. Mix briefly on low speed to combine. 
  2. Add in 3 ½ cups of the bread flour and mix again on low until the dough forms a cohesive mass. Stop the mixer and switch to the dough hook.
  3. Knead on low for about 3 to 4 minutes, slowly adding additional flour as needed until the dough is smooth and elastic. {You want the dough to clear the sides of the bowl but stick to the bottom. I usually need to add somewhere around ¼ to ⅓ cup of extra flour but this may vary a bit for you. Just add slowly until the dough is nice and elastic and not super tacky - it shouldn’t be coming off in clumps if you lightly press it with your finger but just feel a touch sticky.}
  4. Shape the dough into a ball and place in a large oiled bowl. Turn the dough once to coat, then cover with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap. Let rise until the dough has doubled in size, about 1 ½ to 2 hours.
  5. Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
  6. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and divide into 12 equal pieces (about 2 ½ ounces each). Shape each into a smooth ball and place evenly in the prepared baking dish.
  7. Cover with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let rise until the rolls are puffy and have doubled in size, about 30 to 45 minutes. {Alternatively, you can refrigerate the rolls overnight instead of letting them rise again at room temperature - just DO NOT let them hang out in the fridge for longer than about 12 hours. In the morning, let the baking dish stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes to 1 hour before baking - you want the rolls to be puffy and doubled in size and for some of the chill to come off the dish.}

For the topping:

  1. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375°F.
  2. In a small bowl, mix together the melted dairy free butter and honey. Brush the proofed rolls with the mixture, then sprinkle the tops lightly with some flaky sea salt if using.
  3. Bake until the tops of the rolls are light golden brown, about 20 to 24 minutes, rotating the pan if needed during baking if the tops are browning unevenly.
  4. Let the rolls cool for at least 10 to 15 minutes before removing from the pan. 

Notes

*To keep nut free - be sure to use a dairy free butter that doesn’t contain nuts. Alternatively, you can use olive oil or coconut oil instead.

See the post above for extra helpful info for the recipe!

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 247Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 21mgSodium: 244mgCarbohydrates: 40gFiber: 1gSugar: 6gProtein: 6g

Nutrition data shown is an estimate provided by an online calculator and is for informational purposes only. It should not be considered a substitute for a medical professional’s advice.

© Ashley / Cook Nourish Bliss
Cuisine: American / Category: Breads
Breads, Dairy Free, Easter, Freezer-Friendly, Nut Free, Recipes (ALL), Seasonal, Side Dish, Thanksgiving, Vegetarian
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