Learn how to make the best vegan dinner rolls! These soft, fluffy, buttery rolls are easy to make and completely irresistible.
Dinner rolls are the perfect side to any meal, but I especially love them with Crispy Tofu Nuggets, Vegan Turkey Roast with Easy Gravy, Vegan Chicken or The Best Vegan Meatloaf.
You won’t believe how easy they are to make, and I’ll teach you a simple trick for making smooth, rounded rolls every time.
Most dinner roll recipes call for eggs, but I’m here to tell you that eggs are totally unnecessary in a dinner roll. Of course, they usually have plenty of dairy butter as well, but that is easy to replace with your favorite vegan butter.
No one will ever guess these fluffy, soft, delicious rolls are vegan. There is nothing better than the smell of fresh rolls out of the oven, and it’s hard to have a holiday meal without them! I love sopping up any leftover gravy on my plate with a roll.
Looking for a biscuit recipe instead? Check out my flaky Southern Style Vegan Buttermilk Biscuits.
Ingredients needed (with substitutions)
- Unsweetened soy milk – While I used soy, other plant milks work just as well. Go for a creamy milk if possible, as it will add richness to the dough. Almond, cashew, coconut or even oat milk is a fine choice. I would avoid rice milk as it’s a bit too watery. Make sure whatever milk you use is unsweetened and unflavored.
- Instant, rapid rise yeast – This helps speed up the process as it works more quickly than regular yeast. I almost always use it when baking bread or cinnamon rolls. But feel free to use regular yeast, they will just need a longer rise time.
- Granulated sugar – I always use organic granulated sugar, as I can be sure it’s vegan friendly. I’m sure coconut sugar would work, but the rolls will come out a bit darker.
- Vegan butter – I used Country Crock sticks here, and I have been loving them lately. Use your favorite vegan butter, such as Miyoko’s, Earth Balance or Melt. Necessary for that buttery flavor.
- Flour – I haven’t tried them using anything but all purpose white flour. They would probably work with whole wheat but they would be very dense. A gluten free mix might work, but I haven’t tested it.
- Salt
How to make vegan dinner rolls
(This is simply an overview with photos, see recipe card below for the complete, printable recipe.)
- Warm your soy milk, then place in a bowl with the yeast and sugar. Let sit for a few minutes until it’s foamy. If it doesn’t get foamy, start again with new yeast.
- Add the softened vegan butter, 4 cups of flour and the salt.
- Mix, either by hand or in a stand mixer, until the flour is all incorporated. Add more flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until a ball of dough is formed that is slightly sticky and soft.
- Transfer to a lightly greased bowl, cover with a towel and place in a warm place to rise for 30 minutes. It should about double in size.
Gently punch down the dough, then pat it down into a rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Cut the dough into 4 long strips, then cut each strip into 6 pieces. You should end up with 24 rolls.
To make them smooth on top, pull the seams downward and place the less-smooth side down.
Cover again with the towel and let rise another 30 minutes. Towards the end of the 30 minutes, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Remove the towel and bake for 12-15 minutes, until golden brown on top and done in the middle. If the top gets too brown, cover lightly with a piece of foil. Remove from oven and immediately brush on vegan butter. Serve and enjoy!
Can I freeze the dough?
Yes, you can freeze the dough. I recommend cutting the dough and freezing as balls of dough, perhaps in a tray or freezer bag. Make sure the dough is thawed before baking. You can also freeze leftover cooked rolls.
Can I prepare rolls ahead of time?
You can! Prepare the rolls as instructed up until baking, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 days before baking. Let them sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking.
More vegan recipes to serve with rolls
- Vegan Ham Roast with Maple Glaze
- Vegan Scalloped Potatoes
- Vegan Pot Pie
- Lentil Loaf
- Easy Vegan Potato Soup
- Vegan Stew – Classic & Hearty
Vegan Dinner Rolls
Ingredients
- 2 cups unsweetened soy milk*
- 2 tablespoons instant rapid rise yeast*
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 8 tablespoons vegan butter, softened
- 5-5 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 tablespoons melted vegan butter
Instructions
- Warm the soy milk in the microwave for a minute or two until warm, but not too hot or it will kill the yeast. Think bath water temperature.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl), add the warm milk, yeast and sugar. Give it a little stir with a spoon, and let sit for 3 minutes. The mixture should become foamy. If it doesn't, start again with fresh yeast.
- Now add the softened vegan butter, 4 cups of flour and the salt. Use the dough hook and turn the mixer on low, mixing until all the flour is incorporated (Or mix with a spoon and knead by hand, see Notes). Add 1/2 cup of flour at a time, until a ball of dough is formed and the dough is pulling away from the sides of the bowl. It should be slightly sticky and soft, not too dry. Knead with the dough hook for about 5 minutes.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl and cover with a towel. Let it rise for about 30 minutes in a warm place until it's about doubled in size.
- After 30 minutes, punch down the dough gently. To make rounded rolls, pat the dough into a large rectangle on a lightly floured surface and cut into 4 long strips. Next, cut those strips into 6 squares to make them even. To make them as smooth as possible, pull the seams downward so the top is smooth and place the less smooth side down. Then you will end up with very pretty rolls! You can also simply pinch off pieces of the dough and try to make them as round as possible.
- Place the rolls on a quarter baking sheet or 9x13 inch baking dish, touching each other. Cover with the towel again and let rise for another 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Remove the towel and bake for 12-15 minutes until golden brown and cooked in the middle. If the tops get too brown, use a piece of foil to cover until they are done.
- Remove from the oven and immediately brush with melted vegan butter. Serve and enjoy! Keep leftovers in a covered container or ziplock bag for about 3 days. They can also be frozen.
Notes
- I love using my stand mixer to make homemade breads, but you don't have to have one to make delicious rolls. Mix with a strong spoon, then knead by hand for about 10 minutes until the dough is soft, sticky and smooth.
- Milk - You may use any unsweetened plant milk, such as almond, cashew or even oat milk. Just make sure it is unsweetened and unflavored.
- Yeast - You can use regular yeast instead of rapid rise if you'd like, but the dough will need to rise longer, probably 1 1/2-2 hours on the first rise, then 30 minutes to an hour for the second rise.
- Butter - I used Country Crock vegan butter sticks, which I am loving lately. Earth balance, Miyoko's or Melt all work as well. Use the one you like best.
- Gluten free - I haven't tested them with gluten free flour, but a mix might work. If you try it, let me know!
These are amazing! I made mine with coconut milk, and they are so rich! I used regular yeast, and they didn’t need any additional rise time. Better than any non-vegan recipe I’ve ever tried.
Hi Amy. I’m thrilled you love the dinner rolls! Thanks for sharing your glowing 5 star review and feedback! Happy cooking!
Hi Nora! These are delicious! I used half -All purpose flour and half Spelt flour. Soft fluffy winner!
So great to hear you loved the rolls, Margaret! Thank you for your fabulous feedback! Happy cooking to you!
Nora has NEVER failed me with a recipe. Best on the internet for recipes hands down. I never attempt a first make or bake without consulting with Nora Cooks. These rolls I just took out of the oven and tried, for the first time. Perfection, per usual. Ty Nora Cooks! Every holiday and life celebration is accompanied by Nora’s recipes in my home. These recipes have been instrumental to my goal of learning to cook as an adult while learning to find staple, rotating recipes in my kitchen. Much gratitude!
I’m sorry I just saw that the rolls can be refrigerated up to 2 days then baked. Duh!
Enjoy the rolls! Happy holiday baking!
You too
Can you make the dough a day ahead, then bake?
This is my go to dinner roll recipe for holidays. They are delicious!
gluten free?