Whenever fall rolls around, I start to crave dinner rolls to go with every comforting meal I make. So, I made these vegan “honey” butter dinner rolls for you guys. And man, oh man. They are the absolute best. Not only are they the most delicious, they are the easiest. They do take some prep time. You need to proof the dough twice, but I promise once you taste them, you’ll be completely sure they were worth it!
What You Need For The Best Dinner Rolls Ever:
- Oat Milk: Or your favorite non-dairy milk.
- Active Dry Yeast: You can use one small packet, or measure it from a larger jar.
- Organic Cane Sugar: This activates the yeast and helps it bloom.
- Agave Syrup: This is the “honey” we are talking about.
- Applesauce: This is your egg replacer.
- Vegan Butter: I used Earth Balance, I like to use the sticks.
- Salt: All good bread needs some salt.
- Bread Flour: You can also use regular flour, but I highly recommend bread flour for the best results.
I brought some of these vegan “honey” butter dinner rolls to all my friends, and the consensus seemed to be, these are the best dinner rolls of all time. Vegan or not! I have to agree. No one will know these are vegan and they definitely need to be on all your dinner tables this fall and winter. Perfect for Thanksgiving and Christmas or any holiday party you throw. They are so amazing, you may want to make a double batch!
Why Should You Make These Fluffy, Sweet and Salty Rolls?
- I mean, just look at them.
- They are so easy and have very few ingredients.
- Sweet and salty heaven.
- Everyone will LOVE them!
- Serve with extra “honey” butter or they can be served with either sweet or salty toppings.

Vegan "Honey" Butter Dinner Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Oat milk or other non-dairy milk, warmed to about 100 degrees(F).
- 2 1/4 teaspoons Active dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon Organic cane sugar
- 1/4 Cup Agave syrup
- 1/3 Cup Applesauce
- 1/4 Cup Vegan butter, melted and cooled slightly*
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 3 1/2 Cups Bread flour
For The Topping
- 1/4 Cup Vegan butter, room temperature
- 2 Tablespoons Agave syrup
- A Pinch of Salt
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, or a large mixing bowl if you don't have a stand mixer, pour in the warm milk(make sure it is around 100 degrees(F), which is just warm to the touch, the yeast can die if it is too hot).
- Sprinkle the yeast and the sugar into the milk. Stir and let sit for about 5 minutes or until it is bubbly and frothy.
- Then pour in the agave, applesauce, melted vegan butter, and salt.
- Attach the dough hook and begin to stir, or begin to stir with a spoon.
- Then add in 3 cups of flour about 1 cup at a time. Using the dough hook or spoon to combine.
- Once that all comes together and pulls away from the bowl, add the remaining 1/2 cup of flour. Continue to combine until it forms a dough ball.
- Now, knead with the dough hook for about 2 minutes, or turn out onto a floured surface and knead by hand until the dough is no longer sticky.
- Put the dough in a large bowl, that has been brushed with oil or sprayed with non-stick spray.
- Let proof in a warm place for 1 1/2-2 hours or until it has doubled in size. I like to heat my oven to about 200 degrees(F) and then turn off the oven and proof in there with a cloth covering the bowl.
- Once the dough has doubled in size, punch down the dough, then turn it out onto a floured surface.
- Cut the dough into 8 equal portions, then roll each into a ball. Place them in two rows, right up against each other in a greased 13x9 inch baking dish.
- Cover the dish with a cloth, and let proof for 45 minutes-1 hour. Or until doubled in size.
- Now, preheat the oven to 350 degrees(F).
- Bake the rolls for 18-21 minutes or until golden brown.
- While the rolls bake, make the "honey" butter.
- Whisk together the room temperature vegan butter, the agave and the salt until fully combined.
- Once the rolls are done, generously brush the tops of the rolls with the butter mixture, saving the rest to serve with the rolls.
- Sprinkle the tops with sea salt if desired. They are amazing served warm, but are delicious after cooling too.
Nutrition
How long did it take you to have the dough double in size?
Could Agave be subbed for maple syrup or malt extract? 🙂
I tried both the original recipe and a version with maple syrup instead of agave. They were equally good.
It was a perfect side for our vegan Thanksgiving meal. The rolls are so fluffy and buttery 🥰
My husband made these for thanksgiving. They were absolutely amazing. I told him that he has screwed himself because he is now responsible for making rolls for every holiday.
Has anyone made the dough, refrigerated it overnight and then baked it the next day?
I made these last night and they were delicious! Only thing I’d do differently is divide the dough into more rolls next time- each of them are huge!
Can these be made gluten-free?
Made these for my vegan Thanksgiving meal yesterday. They were SO good! Fluffy and yummy! Everyone loved them. Thanks!!
Hello,
I am thinking about making these for Thanksgiving. They look awesome! Is this a recipe where I can make the dough ahead of time and then store in fridge for a couple of days before baking on Thanksgiving day?
I’m a pastry chef (also vegan) and I made these at home for my fiancé who is not vegan. He raved about them so I took some into work to share with my kitchen operations manager (also vegan). She loved them so much that her and my kitchen manager asked me to make them for an economic development luncheon we were hosting, which the Governor of our state was going to be in attendance! Needless to say, they were a hit and have been with anyone who tries them. Thank you for a wonderful recipe that I look forward to making for years to come!
Big hit at Christmas dinner with both vegans and non-vegans! This recipe is a keeper.
I made these and subbed the apple sauce for puréed pumpkin (from a pumpkin I roasted) and they turned out terrific. Thank you.
These rolls were my favorite thing I ate for our vegan Thanksgiving. Thank you. I am making them again right now and think I am going to try to split the dough up into more rolls, they really were perfectly huge and delicious, I just need to feed more people today!
I have been trying to find a reliable, vegan, sweet dinner rolls recipe. I’ve made about 10 different recipes from different websites, and today I came across yours. Tried it for dinner and they are the absolute best that I’ve made by far. I’ll be making these from now on!