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In my opinion, side dishes are the star of any holiday meal, and these vegan dinner rolls are no exception. They remind me of bakery-quality yeasted rolls you can pick up at your local grocery store. No eggs, dairy or egg replacer needed.
Why You’ll Love The Vegan Dinner Rolls
This dinner roll recipe is adapted from my buttery vegan brioche buns, minus the JUST egg that I used in them. You only need 6 simple, pantry-friendly ingredients to make them and they turn out BEYOND fluffy and soft.
Emily’s Recipe Notes:
- Flavor: Slightly sweet with the best subtle yeasty flavor
- Texture: Soft, fluffy, buttery
- Difficulty: Easy
- Time: About 2.5 hours start to finish (most of this is rising time)
Ingredients
Ingredient Highlights & Some Swaps
All Purpose Flour
These rolls call for all-purpose flour as opposed to bread flour. Not only is all-purpose usually what I have on hand, but the lower protein content really helps create a soft texture.
Oat Milk
A bit of oat milk replaces the dairy usually found in traditional dinner rolls or Hawaiian rolls. Oat milk is by far my favorite dairy-free milk for yeasted baked goods. The yeast LOVE the simple carbs in the oat milk and I swear it makes an extra fluffy baked good.
If you don’t have oat milk, I recommend subbing in soy milk.
Active Dry Yeast
My preferred type of yeast for most recipes is active dry. You can swap in instant yeast if that’s what you have.
Sugar
Regular granulated cane sugar adds a subtle sweetness, helps activate the yeast, and contributes to the light, fluffy texture by inhibiting gluten development.
I use about 1/3 cup in these rolls. If you’d like a less sweet roll, you can reduce it to a 1/4 cup.
Melted Vegan Butter
This adds richness and creates a very soft texture. Because the vegan butter is melted in this recipe, most brands will work well. I used Melt Organics for the photos, but I also love using Country Crock Plant Butter and Violife in these rolls.
How to Make Vegan Dinner Rolls
Exact ingredient quantities are in the recipe card below!
Mix together the dry ingredients and pour the melted vegan butter and oat milk mixture into the center.
Use a spatula to form a scraggly, soft dough.
Knead the dough in the bowl with the spatula and your hands until it forms a smooth ball – about 10 minutes.
Cover and let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour or until doubled in size.
Divide the dough into 12 equal-sized pieces (about 63g each).
Roll into balls and place in a greased 9×13″ baking pan. Cover and let rise until 1.5x in size (about 20-30 minutes).
Brush the tops of the rolls with vegan egg wash and a bit of melted dairy-free butter.
Bake at 350F for 22 minutes, then broil the vegan rolls for another 2-3 minutes or until nicely browned on top.
How to Serve the Rolls
Once baked, these rolls are ready to serve and eat! I truly think they are the best straight out of the oven, so get ’em while they’re hot.
They pair really well with seitan roasts, Italian dishes like lasagna or baked ziti, or use them as buns for sliders. Below are a few favorite seitan dishes that they go great with:
If you want to spice them up a bit, you can also brush the tops with a bit of garlic herb butter and sprinkle with flaky salt (like in the photos).
Storing the Vegan Rolls
Like mentioned above, these rolls are the best on the day they are baked. However they can be wrapped very well and stored at room temperature for 1-2 days.
For longer storage, I highly recommend freezing them. Just place them in a freezer-proof baggie and pop them in the freezer for 2-3 months.
Tips for the Best Vegan Rolls
- Make Sure the Yeast Activates: Add the yeast to the warm plant milk and sugar mixture. If it froths up a bit after a few minutes, it’s good to go. If it doesn’t, it’s likely dead and you’ll want to use new yeast instead.
- Rising Time Will Vary: Based on the temperature of your kitchen, the amount of time needed to proof the dough will vary. The key is to make sure it’s doubled in size after the first rise.
- Avoid Adding Extra Flour: This dough is meant to be very soft and slightly sticky. This is what creates that classic soft texture. It should not be stiff or dry. Try not to add more than 1-2 tbsp of flour during kneading.
More Vegan Sides to Try
Vegan Dinner Rolls – Soft & Fluffy
Rate this RecipeIngredients
- ¾ cup unsweetened oat milk, 180g – or soy milk (see note 1)
- ⅓ cup granulated white sugar, 70g
- 2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast, 8g
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, 380g, spooned (not scooped) from the bag into the cup and leveled
- ½ tsp fine table salt
- ½ cup salted vegan butter, 114g – melted
- 1 recipe vegan egg wash, see note 3
Instructions
- Activate Yeast: Heat the oat milk in the microwave for 30–60 seconds until warm but not hot (110–115°F). Whisk in half the sugar and the yeast, then let sit for 5 minutes to froth.¾ cup unsweetened oat milk, ⅓ cup granulated white sugar, 2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast
- Make Dough: In a large mixing bowl (or stand mixer bowl), combine the flour, salt, and remaining sugar. Pour in the oat milk mixture and melted butter, then mix with a spatula or on low speed until a scraggly dough forms.3 cups all-purpose flour, ½ tsp fine table salt, ½ cup salted vegan butter
- Knead for 10 minutes by hand (or 6-7 minutes in a stand mixer) until the dough is soft, slightly tacky, and doesn’t hold its shape well. Avoid adding extra flour (see note 4).
- Proof Dough & Shape Rolls: Form into a ball, cover, and let rise for 1 hour or until doubled. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces (about 63 g each), roll into smooth balls, and place in a greased 9×13-inch pan. Cover and let rise for 20–30 minutes or until about 1.5× in size.
- Bake Rolls: Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix the vegan egg wash and brush it over the risen rolls. Bake for 22–23 minutes, then broil for 2–3 minutes for extra-golden tops. Enjoy warm for the softest texture.1 recipe vegan egg wash
Recipe notes
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