Fluffy Honey Oat Dinner Rolls
Ultra fluffy, these honey oat dinner rolls are amazing! They stay soft for days and are a perfect roll for a fancy holiday dinner…or a simple weeknight meal (or sandwich)! Bonus: they freeze great.
Do you have room in your heart for another dinner roll recipe?
I know it’s hard to make room. Especially when there’s already some huge favorites like these French bread rolls, amazing buttery cornmeal rolls, make-ahead overnight crescent dinner rolls, and Lion House dinner rolls. Just to name a few.
But with all those winner recipes already, you have to know I’m not going to wax poetic about another unless it’s 100% worth your time.
And these fluffy honey oat dinner rolls are definitely.worth.your.time.
What makes them different than any other dinner roll on my site?
Well, first of all, they are equal amounts fluffy (like really, super fluffy) and also very sturdy. They aren’t so light and airy that they fall apart when you go to slather on butter and jam. That’s a pretty important characteristic in my bread-loving world.
These rolls hold up very, very well, which makes them a really high favorite for leftover sandwiches (hello, Thanksgiving!), BBQ pulled pork sandwiches, or the like. But they really are fantastic with just about any meal where a dinner roll is appropriate. As in, EVERY MEAL!
A bit rustic in texture, thanks to the oats, that very same ingredient makes these honey oat dinner rolls super soft…and they stay soft for days.
How Do I Store Dinner Rolls?
I get this question a lot! For rolls like this that are still great the next day, once they are baked and cooled, I put them in a resealable ziploc-type bag, remove as much air as possible without smashing the rolls to smithereens, and close up the bag. I keep them at room temperature. Refrigerating baked bread will dry it out! So please, whatever you do, don’t put the rolls in the fridge. I’ll be very sad for you and those rolls.
These rolls also freeze great, too. So if you want to make them last even longer, pop them in the freezer. The baked rolls are delicious thawed and warmed up just a bit (I just pop them in the microwave for a couple seconds).
I know it’s a bit risky to try out something new for the holidays. Tradition and reputation and all that. 🙂 But if you are looking to change up your roll routine a little (holiday or not), give these honey oat dinner rolls a try.
We can’t get enough. The soft and fluffy but slightly heartier texture has won us over. I mean, I’m not going to turn down any kind of bread smothered in butter and homemade jam, but these rolls are definitely something special.
One Year Ago: Easy Apple Crumble Pie
Two Years Ago: Smoky Lentil and Potato Soup {Pressure Cooker or Stovetop}
Three Years Ago: Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
Four Years Ago: Classic Pumpkin Pie
Five Years Ago: Heavenly Blueberry and Cream Angel Dessert
Fluffy Honey Oat Dinner Rolls
Ingredients
- 2 cups (200 g) 7.5 ounces quick cooking oats (see note)
- ⅓ cup (113 g) honey
- 4 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
- 2 ½ teaspoons salt
- 2 ½ cups boiling water
- 1 ½ tablespoons instant yeast, see note for active dry yeast
- 4 to 5 cups (568 to 710 g) all-purpose flour
- Melted butter, for brushing baked rolls (optional)
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the oats, honey, butter and salt. Add the boiling water and mix until combined. Let the oats soften and the mixture cool for 15-20 minutes until about 110 degrees (or lightly warm to the touch).
- Add the yeast and 2 cups of the flour. Mix until combined. With the mixer on low speed, continue adding flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until a soft dough forms that clears the sides of the bowl but is still soft and tacky to the touch (be careful not to overflour!). The exact amount of flour will depend on many factors, so don’t worry if you have to add more or less than called for to achieve the right texture for the dough. Knead the dough for 4-5 minutes until smooth and elastic.
- Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl and cover with a clean towel or greased plastic wrap. Let the dough rise until doubled, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours, depending on the warmth of your kitchen.
- Punch down the dough and divide into 12 equal pieces (see note). Shape each piece into a round ball, pinching the bottom to seal.
- Grease a 9X13-inch baking pan and place the rolls in the pan. Cover and let the rolls rise until puffy and almost doubled in size, about an hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake the rolls for 20-25 minutes until golden on top and baked through. Brush with melted butter, if desired.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: adapted from this recipe at Taste of Home
79 Comments on “Fluffy Honey Oat Dinner Rolls”
Can you double this recipe?
Yes!
Love making this bread recipe
Want to try these but wondering if it would be okay with less honey? Not looking for a sweet roll, just wanting to diversify nutrients as I am unable to use whole grain flours.
You can experiment with the amount of honey – I’m sure it will be fine to decrease.
I love these rolls. I get requests for the recipe anytime I share them. I’ve also used the dough for cinnamon rolls.
I just couldn’t make these turn out well in spite of trying twice– they were gummy (in spite of baking them longer than the instructions) and heavy (not fluffy)….we love the fluffy whole wheat rolls though 🙂 so will use that one.
I have made these three times now. Each time the first rise is wonderful, but the second one does not rise. Same problem each time. Any idea of what I am doing wrong?
Hi Marla, what type and brand of yeast are you using?
Hi Mel, thanks for a delicious recipe! I’m planning to make these again, but I only have active dry yeast here. Is the 4 Tablespoons of water used to proof the yeast taken from the 2.5 cups in the recipe, or is it an additional 4 Tablespoons?
Thanks, Melissa
Yes if you proof the yeast then decrease the water in the recipe.
Love these! I used active dry yeast and did 24 rolls in a sheet pan. They are perfect! It’s going in my recipe binder forever!
Hey Mel,
I want this as a loaf! Do you think it would work?
Could definitely try! Haven’t tried it myself so I’m not 100% sure.
I just baked it as loaves, and they came out great! I got 2 standard 9”x5” loaves and baked them for around 40 minutes. Used 1 c rolled and 1 c instant oats, 1 c whole wheat flour and the rest AP. I also added about a cup of walnuts (why not?) and brushed the tops with butter after baking. Very super delicious sandwich style bread. The house smells amazing. Thanks for another winner, Mel!
I was debating between trying these out and using another roll recipe on this site, but opted for these to make along with minestrone soup. I’m so glad I did. They are delicious and fluffy, with some added whole grain. I used whole oats and it worked great. Next time I think I will make 18 rolls and put them on a big baking sheet. Each roll was huge when making only 12!
Oh my heavens!!!! I made these rolls on a whim to go along with Sunday dinner and they got rave reviews from my family! Absolutely amazing! So soft and perfect!! These may be my new go-to rolls!!
OMG Mel … I can’t believe all these ingredients were just sitting in the cupboard, doing nothing, when they could have been making batches of these rolls! Yet another recipe hits it out of the park … thanks.
Thank you, Sheila!
Made these for Thanksgiving dinner a while back. I was debating between these new ones and your awesome cornmeal rolls. Turns out maybe I should have practiced more or chosen the latter, because these turned out a bit dense, good tasting, but dense. I froze some of the dough balls, which I baked last week, and they ended up about the same. Must have been an issue with my dough. Undecided if I will try them again.
These are fantastic!!! A new family favorite!
A lot of your bread and roll recipes use all-purpose flour. Do you ever use strong or bread flour? Does it make any difference to the final product?
Thanks
Sometimes I’ll sub in bread flour for the all-purpose, but I don’t always keep bread flour on hand. In *most* bread recipes, bread flour can be subbed in just fine – it’ll usually make the end result softer and/or chewier.
Mel! These were epicly amazing! So soft, almost crusty on the outside but fluffy and doughy on the inside.
I served them with pulled brisket, bbqed onions, and cole slaw inside, and it was a wonderful combination!
Since I didn’t have time to the second rise, I put the rolls into a cold oven, closed the door, and then preheated the oven. Worked just fine!
Thanks for this delicious recipe! I will be adding this to my Make Again list!
Thanks so much for the review, Lee! That dinner sounds amazing!
I had the same issue as another person…they were a bit “gluey”. They came out just as beautiful and fluffy looking as yours but did need more time in the oven. Hard to gage when they look done! They were tasty anyway and next time I will bake for 30 min.
Thanks for the feedback, Tanya!
Can this be made by hand? I dont have a mixer. How would mixing/kneading change if doing it by hand?
You could definitely try! Try not to over flour (a common problem when making yeast dough by hand). You’ll want to increase the kneading time by a few minutes, also.
Can this be made by hand if you don’t have a stand mixer? I think I just ruined everything by trying to make it in a food processor:(
Oh, darn! Sorry! Yes, you can probably make the dough by hand.
Your rolls look so light and fluffy but when I tried the recipe it surely didn’t come out like yours! It came out a bit gummy, well maybe a little more than just a bit…
What am I doing wrong? I so want my rolls to come out like yours!
Do you think they baked long enough?
Hi Mel, My dough was pulling away from the sides and felt tacky I thought, but after it raised, it was difficult to roll in balls. The dough was sticking to my hands and I had to keep flouring the surface. I added about 8.5 cups for a double batch. I live in Seattle area though so the moisture in the air could be a problem. I am so worried about over flouring that I think I may be underflouring. My last batch of french bread rolls had a similar problem. They seemed more dense than normal…Hmmm So the question is whether the dough sticks to your hands when you go to roll it out into balls.
Hi Melissa – the dough shouldn’t be super sticky in your hands when rolling into balls. A tiny bit of doughy residue on your fingers is fine but if you are literally pulling it off your fingers in order to form a ball, it probably needs more flour. I hear you on the over flouring vs under flouring thing. I still think it’s better to err on the side of under flouring, but in this case, you’d probably be fine adding upwards of 9 to 9 1/4 cups for a double batch based on how it sounds like your dough was.
I have a love/hate relationship with your new Thanksgiving recipes! I love and want to try them, but then I might need to change up my menu!
I was planning on making your fluffy cornmeal dinner rolls, make ahead crescents, and buttermilk potato rolls…but now I might want to swap out these for the buttermilk potato rolls! WWMD? What would Mel do?
Are you seriously making THREE roll recipes?? You are amazing. I am bowing down to you right this minute. If I had to choose three out of that lineup, I would go with the cornmeal dinner ones, the make ahead crescent and these fluffy honey oat ones to get the ultimate diversity in texture and flavor. 🙂
That’s what I was leaning toward for the texture variety! Great minds 🙂
I’m planning on making and freezing the cornmeal one and these before hand so I’m less of a crazy person on actual Thanksgiving 🙂 I’m also hosting a church supper thing on Sunday night for 30-40 people so I’m definitely feeling a little crazy with that in the mix, too! I feel like Thanksgiving is sneaking up with it being early this year! But, I love feeding people, so I wouldn’t have it any other way <3
I love these rolls! They are so delicious. Pretty sure they will become my go to roll recipe! Yum yum yum.
This sounds very similar to my favorite ever bread recipe (it calls for brown sugar instead of honey, and a couple other minor differences) that I’ve often thought I should send to you but never have. Haha. I should have known you’d love it too! I’ve never thought of turning it into rolls, but I am definitely going to try it now! Also, I use 1/2 to 2/3 white whole wheat flour all the time for my bread and it works (and tastes) perfectly.
That’s awesome this transitions well to bread!
I did 1.5 times the recipe, shaped into 24 rolls and baked on a sheet pan. They turned out perfect size for us this way.
My husband loved the texture the oats gave these rolls. They are his new favorite!
Awesome! Thanks for the feedback!
Just made this for dinner tonight! Have you tried making them with whole wheat flour by chance?? Maybe with some viral wheat gluten?
I haven’t tried them with whole wheat flour (yet), but I definitely think they stand a good chance of working, especially if the dough isn’t over floured (which easily happens with whole wheat flour). I’d suggest using hard white wheat and maybe starting with half wheat/half white. Good luck if you try it!
Does this recipe work in the bread machine
I haven’t tried it – but as long as the bread machine can fit this quantity of dough, it should work fine.
Can’t wait to try these!! I have a question about mixing in the kitchen aid- I always get to the point where the dough clears the sides of the bowl but it is still sticking at the bottom. I add more flour until it doesn’t do that anymore and clears the whole bowl, but I always wonder if that’s not the right thing to do?
Lori, in my experience, the dough may stick slightly to the bottom of the bowl still. I’d be less concerned with that and more concerned with the overall texture of the dough. It should be smooth and elastic, but not sticky. You should be able to put a finger or a knuckle in it and have it leave a small indentation without dough sticking to it.
Hey Lori – I think Sarah has great advice – and probably better than I can give you since I usually make bread recipes in my Bosch instead of the Kitchen Aid. You really can’t go wrong focusing on the texture of the dough even if it sticks a little to the bottom (but it should clear the sides).
The difficulty I had with this is the bottom portion of the dough never seemed like it was being incorporated into the kneading process. So your beautiful “knead for 4-5 minutes” is a half hour plus for me – between the millions of times im taking it off the stand to scrape the bottom – and I still didnt feel like it had enough elasticity. Oh the dreams of having a Bosch just so I can use your bread recipes easily.
Out of curiosity, can you make loaves of bread out of any yeast bread recipe? I loved these buns but thought it may be fun as a loaf for toast!
I don’t know if every roll translates well to a loaf, but I bet this recipe would work fine in loave(s)!
I made twelve rolls and had a little extra so I threw it in a mini loaf pan. It was delish! I think I liked it even better in that form.
I have a quick question regarding the kneading and allowing the gluten to develop. Do you knead the dough for 4 to 5 minutes after the flour has been added and the dough is no longer sticking to the sides of the bowl, or do you “start the timer” once you begin adding the flour initially?
I start timing once the dough has mostly formed a ball and isn’t super sticky. If I have to add a bit more flour (less than 1/2 cup) during the kneading process, I don’t start the time over, but if after kneading for a few minutes the dough looks to be really sticky again (clinging to the middle or sides of the bowl), I gradually add more flour and then start the kneading time over again.
This recipe sounds like hearty comfort food, and I’m going to give it a trial run. I wonder if the dough can sit in refrigerator 24-48 hours before baking like doughs made without oats? Thanks!
Yes, that should work just fine!
Is it better to freeze the rolls already baked or somewhere in the baking process?
Also, do you use a thermostat to test the temp of the dough before adding the yeast?
I’m trying to be brave and use yeast successfully this year! 🙁
Thank you!
Hi Jeanna – I don’t use a thermometer to test the dough temp…I just make sure it is lightly warm (not overly hot) to the touch. I prefer baking the rolls, letting them cool and then freezing them, but you can bake the shaped dough and then take the rolls out of the freezer, let them thaw, rise and then bake. Good luck! You can do this!
I made these buns for tuna sandwiches at lunch and they were delicious. I made 18 buns and shaped them like hamburger buns. They were perfectly done at 18 minutes in my oven. Thanks for the great recipe! I usually make your French bread rolls when we want buns but the kids requested that this recipe gets added to the rotation.
Thanks for the quick report, Shauna! I’m so happy you and your kids loved these…thanks for the feedback and review!
If I was to pulse the oats to for less texture, would I measure the oats before or after the pulsing?
Good question, Elle – I would measure after pulsing.
You’ll probably end up with more oats if you measure after pulsing. So if you want the amount called for in the recipe you should measure first.
I am going to measure first and then pulse, I’ll follow up and let you know how it goes. Thanks for both tips!
I never have honey on hand-would brown sugar be acceptable as a sub? Thank you
Yep!
Thanks for your prompt reply. I am ready to give these a try.
I’ve been making a version of these since my college days and they are the best! My roommate used to make them every week, which made her roommate of the year! I use brown sugar in my recipe, but I bet they are pretty similar to yours! Yum!
Glad to hear they are a favorite!
These look so yummy. Have you ever used white whole wheat flour?
Not yet with this recipe, but I bet it would work great – might start with half whole wheat/half all-purpose just to see? These rolls are already pretty sturdy; the whole wheat will make them even more so, but as long as the dough isn’t over floured and has time to knead well to develop gluten, they should still be super tasty!
The pictures of these look darker than regular rolls, is that just due to the oatmeal or did you use some wheat flour as well?
No, I didn’t use whole wheat flour this time…it’s probably the oats.
Do you think this could work with some leftover oatmeal by chance? Cooked way too much today and wondering if I could sub that in…hmmm….
Hmmm, I’m not sure! If it was just cooked in water, maybe 4 1/2 cups of cooked oatmeal? That’s just a guess.
Mel,
In other recipes you have stated how many ounces each roll weigh before baking. With the comment of “really large”, how many ounces do you guess?
Good question! I should have written it down when I made them, but I think they were right around 4 ounces.