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!
I continually tell people I have NEVER tried a recipe from Nora that isn’t fabulous and these rolls are no exception. I was a tad concerned about the amount of yeast but went with what was posted and these rolls were perfection. I used almond milk and regular yeast.
Hi Cindy. How wonderful you loved the rolls! Thank you for sharing your positive feedback and roll making experience, which makes me happy!
Could these be made into cloverleaf rolls? Would anything in the recipe change?
I haven’t tried it, but I think it should work! Ii don’t think any changes would needed.
OMG. I just made a batch of these as a pre-Thanksgiving test run and they are SO good!! Thank you for yet another amazing recipe!
Hi Liza. You are welcome! These are sure a favorite in our home! Thanks for you wonderful feedback! Happy cooking!
This recipe is AMAZING! One of THE best, clearly articulated recipes for vegan dinner rolls out here on the webs! My only question/challenge has been with the cook time- it takes my rolls about 22 mins at 375 to cook through and get a nice brown coloring on top though I then run the risk of the bottoms getting a little too overdone. Any thing you can suggest? Should I try 400 deg?
Thank you so much, Sam! Yes, you could try bumping up the temp to 400ºF. Brushing a little soy milk or melted vegan butter on the tops could help them brown as well. Hope this helps!
I am so bad at everything in the kitchen and these turned out AMAZING. They came out about 45 minutes before the rest of Thanksgiving dinner and there’s a chance my partner and I ate 6 buns between the two of us…oops. So so so good. Thank you!!!!
Hi Keira. LOL – I love your story! These are so easy to eat, for sure! Thanks for sharing your fun and wonderful feedback! I’m so glad the rolls turned out amazing for you!
These turned out absolutely perfect. Made a day in advance for Canadian Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow.  I only had the sweetened version of soy milk so took a chance and still tasted great.  Thanks Nora for this recipe. 🙂
Hi Linda. You are welcome! I’m glad the rolls turned out great for you! Thank you for your wonderful feedback! Happy Thanksgiving!
Thanks Nora for another delicious recipe. These rolls are so goo and easy to make. I make some larger for Beyond burgers. I didn’t have instant yeast so I let. It rise an hour plus another 30 min. Â
Hi Karen. Thanks for sharing your wonderful feedback and ideas! I’m glad you are enjoying the rolls!
Hello Nora, I have tried several dinner roll recipes but I have to say with all honesty that this is so far the best best one yet! So easy to make and yields a lot of dinner rolls. A lot of my fave recipes are from your website, this will definitely go on the list?!! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
How wonderful you loved the dinner rolls, and found them easy to make! Thank you for great feedback and review! I appreciate you using my recipes. Happy cooking!
This question may be a repeat: Is it possible for these rolls to be made into hamburger buns?
Thank you!
The rolls are softer than traditional hamburger buns, but they should still work well!
Hi Nora,Â
Thank you very very much for your vegan dinner rolls recipe, I used decreased fat butter from Trader Joe and the rolls came out beautifully. Â
They were soft , moist and fluffy, realized I need to bake them longer next time as the center was a little damp still but tasted sooo good! Â
It’s very easy to make and I’ll be making them again soon .Â
Many , many thanks !!!Â
Hi Joyce. I’m thrilled the rolls turned out great for you! Thank you for sharing your wonderful feedback and review! Wishing you lots of happy cooking!
Can I bake these in a muffin tin to make cloverleaf type rolls? Thank you!Â
I haven’t tried it, but I think it should work!
I am SO grateful that you posted this fabulous recipe! I had failed once since I had bought the wrong kind of yeast, but now that Ive finally found it, the rolls came out perfect! Fluffy, buttery, delicious! Made a perfect Sunday dinner alongside a hot bowl of soup 😀
Your rolls and soup sound delicious, Marie! Thank you for sharing your fabulous feedback and review!
Could you substitue bread flour instead of all purpose?
Sure!
I make these rolls for every occasion, from holidays to week night dinners! My husband requests them so often. They are easy, quick, light, fluffy, and delicious. My plant-based and non-plant-based guests love them and are always shocked to find out this is a vegan recipe! Hands down best bread roll recipe I have ever used!
Hi Allison, thank you so much for your wonderful feedback! I’m so glad you and your guests loved the rolls!
Love this recipe! They’re perfect every time. Thank you, Nora!
You are very welcome! I’m glad you are enjoying the rolls! Thank you for your great feedback!
Have been following Nora’s recipes for sometime. Today I wanted to make a Vegan Bulgogi Sandwich by Brand New Vegan but I couldn’t find any oil free sub like rolls. So I made your recipe for soft rolls but instead of making them like dinner rolls i shaped them into like Sub Sandwich Rolls. I had to use Almond Milk unsweetened as that is what I had and tried that Miyokos Vegan Butter, and they came out so beautifully and light. I did learn a little lesson here in that after proofing I cut them too big because on the second rise they really grew. Lol. I wish I could post my step by step pics. This recipe was easy to put together and the recipe produced a perfectly light and airy roll. SO HAPPY!!
I’m so glad you loved the rolls! Thanks for using my recipe, and for sharing your review and feedback! Happy cooking!
Hi Nora,
Tried the recipie as is and they turned out absolutely beautifully.
However, I found them a little too sweet.
Is it okay to skip the sugar completely or use less? Maybe a teaspoon or two (10gms) against 1/4 cup ( 50 gms) .
Please let me know. Thank you
Sugar can help balance the flavor, so I don’t suggest removing it all together. Try using 1 or 2 tablespoons instead and let me know how it works for you! Happy cooking!
Great recipe! I used whole wheat for the last 1-1/2 cups added and added a tsp of diastatic malt and prepped the pan with a little olive oil and flaky salt before placing the balls on there. Also used oat milk instead of soy. Absolutely loved the flavor.
Thank you!
Amazing !!!!
I’ve made these so many times and they never disappoint my family! I cook mine longer, as we like a sturdier crusty roll. So yummy!
Also easy to whip up in a pinch, even with my 3 kids under the age of 5 running around they don’t take very long unlike some vegan roll recipes. Thanks so much
Hi Mandi. You are welcome! I’m glad you guys love the dinner rolls at your home! We love them here as well! Thank you for sharing your wonderful feedback!
Hi Nora,
Have you tried adding olives/sundried tomatoes or any other flavourings to these rolls?
Thank you for the recipe, I am going to try this out this weekend.
I haven’t tried it, but I think it would work well! Hope you enjoy the rolls!
These are really delicious! They are also so quick and easy to bring together that my daughter and I made them fresh on Christmas Day, just before the family dinner. We did have issues with our first attempt as the buns came out a bit gummy in the middle. We suspect that happened because my bil opened the oven door to fiddle with a dish that was in the oven with the dinner rolls at the same time. Second attempt was much better. Once shaped we let them rise until doubled in size and baked them for 17 minutes. (My oven is 35 years old so the temperature may be on the low side). They are a real hit at our house. Thanks so much for this gem of a recipe!
I NEVER leave comments but this recipe compelled me to! These are the ABSOLUTE best and easiest VEGAN rolls!! My first batch didn’t make it to the table because I ate nearly half of them! My second batch had everyone asking for another! Thank you so much Nora for sharing this recipe!
Hi Nora! Can I use applesauce or something less processed than vegan butter to make these?
I haven’t tried them without the vegan butter so it’s hard for me to say. You could probably leave it out, or add more milk instead, maybe applesauce, but they won’t be as soft, buttery or rich. I do think it would technically work though. Hope that helps!
These are gorgeous and delicious. No one will know they are vegan unless you tell them!
Thank you for sharing your wonderful review and comments! I’m glad you love the dinner rolls!