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About This Recipe
Warm, soft pieces of bread glazed with honey and butter that are low in fat…where do I sign up? Sounds. Like. A. Dream.
They’re real, I swear! These Honey Butter Yeast Rolls are begging to be the center of your dinner spread, shared and enjoyed with family and friends for all occasions. Made with yeast, they’re soft and subtly sweet.
The rolls are also browned in the oven, ensuring they have enough structure so they don’t get soggy after being coated with a marvelous honey and butter glaze.
Not only do these rolls make a great appetizer and addition to any meal, but they’re also the perfect snack size. Enjoy one on its own or throw it in the toaster and add some jam (or more butter) to enjoy any time! Buttery, sweet, delicious, and low in fat, these are sure to be a crowd pleaser.
Looking for more Thanksgiving recipes? Try my Healthy Green Bean Casserole, Sausage and Sage Cranberry Stuffing or my Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole!
Why You’ll Love These Honey Butter Yeast Rolls
- Easy to make. Yes they involve yeast but the steps are straight forward. You can become a bread maker, I promise!
- Make a big batch – perfect for serving a large crowd!
- Just 100 calories per roll.
- You can make in advance! Make the dough, shape into balls and refrigerate until you’re ready to pop them in the oven and show ’em off.
- Great for the holidays. Easter, Christmas, Thanksgiving, Sunday night dinner with the family – they’re great for any occasion!
- THEY SMELL AMAZING. The smell of warm bread, honey, and butter working together just smells like home.
- Goes with just about everything. A chicken dinner, pork chops, steak, big ole salad.
- Milk
- Sugar
- Yeast – You can use regular active dry yeast in this recipe, or rapid-rise yeast. I recommend the fast yeast to make these go a little quicker!
- Honey
- Salt
- Egg
- All-purpose flour – sub for gluten-free flour if needed. My favorites are King Arthur Measure for Measure and Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 for the most similar taste and texture!
- Butter
How To Make
The full printable recipe is below, but let me walk you through the process so you know what to expect when you’re making it!
Step 1: Warm the milk in the microwave until it reaches 110-115 degrees F.
Step 2: In the bowl of your stand mixer (or in a large mixing bowl), add the sugar and yeast.
Step 3: Whisk to combine then let the mixture sit for 5-10 minutes, until it starts to buble.
Step 4: Once the yeast starts to bubble, mix in the honey, salt and egg.
Step 5: Secure the paddle attachment on your stand mixer (or use your hands) to mix the flour in on low speed until it’s mostly incorporated.
Step 6: Add the cubed butter and continue mixing on low speed until incorporated.
Step 7: Switch to the dough hook (or continue using your hands) to knead the dough for 5-8 minutes or until it’s slightly sticky to the touch. It should be slightly sticky, but it shouldn’t be sticky enough where it’s not workable. If it’s like this, add 1 tablespoon of flour at a time and keep kneading.
Step 8: Transfer the dough to a large bowl sprayed with cooking spray then spray some more cooking spray on-top of dough so that it is all covered.
Step 9: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour, or until doubled in size (I like to cut my oven to 350 F and let it sit on top).
Step 10: Punch the dough down in the bowl then transfer to a lightly floured work surface.
Step 11: Shape into a rectangle.
Step 12: Then cut the dough into 24 even-sized pieces. To do this, first cut the dough into 3 equal pieces. Then cut each of the 3 pieces into 8 pieces.
Step 13: Shape each piece of dough into a ball (without overworking the dough) and place in a greased 9×13 baking dish. Cover the rolls with plastic wrap and let rise for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Step 14: About 10 minutes before rolls are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 400°F.
Step 15: Uncover the rolls and bake for about 15 minutes, or until the rolls are baked through and the tops are golden brown.
Step 16: Meanwhile, whisk together the melted butter and honey. As soon as you take the rolls out of the oven, brush the honey butter over the tops. Serve warm and enjoy!
These rolls are best served fresh if you can! To store leftover rolls, place rolls in an airtight container or Ziplock bag for 1-2 days.
How To Freeze Honey Butter Yeast Rolls
You can also make these rolls ahead of time and put them in the freezer until you’re ready for them. Bake the rolls as instructed below and let cool completely. Then, wrap individually in saran wrap. Rolls will stay good in the freezer for up to 2 months.
When you are ready to serve the rolls, let them thaw at room temperature for about an hour. Then, warm rolls in a 350° F oven, covering them as necessary to prevent over-browning.
To Prepare The Night Before
You can prepare these Honey Butter Yeast Rolls the night before and bake the next day. Just follow the steps up until the baking: make the dough, shape it into balls, and place them in a dish. Cover them and refrigerate up to 24 hours.
Then when ready, take the shaped rolls out of the refrigerator 1.5 to 2 hours before you are ready to bake them. This gives them time to warm to room temperature and rise before baking. Once risen, bake the rolls as directed in the recipe.
Perfect to help you prepare for a big holiday dinner spread.
Can I prepare these yeast rolls in advance?
Yes! You can prepare these rolls the night before and bake the next day. Just follow the steps up until the baking. Cover them and refrigerate up to 24 hours. When ready, take the shaped rolls out of the refrigerator 1.5 to 2 hours before you are ready to bake them. This gives them time to warm to room temperature and rise before baking. Once risen, bake the rolls as directed in the recipe.
Why did my rolls not rise?
If your yeast rolls didn’t rise as pictured, your milk might have been too hot or cold! To ensure optimal results, make sure your milk is 110-115 degrees F. This temperature is perfect for activating the yeast properly but not killing it by being too hot. I always recommend using an instant read thermometer to check the temperature of the milk before adding to the yeast and sugar.
Can I freeze these yeast rolls?
Yes! Yeast rolls freeze great. You can prepare these rolls ahead of time and place them in the freezer once they come to room temperature. I like to wrap these rolls individually so I can pull out the specific amount I need for a meal (also helps prevent freezer burn) but if you know you’ll need the entire recipe you can place them all in the freezer-safe bag together. When ready to eat, let rolls thaw at room temperature for an hour then bake at 350F until warm.
Did you make this? If you snap a photo, please be sure leave a review, tag me on Instagram or TikTok at @LaurenFitFoodie or hashtag #LaurenFitFoodie so I can see your creations!
Honey Butter Yeast Rolls
Ingredients
Yeast Rolls
- 1.25 cups low fat milk or milk of choice
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 1 packet active dry yeast (7g)
- 2 Tbsp honey (42g)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 3.75 cups all-purpose flour (450g) plus more for rolling
- 3 Tbsp unsalted butter (42g) room temp (42g)
Honey Butter
- 1.5 Tbsp butter (21g) melted
- 1.5 Tbsp honey (32g)
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Instructions
- Warm the milk in the microwave until it reaches 110-115 degrees F.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer (or in a large mixing bowl), add the sugar and yeast. Whisk to combine then let the mixture sit for 5-10 minutes. Once the yeast starts to bubble, mix in the honey, salt and egg.
- Secure the paddle attachment on your stand mixer (or use your hands) to mix the flour in on low speed until it’s mostly incorporated. Add the cubed butter and continue mixing on low speed until incorporated.
- Switch to the dough hook (or continue using your hands) to knead the dough for 5-8 minutes or until it’s slightly sticky to the touch. It should be slightly sticky, but it shouldn’t be sticky enough where it’s not workable. If it’s like this, add 1 tablespoon of flour at a time and keep kneading.
- Transfer the dough to a large bowl sprayed with cooking spray then spray some more cooking spray on-top of dough so that it is all covered. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour, or until doubled in size (I like to cut my oven to 350 F and let it sit on top).
- Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- Punch the dough down in the bowl then transfer to a lightly floured work surface. Shape into a rectangle then cut the dough into 24 even-sized pieces. To do this, first cut the dough into 3 equal pieces. Then cut each of the 3 pieces into 8 pieces. Shape each piece of dough into a ball (without overworking the dough) and place in the greased baking dish.
- Cover the rolls with plastic wrap and let rise for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- About 10 minutes before rolls are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Uncover the rolls and bake for about 15 minutes, or until the rolls are baked through and the tops are golden brown.
- Meanwhile, whisk together the melted butter and honey. As soon as you take the rolls out of the oven, brush the honey butter over the tops. Serve warm and enjoy!
Equipment
- Instant read thermometer optional
- Mixer or hand mixer
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition is hand-calculated and accurate. No autocalulations! However, note that values can vary based on the brands you use and if you substitute ingredients.
