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

Yield:
12-20 rolls

Prep Time:
40 minutes

Cook Time:
25 minutes

Additional Time:
2 hours

Total Time:
3 hours 5 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 cups (7.5 ounces) quick cooking oats (see note)
• 1/3 cup honey
• 4 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
• 2 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2 1/2 cups boiling water
• 1 1/2 tablespoons instant yeast (see note for active dry yeast)
• 4 to 5 cups all-purpose flour
• Melted butter, for brushing baked rolls (optional)

Instructions

1. 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).
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Punch down the dough and divide into 12 equal pieces (see note). Shape each piece into a round ball, pinching the bottom to seal.
5. 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.
6. 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

I’m sure you could sub old-fashioned rolled oats for this recipe. If you don’t want the oat texture to be noticeable in the rolls, pulse the old-fashioned oats in a blender or food processor until coarsely chopped before using.

To use active dry yeast instead of instant yeast, combine the same amount of yeast in a small bowl with a pinch of sugar and 3-4 tablespoons water. Let the mixture sit until foamy, 5-7 minutes, and then use in the recipe in step #2 as directed.

I like making 12 rolls out of this batch – it makes really large, fluffy rolls. You could definitely make upwards of 18-20 rolls out of this batch if you want smaller rolls. If doing so, I’d suggest baking them on a large, rimmed baking sheet (don’t cram that many into a 9X13-inch pan).

Recipe Source: adapted from this recipe at Taste of Home