Soft 30 Minute Honey Butter Rolls are made from scratch – start to finish – in just half an hour!
My kids have gotten so used to having fresh rolls with dinner that they’re disappointed if we have a dinner without any. So, I keep working on new recipes to make quick rolls that don’t take all night to make, and I adapted this recipe from my 30 Minute Honey Wheat Roll recipe.
These 30 Minute Honey Butter Rolls are good. And fast.
Which makes them perfect for weeknight and weekends alike. Plus, they take less time to make than frozen rolls take to thaw.
So, if you’re in a hurry and want some fresh bread, give these rolls a try! And please check out the tips below to help you make perfect rolls.
Ingredient notes
These honey butter rolls are made from just a few simple ingredients. I’ve listed instant yeast in the ingredients, but there are also directions for using active dry yeast in place of the instant yeast.
- Butter: I like to use salted butter in these rolls. If using unsalted butter, increase the salt in the rolls to 1 teaspoon.
- Milk: You can use anything from skim to whole milk. Using whole milk will give you a richer, softer roll.
- Milk temperature: It’s important that the milk/butter mixture isn’t too hot. If you don’t have a thermometer, then the mixture should feel like warm bath water. If it’s too hot for you, it’s too hot for the yeast and can kill the yeast.
- Yeast: There are 2 1/4 teaspoons of yeast in a packet. If you are using packets, you will need 3 packets to give you enough for 6 teaspoons (which is the equivalent of 2 tablespoons) of yeast.
- If you would prefer to use active dry yeast, substitute an equal amount for the instant yeast. After step 5, let the mixture sit for 5-10 minutes, or until foamy. Then, continue with the recipe as written. If the yeast doesn’t foam, start over. Otherwise, your rolls won’t rise.
- Flour: Be sure to only use as much flour as is necessary to give you a sticky dough. Using too much flour will give you heavy, dry, or doughy rolls.
How to make honey butter rolls
Melt butter in a saucepan. When the butter is mostly melted, stir in the milk. Heat to 100-110F.
When milk/butter mixture is at temperature, add to yeast and honey.
Stir to combine. If using active dry yeast, let the mixture sit for 5-10 minutes, or until foamy (picture on the right).
Stir in egg and salt.
Add 2 cups of flour and continue adding flour a little at a time until it forms a sticky dough. You may not need to add all of the flour, and that’s ok.
Shape the dough into 12 rolls.
Cover and let the dough rise for 10 minutes in a warm spot. Uncover and bake until golden brown.
Brush the baked rolls with melted butter.
Tips
- Rising: Since the rising time is so short, it really helps the rolls to rise if they are in a warm spot.
- How to make the perfect spot for your rolls to rise: If your kitchen isn’t warm, simply preheat your cold oven to 350F for exactly 60 seconds. Turn the oven off, and you now have a great spot for your rolls to rise. You can also place the rolls near your oven if you have it on. If you don’t have a warm spot, you may find that your rolls don’t rise within the 10 minutes, and you may need to give them additional time to rise.
- Brushing the rolls: If you want a stronger honey flavor to the rolls, add a tablespoon of additional honey to the butter and brush the rolls with honey butter after baking.
Storage
The rolls are best eaten when fresh. However, the rolls can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
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30 Minute Honey Butter Rolls
Equipment
- Stand mixer
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup butter
- 1 cup milk
- 2 tablespoons instant yeast
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- 3 ½ – 4 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons butter melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 F. Lightly grease a quarter sheet pan or a 9×13-inch rimmed cookie sheet.
- In a small saucepan, melt butter.
- When butter is mostly melted, stir in milk, and heat mixture to 100-110 F.
- Meanwhile, add yeast and honey to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or a large mixing bowl if mixing by hand).
- When milk mixture is at temperature, add to yeast and honey; stir to combine.
- Add salt and egg, and stir until combined.
- Stir in 2 cups all-purpose flour.
- Add remaining flour 1/4 cup at a time until dough clings to paddle and cleans the sides of the bowl. Dough will still be pretty sticky.
- With floured hands, shape dough into 12 rolls, and place dough on prepared baking sheet.
- Cover, and let dough rest for 10 minutes in a warm spot.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until lightly golden brown.
- When rolls are done baking, brush with 2 tablespoons melted butter.
Video
Notes
- Butter: I like to use salted butter in these rolls. If using unsalted butter, increase the salt in the rolls to 1 teaspoon.
- Milk: You can use anything from skim to whole milk. Using whole milk will give you a richer, softer roll.
- Milk temperature: It’s important that the milk/butter mixture isn’t too hot. If you don’t have a thermometer, then the mixture should feel like warm bath water. If it’s too hot for you, it’s too hot for the yeast and can kill the yeast.
- Yeast: There are 2 1/4 teaspoons of yeast in a packet. If you are using packets, you will need 3 packets to give you enough for 6 teaspoons (which is the equivalent of 2 tablespoons) of yeast.
If you would prefer to use active dry yeast, substitute an equal amount for the instant yeast. After step 5, let the mixture sit for 5-10 minutes, or until foamy. Then, continue with the recipe as written. If the yeast doesn’t foam, start over. Otherwise, your rolls won’t rise. - Flour: Be sure to only use as much flour as is necessary to give you a sticky dough. Using too much flour will give you heavy, dry, or doughy rolls.
- Rising: Since the rising time is so short, it really helps the rolls to rise if they are in a warm spot. If your kitchen isn’t warm, simply preheat your cold oven to 350F for exactly 60 seconds. Turn the oven off, and you now have a great spot for your rolls to rise.
- Brushing the rolls: If you want a stronger honey flavor to the rolls, add a tablespoon of additional honey to the butter and brush the rolls with honey butter after baking.
- Nutrition values are estimates.
Nutrition
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More 30 minute bread recipes!
Originally published 9/15/14. Updated with new photos and tips 2/29/20.
Reader Interactions
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Comments & Reviews
Joan says
Have you ever froze the baked rolls ?
Kate says
No, I haven’t. If you try it, please let me know how it turns out!
Debbie Silberman says
I made them and froze them and they reheated well. However now I made them and forgot to let it sit after using active yeast instead of instant. I read that it helps to let it proof more to get the rise. They did rise in oven a bit so I’m baking them now. They just might not be fluffy. My son will like them but I will try to make a new batch for holiday…
Kate says
Thanks for the info about the rolls freezing and reheating well! =) I hadn’t tried that with this recipe yet.
Andrea says
Hello, I was wondering if you tried freezing them. I have a bridal shower I need to make these for and I’m wondering if I can freeze them
Kate says
I haven’t tried freezing these. However, I’ve frozen rolls before. Were you going to freeze them before or after you baked them?
Amena says
I made these just a bit ago. Quite tasty! The recipe halved very well. Mine did not turn out quite as “spongy soft” as say Kings Hawaiian rolls, more like the individual Sister Schubert’s parker house style. But delicious don’t get me wrong. Nice and golden brown. They were definitely not “doughy” or “biscuity” in my experience.
Thank you Kate!
Kate says
I’m glad that you liked them! Yes, I haven’t ever had them turn out doughy or biscuity either. Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a comment!
Kawal says
tried these tonight. I mixed the dough and let the rolls rise for a couple of hours before baking before dinner. They turned out OK. I was hoping for light and fluffy but got more of a doughy dense roll. They tasted more like biscuits than rolls. Not sure what I did wrong. Will try them again. Thanks for sharing your recipe.
Kate says
If you let them rise for a couple hours, I’m guessing that they over rose, which would have led to the off texture. Since these are meant to be made in a shorter amount of time, they have a higher amount of yeast in them.
If you’re looking for a roll with a longer rising time, this Hawaiian sweet roll recipe is one of my favorites. If you have any questions, please let me know!
Casey says
Just to clarify since I have yeast packets on hand 2T of yeast is 2 Table spoons of yeast correct?
Kate says
Yes, 2 T is 2 tablespoons. If you have any other questions, please let me know!
M says
Wait, why does the ingredients call for 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 cups flour and the written ingredients call for 2?? I think I just messed it up…..
Kate says
You’re going to start with 2 cups of flour in the dough. Then, you’ll add 1/4 cup flour at a time until the dough clings to the paddle or dough hook. It should take a total of about 3 1/2- 4 1/2 cups.
Lica says
Fleischmann’s RapidRise yeast packets identify it as instant yeast. Fleischmann’s Active dry says to proof for 10 minutes. The instant just says instant. So after reading what you wrote and the packets, I remain confused.
Kate says
With instant yeast you can mix it in – no proofing necessary. With active dry yeast, you need to let it proof for 5-10 minutes, or until foamy. However, if you’re unsure as to whether or not your instant yeast is working properly, you can let it sit to see whether or not it foams. If it foams, it’s good. If it doesn’t, it’s not. Hope that helps!
Chantel says
I’m making these for Thanksgiving so I decided to do a test run. The rolls didn’t rise and they came out little and doughy. Any suggestions?
Kate says
Since the rolls didn’t rise, it sounds like there was an issue with the yeast. Did you use instant or active dry yeast?
Since the rolls were doughy, you try letting them get to golden brown outside. Then, take a piece of aluminum foil and tent it over the rolls while they finish baking. You may need to add some additional baking time, but the foil should keep them from getting too brown.
chantel says
I used instant. I’m going to try them again tonight. I’ll let you know what happens
Kate says
Ok, that helps. One easy way to check to see whether your yeast is the problem would be to let it sit for about 5 minutes after step 5. If it foams, then your yeast is good, and your rolls should rise. If not, you won’t want to continue with it because the rolls won’t rise.
Good luck! I hope it works out this time!! =)
Yogi says
Can I use AP Unbleached Flour in recipes that call for All Purpose?
Kate says
Yes, I don’t specify bleached or unbleached for AP flour because I haven’t found any difference between the two as far as performance in a recipe. So, for my recipes, please know that either one will work.
BJ says
I just made these, used rapid rise yeast, let the yeast, butter, milk sit 10 min, and then let rolls sit 10 min as directed, everything turned out perfect. Big hit with grand kids
Kate says
I’m so glad to hear that!! Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a comment! =)
Stephanie says
Just a small issue I had with these is by following the directions for some reason they just wouldn’t rise the way that the recipe says to do it. I made one batch and by only letting them sit for 10 mins or so before baking they turned out as small dough hockey pucks, very dense and very doughy. I think part of the problem is I heated the milk and butter too hot. I hucked the first batch and redid it, made sure the temp was what the recipe called for, let the yeast proof some before putting flour in. I had to let them sit for at least 40 mins before they rose enough before baking and then had to let them bake for slightly longer to get the consistency where they weren’t too doughy. Once I played with those elements they turned out great! I made them to go with pulled pork sandwiches and they were just right amount of sweetness and were just delicious. Wonderful recipe.
Kate says
Yes, if you heat the milk/butter mixture too much, then it will kill the yeast, and you will end up with hockey pucks. That’s something that I’ve found out the hard way! =) I’m glad that you were able to make it work and that you enjoyed the recipe!
Michelle says
For a first timer, what tips do you have on getting the portions right when you form them and place on the tray?
Kate says
The easiest way that I’ve found to portion the dough is to split the dough into four pieces, and then I divide each quarter into three pieces. To shape them, I just take each pieces and tuck the ends underneath so that the dough is rounded on top and flat-ish on the bottom. I hope that helps! =)
Kris says
I find the easiest is to use a kitchen scale. I will weigh the dough and then divide that amount by the amount of buns you want to make. This will make sure they are all a consistent size and shape.
Kate says
Great tip! Thanks! =)
Loris Ayoub says
they are in the oven now…i hope they taste nice
Kate says
I hope you enjoy them as much as we do! =)
Christina M says
I just made these to have with beef stew for dinner. They were amazing! All three of my kids loved them (even the baby!) and even my super picky husband like them! Definitely going on the “make often” list!
Kate says
I’m so glad that your family liked the rolls! Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a comment! Hearing things like that make my day. =)
Valerie Parris says
What exactly do you mean by instant yeast? I tried to look it up but am still confused
Kate says
Instant yeast, as opposed to regular active dry yeast, is a type of yeast that doesn’t need to be proofed in order to activate it. You can just mix it right in without waiting for it to foam up first. I hope that helps!
valerie says
Where do you find it? Is it the same as quick rise?
Kate says
It should be with the yeast. Sometimes it’s called “bread machine” yeast, but I’ve always seen instant right along with the active dry. No, rapid-rise yeast is different. You can use instant and regular active dry interchangeably in recipes; you just have to adjust the recipe with the proofing step (or lack thereof). However, rapid-rise can’t be substituted for instant or active dry.
Jill Mertens says
I made these tonight and they were very good except a bit doughie. Followed directions to the T and they were quite brown when I took them from the oven. Next tie I will try baking them at 350 degrees for a bit longer.
Kate says
It does sound like the oven temp needed adjustment. Since temps vary so much, I hope the adjustment helps! =)
Katie @ The Semisweet Sisters says
Those look amazing! My family loves fresh bread with dinner too, its such a treat! Love how quick this recipe is to make. Pinned it!
Kate says
Thanks! =)
ami@naivecookcooks says
Gosh I assn thinking of ask the ways I can use them to eat!! SEND ME SOME!
kaluhi says
so so easy. looks tasty too, I will try this
Kate says
Thanks! I hope you enjoy them! =)
Randa says
Those look delicious! I’m always on the hunt for quick rolls to make with dinner! Thank you!
Kate says
Thanks! I hope you enjoy them! I have several other roll recipes that are ready in less than 1 hour. If you’re interested, I’ll pop the links in.
Jackie says
Hi Katie
Can this dough be made in advance and frozen, if so, how would I go about freezing them and then baking them.
Kate says
Hi Jackie,
I would think that you could freeze these rolls, but I haven’t tried it with this particular recipe. Since you have to change the amount of yeast in the recipe if you’re planning to freeze rolls, I am hesitant to offer directions that I haven’t tested. However, if you try it, I’d be interested to hear how it turns out!