Slow cooker dinner rolls are an easy way to make fresh, homemade bread right in your crock pot! No oven necessary, which is perfect for holiday dinner!
Rolls are practically their own food group at our house. I usually make rolls to go along with dinner a couple nights during the week.
There are times when I don’t want to bake rolls in the oven (summer!) or can’t bake them in the oven (holidays!).
And then there are the times when it’s just easier to make Slow Cooker Dinner Rolls and come back in a couple hours for them.
Every time I make these rolls, they are always a hit! The rolls are soft and mildly sweet – a classic dinner roll. And with very little hands-on time, they couldn’t be easier to make!
Give them a try, and I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how good dinner rolls “baked” in your slow cooker can be!
How to make slow cooker dinner rolls
Here you’ll find step-by-step photos showing how to make this recipe. The full recipe, including instructions, is given below.
Step 1: Turn slow cooker to “warm”. Line with parchment paper and grease parchment with nonstick cooking spray.
Step 2: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook (in a large bowl), stir together water, sugar, and yeast. Let stand 5-10 minutes, or until foamy.
Step 3: Stir in butter, and 2 cups flour and salt.
Step 4: Continue adding flour 1/4 cup at a time until dough clings to the hook and clears the side of the bowl. Dough will feel slightly sticky but shouldn’t stick to your finger.
Step 5: Shape dough into 12-16 rolls, depending on desired size, and add to slow cooker.
Step 6: Place a thin cotton towel across the top of the slow cooker and cover. Let rolls sit for 10 minutes.
Step 7: Turn to “high”, and cook for about 1 ½ hours, or until edges are light golden brown. My slow cooker doesn’t cook evenly, so I rotate my crock halfway through the cooking time.
Step 8: If you would like to brown the tops, turn broiler on.
Step 9: Brush with tops of rolls with melted butter (about 1 tablespoon), and broil for about 1-2 minutes. Watch the rolls closely because they can go from golden to burnt very quickly.
Storage
Store any leftover rolls in an airtight container at room temperature. The rolls will keep for 2-3 days when properly stored.
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Slow Cooker Dinner Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups warm water about 105 F
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 packet active dry yeast (2 ¼ teaspoons)
- 1/4 cup butter melted, plus extra for brushing the tops of the rolls
- 3-3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Turn slow cooker to “warm”. Line with parchment paper and grease parchment with nonstick cooking spray.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook (in a large bowl), stir together water, sugar, and yeast.
- Let stand 5-10 minutes, or until foamy.
- Stir in butter, and 2 cups flour and salt.
- Continue adding flour 1/4 cup at a time until dough clings to the hook and clears the side of the bowl. Dough will feel slightly sticky but shouldn’t stick to your finger.
- Shape dough into 12-16 rolls, depending on desired size, and add to slow cooker.
- Place a thin cotton towel across the top of the slow cooker and cover. Let rolls sit for 10 minutes.
- Turn to "high", and cook for about 1 ½ hours, or until edges are light golden brown. My slow cooker doesn't cook evenly, so I rotate my crock halfway through the cooking time.
- If you would like to brown the tops, turn broiler on.
- Brush with tops of rolls with melted butter (about 1 tablespoon), and broil for about 1-2 minutes. Watch the rolls closely because they can go from golden to burnt very quickly.
Notes
Nutrition
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Recipe originally published 11/18/15.
Reader Interactions
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Comments & Reviews
Je Her says
Could you do the same thing w/pre-made (pizza) dough?
Kate says
Hi! I haven’t tried using pizza dough instead of roll dough, but I would guess that it would cook the same way.
Sandy Earnest says
I liked this recipe! I’d make it again. The steps were clear and easy to follow. I did butter the top and “browned” the top under the broiler, just to add color. Good tasting, easy, and I can make it in my crock pot. This recipe is a keeper. Thank you!
Kate says
Thank you!
Jen says
What if you don’t have a stand mixer? Is there another way to do it? I don’t even think I have a regular hand mixer either.
Kate says
There is! You can mix the dough by hand. That’s my go-to if a stand mixer isn’t available as I’ve burned out the motor on a few hand mixers when making doughs. When mixing it by hand, you’ll just find that it takes longer to mix it by hand, but, otherwise, it should work fine.
Vic says
Why does amount of flour say 3-3 1/2 cups? Do you mean 10 1/2 cups?
Kate says
No, it’s nearly impossible to give an exact amount of flour for a bread recipe because the amount of flour that you will need to add is going to vary depending on a number of factors like the humidity where you live. So, recipes give a range of measurements for the flour.
In step 5, you’ll add enough flour to get the dough to get it to the point described, and that will probably be somewhere between 3 and 3.5 cups of flour.
Mike says
trying this now :) does the towel stay on for the cooking too or just for rising
Kate says
It does. The towel will help to absorb condensation as the rolls cook so that they don’t end up soggy on top. Please let me know if you have any other questions!
Ursula Dixon says
Hello,
While self Isolating (Covid-19 March 2020) I decided to try my hand at bread-making and your recipe looked simple and delicious… and it is/was…as I write this my daughter is on piece #2 still very warm from the “oven”. It is soft, and you are right, a little bit sweet…and even though my yeast was 5 months past its BBD everything turned out AMAZING! I will be serving with home made spaghetti sauce and IKEA meatballs! Thank you for sharing. (I did take pictures but it doesn’t look like I can share them…) This one is going in the Family Favourites section of my cookbook!
Kate says
Thank you! I’m happy to hear that your family enjoyed the recipe. =) Thanks for taking the time to comment!
Lois Vail says
can warm milk be used to mix with the yeast instead of warm water
Kate says
Hi! I haven’t tried it that way. I’d love to hear how it works out if you do.
Pat Wood says
I personally liked the texture of these rolls, but they were very difficult to form and place in crockpot. I had to cut them apart and the outside ones were hard on the outside.
Kate says
I’m glad you liked the texture! Was the dough hard to shape? Did you try a foil collar in the crock pot?
Cynthia Griggs says
This recipe sounds great! However, what do us non-cooks do who do not have a “stand mixer fitted with a dough hook”?
Kate says
Thanks! You can mix the dough by hand. It will take a little longer, but this dough isn’t too bad to mix by hand. If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask!
Jennifer says
Has anyone ever tried these with Gluten Free flour?
Kate says
I haven’t received any comments from anyone who has tried this recipe with gf flour. Maybe someone can jump in on this?
Angie says
Just made your Crock-Pot dinner rolls they are good. But need to know what made them fall. You have any idea?
Kate says
Thanks! Sorry to hear that your rolls fell. I know of two reasons why rolls can fall. The first is that the dough is that the dough is over-risen. The second is that if the temp isn’t high enough when the rolls begin to bake, then they can fall before they are set. Hope that helps!
Annette says
so preheat crock pot it does not say that
Annette says
oops i get it now! lol sorry
Kate says
No worries! =)
Pat Wood says
It does say to put it on warm when you start to mix the dough.
Kari says
These were super easy to make. U followed the recipe exactly and was super impressed. All 4 of my kids approved! Thanks for making this so easy!
Kate says
Yay!! I’m so glad to hear that! Thank you for taking the time to comment! =)
Lori says
If I buy frozen roll dough, if I thaw may I move to #7 ? I would love to try this before Thanksgiving!
Kate says
I’m not sure! I would guess so, but I’ve never tried making slow cooker rolls with frozen dough, so I can’t say for sure.
Britt says
After you brush the tops with the melted butter, you mention to broil for 1-2 minutes. Does that mean I am moving the rolls to an oven?
Kate says
Yes, but it’s completely optional. The rolls are “baked” by that point, and the broiling just adds little bit of golden brown color.
Annette says
So w should have the cock pot pre heated it didn’t say that?
Annette says
oops wrong one
Tiffany says
My bottoms burnt and my middles were still doughy. What did I do wrong?
Kate says
I would guess that it’s your crock pot, not you. There are some models that run hot, and that would certainly cause what you’re describing. You could try a foil collar and/or sling to see if that could help even out the heat distribution. Good luck!
Susanna Watling says
Hi and Thanks for the great recipe. Any chance you’ve made these with whole wheat or multi grain flour??
Kate says
Thank you! I haven’t! I have a 30 minute whole wheat roll recipe and multigrain bread recipe, but I haven’t tried making slow cooker rolls either of those ways. I’ll have to try it to see what I can come up with! =)
Sandra says
Does the parchment paper go up the sides as well, or just on the bottom?
Kate says
I put in a larger sheet that I can then use to lift out the rolls when they’re finished cooking. It makes removing the rolls (and cleanup) easier that way. Thank you for the question! =)
Blaiwesk says
Question: what size/ shape crock pot are you using?
Kate says
I use a 5 quart oval crock pot for this recipe. =)
anna says
Surely the towel is not left on after the 10 minute wait.
Just want to make sure.
anna
Kate says
It is. I use a thin towel (like a flour sack towel), and then just put the slow cooker cover right over it. It keeps the moisture from making the tops of the rolls soggy while they cook.
Glenna says
Turned out great! Thanks for the recipe, I heart my crockpot.
Kate says
I’m so glad! Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a comment! Me too!!! =D
Julia says
Your dinner roll recipes never cease to amaze me! I’ve got to try these.
Kate says
Thanks so much, Julia! That’s very nice of you! I hope you enjoy them as much as we do! =)