Vegan Yeast Dinner Rolls are soft, fluffy, and delicious buns made without eggs, dairy-free, and with no milk or butter, yet they're surprisingly easy to make.
This simple recipe is the perfect side for any meal and a favorite for Thanksgiving and family gatherings.
If you love these, don't miss my rustic wheat bread and plant-based pita bread recipes.
Vegan yeast dinner rolls were one of the very first baking projects I tried when I started cooking, and I still remember how proud I felt when they came out soft, golden, and perfectly risen.
After years of making them, I've learned how to create bread rolls that are tender, filling, and satisfying, with a soft texture and comforting flavor.
They make the whole kitchen smell amazing, and that fresh bread aroma always makes me hungry, even when I'm not.
I love serving them for breakfast, lunch, or dinner with both sweet and savory dishes - think vegan cheddar, lentil hummus, beetroot patties, or a bowl of broccoli and pea soup. Plus, they freeze beautifully for easy meal prep.
Jump to:
🥘Ingredients
- All-purpose flour: Gives structure and softness.
- Instant yeast: Makes the dough rise quickly.
- Sugar: Gives the yeast a boost to rise more effectively (you can also use granulated sugar).
- Salt: Enhances the flavor.
- Lukewarm water: Activates the yeast properly (too hot can kill it, too cold slows the rise).
As always, you can find the full recipe with a list of ingredients with measurements in a printable recipe card at the end of this post.
🍞How To Make Vegan Yeast Dinner Rolls
Prepare the yeast: In a large bowl, combine the lukewarm water, sugar, instant yeast, and salt. Stir gently and let it sit for 5-10 minutes until it becomes foamy.
Make the dough: Gradually add the flour to the yeast mixture, mixing with a spoon until a shaggy dough forms. Once the dough starts pulling away from the sides of the bowl, transfer it to a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough by hand for about 5 minutes, forming a smooth and elastic ball.
First rise: Lightly oil a bowl and the surface of the dough to prevent sticking, then place the dough back into the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and a clean kitchen towel, and let it rise in a warm place for 1-1.5 hours, or until doubled in size.
Shape the rolls and let them rise: Gently punch down the dough and divide it into 10 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a ball and place them in a lightly oiled 8-inch round baking pan. Cover the rolls loosely with a kitchen towel and let them rise for another 20 minutes, until puffy.
Bake: Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 480°F (250°C). Bake the rolls for 10 minutes, then lower the oven temperature to 300°F (150°C) and continue baking for another 15 minutes.
The rolls will be quite firm when they come out of the oven, so immediately wrap them in a clean kitchen towel to soften. Let them cool on a wire rack or wooden surface for at least 20 minutes.
💡Marinela's Tips
- Use lukewarm water: It should feel warm to the touch, not hot. Hot water can kill the yeast, while cold water will slow the rise.
- Use fresh yeast: Expired or inactive yeast won't rise properly and can result in dense bread.
- Measure flour correctly: It helps prevent dense dough and heavy rolls. Use the scoop-and-level method by gently scooping the flour into your measuring cup and leveling it off with a knife.
- Preheat the oven: Always preheat so the rolls rise well and bake evenly from the start.
- Wrap in a kitchen towel while cooling: This traps just enough moisture to keep the crust chewy while the inside stays soft and tender.
❓Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)
Most often, the yeast had expired, or the water was too hot or too cold, which can prevent proper rising
Store the rolls in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days, or let them cool completely and freeze in a freezer-safe bag for up to 2 months.
🍔Serving Suggestions
I love serving these vegan yeast dinner rolls in so many ways, and here are a few of my favorite ways to enjoy them:
- Spiced carrot parsnip soup
- Potatoes peas and carrots stew
- Homemade hummus (no tahini)
- Jackfruit burger patties
- Vegan lentil borscht
- Chickpea tuna salad
- Oyster mushroom soup
- Chickpea fritters
- Pink beet hummus
- Oil-free cashew nut butter
- Cranberry sauce from craisins
- Red lentil soup
- Vegan red cabbage soup
🌮Related Recipes
📖 Recipe
Vegan Yeast Dinner Rolls
Equipment
- 1 large mixing bowl
- 8-inch round baking pan lightly greased
Ingredients
- 3 + ¾ cups all-purpose flour spooned & leveled
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon instant yeast
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar or granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 + ½ cups lukewarm water
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix the lukewarm water, sugar, and instant yeast. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes until foamy.1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon instant yeast, 2 teaspoons brown sugar, 1 + ½ cups lukewarm water, 1 teaspoon salt
- Gradually add the flour to the yeast mixture, mixing with a spoon until a shaggy dough forms. Once the dough starts pulling away from the sides of the bowl, transfer it to a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough by hand for about 5 minutes, forming a smooth and elastic ball.3 + ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- Lightly oil a bowl and the surface ofthe dough to prevent sticking, then place the dough back into the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and a clean kitchen towel, and let it rise in a warm place for 1-1.5 hours, or until doubled in size.
- Gently punch down the dough anddivide it into 10 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a ball and place them in a lightly oiled 8-inch round baking pan.
- Cover the rolls loosely with a kitchen towel and let them rise for another 20 minutes, until puffy.
- Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 480°F (250°C). Bake the rolls for 10 minutes, then lower the oven temperature to 300°F (150°C) and continue baking for another 15 minutes.
- The rolls will be quite firm when they come out of the oven, so immediately wrap them in a clean kitchen towel to soften. Let them cool on a wire rack or wooden surface for at least 20 minutes.
Notes
- Use lukewarm water, not hot, to activate the yeast properly.
- Make sure your yeast is fresh for the best rise and fluffy texture.
- Measure flour correctly using the scoop-and-level method to prevent dense rolls.
- Always preheat the oven so the rolls rise and bake evenly.
- Wrapping the rolls in a kitchen towel after baking keeps the crust soft and chewy.
- Store the rolls in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days, or let them cool completely and freeze in a freezer-safe bag for up to 2 months.
Nutrition
If you try these vegan yeast dinner rolls, let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don't forget to tag a photo @go_eatgreen on Instagram.
HUNGRY FOR MORE? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram for all of the latest updates.
Comments
No Comments