Perfect Roasted Garlic Vegan Dinner Rolls Recipe.

Soft.

Garlicky.

Foolproof.

These absolutely delicious and easy vegan dinner rolls are going to be a hit at your next potluck or dinner party (it’s still not too late to make these for the holidays…and these are definitely going to appear at all my holiday feasts going forward!), or even more perfect for a night alone with your Netflix account (I mean try not to eat the whole tray–I dare you). These dairy-free dinner rolls are the perfect side dish to any meal, to be honest. I made these for some friends the other night and no one could keep their hands off them!

So, let’s roll up our sleeves and get to kneading!!

Disclaimer: Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links for products I use and love. If you make a purchase after clicking one of those links, I may earn a small affiliate commission, perhaps enough to buy some extra gochujang or gochugaru 🙂

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But IS This A Roll Or A Bun?

I honestly learn so much by writing this blog. I had to come up with a name for these delicious dinner rolls and at first, I called them “buns.” But then, I was like, “Wait. What is the difference between a roll and a bun?” I soon discovered that buns are typically stuffed with things.

Did you know this?

Like hamburger “buns” or hot dog “buns,” buns are meant to be eaten as part of a whole other dish. Well, these roasted garlic vegan dinner rolls are not burger buns. They are absolutely perfect and meant to be enjoyed on their ownsome or as a side (we enjoyed ours with this immaculate vegan lasagna). I’ll be making these pillowy dinner rolls for our upcoming Christmas dinner because I think fluffy vegan dinner rolls are an absolute staple of a holiday meal!

Why You’ll Love These Vegan Dinner Rolls.

If you have a copy of my cookbook, then you know that I love bread! I have an entire freaking chapter in my book on JUST BREAD!! I started making homemade bread years and years ago after a really old YouTube video on bread making rocked my world. And I began experimenting with vegan bread recipes almost as soon as I went vegan. Believe it or not, many many breads are naturally dairy and egg-free. In the past year, though, I’ve been practicing a lot on breads made with enriched dough (i.e., a dough that has lots of butter or eggs).

If you’ve never tried making homemade dinner rolls before, I genuinely think this vegan dinner rolls recipe is going to change your life just like that random YouTube video changed mine!! There are so many reasons you’re going to love these vegan dinner rolls, but I’ll try and whittle it down for you. These perfect dinner rolls will skyrocket to the top of your vegan bread recipes because they’re:

• Soft
• Garlicky
• Fluffy
• Easy

In sum, we’re talking about a handful of very simple ingredients, not too many steps, and a virtually foolproof way to bake these soft dinner rolls. In other words, these vegan dinner rolls will be the best vegan dinner rolls you’ve ever eaten. You’ll never go back to store-bought rolls.

Key Ingredients and Notes on Substitutions for Vegan Dinner Rolls.

The following are the key ingredients for this vegan dinner rolls recipe:

Garlic.

A whole head of roasted garlic goes into the recipe for these vegan dinner rolls. Can you use raw garlic? Or add fresh minced garlic to your dough? Yes, you can, but it will change the texture of your vegan dinner rolls. These dinner rolls will literally be the softest, most tender rolls you’ve ever eaten, but if you add chunky bits of garlic to your dough, it may have a harder time creating a solid gluten structure. In contrast, roasted garlic is as soft as butter and will melt right into the dough for these vegan dinner rolls.

Moreover, you’ll miss out on the sweet flavor of roasted garlic, which pairs so perfectly with the butter we’re going to add to this dough!

Active Dry Yeast.

For this vegan dinner rolls recipe, I use active dry yeast. I’ve used both instant and active dry yeasts for my bread recipes and honestly, it doesn’t really impact the flavor in any noticeable way. But, I prefer active dry for two reasons. First, there are a lot of reasons why the yeast you picked up at the grocery store just yesterday could already be dead (I mean… how long was it sitting on the grocery store shelf…?). I like proofing the yeast–making sure it’s alive before I spend hours putting together a dough that doesn’t rise.

Second, I like that it takes longer to rise–it gives me more time to do other things! Now, if you need to make these dinner rolls in the next two hours…? Ok, maybe instant yeast should be your thing. But this vegan dinner rolls recipe was developed using active dry and therefore, the steps included in the full instructions below will be for that application.

Plant-Based Milk Plus Acid.

One of the secrets to making these literally the softest, most tender vegan dinner rolls of your existence is the addition of vegan buttermilk. Not, before you throw up your hands and wail, “but they don’t sell vegan buttermilk at my grocery store Joanne!!” I got you!! Vegan buttermilk is the easiest thing in the world to make. Simply add a tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice to your favorite, high-protein dairy-free milk! DONE! You’ve made vegan buttermilk!

Which non-dairy milk, you ask? I prefer soy milk or a creamy oat milk (my favorite, right now, is Chobani’s Extra Creamy Oatmilk). Why? To tell whether your vegan buttermilk is going to be effective, you’ll want to see it curdle when you add the vinegar or lemon juice. Every time I’ve tried making vegan buttermilk with a thinner milk (say, almond milk), I hardly see a curdle. Therefore, if you can use soy or oatmilk for this recipe, I’d go with that.

All Purpose Flour.

Many vegan dinner roll recipes rely on bread flour or a mix of bread flour and all purpose flour, especially when making an enriched dough. That’s a NO for me!! The problem with bread flour is that it creates a stiffer, much harder bread. I don’t want stiff, hard bread…? Like, if I was making bread for sandwiches, then yes! Sure! But that’s not what these vegan dinner rolls are about, at all. We are going to stick with all purpose flour for this recipe and it’ll be amazing.

Now, can you use gluten-free flour for these rolls? I have not tried this recipe with a gluten-free flour blend and I’d be remiss in recommending that you give it a whirl without me testing it first. Bread can be tricky without the right gluten-free flour blend, especially if they are vegan (i.e., with no egg or protein to stand in for the gluten). If there’s a good vegan gluten-free flour blend you’ve made bread with before, though, give it a try! In the meantime, I’ll get to work on creating a gluten-free version, myself!

What about whole wheat flour? Anytime you alter the flour for a bread recipe, you’re necessarily going to have to alter the quantity of liquid. You can try subbing in whole wheat flour, but you may need to add a little more water to achieve the right ratio. I’ll try and describe each step with detail, so you all can see how sticky the dough is supposed to be.

Vegan Butter.

As I mentioned, the bread dough for these vegan dinner rolls is a slightly enriched dough. I say “slightly” because we’re not going to add 2 whole pounds of vegan butter or anything. But we are going to add some butter and it’ll be cold butter. Again, I’ve seen (and tried) many dinner rolls recipes calling for melted vegan butter in the dough itself (we’ll use melted butter to brush the tops at the end!), but that’ll weigh down your dough and prevent it from being super fluffy.

What kind of vegan butter? I use Earth Balance or Country Crock Plant Butter for all my vegan butter baking needs. I find that these not only mimic the flavor of dairy-butter, they are the most chemically similar, as well. For purposes of this vegan dinner rolls recipe, the key factor is that these particular brands of vegan butter take longer to melt and break than other vegan butters.

Sugar.

Active dry yeast proofs (i.e., proves that it’s not dead or gets “activated”) with a little bit of sugar. For most of my bread recipes, that means I throw in a tablespoon of organic cane sugar. But if you don’t have sugar lying around, you can also use a sugar-y syrup, like maple syrup, brown rice syrup, agave syrup, etc. You can even substitute coconut sugar or date sugar for white sugar, though this may result in a darker crust.

Fresh Parsley.

These vegan dinner rolls will be topped with some sea salt and a garlic butter mixed with fresh parsley. If you don’t like fresh parsley, you can always skip it or replace it with the herb of your choice!

Special Equipment For This Vegan Dinner Rolls Recipe.

I usually do not break out an entire section on equipment for my recipes, trusting that you all are smart enough to figure it out. However, this vegan dinner rolls recipe merits a word or two on the equipment.

Do I Really Need a Stand Mixer? No. No you don’t, Mom.

First, as with most bread recipes, using a stand mixer with the hook attachment for kneading will make your life easier, for sure. This is particularly so for recipes that call for enrichment (i.e., the addition of butter). But, don’t worry–I made this recipe at my mom’s house (and she very sillily lent the stunning KitchenAid stand mixer I bought her to my sister-in-law) by hand. It took a lot more upper body effort and time, but it turned out AMAZING.

Now, if you want recommendations on a stand mixer, KitchenAids are great, but this one is INCREDIBLE.

Can’t I Just Use Any Old Casserole Dish? No, No you can’t, Betty.

I’ve made this recipe multiple times. The first time, I used a casserole dish that was way too large and guess what? The rolls didn’t rise very much during the second rise. They baked up pretty nicely in the oven but the minute I took them away from their heat source, they totally deflated. Tasted delicious (Anthony ate almost the entire tray by himself), but man… they were too ugly to even take a picture of!! 🙁

Don’t make my mistake! Get an 8″ x 11″ casserole dish! If you simply can’t get your hands on that exact size, err on the side of going a bit smaller than larger!

Step-by-Step Instructions to Making Vegan Dinner Rolls.

If this is your first time making bread or even dinner rolls, I really wanted to make this recipe as foolproof as possible. Accordingly, I’ve parsed out the steps with more granularity than I typically do. Therefore, it may look like there are a lot more steps involved than is normal, but in actuality, this vegan dinner rolls recipe is rather passive (there’s a lot of resting involved!).

Bread making can seem really hard and I want to make sure you feel like I’m with you for every step towards the best bread you’ve ever had, even if I have to go into excruciating detail on every small step. So don’t get intimidated by the number of steps involved. Some of them are literally the equivalent of “cover bowl and let it sit for 2 hours” or “divide dough into 12 pieces.” LOL.

Step 1: Roast Your Garlic.

First, preheat your oven to 450° F. While your oven is preheating, cut your garlic in half towards the top (i.e., the hairy part) of your garlic head. Place the two halves back together and then wrap them tightly with aluminum foil. Bake in the oven for about 45 to 50 minutes, until the garlic cloves are slightly beige and very tender.

Step 2: Make Your Vegan Buttermilk.

While your garlic is roasting, make your vegan buttermilk by whisking together your plant-based milk with either vinegar or lemon juice (I used rice vinegar for mine). Set this aside.

Step 3: Proof Your Yeast.

It’s time to prove your yeast is ALIVE! Add warm water (I like to mix together a 50-50 ratio of very HOT water with cold water to make sure it’s the right temperature) to the bowl of a stand mixer (if you’re using one) or a very large bowl. Then, add your sugar and yeast. Mix and set aside for 10 minutes. If you don’t see bubbles, foam, or some kind of something happening in your bowl, your yeast is dead and you should start over before you waste any more time and ingredients!

Step 4. Make Your Dough.

Once you’ve definitively removed your yeast from any existential risk, heat your buttermilk in the microwave for 30 to 60 seconds, so that it’s quite warm but not hot enough that it will hurt your finger. Then, add the flour, along with the roasted garlic cloves (just squeeze it out directly into your bowl) and salt to your yeast mixture.

Using the dough hook on medium-low speed on your stand mixer (or a wooden spoon), mix the ingredients together until a very dry dough begins to form. Then, slowly pour in your warm milk and continue mixing on medium speed for about 2 to 3 minutes until a shaggy dough forms.

Step 5. Enrich Your Dough.

Once the shaggy dough has formed, increase the speed on the stand mixer to high (or if kneading by hand, continue kneading for about 5 minutes). Then, begin dropping small cubes of the cold vegan butter in a little bit at a time. One trick I’ve used is to grate my vegan butter into the dough–this will ease the incorporation. If kneading by hand, knead a few small cubes of vegan butter into your dough before adding more.

Once all the butter has been incorporated, continue kneading with the stand mixer on high for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, until your dough is much smoother and elastic (will stretch before ripping). If kneading by hand, it may take you far longer, approximately 20 to 25 minutes.

Step 6. Proof Your Dough (First Rise).

Shape your dough into a smooth ball and place your dough ball into a greased bowl (this prevents the dough from sticking when it’s time to shape it into rolls). Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap and place the bowl in a warm area in your house for the next 90 minutes to 2 hours, until the dough has doubled in size (if your home is on the warmer side, err towards the 90 minute mark).

I often place my bowl in a nest of heavy winter coats or blankets or, if my oven is free, my not turned on in any way shape or form oven (if you’ve only just roasted your garlic, this won’t be an option) with the oven light on.

Step 7. Divide Your Dough Into Equal Pieces.

Once your dough has doubled in size, punch the dough for the small but obligatory catharsis that attends all bread-making adventures. Remove your dough ball from your bowl and place it on a lightly floured surface. Knead it gently for a few seconds and reshape it into a tidy ball. Then, divide your dough ball into 12 equal pieces.

The best way to do this, of course, is to use a kitchen scale and bench scraper (which make excellent gifts, btw). But if you’re going to literally not make this recipe because I’m telling you to use a kitchen scale, then just eyeball it. (My entire dough ball was roughly 1,200 grams and so each of my dough balls was approximately 100 grams.)

Step 8. Shape Your Rolls.

To shape the rolls, work with one piece at a time (while keeping the other pieces covered so they don’t dry out). Create a “C” with the index or middle finger and thumb of one of your hands (I use my left hand). Press the piece through the “C” using your other hand. Then, close the “C” around the bottom of your little ball. Place the dough ball on your surface. Create a cage with all five fingers of your hand over the ball. Then, make a circular motion with your “hand cage” so the dough ball is rolling around in it for about 10 seconds.

Place the ball in a greased 8″ x 11″ casserole dish. Repeat with remaining dough. Space the balls out equally in your casserole dish. Do not go too much smaller or bigger with your casserole dish, as this will affect the way your dough balls rise.

Step 9. Proof Your Rolls (Second Rise).

Cover the tray of dough balls with a kitchen towel (I used a very deep casserole dish that comes with a lid–thank God, because I almost sat on it, it was buried in one of my sweaters on my desk chair). Let it sit in a warm place for about 60 minutes, until they double in size. About 30 minutes into your second rise, preheat your oven to 350° F.

Do not let the dough balls sit too long, thinking “Oh, the higher they rise, the fluffier they’ll be.” NO. If you overproof the second time, your vegan dinner rolls will completely deflate the minute they get exposed to heat. You’ll know your second rise is done when the rolls look cozily snug, have risen higher, and they’re still pretty firm to the touch.

Step 10. Make A Garlicky, Buttery Vegan “Egg” Wash.

To make a vegan and garlicky “egg” wash for your vegan dinner rolls, make your vegan garlic herb butter first by melting your vegan butter with grated, minced garlic, or roasted garlic (in case you had a clove or two that didn’t make it into the dough). I just stick mine in the microwave but you can also let it melt over the stove. Then, incorporate your fresh parsley. Add half this garlic butter mixture to a small bowl. Whisk in plant-milk or JUST Egg (either is fine). Using a pastry brush, gently (but generously) brush the tops of your dinner rolls.

Step 11. Bake Your Vegan Dinner Rolls.

Place your tray of vegan dinner rolls on the center rack of your preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes. Go back in with that pastry brush and supplement with more vegan egg wash (trust me). Bake for an additional 10 minutes until the tops of your vegan dinner rolls are absolutely, stunningly golden brown. Remove from the oven and brush with just the vegan garlic herb butter (you may have to re-melt it). Sprinkle with sea salt.

Allow the vegan dinner rolls to sit for about 10 minutes before cutting in, so they are springy, soft, fluffy, and magical.

Storing And Reheating Vegan Dinner Rolls.

Your vegan dinner rolls are honestly best when they’re fresh and just a few minutes out of the oven. But if somehow (somehow?) you still have leftovers, they can remain at room temperature for 24 hours, loosely covered. Afterwards, they should be placed in the refrigerator in an airtight container, where they can last for about a week. To reheat your vegan dinner rolls, just zap them in the microwave covered with a damp paper towel for about 10 to 15 seconds.

Frequently Asked Questions.

What Should I Eat With These Vegan Dinner rolls?

• Lasagna
• Roasted Carrot Soup
• Vegan Pumpkin Curry With Tofu
• Mac And Cheese Casserole
• Corn Soufflé
• Cabbage Pasta
• Lentil Soup

Video: Watch Me Make It.

Recipe Card.

Questions & Comments