Copycat Texas Roadhouse Rolls with Honey Butter

These copycat Texas Roadhouse rolls are soft, fluffy, buttery and slightly sweet – just like the ones you love from your favorite steakhouse.

Made with simple ingredients, these homemade rolls are surprisingly easy to make at home.

The secret to these delicious rolls is a tender yeast dough, plenty of rising time, and a generous brush of melted butter over the tops while they’re still warm.

Serve them with homemade cinnamon honey butter for that classic restaurant experience right in your own kitchen!

Whether you’re planning a holiday dinner, serving juicy steaks or simply craving freshly baked bread, this copycat recipe will quickly become a family favorite.

Why We Love This Recipe

• Soft and fluffy. These yeast rolls have a tender, pillowy texture with a lightly sweet flavor and buttery tops.
• They taste like the real thing. This recipe comes remarkably close to the rolls served at Texas Roadhouse, making it an easy way to recreate your favorite restaurant side.
• Simple ingredients. You probably already have most of the ingredients needed to make these homemade rolls, including flour, yeast, milk, butter, sugar and eggs.
• The cinnamon honey butter. Serve the warm rolls with homemade cinnamon butter for the ultimate sweet and buttery combination.
• They’re great for special occasions. From Thanksgiving dinner to regular Sundays, these dinner rolls complement almost any meal.
• They freeze beautifully. Make a batch ahead of time and keep them on hand whenever you’re craving fresh, buttery rolls.

Ingredients

• All purpose flour
• Milk
• Active dry yeast
• Sugar
• Butter
• Eggs
• Salt

How to Make Copycat Texas Roadhouse Rolls

Activate the Yeast

The most important part of activating yeast is getting the water temperature right. The water should be warm – almost hot – at 110F to 115F degrees. Use a kitchen thermometer to make sure the temperature is right, and then sprinkle the yeast over the surface of the water. I like to stir it with a little spoon. Then, let it activate for 10 minutes. 

It should look frothy and bubbly. If your yeast doesn’t activate, check the temperature of the water and the expiration date on the yeast packet. 

Make the Dough

Add the yeast mixture, egg, melted butter, salt and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment.

Mix on medium-low speed until the ingredients begin to combine. Then, add the flour, one cup at a time, until a soft dough forms.

The dough should pull away from the sides of the bowl but remain slightly tacky. 

If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can combine the ingredients with a wooden spoon and knead the dough by hand.

Let the Dough Rise

Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl and cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel.

Place the bowl in a warm place and let it rise for about 90 minutes, or until it has doubled in size.

Shape the Rolls

Once the dough has doubled, gently punch it down to release excess air. Transfer it to a lightly floured work surface.

Roll the dough into a rectangle shape about ½ inch thick. Use a sharp knife or pizza cutter to cut the dough into evenly sized squares or rectangles. Depending on the size of the squares, you can get anywhere from 15-20 rolls out of the dough.

Arrange the pieces on prepared baking sheets lined with parchment paper, leaving enough space between each roll for expansion.

Let the Rolls Rise Again

Cover the shaped rolls loosely with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and let them rest in a warm spot for another 40 minutes.

This second rise allows the dough to become light and puffy before baking. And you can be preheating your oven during this time. 

Bake the Rolls

Bake the rolls until the tops are lightly golden brown and the centers are cooked through. Remove them from the oven and immediately brush the tops with melted butter.

Serve them warm with cinnamon honey butter for an authentic Texas Roadhouse-inspired experience.

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Storage Instructions

These homemade rolls are best enjoyed fresh from the oven, but they also store well for later.

Allow them to cool completely before placing them in an airtight container or resealable bag. Store them at room temperature for up to 3 days.

For longer storage, freeze them! Be sure you store them in an airtight container or a freezer bag with the air squeezed out. If you’re freezing a large batch, separate layers with parchment paper to keep the rolls from sticking together.

Reheat them in a warm oven, and give them a fresh brushing of melted butter before serving.

Make Ahead Instructions

Prepare the dough the day before: Make the dough according to the recipe. After the first rise, cover the bowl of dough tightly with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator. This will stop the rising process until you’re ready to shape the dough into rolls. 

The next day, allow the dough to sit at room temperature until it becomes easier to work with. Shape the rolls, let them complete their final rise and bake as directed. 

Shape the rolls ahead of time: You can also shape the rolls, arrange them on a baking sheet, cover them well, and refrigerate them overnight. The following day, let them sit in a warm place until puffy before baking. Watch the dough rather than relying entirely on the clock.

Bake and freeze: For the simplest option, bake the rolls completely, let them cool and freeze them. Reheat them in the oven before serving and brush the tops with butter for that fresh-from-the-oven taste.

How to Make Dough Rise

• Use fresh yeast. Check the expiration date on your active dry yeast or instant yeast. Throw away expired yeast. 
• Check the temperature of your water. Warm water should generally be around 110F-115F when activating active dry yeast. Liquid that is too hot can damage or kill the yeast. But if it’s too cold, the yeast won’t activate. 
• Find a warm place. Yeast works best in a comfortably warm environment. A chilly kitchen may slow the rising time considerably.
• Cover the dough. Plastic wrap or a clean, damp kitchen towel helps prevent the surface from drying out as the dough rests.
• Try the warm oven hack. My favorite shortcut for rising dough is to preheat my oven to 200F. Once it hits temperature, turn the oven off. Then, place the bowl of dough, covered with a dish towel, into the warm oven. This will reducing the rising time by half! 

Can I Use Rapid Rise Yeast Instead?

Yes! Rapid rise yeast, also called instant yeast, can be used to make these rolls.

Rapid rise yeast is designed to work quickly and can generally be mixed directly with the dry ingredients instead of being dissolved in a separate yeast mixture first. 

Keep in mind that instant yeast may shorten the rising time. Check the dough’s appearance rather than following the original timing exactly. Let it complete its first rise until doubled, then allow the shaped rolls to become puffy during the second rise.

The goal is the same regardless of which yeast you use: a soft, elastic dough that produces light, fluffy, buttery rolls.

Pro Tips

• Measure your flour carefully. Too much flour is one of the most common reasons homemade rolls turn out dry or dense. 
• Use warm, not hot, water. Excessive heat can damage the yeast and prevent the dough from rising properly.
• Don’t rush the rising process. Give the dough enough time to double during the first rise and become puffy during the second rise.
• Knead until smooth. Proper kneading develops gluten, which helps the rolls hold their shape while remaining soft and tender. You can do this by using the dough hook of your stand mixer, or by hand.
• Avoid overbaking. Remove the rolls when they’re lightly golden brown and cooked through. Baking them for too long can dry them out.
• Brush with butter immediately. Brushing the tops with melted butter as soon as the rolls leave the oven gives them a delicious buttery finish.
• Use a bread machine if you prefer. A bread machine with a dough cycle can mix and knead the ingredients for you. Transfer the finished dough to a greased bowl if needed, allow it to complete its first rise, then shape, proof and bake the rolls in the oven.
• Serve them warm. These rolls taste best when they’re slightly warm, with the butter melting into every soft layer.

When you make these copycat Texas Roadhouse rolls, I’d love to hear about it! Drop a rating or leave a comment below. Enjoy! 

For more dinner roll recipes, try these: 

• Parker House Rolls
• Portuguese Sweet Bread Rolls
• Raising Cane’s Texas Toast