Dinner Rolls Dairy-Free Egg-Free

These homemade dinner rolls can be made both dairy-free and egg-free.

And even without milk or egg, they raise and taste just like normal. Delicious! 

Skip the refrigerator if you have 3-4 straight hours to tend to these.

Or use the refrigerator to prepare the dough the night before.

You can also prep these in the morning, refrigerate, and bake for dinner.

These are even easier to make when you use a stand mixer, even for the kneading. We'll tell you how.

See the simple recipe below!

We have loved this simple, refrigerator dinner roll recipe for many years.

It's modified from our old church cookbook and my friend Val's recipe. 

I took Val's delicious recipe and made it easily dairy-free and egg-free.

I also simplified this recipe by skipping the clover shape.

That's 48 less dough balls I have to make, I'm too lazy for all that extra work. 

This refrigerator roll recipe can be doubled for big holiday dinners. 

Or I half the recipe for dinner with our family of four.

WHY REFRIGERATOR ROLLS

When making rolls, you don't want to let the dough rise for too long or there will be no rising left to do while baking.

So timing is essential when making homemade rolls.

While this recipe can be made straight through all the steps in about 3-4 hours...

the refrigerator tips are given in case you don't have a full 3-4 hour chunk of time to make these.

There are two ways the refrigerator method is super helpful to me as a busy mom.

One, I can put the dough together in the morning, refrigerate (slow the rise), let it rise in the afternoon, and bake at dinner time.

OR, I can put these together at night, refrigerate (slow the rise), let them rise in the morning, and bake for lunch like on Easter or Thanksgiving.

So this dinner roll recipe can be made straight through for a few hours or prepped ahead of time the night before or in the morning.

STAND MIXER & DINNER ROLLS

Not only do I mix my dough in an electric stand mixer...but I also do all the kneading in it, as well.

Just use your dough hook and set your timer for 10 minutes while it does all the kneading for you.

Using a stand mixer makes these even easier!

See all the steps and specific tips below.

REFRIGERATOR ROLLS DAIRY & EGG FREE

Makes 24 rolls.

INGREDIENTS

1 and ¾ cups warm water
4 and½ teaspoons yeast
½ cups sugar
1 tablespoon salt
1 room temp unbeaten egg or 3 Tbs. applesauce or 1 flax egg
¼ cup dairy-free butter (softened)
5-6 cups all purpose flour

DIRECTIONS

Making the Dough

Mix together your 1 flax egg or set out an egg.

Set out your ¼ cup butter to get it to room temp. 

Pour 1-¾ cup warm water into a large mixing bowl.

Sprinkle 4-½ teaspoons of yeast over water.

Add ½ cup sugar to the bowl.

Add 1 tablespoon salt to the bowl.

Stir and dissolve the ingredients. 

Add 1 room temp egg or egg replacer.

Add ¼ cup dairy-free butter (softened) cut in four pieces.

Stir until ingredients are combined. 

Add in first 3 cups of flour.

With wooden spoon or electric stand mixer, mix for 2 minutes on medium speed. If using a stand mixer, use dough hook. 

Gradually add in another 1 cup of flour.

Then use hands or electric stand mixer to work in the remaining 1-2 cups of flour to make a soft dough that clings to the mixer hook.

Knead the dough for 10 minutes. If using a stand mixer, let the dough hook knead the dough on setting 2.

First Dough Rise In Bowl

Place the dough in a clean, medium bowl buttered with dairy-free butter.

Turn the dough once to also grease the top side of the dough. 

Cover the bowl of dough with plastic wrap. 

Let the dough rise in the fridge for 2 hours or until double in size. It can also sit in the refrigerator overnight. Or you can let it rise at room temperature for about an hour.

Second Dough Rise In Baking Dish

Grease a 10x15" baking dish with dairy-free butter.

After the dough has risen the first time, punch down the dough.

Place the dough on a lightly floured board. 

Separate the dough into two equal parts.

Then cut each half into 12 even pieces using a dough cutter.

Roll the pieces into 24 smooth balls, a little bigger than golf balls.

Place in a baking pan about a half inch apart.

Brush the rolls liberally with melted dairy-free butter so they don't stick to the plastic wrap.

Cover the pan with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until double in size, about 1-2 hours.

Baking The Rolls

Bake about 15 minutes at 400 degrees until there's an even golden brown color. You can also test for an internal temp at 190 degrees Fahrenheit. When done, the edges pull from the side and the rolls will sound hollow with a finger tap. 

Brush with dairy-free butter when removed from oven.

Enjoy these refrigerator rolls hot and fresh.

Or store them in an airtight container after they are cooled.

Reheat in a microwave or warm oven.

Hope you enjoy these dairy-free and egg-free refrigerator rolls as much as we do!

See more dairy-free bread recipes here.