Bring your favorite taste of Texas Roadhouse right to your table with these copycat rolls. Each warm fluffy bite is paired with sweet cinnamon butter that makes these simply irresistible.
If you have ever been to Texas Roadhouse, then you know their rolls are the BOMB! They bring out their fluffy cloud-like rolls to enjoy while you are waiting for your meal, but after the millionth dip into the cinnamon butter, you realize you should go ahead and ask for the entree in a to-go box.
I do enjoy going out to eat from time to time but if I’m being honest, I really prefer my own grilling over anything I might get at a restaurant. The one thing I haven’t been able to recreate at home are my favorite rolls, until now. This copy cat recipe is so simple and will save you from making a trip out.
Since I do most of my cooking on the grill, I was a little intimidated to step outside of my comfort zone and do some baking, but desperate times call for desperate measures. The great thing is, you don’t have to be a baker to have great results.
Just follow the simple instructions and voila! You will be surprised at how easy these rolls are to make. They may require a little time and mess but they are oh so worth it!
Ingredients For This Recipe
While these Texas Roadhouse rolls require some time and effort, they are fairly easy to make. Here’s what you will need:
- For The Rolls
- Warm Water – Make sure the temperature of your water doesn’t exceed 110°F to 115°F, otherwise it can kill the yeast. An instant-read thermometer can be used to ensure you have the desired temperature.
- Whole Milk (Scalded) – Don’t skip heating your milk! This will unravel the proteins in the milk that inhibit rising and give you soft, fluffier rolls.
- Granulated Sugar – Sugar is used to add sweetness and activate the yeast.
- Active Dry Yeast – Make sure to use fresh yeast.
- All Purpose Flour – To properly measure flour, use a spoon to scoop the flour into the measuring cup and level off the top. Too much flour will make the rolls very dense.
- Fine Sea Salt – A dash of salt adds flavor to the rolls.
- A Large Egg – Allow the egg to set out and reach room temperature. If you forget to set it out ahead of time, place the egg in a bowl of warm water for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Unsalted Butter – Adds even more flavor to the rolls. Melt the butter and let it cool slightly before mixing it with the other ingredients.
- Cinnamon Honey Butter
- Butter – Use unsalted butter that is softened to room temperature.
- Honey – Any honey can be used, but local or organic honey is my preference.
- Cinnamon – You can’t have cinnamon butter without the cinnamon.
- Vanilla Extract – I recommend using pure vanilla extract for the best flavor.
- Fine Sea Salt – This will balance the sweetness and enhance the flavor.
How To Make Texas Roadhouse Rolls
Begin preparing the rolls by whisking together the warm water, milk, sugar and yeast, until just combined. Set aside the mixture for about 10 minutes until the yeast is foamy.
Add the flour, salt, egg, and cooled melted butter to the foamy yeast mixture. Use a paddle attachment or a rubber spatula and mix the ingredients until a sticky dough forms, then switch to a dough hook.
On medium speed, mix the dough for 5 to 7 minutes. If the dough seems sticky, mix in 2 tablespoons of flour at a time until the dough is easy to handle and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. If it’s just the very bottom of the dough that keeps sticking to the mixing bowl but it’s overall a cohesive ball, you do not need to add more flour. I don’t recommend adding more than 6 to 8 tablespoons of extra flour, so the rolls stay light and fluffy.
Once the dough is kneaded, form it into a ball and place it into a lightly greased bowl.
Cover the bowl with a towel or plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise in a warm place for 1 to 1 and ½ hours or until it is doubled in size.
Once doubled in size, punch down the dough to deflate it and divide it in half.
Roll half of the dough out on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle, then fold the dough over itself and pinch the edges to secure them together. Roll the dough back into a rectangle that is about 11” x 4.5” in size.
Cut the rectangle in half lengthwise, and then into eight even size squares. Place each square of dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover the pan with a towel or with an upside down baking sheet. Repeat the same steps with the remaining half of the dough, you should end up with 16 pieces of dough once you are done.
I ended up baking 12 rolls on one baking sheet and then the remaining 4 on another one. If you can fit them all on one baking sheet that will work as well.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Allow both pans of dough to rise at room temperature for 30 minutes, in a warm place. Once the oven is preheated and the rolls are ready, bake for 15 to 25 minutes or until lightly golden brown on top. The baking time will vary slightly depending on how large you cut the rolls and how many are on your baking sheet.
If desired, use a spray bottle to lightly spray each roll with water before baking and once more halfway through baking. This will prevent the rolls from becoming dry and give them a nice pillowy texture.
Immediately after baking, place the pans onto a wire cooling rack and brush each roll with some melted butter.
How To Make Cinnamon Honey Butter
Making cinnamon honey butter is incredibly easy! Add softened butter, honey, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt to an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Whip the ingredients on medium-high speed for 3 minutes or until the mixture is light and fluffy.
If needed, stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl between mixing. Once the butter is whipped and fluffy, it is ready to enjoy with a freshly baked roll.
What To Serve With Texas Roadhouse Rolls
No matter what you are making, there are very few things that won’t go great with these rolls. I use this recipe to go with holiday meals, cookouts, and even to make sandwiches.
The steakhouse might be where the love for these rolls came from, but the versatility of this recipe goes well beyond that. Check out some of our other posts below for some great suggestions:
Frequently Asked Questions
There are a lot of options that are considered a “warm place” for your dough to rise. The option I always use is my oven. Start by turning on your oven to its warm setting for a few minutes and then turn it off. Place your wrapped dough in the center rack of the oven and keep it closed. The dough will stay warm without overheating.
Another option is to use a heating pad. Set the heating pad to the lowest setting, place a dish towel on it, then set your bowl on top.
Pour the milk into a saucepan and place it over medium heat, stirring often. The milk will start to steam and bubble around the edges. Once the milk starts to bubble, right before it comes to a boil, remove it from the heat. Allow it to cool until it reaches 110°F to 115°F or is warm to the touch.
If you do not have an electric mixer, you can knead the dough by hand on the counter. It will take between 8 to 10 minutes to knead. You will know the dough is ready when you can form it into a smooth ball and it bounces back when lightly touched.
Copycat Texas Roadhouse Rolls
Ingredients
For The Rolls
- ⅓ cup warm water (110°F-115°F)
- 1 cup whole milk scalded and cooled to 110 to 115°F (240 ml)
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 3 ½ cups all purpose flour spooned and leveled (440 grams)
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted and slightly cooled; plus extra 2 tbsp melted to brush rolls
For The Whipped Honey Cinnamon Butter
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened at room temperature
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
Instructions
- To make the rolls: Whisk the warm water, scalded milk, sugar, and yeast in a bowl of an electric stand mixer (or in a large bowl), just until combined. Set aside for 10 minutes until the yeast is foamy.
- Add the flour, salt, egg and 4 tablespoons of cooled melted butter to the foamy yeast mixture. Mix with a paddle attachment until a sticky dough forms, then switch to a dough hook.
- Mix on medium speed for 5 to 7 minutes (8 to 10 minutes if kneading by hand on the counter). If the dough seems sticky, mix in 2 tablespoons of flour at a time until the dough is easy to handle and the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Note, if just the very bottom of the dough keeps sticking to the mixer bowl but it’s overall a cohesive ball, don’t add more than 6 to 8 tablespoons of flour.
- Once the dough is kneaded, form it into a ball and place it into a lightly greased bowl. You can grease the bowl with a light coating of neutral oil or easily spray with baking spray.
- Cover with a towel or plastic wrap and allow dough to rise in a warm place for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until doubled in size.
- Once doubled in size, punch down the dough and divide in half. Roll half of the dough out on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle, then fold over itself and pinch the edges to secure. Roll back out into about an 11” x 4.5” rectangle. Cut the rectangle in half lengthwise, and then into 8 even squares. Place each dough square onto one of the prepared baking sheets. Cover the pan with a towel or with an upside down baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining half of the dough. You should ended up with 16 squares of dough.
- Allow both pans of dough to rise at room temperature for 30 minutes, in a warm place.
- While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Bake for 15 to 25 minutes or until the rolls are cooked through and golden brown on top. Optionally, for a more pillowy texture, lightly spray your dough with water before baking and halfway through baking to prevent rolls from becoming dry. Baking time will vary depending on how large you cut the rolls and how many are on each baking sheet.
- Immediately after baking, place the baking pans onto wire cooling racks and brush each roll with the remaining 2 tablespoons of melted butter.
- To make the whipped honey cinnamon butter: In a bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large bowl with a handheld electric mixer), add the softened butter, honey, cinnamon, vanilla and salt.
- Whip on medium-high speed for 3 minutes, scraping the bowl every so often, until whipped and fluffy. Enjoy right away with a freshly baked roll!
Notes
- How to warm the water: Place water in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 20 to 25 seconds and feel with your fingertip to make sure it is warm, but not hot. If too hot, allow it to sit on the counter for 2 to 3 minutes to cool slightly. Alternatively, you can also place water into a small saucepan and heat until it reaches between 110°F to 115°F with an instant-read thermometer.
- How to Scald Milk: Pour the milk into a saucepan and place it over medium heat stirring often. The milk will start to steam and bubble around the edges. Once the milk starts to bubble, right before it comes to a boil, remove it from the heat. Allow it to cool until it reaches 110°F to 115°F or is warm to the touch.
- You can make this recipe with or without a stand mixer. The kneading time will be a bit longer if done by hand since the mixer is faster and more efficient.