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These Garlic Dinner Rolls are tender and soft, with a moist crumb that adds a pop to dinner, creating a flavor party in your mouth. They're versatile and can be served with a wide range of meals.
Here are some delicious main courses to serve with your rolls: Turkey Meatballs and Spaghetti, White Wine Chicken Pasta, Crispy Southern Fried Chicken, Sous Vide Turkey Breast, and Fried Fish.
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Growing up, the big thing to make spaghetti and meatball night complete was garlic bread! Although my mother and father never made it from scratch and relied on the freezer section to handle that part of dinner, it still was a highlight of my childhood.
However, now as a dad, I want my children to know the difference between homemade dinner rolls and convenience garlic dinner rolls from the freezer. Not to mention, as a chef, I need to know how to make bread from scratch for professional reasons.
So, if you're gluten-free and have been missing these rolls since discovering you can't have them, this will be your way of reliving delicious bites of garlic bread without the pain. Just follow the notes section for substitutions, and you'll be able to sop these rolls up with anything.
It only took me one attempt to get these rolls right, so I'm confident that my steps will yield the same success for you. To make my garlic butter dinner rolls recipe, we'll add garlic to the dough and finish them off with a quick and flavorful garlic butter.
All you need is a few simple ingredients that you may already have at home, and in about an hour, your house will smell like an Italian grandmother's love story.
Garlic Dinner Rolls Key Ingredients
Here are the main ingredients you'll need to make finger-licking garlic butter rolls.
Evaporated milk
Regular milk can be used, but it will lack the flavor that evaporated milk adds to your rolls.
Fresh Garlic
Garlic is the star of this dish. When I was researching my peer's recipe, I noticed most only used a garlic butter on top. The star of the dish should shine, so we're adding chopped garlic to the dough and making garlic butter.
Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
You can bake rolls with bread flour, but unbleached all-purpose flour works beautifully. It gives the dough a nice rise, avoids bleaching agents, and is more budget-friendly.
Active Dry Yeast
Active dry yeast is my go-to for rolls. It helps the dough rise well and gives the bread a soft, fluffy texture.
Kosher Salt
Salt is the quiet hero in bread baking. Just a pinch transforms the flavor, sharpening the garlic’s sweetness and keeping your rolls from tasting flat.
Raw Cane Sugar
A little sugar sweetens the dough and helps balance the flavor.
Avocado Oil
Softened butter adds a rich flavor to the dough, while oil can make the rolls softer and fluffier.
Unsalted Butter
This will be the star of the homemade garlic butter. I prefer to use unsalted butter so I can control my salt intake, but if you have salted butter, feel free to use it instead.
How to Make Garlic Dinner Rolls
These garlic butter dinner rolls aren’t just bread—they’re stuffed with bold garlic flavor inside and out, then brushed with rich garlic butter that makes them absolutely irresistible.
Garlic Rolls
In a stand mixer bowl, combine warm milk, oil, yeast, and sugar. Let it sit until the mixture looks frothy, about 5-10 minutes. If your mixture does not look frothy, your yeast is inactive and you should start again with new yeast.
Once the yeast mixture is frothy, stir in the egg. Add salt, 3 cups of flour, and garlic. Using the dough hook attachment, mix on low for 1 minute, until the mixture is well combined.
First Rise
Add the remaining flour and mix for another minute, until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead it until a smooth ball is formed.
Flatten the dough slightly into a disc shape and cut it into 4 parts. Then, cut each of those parts in half. Shape into a small ball of dough.
Place the dough in a parchment-lined 9x13 baking dish and cover it for 30 minutes, or until the dough has doubled in size.
Garlic Butter
While the dough is proofing, heat a small skillet over medium heat, melt butter, and add garlic and salt, cooking for 15 seconds or until fragrant. Remove from the heat and stir in chopped parsley.
Second Rise
Preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C). Brush rolls with melted butter and bake for 20 minutes, until golden brown.
Then, brush with garlic butter while still hot out of the oven. Serve warm with room-temperature softened salted butter.
How To Store Garlic Rolls
Treat your rolls like the treasures they are—let them cool completely, then place them in an airtight container or storage bag. They’ll stay soft and fresh on the counter for up to 3 days, or you can refrigerate them for up to a week.
Fully baked rolls freeze beautifully—slip them into a freezer bag, and they’ll keep for up to three months. When the craving hits, thaw them in the fridge or on the counter for about 24 hours before warming.
Bring them back to life in a 350°F (176°C) oven for 8–10 minutes until toasty and hot. For frozen rolls, thaw them first to keep them fluffy; reheating straight from frozen tends to trap extra moisture, making them soggy instead of soft.
Pro Recipe Substitutions, Tips & Tricks
Here are a few notes on handling and substitutions for your garlic butter dinner rolls.
- If you only have garlic powder, I recommend using granulated garlic powder. For every clove of garlic, you'll need ⅛ teaspoon.
- A sharp knife isn’t your only option: a garlic press or food processor makes the job simple, and a microplane grater gives you smooth, paste-like garlic perfect for mixing into butter or dough.
- You can use water, whole milk, or your milk of choice as a substitute for evaporated milk.
- 81°F is the optimal temperature for a warm spot for the dough to rise. To create a warm spot for dough to rise, briefly warm your oven to 170°F (76°C), then turn it off. Place the dough inside with the door slightly open so it stays warm without overheating.
- A stand mixer makes kneading dough effortless, but hand mixing is also an option. Stir the dough with a wooden spoon in a large bowl, then knead on a lightly floured surface for 8–10 minutes until a soft dough forms. It may seem shaggy at first, but steady kneading transforms it into a smooth, elastic ball.
- For accuracy, spoon flour into your measuring cup and level it off with a knife. Scooping directly from the bag tends to pack too much flour, which can make rolls dense.
- You can proof the dough balls in the fridge overnight, cover them with plastic wrap, and then allow them to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking.
- Feel free to add more flavor by sprinkling flaky salt or sea salt on the rolls before baking them.
- Feel free to use whatever olive oil or any oil you have at home as a substitute for avocado oil.
- A dependable option is King Arthur’s gluten-free bread flour. If you’re baking gluten-free, swap the all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free blend.
- You can use an egg wash to brush your rolls with instead of melted butter. All you'll need is one large egg, slightly beaten.
- You can use instant yeast instead of active dry yeast, but be aware that this shortcut will yield a less risen dough, although it will still be delicious.
- You can use this garlic butter to brush on top of chicken, fish and any other bread you’d like.
More Roll Recipes
If you enjoy this recipe, here are some more recommendations!
- Classic Dinner Rolls
- Honey Butter Rolls
- No-Yeast Dinner Rolls
- Buttermilk Rolls
- Hawaiian Dinner Rolls
- Classic Cinnamon Rolls
- Pecan Sticky Buns
Before You Begin
Here are my steps for getting organized and moving fast in the kitchen.
Step 1: Get all ingredients for the garlic dinner rolls on the counter.
Step 2: Measure each ingredient into its own individual bowl.
Step 3: Follow the recipe and get ready for some delicious garlic butter dinner rolls you've ever made!
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📖 Recipe
Garlic Dinner Rolls
Ingredients
Garlic Rolls:
- 1 cup warm evaporated milk
- ⅓ cup avocado oil
- 1 envelope active dry yeast 2 ¼ teaspoons
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 large egg beaten
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour scoop and level
- 6 garlic cloves chopped fine
- 2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
Garlic Butter:
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 garlic cloves chopped fine
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley
Instructions
Garlic Rolls
- In a stand mixer bowl, combine warm milk, oil, yeast, and sugar. Let it sit until the mixture looks frothy, about 5-10 minutes. If your mixture does not look frothy, your yeast is inactive and you should start again with new yeast.
- Once the yeast mixture is frothy, stir in the egg. Add salt, 3 cups of flour, and garlic. Using the dough hook attachment, mix on low for 1 minute, until the mixture is well combined. Add the remaining flour and mix for another minute, until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl.
Proof
- Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead it until a smooth ball is formed. Flatten the dough slightly into a disc shape and cut it into 4 parts.
- Then, cut each of those parts in half. Shape into a small ball of dough. Place the dough in a parchment-lined 9x13 baking dish and cover it for 30 minutes, or until the dough has doubled in size.
Garlic Butter
- While the dough is proofing, heat a small skillet over medium heat, melt butter, and add garlic and salt, cooking for 15 seconds or until fragrant. Remove from the heat and stir in chopped parsley.
Bake The Garlic Dinner Rolls
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C). Brush rolls with melted butter and bake for 20 minutes, until golden brown. Then, brush with garlic butter while still hot out of the oven. Serve warm with room-temperature softened salted butter.
Notes
- If you only have garlic powder, I recommend using granulated garlic powder. For every clove of garlic, you'll need ⅛ teaspoon.
- A sharp knife isn’t your only option: a garlic press or food processor makes the job simple, and a microplane grater gives you smooth, paste-like garlic perfect for mixing into butter or dough.
- You can use water, whole milk, or your milk of choice as a substitute for evaporated milk.
- 81°F is the optimal temperature for a warm spot for the dough to rise. To create a warm spot for dough to rise, briefly warm your oven to 170°F (76°C), then turn it off. Place the dough inside with the door slightly open so it stays warm without overheating.
- A stand mixer makes kneading dough effortless, but hand mixing is also an option. Stir the dough with a wooden spoon in a large bowl, then knead on a lightly floured surface for 8–10 minutes until a soft dough forms. It may seem shaggy at first, but steady kneading transforms it into a smooth, elastic ball.
- For accuracy, spoon flour into your measuring cup and level it off with a knife. Scooping directly from the bag tends to pack too much flour, which can make rolls dense.
- You can proof the dough balls in the fridge overnight, cover them with plastic wrap, and then allow them to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking.
- Feel free to add more flavor by sprinkling flaky salt or sea salt on the rolls before baking them.
- Feel free to use whatever olive oil or any oil you have at home as a substitute for avocado oil.
- A dependable option is King Arthur’s gluten-free bread flour. If you’re baking gluten-free, swap the all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free blend.
- You can use an egg wash to brush your rolls with instead of melted butter. All you'll need is one large egg, slightly beaten.
- You can use instant yeast instead of active dry yeast, but be aware that this shortcut will yield a less risen dough, although it will still be delicious.
- You can use this garlic butter to brush on top of chicken, fish and any other bread you’d like.
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