Copycat Texas Roadhouse Rolls With Cinnamon Honey Butter

Our copycat Texas Roadhouse rolls are light, sweet, and buttery! Spread with cinnamon honey butter they are just as delicious as the rolls served at the steakhouse! 

You might also like our copycat Sister Schubert’s Parker House rolls or our 1-hour dinner rolls.

Watch our step by step video!

Texas Roadhouse Rolls

What makes these rolls so special? Why are they the first thing we think of when we hear the restaurant’s name? The hot rolls are served in a basket with cinnamon honey butter. They are the perfect appetizer to enjoy while you wait for your food. Texas Roadhouse rolls are soft and light, buttery and sweet. They also have a signature shape that is created by cutting the dough vs. rolling it into dough balls.

Our Copycat Version

I altered our favorite roll recipe to create a copycat version of the popular Texas Roadhouse rolls. Each batch makes 30 rolls. They are brushed with melted butter as soon as they come out of the oven.

Cinnamon Honey Butter

My 6-year-old absolutely loves cinnamon honey butter. I keep a small container of it on hand for him to use on toast for breakfast every morning. Cinnamon honey butter is SO easy to make and adds incredible flavor to anything that you spread it over! It’s no wonder that Texas Roadhouse serves it with the baskets of hot rolls.

Texas Roadhouse Rolls Ingredients

Rolls

Milk: you can use any type of milk, but I usually use 2%. The milk needs to be warmed up. You can do this in a small saucepan and bring it just to a simmer before removing it from the heat or you can microwave it for 90 seconds. That’s typically what I do.

Butter: I always bake with salted butter because it adds great flavor.

Honey: The rolls at the restaurant are sweet, so go ahead and use the full amount of honey. You can also use white sugar.

Water: you’ll need a small amount of warm water to proof the yeast. Make sure it’s warm water (between 105-115 degrees) and not hot water. Hot water will kill the yeast.

Yeast: instant or dry active yeast. I’m so used to proofing my yeast that I proof it whether or not I used instant or dry active yeast.

Egg: adding an egg or two to the dough adds richness.

Salt: I always bake with kosher salt, but you can use whatever kind of salt that you have on hand.

Flour: all-purpose flour or bread flour. The amount depends on the humidity in your area. I typically need the full amount, but you might need a bit less. Add half of the flour and mix thoroughly then add the remaining flour 1 cup at a time until a soft dough forms. I measure my flour by fluffing it with the measuring cup and then scooping it (never packing it) into the measuring cup.

Cinnamon Honey Butter

Butter: softened butter—again, I prefer salted butter.

Powdered sugar: this is optional, but we think it gives it a nice texture and sweetness.

Honey: obviously. I usually eyeball it because you really can’t go wrong here, but 2-3 Tbsp. is about right.

Cinnamon: we like a strong cinnamon flavor and use 2 teaspoons, but you can adjust this to your liking as well.

How To Make Copycat Texas Roadhouse Rolls

You can make these rolls using a stand mixer with a paddle and dough attachment or in a large mixing bowl with a Danish dough whisk.

Heat milk in the microwave until hot (90 seconds-2 minutes). Stir in butter and honey. Let stand until milk is warm, NOT hot.

In a small bowl mix warm water and yeast. Allow to proof until foamy (about 5 minutes).

Pour the butter/honey/milk mixture into a large bowl. Add water and yeast mixture.

Add egg and salt. Mix.

Mix in flour. Start with half of the flour then add the remaining flour, 1 cup at a time, stirring in between each addition. The dough should be slightly sticky. 

Knead dough until smooth and elastic (2 minutes if using a bread hook in a stand mixer or 5-8 minutes if kneading by hand). 

Place the dough in a well-oiled large bowl, and turn the dough to coat. Cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap. Allow the dough to rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

When the dough has doubled in size, transfer it to your work surface. Roll it out into a 10″x 15″ rectangle.

Slice the dough into 24-32 sections using a pizza cutter. 24 sections will yield a larger roll, and 32 sections is closer to the size of the rolls served at the restaurant.

Place the rolls on two greased baking sheets and loosely cover them with plastic. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size (60 minutes).

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees towards the end of the second rise.

Bake the rolls for 18-20 minutes. Rotate the pans midway during the baking process if baking both pans at the same time.

The tops of the rolls should be lightly golden. Brush hot rolls with melted butter.

Copycat Texas Roadhouse Rolls Recipe

(printable version)

What is the best kind of flour to use?

I always use bread flour or all-purpose, whichever one I have on hand. My favorite brand is King Arthur. You can use all-white flour or a mixture of white and wheat flour.

What is the best way to proof yeast?

I like putting 1/2 c. of the warm water into a small bowl with the yeast. Give it a stir. Place a small plate on top and let it sit for 5 minutes until foamy and bubbly.

Can you Use Instant and Dry Active Yeast Interchangeably?

For the most part, I use whatever yeast is available. Most of the time it’s the instant yeast that comes in a large package from Sam’s Club. When I use dry active yeast I add 10-15 minutes to the rise time. Technically you do not need to proof instant yeast, only dry active yeast, but I’ve gotten so used to proofing my yeast that I proof it for every recipe.

Where is a good place to let the dough rise?

A warm place is a perfect place for yeast to do its thing. I preheat my oven for 60 seconds then shut the heat off. I place my bowl of dough with a damp cloth or plastic wrap (that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray) covering it inside my oven.

You can also turn the oven light on and leave it on during the entire rise time. It will put off a small amount of heat, giving the dough a warm place to rise.