Bake a batch of Honey Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls for a wholesome and irresistible addition to any meal! Combine whole wheat flour with honey to create a perfectly balanced flavor with natural sweetness. Knead the dough until smooth, then let it rise until light and fluffy. Shape into rolls, bake until golden brown, and brush with melted butter. Serve warm with your favorite dishes or save some for later—these tender, hearty rolls will quickly become a family favorite!
Try variations on traditional dinner rolls with my Snowflake Dinner Rolls or Einkorn Dinner Rolls recipes. Serve any of these delicious dinner rolls with comforting dishes like my Cabbage Roll Casserole or Caprese Chicken Saltimbocca. If you are looking for a great hot dog bun, I highly recommend making my Pretzel Hot Dog Buns.
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Ingredients
Find below the list of ingredients to make my Honey Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls recipe.
- Whole Wheat Flour
- All Purpose White Flour
- Salt
- Instant Dry Yeast
- Liquid Honey (or melted creamed honey)
- Large Eggs
- Milk
- Unsalted Butter
See recipe card for quantities.
Make the Honey Wheat Dough
Make the Honey Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls by using a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment. If you don't have a stand mixer, you can make this recipe by hand.
- Make the yeast mixture by mixing together the warm (95F-110F) water, fast acting yeast, and 1 tablespoon of the honey. Once combined, let it rest 5 minutes until it starts to foam.
- Add to the bowl of your stand mixer, the whole wheat flour, white flour, and salt. Mix for a minute to combine. Continue by adding the eggs, warm milk, liquid honey, melted butter, and the foamed yeast mixture.
- Mix the dough until it comes together in the mixer. Notice that the ball of dough should be tacky, but not sticky. If too sticky, add ¼ cup of all purpose flour at a time. The dough should release from the sides of the mixer bowl. Transfer the dough a greased bowl, cover with a clean damp tea towel or plastic wrap. Let the dough rest for 15 minutes.
- Divide the honey whole wheat dinner rolls dough into 24 equal pieces. Use a food scale to weigh the total weight of the dough, for example, 1450g. Divide the total weight by 24, making each piece 60g in this example. Divide the dough without a scale by cutting the dough in half, and each half, in half, until you have 24 equal pieces. Cover with plastic wrap to prevent them from drying out.
Shape the Honey Wheat Rolls
- Take a piece of dough, and flatten it out into a 2-inch disk with a smooth surface on top. Drape the disk of dough on the tip of your index finger.
2. Bring together the thumb and index of the other hand together. Push the draped disk of dough through the hole, creating a smooth tight, rounded surface.
- Pinch the bottom seems of the dough ball to create the roll. Try to get as round and smooth of a shape as possible.
- Grease a 9"x13" baking dish with butter or non-stick spray. Place the dough balls in the dish , smooth side up, in 6 rows of 4. Cover the dish lightly with plastic wrap and a clean dish towel on top.
Bake the Honey Wheat Rolls
- Preheat your oven to 350F. Let the honey wheat rolls rise for 45 minutes, or until doubled in size. They should have filled out the pan and reach the top of the baking dish.
2. Brush the tops of the honey wheat rolls with a little bit of water before placing them in the preheated oven.
Bake the Honey Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls for 25 minutes, or until golden brown on top. Remove from the oven and right away, brush the baked rolls with melted butter. Let them cool for 10-15 minutes and enjoy!
Substitutions and Variations
- Flour - Replace the whole wheat flour with white flour for a plain dinner roll.
- Dairy - Replace the milk and butter in the recipe with plant-based butter and milk substitutes like soy, oat, or almond.
Storage
Let the Honey Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls cool completely before storing to maintain their softness. Place them in an airtight container or wrap them in plastic wrap to keep them fresh. Keep at room temperature for up to 3 days, or refrigerate for up to a week for longer freshness. Freeze in a sealed freezer bag for up to 3 months to enjoy later. Reheat in the oven at 300°F (150°C) for 10 minutes or microwave for 15–20 seconds to restore their warm, fluffy texture.
Recipe
Honey Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls
Equipment
- 9"x13" Baking Dish
- Stand Mixer with Dough Hook optional
Ingredients
- ½ cup Warm Water (95°F to 110°F)
- 1 tablespoon Liquid Honey
- 1½ tablespoon Instant Dry Yeast
- 3 cups Whole Wheat Flour
- 2 cups All Purpose White Flour
- 1½ teaspoon Salt
- 2 large Eggs at room temperature
- 1 cup Warm Milk (95°F to 110°F)
- 3 tablespoon Liquid Honey
- ½ cup Unsalted Butter melted and cooled
- 2 tablespoon Melted Butter to brush the baked rolls
Instructions
Make the Honey Wheat Dough
- Make the Honey Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls by using a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment. If you don't have a stand mixer, you can make this recipe by hand.
- Make the yeast mixture by mixing together the warm (95F-110F) water, fast acting yeast, and 1 tablespoon of the honey. Once combined, let it rest 5 minutes until it starts to foam.½ cup Warm Water , 1 tablespoon Liquid Honey , 1½ tablespoon Instant Dry Yeast
- Add to the bowl of your stand mixer, the whole wheat flour, white flour, and salt. Mix for a minute to combine.3 cups Whole Wheat Flour , 2 cups All Purpose White Flour, 1½ teaspoon Salt
- Continue by adding the eggs, warm milk, liquid honey, melted butter, and the foamed yeast mixture.2 large Eggs, 1 cup Warm Milk, 3 tablespoon Liquid Honey , ½ cup Unsalted Butter
- Mix the dough until it comes together in the mixer. Notice that the ball of dough should be tacky, but not sticky. If too sticky, add ¼ cup of all purpose flour at a time. The dough should release from the sides of the mixer bowl.
- Transfer the dough a greased bowl, cover with a clean damp tea towel or plastic wrap. Let the dough rest for 15 minutes.
Shape the Honey Wheat Rolls
- Divide the honey whole wheat dinner rolls dough into 24 equal pieces. Use a food scale to weigh the total weight of the dough, for example, 1450g. Divide the total weight by 24, making each piece 60g in this example. Divide the dough without a scale by cutting the dough in half, and each half, in half, until you have 24 equal pieces. Cover with plastic wrap to prevent them from drying out.
- Take a piece of dough, and flatten it out into a 2-inch disk with a smooth surface on top. Drape the disk of dough on the tip of your index finger.
- Bring together the thumb and index of the other hand together. Push the draped disk of dough through the hole, creating a smooth tight, rounded surface.
- Pinch the bottom seems of the dough ball to create the roll. Try to get as round and smooth of a shape as possible.
- Grease a 9"x13" baking dish with butter or non-stick spray. Place the dough balls in the dish , smooth side up, in 6 rows of 4. Cover the dish lightly with plastic wrap and a clean dish towel on top.
Bake the Honey Wheat Rolls
- Preheat your oven to 350F. Let the honey wheat rolls rise for 45 minutes, or until doubled in size. They should have filled out the pan and reach the top of the baking dish.
- Brush the tops of the honey wheat rolls with a little bit of water before placing them in the preheated oven.
- Bake the dinner rolls for 25 minutes, or until golden brown on top. Remove from the oven and right away, brush the baked rolls with melted butter. Let them cool for 10-15 minutes and enjoy!2 tablespoon Melted Butter
