As the pan comes out of the oven, the rolls are golden on top, soft where they meet, and ready for that last swipe of butter. Brushing them while they’re hot gives each top a gentle sheen without taking away the tender crumb underneath. These copycat Texas Roadhouse rolls are made from a soft yeast dough, cut into squares, and baked together in one pan.
I like that the cinnamon honey butter comes together while the rolls rest. It’s sweet, warmly spiced, and easy to beat until smooth with softened butter, honey, powdered sugar, and cinnamon. The dough does need time to rise, but the hands-on work is simple: mix, knead, let it grow, then cut and bake. Serve the rolls warm, with plenty of cinnamon honey butter ready for spreading.
Kitchen Note
Set the butter out early so it’s properly softened, not melted. Cold butter is hard to work smoothly into the dough, while melted butter changes the texture before the dough has even been kneaded.
Save these copycat Texas Roadhouse rolls for their soft centers and cinnamon honey butter—the dough bakes into a pan of warm, pull-apart squares.
Why These Rolls Need Two Rises Before They Go in the Oven
Yeast rolls don’t get their soft, airy texture from one long wait. The first rise gives the whole dough time to expand; the second happens after cutting, when each piece gets a chance to puff in the pan. Skipping that second rest leaves the squares tighter and heavier, with less of that tender, pull-apart middle.
There’s a practical reason to shape the dough before the final rise, too. Cutting the dough into squares first means you can arrange the pieces with a little breathing room, then let them grow together in the baking pan. They bake as individual rolls but stay close enough to pull apart easily. Watch the dough, not just the clock: the first rise should leave it doubled, and the shaped rolls should look puffy before they go into the oven. That visible change is a better guide than trying to rush the dough through a cool kitchen.
What Gives These Rolls Their Soft Crumb and Their Signature Butter
- Whole milk — It brings richness and helps make the dough tender. Use fresh milk; whole milk gives the softest, fullest crumb, though 2% milk works if that’s what you have.
- Active dry yeast — This is the leavener that gives the dough its rise. Check that it’s within its best-by date, since old yeast may not foam well even when the milk is at the right temperature.
- All-purpose flour — It keeps the rolls soft rather than especially chewy. Add the reserved flour gradually while kneading; the dough should become smooth and elastic without turning stiff.
- Egg and unsalted butter — Together they enrich the dough and give it a tender bite. Unsalted butter lets the measured salt stay in control; softened butter blends more evenly than cold or melted butter.
- Honey, powdered sugar, and cinnamon — Honey gives the butter its rounded sweetness, powdered sugar helps it beat smooth, and cinnamon adds its familiar warmth. Ground cinnamon should smell fragrant rather than dusty; the freshest jar makes the difference here.
From Yeast Foam to a Pan of Golden Rolls
Wake Up the Yeast and Mix the Dough
Warm the milk in a small saucepan or microwave until it reaches 105–110°F. Stir in the active dry yeast and granulated sugar, then let the mixture stand for 5–10 minutes, until foamy. Mix in the room-temperature egg and 4 tablespoons softened butter, followed by 3 3/4 cups flour and the salt. Stir until no dry flour remains and the dough looks shaggy.
Knead Until the Dough Turns Elastic
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8–10 minutes. Work in the remaining 1/4 cup flour gradually as you go, rather than scattering it all over the surface at once. The dough is ready when it feels smooth and elastic instead of rough and lumpy. If it clings slightly to your hands, resist the urge to bury it in extra flour; too much flour makes a firmer roll.
Give the Dough Its First Rise, Then Cut
Grease a large bowl with 1 tablespoon softened butter, add the dough, and turn it once so the surface is coated. Cover and let it rise in a warm place for 1–1 1/2 hours, until doubled in size. Punch it down, then roll it on a lightly floured surface to 1/2 inch thick and cut 24 roughly 2-inch squares. Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan with 1 tablespoon softened butter before arranging the squares in 4 rows of 6, with a little space between them.
Let the Squares Puff and Bake Until Golden
Cover the pan and let the shaped dough rise for 30–45 minutes, until puffy, while the oven heats to 350°F. The pieces should look fuller and softer around the edges, not flat against the pan. Bake for 18–22 minutes, until the tops are golden brown. If they still look pale, give them a little more time within that range rather than taking them out before they color.
Brush the Tops and Beat the Butter
Melt 1 tablespoon butter and brush it over the rolls as soon as they come out of the oven. Let them rest for 5 minutes before serving so the hot centers settle slightly. While they rest, beat the remaining 1/2 cup softened butter until fluffy, then beat in the honey, powdered sugar, and cinnamon until smooth. Put the cinnamon honey butter on the table while the rolls are still warm.
Three Ways to Change the Rolls Without Losing Their Soft Center
Shape Them as Round Dinner Rolls
For a more classic round shape, divide the rolled dough into 24 portions and roll each piece into a ball instead of cutting squares. Arrange them in the same greased 9×13-inch pan with a little space between them, then let them rise until puffy. The finished rolls look more uniform, though you lose the neat square edges.
Make the Honey Butter Without Cinnamon
Leave out the ground cinnamon when beating the butter, honey, and powdered sugar together. The result is a smoother, honey-forward spread without the warm spice; the rolls themselves stay exactly the same.
Make a Dairy-Free Batch
Use unsweetened oat milk in place of whole milk and stick-style vegan butter in place of the butter throughout the dough, pan, topping, and spread, using the same amounts. The rolls will be a little less rich, and the butter spread will have a different finish, but the yeast dough still works with these direct swaps.
Storage and Reheating
- Refrigerator: The rolls are best kept at room temperature; chilling them tends to dry the bread. Refrigerate leftover cinnamon honey butter in a covered container for up to 1 week.
- Freezer: Freeze completely cooled rolls in an airtight freezer bag for up to 2 months. The cinnamon honey butter can be frozen separately in a sealed container.
- Reheating: Warm rolls covered loosely with foil in a 300°F oven for about 8–10 minutes. Uncovered reheating can dry the tops before the centers warm through.
Questions That Come Up When Making These Rolls
Copycat Texas Roadhouse Rolls with Cinnamon Honey Butter
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Warm the whole milk in a small saucepan or microwave until it reaches 105–110°F.
- Stir the active dry yeast and granulated sugar into the warm milk, then let stand for 5–10 minutes, until foamy.
- Stir in the egg and 4 tablespoons softened unsalted butter.
- Mix in 3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour and the fine salt until a shaggy dough forms.
- Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8–10 minutes, gradually working in the remaining 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, until smooth and elastic.
- Grease a large bowl with 1 tablespoon softened unsalted butter.
- Add the dough to the bowl and turn it to coat.
- Cover and let rise in a warm place for 1–1 1/2 hours, until doubled in size.
- Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan with 1 tablespoon softened unsalted butter.
- Punch down the dough and roll it out on a lightly floured surface to 1/2 inch thick.
- Cut the dough into 24 roughly 2-inch squares.
- Arrange the dough squares in the pan in 4 rows of 6, leaving a little space between them.
- Cover the rolls and let rise for 30–45 minutes, until puffy.
- Heat the oven to 350°F while the rolls rise.
- Bake for 18–22 minutes, until the rolls are golden brown.
- Melt 1 tablespoon unsalted butter and brush it over the hot rolls.
- Let the rolls rest for 5 minutes.
- Beat the remaining 1/2 cup softened unsalted butter until fluffy.
- Beat in the honey, powdered sugar, and ground cinnamon until smooth.
- Serve the cinnamon honey butter with the warm rolls.
