Rosemary Dinner Rolls

Published November 19, 2014. Updated November 6, 2023

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Rosemary Dinner Rolls are a sophisticated alternative to your traditional dinner rolls—perfect for Thanksgiving Dinner! These rolls are inspired by the Macaroni Grill copycat Rosemary Bread that I adore. They are an easy dinner roll recipe that won’t take up too much of your meal prep time on big days, but give a huge payoff.

Rosemary Dinner Rolls | Cooking Classy

Fancy Rosemary Dinner Rolls

These rolls are upgraded with fresh rosemary, making them one of my favorite bread recipes. I thought these rolls would be perfect for the holidays because the rosemary makes them seem festive and they are just a little fancier than your traditional roll recipe—without any more work.

You can get fresh rosemary sprigs from the grocery store, or use dried rosemary in a pinch, but the fresh herbs really make this dinner roll recipe stand out. You can even try harvesting rosemary from your own rosemary plant to really impress everyone!

What can I serve with Rosemary Dinner Rolls?

They are soft and fluffy with dreamy flavor, especially when you have a side of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and freshly cracked black pepper to dip them in.

These dinner rolls pair perfectly with a traditional Thanksgiving dinner or for Christmas dinner. I especially love these dinner rolls for fancier meals, since they’re just a little more sophisticated.

These rolls are also fantastic for those turkey sandwich leftovers on Black Friday. Trust me.

Can I make Rosemary Dinner Rolls in advance?

These rolls are best served warm so reheat them as necessary (I just used the microwave, but you could also lightly underbake them, then return to an oven to warm just before serving and finish off the last few minutes of baking). You could also make the dough the day before and then finish rising the next day before baking. However, I highly recommend baking the day of your dinner because the combination of freshly baked bread with tantalizing rosemary is sure to make your house smell divine.

Enjoy and Happy Holidays!

Rosemary Dinner Rolls with dipping Olive Oil | Cooking Classy

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4.95 from 20 votes

Rosemary Dinner Rolls

The perfect roll recipe for the holidays! Soft and fluffy and deliciously flavored with fresh rosemary.
Servings: 12
Prep25 minutes
Cook25 minutes
Resting1 hour
Ready in: 1 hour 50 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
  • 1/2 cup warm water , 110 degrees
  • 3 Tbsp sugar , divided
  • 3/4 cup milk , warmed to about 80 degrees
  • 1 large egg
  • 3 Tbsp unsalted butter , softened
  • 3 1/2 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 Tbsp whisked egg , for brushing rolls
  • 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour , then more as needed
  • Good quality extra-virgin olive oil and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

  • In the bowl of an electric stand mixer whisk together yeast with water and 1/2 tsp of the granulated sugar. Rest 5 minutes. Set mixer with paddle attachment and mix in remaining sugar (2 Tbsp + 2 1/2 tsp) milk, egg, butter, rosemary and salt on low speed (the butter won't blend until the flour is mixed it).
  • Add 2 cups of flour and mix on low speed until combined, then switch to a hook attachment, set mixer on low speed and slowly add in remaining 1 1/2 cups flour. Allow mixture to knead on medium-low speed until smooth and elastic, adding more flour as needed (you shouldn't need more than an additional 1/4 - 1/2 cup, dough should be slightly sticky. If too much flour is added rolls will be dense and heavy).
  • Cover bowl with plastic wrap and rest 15 minutes. Meanwhile butter a 13 by 9-inch baking dish.
  • Punch dough down and divide into 12 equal portions, shape each into a ball (I like to pull the sides down and tuck under several times then make into a ball shape). Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm place about 45 - 60 minutes until nearly doubled. Preheat oven to 350 during last 10 minutes of dough rising.
  • Gently brush tops of rolls evenly with 1 Tbsp whisked egg. Bake in preheated oven until tops are golden brown, about 23 - 26 minutes. Serve warm with olive oil mixed with black pepper. Reheat before serving as necessary.

Notes

Recipe source: adapted slightly from Sunset Magazine
Nutrition Facts
Rosemary Dinner Rolls
Amount Per Serving
Calories 194 Calories from Fat 36
% Daily Value*
Fat 4g6%
Saturated Fat 2g13%
Cholesterol 27mg9%
Sodium 307mg13%
Potassium 90mg3%
Carbohydrates 33g11%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 4g4%
Protein 4g8%
Vitamin A 157IU3%
Vitamin C 1mg1%
Calcium 27mg3%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition values are estimates only. See full disclaimer here.
Rosemary Roll Dough | Cooking Classy Baking Rosemary Dinner Rolls | Cooking Classy   Baked Rosemary Rolls | Cooking Classy

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123 Comments

  • Jennifer

    Not sure what I’m doing wrong, but I’ve made these a couple times, following the directions precisely. Can’t get my rolls to double. Just a dense hot mess! I thought it was the yeast, but have tried with fresh and still . . . I compared the recipe it’s patterned after and there seems to be some substantial differences. Maybe I’ll try theirs and see if I get the same result. I’m pretty bummed. Made homemade spaghetti sauce AND pasta, homemade dressing for the salad. All I needed was the homemade rolls. Boohoo! :(

    • Anna

      Are u using sugar?? Or is your yeast old? Both those would cause problems with rising. Yeast needs sugar to activate, and I buy yeast in bulk so sometimes it’s dead. I keep yeast in the fridge till I’m ready to use. Also, make sure your warm water is precisely 110* otherwise you’ll kill it if it’s too hot or if it’s too cold it won’t activate. You also need a warm place for rising… try above your fridge or above your oven, ‘aybe inside a microwave that’s off. Good luck!!

    • Jaclyn

      Jaclyn Bell

      It’s just for dipping the rolls in if desired, just combine a mixture of the two.

  • brook

    Can you substitute dried rosemary? I haven’t been able to find fresh rosemary in any store.

    • Jaclyn

      Jaclyn Bell

      That should be okay I’d probably just go with a slightly heaping 1 Tbsp dried.

      • Christina Estrada

        I’m wondering if this is the reason my two tries came out dense. Don’t get me wrong they were devoured anyway but it was the full amount of dried rosemary fresh. I can’t think of another reason why if I follow the recipe accordingly

    • Debbie

      You would want to soften it up a bit before using. I put about 2 tablespoon of very hot water in a cup with the dried rosemary. Let stand 15-20 minutes. Dump them out onto a paper towel, then to a cutting board. Chop very finely. Almost as good as fresh…

  • Audrey

    If we want to prepare the dough the day before, do we just leave the dough in a warm place over night?

    • Jaclyn

      Jaclyn Bell

      No I’d definitely refrigerate it overnight then let rise at room temp. Hope you love them!

      • Dawn

        I’m confused when to refrigerate for overnight. After the “Cover bowl with plastic wrap and rest 15 minutes.“ step?

  • Kathy Dailey

    Could I make these in a bread maker on the manual setting and then just bake them in the oven??? They look delish!

  • Melissa

    I have been looking for a recipe for Rosemary Rolls! So excited to make these!

  • Kari@Loaves n Dishes

    Cheese, chocolate and bread are my weaknesses,but onky fresh bread. Love the rosemary in the rolls, perfect for a festive dinner…or just for snacking on!