You only need 7 ingredients to make these ultra soft cottage cheese dinner rolls. They have cottage cheese blended into the dough for extra tenderness and you top them with rich honey butter right out of the oven. Follow my simple steps if you’re new to baking bread and enjoy these homemade dinner rolls for a cozy family dinner or holiday side.
Need another bread? Try sourdough dinner rolls or cottage cheese bagels next!
The rolls begin with a blend of warm milk and cottage cheese, giving them an extra-soft texture without being overly rich. Just like pumpkin cinnamon rolls and pecan sticky buns, the added fat creates an enriched dough that’s really soft and tender.
A hint of honey in both the dough and topping adds just the right amount of sweetness. Serve them fresh and warm, and get ready for these rolls to be requested time and time again.
They take some time to rise and bake so follow my tips to have fresh warm rolls done exactly when you serve dinner!
Love cottage cheese recipes? Try cottage cheese flatbread, cottage cheese egg bites, or cottage cheese queso next!
Ingredients You Need
Here’s a quick look at the ingredients you’ll need to make these honey butter dinner rolls. Head to the recipe card for exact measurements.
- Whole Milk & Cottage Cheese: Blended together, they make a creamy base for the dough.
- Honey or Sugar: Sweetens the rolls just a bit and activates the yeast.
- Instant Yeast: Allows the dough to rise beautifully.
- Butter: Adds richness to both the dough and the honey butter topping.
- Egg: Gives structure to the dough.
- Bread Flour: Has a higher protein content for a chewier roll. Use King Arthur’s gluten-free bread flour if needed.
Need another holiday side? Try homemade broccoli casserole,
How to Make Cottage Cheese Dinner Rolls
Here are the simple steps, with photos, to make this cottage cheese rolls recipe. Skip to the recipe card for the printable version.
Step 1. Blend Cottage Cheese. Add the cottage cheese and milk to a blender and blend until smooth.
Step 2. Add the Yeast. Add the sugar and sprinkle the yeast on top. Wait for 10 minutes to make sure it froths and activates.
Step 3. Mix the dough. Add the remaining dough ingredients and mix until combined and shaggy.
Step 4. Knead the Dough. Switch to the dough hook and knead for 5 minutes to develop the gluten.
Step 5. Cover and Rise. Cover with a kitchen towel and store in a warm dry place to rise until it doubles in size, 1-2 hours.
Step 6. Shape and Rise Again. Divide the dough into 15 even balls and place in a greased baking dish. Cover and rise for another hour, until doubled.
Step 7. Bake and Serve. Bake for 18-22 minutes, until the tops are golden brown. Rotate in the oven if one side is becoming too brown. The tops will be somewhat firm when they come out of the oven. Brush with honey butter and they will soften.
Dinner Roll Flavors
- Add Fresh Herbs: Try rosemary, thyme, or parsley for a savory twist.
- Cinnamon Honey Butter: Add a pinch of cinnamon to the honey butter for a cozy flavor.
- Brown butter sage: swap the butter for brown butter and add chopped sage to the dough.
- Whole Wheat Flour: Substitute half of the bread flour with whole wheat for a nuttier flavor.
- Cheddar dinner rolls: add 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese and chopped chives to the dough.
How to Make them Ahead of Time
These rolls require about 3 hours of rising and 20 minutes of baking, which you may not have in one day. Here are a few options to make them in advance!
Overnight: prepare the dough, let it rise the first time, then shape them into rolls. Cover and refrigerate them for up to 16 hours. Let them sit at room temperature for 1-2 hours before baking.
Freeze: prepare the dough, let it rise the first time, shape them into rolls, then cover and freeze in the baking pan. Let them thaw and rise at room temperature for 4-5 hours before baking.
Freeze baked rolls: allow them to cool completely then pull them apart and freeze them on a baking sheet. Transfer to a freezer bag and freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and warm them as desired.
Expert Tips
- Measure Flour Accurately: Spoon the flour into your measuring cup, then level it off with a knife. Better yet, weigh the flour!
- Use the right temperature ingredients: For the best rise, make sure the milk and blended cottage cheese mixture are around 110°F. If it’s too cool or scolding, the yeast may not activate properly.
- Don’t Skip the Second Rise: Allowing the dough to rise a second time after shaping is key for airy, fluffy rolls.
- Rise in a warm place: use the oven if yours has a proofing setting. You can also preheat it to the lowest temperature then turn it off and add the dough to the oven with it off.
- Watch While Baking: Rotate the pan halfway through baking, and tent with foil if the tops are browning too quickly.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can make the dough a day ahead. Prepare the dough, Let it rise once, then refrigerate it. Shape the rolls the next day and let them come to room temperature and rise before baking.
Yes, but the rise times will take a bit longer! The dough should double in size so go off that rather than the rise times.
You can knead the dough by hand on a floured surface. It may take a bit longer, but the results will be just as delicious.
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Cottage Cheese Dinner Rolls
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Ingredients
- 3/4 cup whole milk
- 1 cup whole milk cottage cheese
- 2 Tablespoons honey or granulated sugar
- 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast (one standard packet)
- 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter very soft
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 1/2 – 4 cups bread flour
- 6 Tablespoons salted butter very soft
- 3 Tablespoons honey
Instructions
- Blend the cottage cheese and milk until smooth. Transfer to a microwave safe bowl and heat until 110°F, about 45 seconds. Pour the cottage cheese mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer with the yeast and 1 Tablespoon of honey or sugar. You can do this in a large bowl by hand with a wooden spoon if you don’t have a stand mixer. Cover with a kitchen towel and let it sit for 5 minutes.3/4 cup whole milk, 1 cup whole milk cottage cheese, 2 Tablespoons honey
- Add the remaining tablespoon of sugar, butter, egg, salt, and 2 cups of the flour. Beat together with the paddle attachment until it starts to come together. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the remaining 1 1/2 cups of flour. Beat on medium speed until the dough starts to pull away form the sides of the bowl, 1-2 minutes. The dough should be soft, shaggy, and slightly sticky.2 Tablespoons honey, 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast, 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 3 1/2 – 4 cups bread flour
- Once the dough pulls away from the bowl, switch to the dough hook and knead for 5 minutes. If you don’t have a stand mixer, turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead by hand. Add 1 Tablespoon of flour to the dough if it becomes too stick as you knead.
- Lightly grease a large bowl with oil or nonstick spray. Transfer the dough to the bowl and turn it in the bowl to coat the dough in the oil. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place until it doubles in size, 1-2 hours. I like to turn my oven on to the lowest setting then turn it off and proof the dough in the warm oven (or use a proof setting).
- Grease a 9×13-inch pan or two square or circle cake pans. Press the dough down gently with your fist to release some of the air. Divide the dough into 15-16 equal dough balls. I like to use a dough scraper to cut the dough ball in quarters and then cut each quarter into quarters again. Shape each piece of dough into a ball by pulling the edges and pinching them in the center. Arrange them when the smoothest side up in the prepared baking pan (I placed them 3x5b ut 4×4 works too). Cover and rise in a warm place for 1 hour, until they’re puffy and doubled in size.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and adjust the oven rack to the lowest position.
- Bake the rolls in the preheated oven for 18-22 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown, rotating them in the oven halfway through. Tent with foil if they’re browning too much. The rolls will have a firm top when they come out of the oven but will soften after adding the butter.
- While they bake, mix the very soft salted butter and honey in a small bowl with a fork or spoon. When the rolls are done, spread a generous amount of butter on top of each warm roll. Serve the rolls with any remaining honey butter on the side.6 Tablespoons salted butter, 3 Tablespoons honey
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Omg, these rolls were so good; they practically melted in your mouth! I used the King Arthur gluten-free bread flour, and they turn out amazing. My sister said that if I didn’t tell her they were gluten-free, she wouldn’t have known the difference. This recipe is 100% a keeper! #whatwemade
Love this so much. Thanks Heidi!!
These rolls are AMAZING. So light and fluffy. Heating them up is KEY. So delicious. Made these once already and made them again for Thanksgiving.
#whatwemade
Thank you so much!
Holy mol(l)y, these rolls are great. I was nervous about my kids pickiness, but they ate them just like all the other rolls. Convenience wins on just buying rolls but these win for the nutrition part.
Thank you so much Hannah!
At first I added things incorrectly bc the ingredients listed below the instructions don’t match the spelled out instructions but it worked fine!
These are THE. BEST. So fluffy and light when warm. The honey butter on top is perfection. I will be making these for Thanksgiving!
#whatwemade
Hi Molly! Unfortunately I can’t split out the measurements beyond how they are listed in the ingredient list – but I will add “divided” to help clear up confusion for others. Thanks for the heads up! So glad you loved them 🙂
The family LOVED the dinner rolls. They will definitely be making the menu for Thanksgiving this year. I did the suggestion for making a day ahead and put them in the refrigerator overnight. I then let them come to room temperature for a couple of hours and they baked up beautifully. Thanks for another easy delicious recipe!
You’re so welcome!!
Easy & delicious! I do not have a stand mixer but was able to make these without any issue. I used bread flour. I will definitely be making these again! #whatwemade
Thanks Andrea!
These were absolutely amazing! I love the little protein kick with the cottage cheese! I’ll be making these again. #WhatWEMade
Thanks Melanie!!
Fluffy and versatile! We replaced the egg with ground flaxseed, due to food allergies. We skipped the honey butter and topped some with rosemary butter and others with jam. #WhatWEMade
Thank you Dana!
My family devoured these at dinner! They were really fluffy and the texture was amazing. We did not top them with honey butter, but served them with butter and strawberry jam. We thought they could use a little more salt. But we will be making them again! I love that they have cottage cheese in them! #whatwemade
Thanks!