These potato rolls are made with instant potatoes and yeast for the best soft and fluffy homemade dinner rolls that are easy to make from scratch!
Other bread recipes I love to serve at meals include these homemade dinner rolls, French bread rolls and Parker house rolls.
Table of Contents
Easy Potato Rolls
These delicious potato rolls are similar to Lion House rolls however they are more dense, yet fluffy at the same time! They don’t taste like potatoes, but the potato flakes make them soft and tender.
This potato roll recipe is a great addition to your Thanksgiving menu or classic baked ham dinner. They taste amazing served with your favorite comfort meal. You can even enjoy them as a snack with some cinnamon butter or garlic herb butter spread on top.
Potato Dinner Rolls Ingredients
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- Warm water: The heat helps wake up the yeast and adds to the texture of the dough.
- Dry yeast: Without this ingredient, the rolls would be flat and hard. Be sure to use fresh yeast or you will notice it won’t foam properly.
- Sugar: This is necessary to activate the yeast and help the dough rise.
- Flour: All-purpose flour is added gradually over time to ensure the dough reaches the perfect consistency.
- Potato flakes: The ingredient that gives these rolls their name and iconic texture. The potato flakes make them dense yet airy without altering the flavor.
- Powdered milk: This adds to the rolls soft and tender texture.
- Eggs: The binder that brings everything together and gives the dough a nice elasticity.
- Oil: The other liquid that helps give the dough structure and lift.
- Salt: Just a little goes a long way to bring the dough together.
- Butter: I like to use salted butter to add a little extra flavor.
How to Make Potato Rolls
- Proof the yeast. Combine the yeast, warm water and sugar in a small bowl and let sit for about 5 to 10 minutes, or until nice and bubbly. Mix and knead the dough until it’s soft, but not too sticky.
- Let rise. Place dough in a lightly greased bowl and allow the dough to double in size.
- Roll. Then divide into 4 balls and roll out into 4 circles about 1/8-inch thick.
- Stack. Next spread melted butter onto the circle and then stack onto the other circle.
- Cut and roll. Then you’ll cut the rolls like a pizza and roll up from the longest edge inward.
- Let rise and bake. After that you’ll place the rolls onto the pan and let rise another hour before baking until golden brown.
Recipe Tips
- Half batch: Sometimes I’ll use half the batch to make cinnamon rolls. All you need to do is spread melted butter on top and then sprinkle cinnamon sugar on them.
- Pull-apart rolls: If you would like to make round pull-apart dinner rolls instead of shaping them into a crescent shape, roll into dough balls and space the balls closer together on a parchment paper line baking sheet or two 9×13 pans.
- Type of yeast: I used active dry yeast, but you can use instant yeast and skip the proofing step. Your rolls will rise faster so keep an eye on them!
- Quicker proofing time: To help your dough rise quickly you can place a bowl of warm water in an oven set to 100°F. Turn the oven off and place the dough inside. You can also set the bowl on a heating pad or near a warm fireplace.
Love dinner roll recipes? Try this Texas Roadhouse rolls recipe, ciabatta bread rolls or Hawaiian rolls, too!
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Potato Rolls
Video
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups warm water
- 2 Tablespoons dry yeast
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs , beaten
- ⅓ cup oil
- 2 teaspoons salt , or 1 TB coarse salt
- ⅔ cup powdered milk
- ⅔ cup potato flakes
- 6-7 cups all-purpose flour , divided, more or less depending on dough
- ¼ cup salted butter , melted
Instructions
- Activate yeast. In a small bowl, stir together 2 1/2 cups warm water, 2 Tablespoons yeast, and 1/2 cup sugar. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit 5 minutes, or until foamy.
- Make dough. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, stir 2 eggs, 1/3 cup oil, salt, 2/3 cup powdered milk, 2/3 cup potato flakes, and 1 cup flour. Add yeast mixture and stir until combined. Gradually mix in the remaining 6 cups flour, 1 cup at a time. You want the dough to be soft and not too sticky. Knead for about 5 minutes.
- 1st rise. Cover dough with remaining 1/2 Tablespoon oil. Place a cloth over the bowl and let rise 1 hour, or until doubled in size. To help it rise you can place a bowl of warm water in an oven set to 100°F. Turn the oven off and place the dough inside.
- Roll out dough. Punch down the dough and divide into 4 equal balls. Roll each into a circle about 1/8-inch thick. Spread the melted butter over the tops of 2 of the circles and then place the other 2 circles on top.
- Shape dough. Cut each circle “sandwich” into 12 triangles (like a pizza). Starting at the long edge, roll each triangle into the center to form a crescent roll.
- 2nd rise. Butter a large baking sheet. Place the rolls onto the sheet. I usually fit 24 rolls per baking sheet. Cover with a cloth and let rise 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
- Bake. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until lightly golden. Brush with melted butter while still hot.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
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Recipe FAQs
Funny enough, not at all. Potato rolls taste nothing like potatoes. The potatoes give the rolls their soft and tender texture.
You can, but just keep in mind that mashed potatoes have more liquid than the flakes so you will want to accommodate for that in other ways. One way is to cook the mashed potatoes, stirring constantly, to remove any extra moisture. I would use 1 cup mashed potatoes in place of the 2/3 potato flakes.
These rolls can be prepared up to 18 hours in advance if needed. Roll them up as directed, then place on a baking sheet about an inch apart. Let them rise halfway for about 30 minutes to an hour, then cover the pan lightly with foil. Make sure to spray the foil with nonstick spray so that it doesn’t stick to the dough. Then place in the fridge overnight. The next morning, let the rolls rise for about an hour before baking.
They will typically last for about 5 days to a week. Just be sure to store them at room temperature in an airtight container or plastic bag. We don’t usually have a lot of leftovers, but if we do…they are gone within a day or two!
Yes! You can freeze both baked and unbaked dough.
To freeze the unbaked dough, place the dough rolls on a baking sheet (I do 24 per sheet) and then cover with foil sprayed with nonstick spray. Store in freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, let thaw and rise for about 4-5 hours. Then bake according to directions.
To freeze baked rolls, once cooled, wrap each roll individually in aluminum foil. Then place in an airtight container or bag and freeze.
Adapted from the “Boys Can Cook Too” cookbook.
Categorized as: American, Biscuits + Rolls, Bread, Freezer-Friendly, Yeast Bread
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook and shares easy family-friendly recipes and desserts for every occasion.
What kind of flour?
All-purpose or bread flour will work great :)
Hi there, I don’t have potato flakes here, can I use potato starch instead? Thanks in advance.
I’m not sure they would come out the same, but these rolls are delicious as well and don’t use potato flakes: https://www.iheartnaptime.net/lion-house-rolls/
Do you have a recipe for No_ Knead Dinner Rolls ?
I don’t, but you don’t need to knead this french bread. It’s delicious https://www.iheartnaptime.net/homemade-french-bread/
This recipe is super easy and delicious?
YUM this sounds so good!!
I love how soft and fluffy these bake up!!! Perfect for holiday meals!
Yes! So perfect for the holidays! :)
I’ll be making these for Thanksgiving!! I know they’ll be a bit! So light and fluffy!
These rolls are so easy! Thank you!
You are so welcome! Hope you enjoy! :)
Oh my gosh these are amazing! Thanks so much for sharing!
These were so light and fluffy!
These rolls are heavenly – we loved them! My new holiday go-to!
I’m so glad you enjoyed them! Thanks for your comment and review Courtney! :)
Do you think that gluten free all purpose or 1 to 1 flour could be used instead of this flour?
Hi Jo Anne! I’m not very familiar with gluten free flour so I’m not sure. If you have used it in other bread or roll recipes I would definitely give it a try! :)
Your recipe calls for oil but doesn specify what kind of oil. What kind do I need to use?
You can use vegetable or canola oil.
So mine became one. They are very yummy though. Maybe I rolled the dough too big?
Hi Lisa! Did yours become one after baking? I would try spacing them out more to prevent them from rising into each other. :)
These look delicious! Could I double the recipe? If I made these for Thanksgiving, in thinking I’ll need more than 2 dozen.
Definitely! If you have a big enough mixing bowl, I say go for it! :)
Looking so delicious! The recipe is easy. Love it!
Thank you! They were a huge hit with my family. Hope you enjoy!
Stupid question, I know but what are potato flakes? Instant potatoes? I’ve never used or heard of them. Thanks!
Yes! Some companies package them as “Potato Flakes” and some package them as “Instant Potatoes” — they are the same thing. :)
I have to say that your photos really make these rolls look scrumptious! Thanks for sharing your recipe!
Thank you so much! There is just nothing better than homemade rolls. :)