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These Salted Honey Butter Parker House Rolls are light, airy, buttery, perfectly salted, and SO delicious. Serve them warm right out of the oven with homemade honey butter for a dinner roll that’s melt in your mouth good. Incredibly quick and easy to make and uses just six everyday staple ingredients. It doesn’t get easier or tastier than that! These are the perfect rolls for all of your upcoming holiday dinners…Thanksgiving included!

This post is sponsored by Fleischmann’s®.

overhead photo of Salted Honey Butter Parker House Rolls with a few rolls torn apart

If there’s one thing that my mom really passed on to me it’s a love of soft, buttery dinner rolls. She’d make a point most Sunday nights to bake fresh bread for the family dinner. Just like dessert, mom would often have the bread ready to go before dinner was even a thought. That’s just how she does it, carbs and chocolate. Everything else was secondary. And for that, I love her even more.

Seeing as we both share a love for good bread, you can imagine that it’s a very important item on our Thanksgiving table. And that’s where these Parker House Rolls come into play. These rolls are on my 2019 menu. They are some of the BEST rolls to come out of my kitchen. They’re simple, but yet have “special touches” that make them worthy of any holiday table.

My two secrets? Salted butter and sweet honey butter.

overhead photo of Salted Honey Butter Parker House Roll dough, process shot

The background…

The story is that Parker House Rolls were created by the Parker House in Boston. It was one of the great nineteenth-century hostelries. As you can imagine, the rolls have been copied by just about every cookbook author and baker that’s out there…myself now included. There are a lot of variations, but classic Parker House Rolls should be light, soft, and a touch sweet.

The dough is traditionally shaped into a folded over roll, but these days there are many ways in which to do it! I ended up rolling mine into coils for a fun, pretty touch.

side angled, close up photo of Salted Honey Butter Parker House Roll dough before baking, process shot

To make the dough.

As you can tell, my recipe is a little different than the classic. I’m using honey in place of sugar and salted butter. Two simple ingredients that make ALL the difference.

For the dough, simply mix flour with Fleischmann’s® Rapid Rise Yeast, and a pinch of salt. Add warm milk, a touch of honey, and salted butter. Mix until smooth, let the dough rest for ten to fifteen minutes, and then it’s time to shape the rolls. And that’s the beauty of Fleischmann’s® RapidRise® yeast! We get to skip an entire hour-long rise. Yes, please!

overhead close up photo of Salted Honey Butter Parker House Rolls

To shape the rolls.

Shaping the rolls is easy. If you’ve made a cinnamon roll, you can make these Parker House Rolls.

To keep it simple, just take strips of dough and roll them up into a tight coil. I have a bunch of photos to help you guys visually with what your rolls should look like. Once you complete one roll, you will quickly get the hang of the process.

When all the rolls have been shaped and arranged in a baking dish, cover the dish and let the rolls rise until puffy, about twenty to thirty minutes. Then bake! Minutes later your kitchen will be smelling like glorious home-baked bread.

overhead photo of Salted Honey Butter Parker House Rolls

Let’s talk about that honey butter…

Of course, me being me, I had to include a little honey butter. You all know it’s my favorite and I cannot think of a better butter to pair with these soft rolls. The sweetness from the honey is mouth-watering on a warm, fresh out of the oven roll.

Especially when topped with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt as well.

What I love most about these rolls is that you really can’t mess them up. The dough and process are so easy and very forgiving. Trust me, if you’re fearful of making bread, start with this recipe. It’s SO GOOD every time.

And yes, you should make these for Thanksgiving. They’re perfect for soaking up all that gravy and then eating for breakfast the next morning. There’s nothing not to love.

Again, soft, buttery, perfectly sweet, and just a touch salty. What every dinner roll should aspire to be!

overhead close up photo of Salted Honey Butter Parker House Roll with butter on roll

If you make these salted honey butter parker house rolls, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!

Watch the how-to video:

Salted Honey Butter Parker House Rolls

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
rising time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 12 rolls
Calories Per Serving: 290 kcal

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

Watch the How-To Reel

Ingredients

Honey Butter

Instructions

  • 1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, yeast, and salt. Add the warm milk, honey, the egg, and butter. Using the dough hook, mix until the flour is completely incorporated, about 4-5 minutes. If the dough seems sticky, add the remaining 1/4 cup of flour. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes or up to a few hours at room temperature.
    2. To make the honey butter. Combine the butter and honey together in a small bowl.
    3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9×13 inch baking dish.
    4. Lightly dust your work surface with flour. Turn out the dough, punch it down, and divide the dough in half. Roll each half to a 12-inch square, about 1/4-inch thick. Brush each square with honey butter, saving any leftover butter for serving. Cut each square of dough into 6 strips. Roll each strip into a coil (see above photo) and arrange seam side down in the prepared baking dish.
    5. Cover the dish and let the rolls rise for about 30 minutes, until they're puffy. Alternately, you can let the rolls sit in the fridge overnight.
    6. Bake the rolls for 18-25 minutes, until they're golden brown. Remove them from the oven and brush with the remaining honey butter. Pull them apart to serve warm with flaky sea salt.

Notes

To Make Ahead: prepare the rolls through step 4. Do not let the rolls rise at room temp. Cover the rolls and place in the fridge (up to overnight). When ready to bake, remove the rolls from the fridge 30 minutes prior to baking, then bake as directed. 
To Prepare and Freeze: assemble the rolls through step 5, then cover the pan and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw the rolls overnight in the fridge or on the counter for a few hours. Once thawed, bake as directed. 
To Bake and Freeze: bake the rolls as directed and let cool completely. Cover well and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw and warm before serving. 
To Use Active Dry Yeast: Mix 1 packet (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast with the warm milk and honey. Let sit 5-10 minutes, until bubbly and foamy on top. Add the flour and follow the directions as listed for the remainder of the recipe. 
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horizontal photo of Salted Honey Butter Parker House Rolls

{This post is sponsored by Fleischmann’s®. Thank you for supporting the brands that keep Half Baked Harvest cooking!}

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Comments

    1. Hey Sheri,
      Absolutely, you can mix with a wooden spoon and then knead by hand! I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xT

    1. Hey Lauren,
      Yes, that would be just fine for you to do, I would mix with a wooden spoon and knead by hand. I hope you love this recipe! xT

  1. 5 stars
    I made these last year and I think I doubled the recipe and put them all in a 9×13 pan and I think they were too crowded so they were a little doughy. Even still, they were delicious and I plan on making them again this year. I do have a question though, the recipe says to put it in a 9×13 pan but in the video it looks like you are putting them in an 8 or 9 inch square pan. Could you just clarify that if you make the recipe above as is, should you put it in a 9×13 pan? Thanks again

    1. Hey Cynthia,
      Happy Tuesday!! Thanks a lot for making this recipe and sharing your feedback, I love to hear that it turned out tasty for you! Yes, you will want to use a 9×13 pan, I cut the recipe in half for the video so I used a smaller pan:) xT

    1. Hey Jody,
      Yes, an equal amount of gluten free flour should work well for you! I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xx

  2. 5 stars
    These rolls turned out excellent! First try weren’t all as uniform as yours, but next time I’ll do better. They were easy to make and absolutely delicious! On my menu for several holiday gatherings this year.

    1. Hey Kathleen,
      Happy Friday!!🌻 I am so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for trying it and sharing your review:) xT

  3. 5 stars
    I’m a bread novice and this was such a simple recipe to follow. Thank you! My only question is I baked them for 30 minutes and thought they looked done, but they were still very raw inside. Stuck them in the oven for another 10 minutes. My oven is right on temperature, is there something I did in the prep to cause the longer bake time? Too close together in the pan? Help. 🙂

    1. Hey Angela,
      Fantastic!! I love that this recipe turned out tasty for you, thanks so much for giving it a try! Did you use a glass dish by chance? Some ovens vary when baking so extra time is no biggy:) xx

      1. Regardless of my cooking time, they sure turned out delightful! I did indeed use a glass dish. Was that a pro or con?

        1. Hey Angela,
          Awesome!! 🍂 I love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks a bunch for trying it out! Glass dishes are just fine to use but sometimes they will require more baking time:) xx

  4. 5 stars
    Incredible!! So easy to make. I did add the extra 1/4 flour and that helped with the stickiness. I made extra honey butter and poured it over the top. So delicious! The last 5 mins I moved the rolls to the top of the oven so that they got golden brown. I will definitely be making these for thanksgiving this year!

    1. Hi Ashley,
      Happy Sunday!!🎃 I am delighted to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it and sharing your feedback! xx

    1. Hey Amelia,
      Wonderful!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed and truly appreciate you making it! Have a great weekend! 🍁🍂

    1. Hey Rebecca,
      Happy Wednesday! I love to hear that this recipe was tasty for you, thanks so much for making it! I prefer to do 2 batches rather than doubling just because dough can be finicky! xx

    1. Hi Cindy,
      Yes, both the instructions for making ahead and freezing and using active dry yeast are listed above:) I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xx

    1. Hi Justina,
      Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, sorry to hear yours didn’t brown on the top. Next time, I would just move them up a rack in your oven to get a nice golden color. I hope this helps! xx

  5. I know this sounds crazy, but do you think a 1:1 gluten free flour replacement would work? I make these rolls all the time because they’re amazing, but I have a gluten free friend coming over for thanksgiving and don’t want her to feel left out!

    1. Did you make these with gluten free flour? If so, how did they turn out, and which flour did you use? These are one of my favorite rolls, but my husband is recently diagnosed with celiac disease and I wondered if I could make these gluten free…

  6. This recipe is exactly the roll recipe I have been looking for! So delicious and easy to make! I left out the honey because I didn’t have any, and they were really good. Can’t wait to make it with the honey next time.

    1. Hey Jaime,
      Fantastic!! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks for trying it out! I hope you had a great holiday weekend!?

    1. Hi Courtney,
      Sorry, I’ve not tried that with this recipe, I would probably just stick to follow the instructions as is:) Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx

    2. 5 stars
      I’ve made these a few times and they’re amazing!!! This time, my dough didn’t rise 🙁 Do you know what I could have done wrong?

      1. Hey Mallory,
        So glad to hear you have enjoyed this recipe in the past! Hmmm was there anything wrong with the yeast? Let me know how I can help! xx