This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

Potato rolls are pillowy soft, chewy, and buttery, with mashed potatoes adding a melt-in-your-mouth flavor to every bite.

Potato rolls baked on baking sheet.
Save This Recipe!
Just enter your email and get it sent to your inbox! Plus you’ll get new recipes from us every week!

Yes – Made with Mashed Potatoes!

If you are anything like our family, you rarely have leftover Best Mashed Potatoes. But trust me, scooping out ยฝ a cup to make these potato rolls is worth it!

If you’ve never made them before, potato rolls are a new twist on a favorite Yeast Dinner Roll. These fluffy rolls are incredible delicious and flavorful because they have mashed potatoes as one of the ingredients. Sounds weird, but we promise it’s AMAZING!

These potato rolls are the perfect soft dinner roll for a Sunday dinner idea, holidays, or any time (and especially perfect on the off chance you have leftover mashed potatoes). ๐Ÿ˜‰

WHY WE LOVE IT:

  • Fluffy perfection. Potato rolls boast an irresistibly soft and fluffy texture that melts in your mouth.
  • Holiday staple. Rolls and biscuits are a beloved tradition for gatherings and celebrations, adding a touch of comfort and warmth.
  • Freezable. Enjoy fresh-baked taste anytime by freezing the dough or leftover rolls to heat later.
Measuring flour on a kitchen counter.

Ingredients

  • PREP TIME: 20 minutes
  • RISE TIME: 2 hours
  • COOK TIME: 10 minutes
  • 2ยผ teaspoons active dry yeast
  • ยผ cup warm water – for the yeast to activate the water should be between 105-110ยฐF
  • 1 cup milk – room temperature milk helps keep the dough warm for the yeast the grow.
  • ยฝ cup prepared mashed potatoes – you can use plain homemade mashed potatoes or instant potatoes. Do not use mashed potatoes that have been seasoned or buttered.
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • ยผ cup granulated sugar
  • 1ยฝ teaspoons salt
  • 1 large egg – room temperature eggs incorporate better than a cold egg as well as keep the dough warmer.
  • 4-5 cups all-purpose flour How to Measure Flour. Should you like to use wheat flour, I suggest replacing half of the all-purpose flour with an equal amount of white wheat flour. 
  • 2 tablespoons butter, melted – I like using salted butter, but unsalted butter works well too.

How to Make Potato Rolls

  1. YEAST. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, dissolve 2 ยผ teaspoons active dry yeast in ยผ cup warm water.
  2. WET INGREDIENTS. In a small microwave-safe bowl or measuring cup, add 1 cup milk,ยฝ cup mashed potatoes, and 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter.
    • Heat on high for one minute, stir, then heat for an additional 30-60 seconds, until the butter is melted and the milk is warm but not hot.
    • Add the milk mixture, ยผ cup sugar, 1 ยฝ teaspoons salt, and 1 egg to the yeast mixture.
  3. DRY INGREDIENTS. Add 2 cups of flour, and mix to combine. Mix in 2-3 cups flour, ยผ cup at a time, to form a soft dough that pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
  4. KNEAD, SHAPE, & RISE. On a lightly floured surface, knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Shape the dough into a ball, place in a greased bowl, cover with a kitchen towel, and let rise for about one hour, until doubled.
  5. DIVIDE. After one hour, gently punch the dough down. Preheat the oven to 400ยฐF. Divide the dough into 24 pieces and shape each piece into a ball. Place the balls of dough with the smoothest side up, on a greased or parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
  6. SECOND RISE. Cover and let rise for 30-60 minutes, until the dough springs back when touched lightly.
  7. BAKE. Bake 10-12 minutes, until golden brown. Brush with the remaining 2 tablespoons of melted butter.
  8. SERVE warm with Strawberry Jam and Honey Butter or for Ham and Cheese Sliders. Enjoy!

Complete The Meal

Main Dish

Desserts

More Rolls

More Collections

4.98 from 76 votes

Potato Rolls

By: Lil’ Luna
Potato rolls are pillowy soft, chewy, and buttery, with mashed potatoes adding a melt-in-your-mouth richness to every bite.
Servings: 24
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Rise Time: 2 hours
Total: 2 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients 

  • 2 ยผ teaspoons active dry yeast
  • ยผ cup warm water
  • 1 cup milk
  • ยฝ cup prepared plain and unseasoned mashed potatoes
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • ยผ cup sugar
  • 1 ยฝ teaspoons salt
  • 1 egg
  • 4-5 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons butter, melted

Instructions 

  • In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, dissolve the yeast in warm water.
  • In a small microwave-safe bowl or measuring cup, add the milk, mashed potatoes, and 4 tablespoons of butter.
  • Heat on high for one minute, stir, then heat for an additional 30-60 seconds, until the butter is melted and the milk is warm but not hot.
  • Add the milk mixture, sugar, salt, and egg to the yeast mixture.
  • Add two cups of flour, and mix to combine. Mix in additional flour, ยผ cup at a time, to form a soft dough that pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
  • Knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Shape the dough into a ball, place in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise for about one hour, until doubled.
  • After one hour, gently punch the dough down. Preheat the oven to 400ยฐF. Divide the dough into 24 pieces and shape each piece into a ball. Place the balls of dough on a greased or parchment-lined baking sheet.
  • Cover and let rise for 30-60 minutes, until the dough springs back when touched lightly.
  • Bake 10-12 minutes, until golden brown. Brush with the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter.
  • Serve warm with Strawberry Jam and Honey Butter or for Ham and Cheese Sliders. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

Make Ahead of Time:
  • Mix up the dough in steps 1 and 2, but instead of letting it rise for an hour on the counter, cover the bowl and stick it in the fridge to rise overnight. The colder environment will make the yeast rise much more slowly.
  • The next day, shape the dough into balls and let them rise again.
  • Because the dough is chilled, the rise time may take almost twice as long.
  • Bake according to the recipe.
Can I Store Shaped Dough Balls?
  • Refrigerator. Place shaped rolls on a baking tray, cover them with plastic wrap, and keep them in the fridge for about 12 hours. Allow them to finish rising at room temperature before baking.
  • Freezer. Follow the recipe but instead of placing the dough balls onย a pan to be baked, place the pan into the freezer. Once the dough balls are solid, transfer them to a freezer-safe container for up to 6 months.ย 
  • To bake. Place frozen dough balls on a baking pan. Cover the pan with a greased piece of plastic wrap (the cooking spray helps keep the plastic from sticking to the dough). Allow them to rise for about 4 hours before baking.ย 
How to Store Baked Potato Rolls? Store leftover Potato Rolls in a Ziploc bag on the counter for 2-3 days.
How to Freeze? Wrap the leftovers in plastic wrap, then again with foil, and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g, Calories: 126kcal, Carbohydrates: 20g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 16mg, Sodium: 162mg, Potassium: 65mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 114IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 18mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Recipe FAQ

What is a potato roll?

Potato dinner rolls are simple Yeast Dinner Rolls but they also have mashed potatoes inside. Mashed potatoes give it a soft and sweeter taste and texture than normal white rolls.

Do potato rolls taste like potatoes?

No, not at all! They just taste like any other delicious dinner roll but with a soft texture from the added potatoes.

How far apart do I place rolls on a baking pan?

For a pull-apart bread with softer sides, space the dough balls closer together. For rounded, brown all-over, crustier rolls, add more space in between each dough ball. This way they don’t touch when they’re baking.

Make ahead of time?

Mix up the dough in steps 1 and 2, but instead of letting it rise for an hour on the counter, cover the bowl and stick it in the fridge to rise overnight. The colder environment will make the yeast rise much more slowly.
The next day, shape the dough into balls and let them rise again. Because the dough is chilled, the rise time may take almost twice as long.
Bake according to the recipe.

Can I store shaped dough balls?

Refrigerator. Place shaped rolls on a baking tray, cover them with plastic wrap, and keep them in the fridge for about 12 hours. Allow them to finish rising at room temperature before baking.
Freezer. Follow the recipe but instead of placing the dough balls onย a pan to be baked, place the pan into the freezer. Once the dough balls are solid, transfer. To bake, place frozen dough balls on a baking pan. Cover the pan with a greased piece of plastic wrap (the cooking spray helps keep the plastic from sticking to the dough). Allow them to rise for about 4 hours before baking.

How to store baked potato rolls?

Store leftover Potato Rolls in a Ziploc bag on the counter for 2-3 days.

How to freeze?

Wrap the leftovers in plastic wrap, then again with foil, and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months.ย 

About Kristyn

My name is Kristyn and Iโ€™m the mom of SIX stinkinโ€™ cute kids and the wife to my smokinโ€™ hot hubby, Lo. My momโ€™s maiden name is Luna, and Iโ€™m one of the many crafty โ€œLilโ€™ Lunasโ€ in the fam. On this site I like to share all things creative - from recipes to home decor to gifts and home decor ideas. Welcome!

So Easy & So Yummy

Get my cookbook!

My new cookbook is the ultimate resource for feeding your friends and family with 200+ simple recipes including videos, tips & more!

4.98 from 76 votes (58 ratings without comment)

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




34 Comments

  1. Katja Beh-Forrest says:

    5 stars
    I made these the first time for an early Xmas meal & they were a big hit. I love their texture & they might be my new favorite dinner roll!

  2. Kandie says:

    Hi, if I use instant yeast, how does that change the recipe?

  3. Hillary says:

    These sounds great – if I wanted to make larger rolls (lets say 12 rolls instead of 24 – i want to use them for sandwiches/buns) – would the cook timing be the same 10 -12 min @ 400 degrees?!

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      You would probably need to bake a little longer. I’d suggest keeping an eye on them until they are a nice golden brown on top and the bottoms are light brown too.

  4. Brittany says:

    3 stars
    Love the recipe but hard to read when you can’t x out of the ads that cover half the page.

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      The ads allow us to be able to continue to deliver free recipes & content to our readers. Thanks for understanding. ๐Ÿ™‚

  5. Krista says:

    These sound amazing! Iโ€™m wondering if I could just make loaves of bread like this instead of rolls?

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      You know, I haven’t tried that before! You’ll have to let us know how it turns out if you give it a try.

  6. Laura says:

    If I want to double the recipe would I just double all the ingredients? Or do I need to make additional changes to amounts? Also would you say these are about 2 ounce rolls? Thanks in advance.

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      No, if you double the ingredients, that should be just right. No extra steps required if doubling. Other than you’ll need another pan for baking. If you have a big mixer like a Bosch or something, you can probably just double everything in the bowl. Otherwise, you may need to do two separate batches. As far as the size, you can totally make them however big or small you want. If you want them two ounces, you can just measure the dough on a kitchen scale when you are shaping them. Hope these tips are helpful!

  7. Christine says:

    5 stars
    Made this recipe twice. Love it! Easy, moist and addictive…My neighbours like them too!

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      Yay! I’m so glad to hear the rolls are a hit!

  8. Kerica L. Williams says:

    5 stars
    These are the absolute BEST rolls EVER! I just got mine from the oven & cannot STOP eating them! These are now my go to rolls and everybody LUV’D them they will NOT last until tomorrow’s Christmas meal!

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      Yay!! I am so happy you think so ๐Ÿ™‚ Thank you so much!

  9. Kim says:

    5 stars
    Absolutely delicious, as itโ€™s Christmas used garlic butter at the end & were lovely. Thank you.

  10. Alissa Blunck says:

    5 stars
    Made these for Thanksgiving turned out perfect.