Gluten-free Vegan Dinner Rolls

Gluten-free, vegan dinner rolls are fluffy, tasteful, and moist. Made with gluten-free and vegan ingredients, these dinner rolls are a must-have for Christmas and holiday dinner parties. These dinner rolls are super easy to make, with simple steps to follow; you have to make these yeast rolls like a pro and impress your guests.

So lately, I have been making lots of gluten-free vegan bread recipes and I have been enjoying it because the outcome is far better than the cardboard-tasting storebought ones. Check out my Gluten-Free Bread Sticks, Clove leaf Rolls, No-Knead Bread, and Gluten-Free Garlic Knots. 

Ingredient breakdown

here is everything you will need to make these moist dinner rolls.

• Active dry yeast: active dry yeast is a type of edible fungus that is a compulsory ingredient in every baking product. It acts as a leavening agent and makes the bread fluffy, airy and soft. It reacts with other compounds and traps the air in the bread-making the dough double of its size. Although you can find two types of yeast in the market, we are going to use active dry yeast for his recipe. The main difference between active dry yeast and instant yeast is that you have to activate active dry yeast. You can easily get it from any grocery store.
• Almond milk: you will need warm almond milk. It is a crucial ingredient to activate the active dry yeast. Almond milk is plant-based milk. You can use soy milk pr cashew milk for this recipe as well.
• Sugar: sugar is also a crucial ingredient in this recipe. It is not used to sweeten up the dinner rolls but to activate and proof the yeast. The yeast feeds on the sugar, and as a result, you see tiny bubbles appearing on the mixture. I have used organic cane sugar for this recipe, but you can use white granulated sugar as well.
• Avocado oil: Avocado oil is loaded with nutrients. It is among the healthy fats. If you don’t have avocado oil, use olive oil or canola oil.
• Brown rice flour: I have used brown rice flour for this recipe. It is a whole grain flour loaded with nutrients. Furthermore, it is gluten-free. Brown rice has a nutty flavor.
• Millet Flour: you can easily find millet flour at most major health food stores or online. It gives a light texture to dinner rolls. Along with brown rice, it sets the base for this recipe.
• Tapioca starch: tapioca starch is a powdery ingredient that is tasteless. It is vegan and gluten-free. Tapioca starch will help in giving the vegan dinner rolls body and will also act as a binding agent.
• Arrowroot starch: it is also a flavorless powdery ingredient that is used for making gluten-free baking products.
• Applesauce: apple sauce is a vegan ingredient that serves many purposes in baking. It is made from apples, sugar, and lemon juice. Apple sauce is not just healthy and reduces the calorie count of the baked good, but it also makes them stay fresh for longer.
• Xanthan gum: this food additive is widely used in vegan baking recipes for its binding properties. It is a perfect substitute for an egg. Like a sticky gel that brings the ingredients together. It makes the dinner rolls airy, moist and lets them hold shape.
• Baking powder: baking powder is another leavening agent. It traps the air inside the dinner rolls when they are baking. As a result, they rise well during baking and turn out to be fluffy and delicious.
• Salt: balance out the flavors by seasoning the dough with salt.
• Vegan butter: made with melted vegan butter, minced garlic, and salt, use vegan butter generously for brushing the dinner rolls and giving them a glossy finish. You can also add dried Italian seasonings.

How to make gluten-free, vegan dinner rolls?

Making gluten-free, vegan dinner rolls is very easy. The steps are pretty basic. You just have to proof the yeast, mix dry and wet ingredients, let it rest, and bake. Here is a step-by-step guide to help you get the perfectly baked dinner rolls:

Step 1: first of all, you have to ‘proof the yeast’. Proofing the yeast is very simple. Start with heating almond milk so that it is warm. Note that it should be warm, not hot. Now, add yeast and sugar to the almond milk and let it sit for 5 to 7 minutes until you see foam appearing on the mixture’s top. Once it has activated, add avocado oil and apple sauce and mix well.

Step 2: in a large bowl, add gluten-free all-purpose flour, rice flour, arrowroot starch, tapioca starch, flax seeds, xanthan gum, baking powder, and salt. Whisk the dry ingredients and start pouring the yeast and applesauce mixture into the dry ingredients.

Step 3: Mix well and knead until you get a dough. You can use an electric mixer with paddles

Step 4: Place dough in a large bowl that is lightly greased with oil, roll the dough ball all over with the oil, cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap in a cool dry place for an hour or until dough doubles in size.

Step 5: Lightly spray or brush a casserole pan or 9-inch cake pan with oil. Rub oil on your hands, divide the dough into 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball. and place side by side in the prepared pan.

Step 6: Cover the pan with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and allow it to rise in a warm dry place for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven at 400 degrees F.

Step 7: Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown and the rolls are springy to touch.

Step 8: Remove from the oven and brush with garlic butter.

Tips for making vegan dinner rolls

Keep these few things in mind when making vegan dinner rolls:

• Measurement is the key. Measure the flour and the liquid carefully.
• If the dough seems sticky, add more millet or rice flour. If it is hard, add a splash of almond milk.
• Don’t have arrowroot or tapioca starch? Use only one and double its quantity.
• You can also use oat flour and sorghum flour instead of millet flour or brown rice flour.
• Let the dough balls rest for 60 minutes. It is crucial for getting perfect dinner rolls, so don’t skip this step.
• You can add garlic or fresh herbs in the butter and brush it on the vegan dinner rolls. It will add flavor and aroma.

How to store vegan dinner rolls?

I don’t recommend storing leftover vegan dinner rolls in the refrigerator. That’s because they will dry out. So, it is better to keep the leftover dinner rolls at room temperature. They will last for up to 2 days. Moreover, you can also freeze gluten-free, vegan dinner rolls. Wrap them in parchment paper, followed by aluminum foil and place them in an air-tight container or plastic ziplock bag. Freeze for up to 2 months. To reheat, let them defrost first and bake them in the oven until they are fluffy again.

Other Vegan Side Dishes

1. Vegan Pupusa
2. Venezuelan Arepas
3. Hot Water Cornbread
4. Gluten-Free Vegan Flatbread
5. Duchess Potatoes
6. Vegan Samosa Muffins
7. Potato Stacks

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