When I tell people that I’m a professional baker, I’m often met with responses like, “Oh, I’m too lazy to even make cake from a boxed mix!” Here’s my secret: I’m lazy too! Sure, I love whipping up homemade cookies, brownies and cakes. But when it comes to yeast-based items that require shaping and proofing time, like bread? That’s a process I lack patience for, which is why I was happy to seek out the best dinner rolls at the supermarket.
Now, I might not have the motivation to make dinner rolls from scratch, but I do have standards. To that end, I taste-tested some of the best store-bought dinner rolls from nine popular brands, including Pillsbury, King’s Hawaiian and even The Cheesecake Factory. I’m humbled to admit that my top pick gives homemade dinner rolls a run for their money!
Best store-bought dinner rolls for 2026
Britt Ross/Yahoo
Preparation: Ready-to-eat; heating for 3-5 minutes in a 400°F oven is recommended | Serving size: 1 roll (43g) | Calories per serving: 120 | Sodium per serving: 190mg | Sugar per serving: 2g
Like most people, I eat with my eyes first, and I had high hopes for these rolls when I spotted them at Trader Joe’s. Compared to many of the store-bought dinner rolls I tried, they looked less commercially produced; their golden-brown tops had a rustic split down the middle that gave them a homemade appearance.
Billed as “soft pull-apart rolls,” they lived up to their description: The rolls were tender with an appealing chew, and a bit more dense than fluffy, but in a satisfying way. They were also the moistest (sorry) rolls of the bunch, and Trader Joe’s credits that to the addition of water-retaining potato flour.
My husband and I agreed that the rolls had a wholesome flavor, not necessarily in a health-food sort of way, but that they didn’t taste mass-produced. We picked up on some, dare I say, sourdough vibes?! The rolls were ever so slightly sweet, which paired nicely with the salted butter I slathered on them — and of all nine varieties I sampled, this was the one I wanted to keep eating. (Note to Joe: Please don’t discontinue these!)
Score: 16/20
- Appealing golden brown color
- Soft and moist, with a bit of chewiness
- Lightly sweet — the perfect complement to salted butter
- Packaging is a bit flimsy, so take care they don’t get crushed while shopping
Britt Ross/Yahoo
Preparation: Frozen; bake for 5-10 minutes in a 350°F oven | Serving size: 1 roll (43g) | Calories per serving: 130 | Sodium per serving: 210mg | Sugar per serving: 4g
With all due respect to Walmart’s food products, I was not expecting to be as impressed by these rolls as I was. They were the largest frozen rolls I tried, which meant they were fluffier than their smaller, denser counterparts. I also appreciated that they went straight from freezer to oven, as some varieties require several hours of rise time (no thanks!).
When I first took them out of the oven (they took about seven minutes to heat through), I was underwhelmed by their pale, matte appearance. And while I couldn’t detect any real dominant flavor, the roll was a solid blank canvas for butter. The texture was what really sold me: The interior was soft and pillowy, while the bottoms had a nice crust. In fact, it was the only roll that had any sort of crunch factor, so if you’re a crusty bread lover, this is the one I’d recommend.
Score: 13.5/20
- Fluffy interior with a crusty bottom
- Comes pre-baked/no proofing necessary
- Package is resealable
- Not the most attractive roll; a bit pale
Britt Ross/Yahoo
Preparation: Ready-to-eat; heating for 2-3 minutes in a 300°F oven is recommended (includes oven-safe baking tray) | Serving size: 1 roll (28g) | Calories per serving: 90 | Sodium per serving: 75mg | Sugar per serving: 5g
I’ve known about these pillow-soft rolls for a long time, but I’d never tried them before this round of testing. As cute as they were, I was a tad skeptical, since they looked a bit like mini burger buns, which I often find dry and tasteless.
To my surprise, they were really pleasant! Despite their name, they weren’t cloyingly sweet and had a nice fluffiness without turning sticky when eaten (my biggest pet peeve). I detected a slightly artificial aftertaste, but it wasn’t a deal-breaker (and barely noticeable once I added butter). I’d definitely recommend warming these babies up, as noted on the packaging; they even come with their own oven-safe heating tray.
Score: 13/20
- Golden brown top
- Sweet, but not too sweet
- Fluffy interior
Britt Ross/Yahoo
Preparation: Chilled dough; unwrap dough, separate triangles, roll into crescents, bake for 10-13 minutes in a 375°F oven | Serving size: 1 roll (28g) | Calories per serving: 100 | Sodium per serving: 220mg | Sugar per serving: 3g
Out of all the dinner rolls I sampled, these were the only ones I’d eaten before — but not since childhood, so I was curious to see if they still suited my palate. They do require a bit more prep than the others; you have to pop open the can (anyone else get slightly nervous about it exploding?), unroll the dough, separate each triangle of dough and roll them into crescents before baking. Honestly, it’s like getting to do the fun part of croissant-making without the tedious lamination.
When I pulled them out of the oven, I saw that they had puffed up nicely, with even browning among the batch. Some of the rolls maintained their crescent shape better than others, but overall, I was satisfied with how they looked. Upon first bite, I admired their tender, flaky texture and pronounced buttery flavor. Yes, that flavor might have tasted a bit artificial, but not in a negative way — I enjoyed it!
Score: 14.5/20
- Soft, flaky texture
- Looks impressive once baked
- Sweet, buttery flavor
Factors to consider when shopping for dinner rolls
Before I set out on my dinner roll-testing journey, I wasn’t aware of just how many types of store-bought rolls are out there. These are, in my opinion, the most important things to keep in mind when shopping:
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✓ Preparation: I’m of the mindset that if you’re going to purchase pre-made dinner rolls, there should be as little hands-on prep work as possible. Some rolls are ready to eat straight from the package (though I’d argue all are improved with some time in the oven), while others come frozen or as refrigerated dough. Frozen dinner rolls are either pre-baked and need only to be heated through, or unbaked and require a few hours to proof before baking. Refrigerated dough doesn’t necessarily need time to proof, but assembly may be involved, as with canned crescent rolls.
✓ Flavor: Some dinner rolls lean sweet, while others have a more neutral flavor profile. (If the rolls are described as “sweet” on the packaging, it’s safe to assume there is a sweetener of some kind in the ingredients list.) Different flours can also affect a roll’s flavor; white flour is less pronounced, while whole wheat flour can taste nutty and even slightly bitter.
✓ Texture: My ideal dinner roll is soft on the inside with a slightly chewy exterior, which explains why the Trader Joe’s roll was my top pick. That said, some rolls are soft all around, while others have a more crusty exterior (I love these for sopping up sauce, since they’re less likely to get soggy). If there’s one thing this taste test has taught me, it’s that there’s a store-bought roll for every preference out there!
How we tested dinner rolls
To play fair, I tasted each of the dinner rolls without knowing which brand was which. I prepared all the rolls according to their instructions, let them come to room temperature, and then reheated them in the oven for a few minutes so I could taste them side by side while they were warm. (My husband kept track of which roll was which, then revealed them after I was done tasting.)
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To start, I tasted each roll on its own, then added some salted butter to get the full effect. While I sampled, I rated each roll from 1 to 5 (5 being the best) on flavor, appearance, texture and overall enjoyment, for a total possible score of 20. I then tallied up the totals to determine my favorites, also considering preparation requirements and ingredients.
With nine varieties sampled, we left no crumbs during this taste test…
(Britt Ross/Yahoo)Other dinner rolls we tested
Immaculate Organic Crescent Rolls: My husband, who tasted all of the dinner rolls with me, actually preferred these to Pillsbury! I also didn’t mind them, but in my opinion, the Pillsbury rolls had a stronger buttery flavor and were fluffier, which gave them the edge. That said, these are a fabulous alternative and are made with organic ingredients, if that’s important to you.
Sister Schubert’s Dinner Yeast Rolls: I had higher hopes for these rolls; they came in an attractive green-and-white package and promised “homestyle goodness.” Alas, I found that they tasted like little more than flour, and compared to the other bake-from-frozen rolls (Great Value), they were more compact and lacked crust.
Rhodes Bake-N-Serv Thaw, Rise & Bake Dinner Rolls: These rolls required 3 to 5 hours of proofing before baking — the only rolls I tested that did so — so I immediately docked a few points for that. Had they blown me away in the flavor and texture departments, I could have overlooked the prep; however, I found them a bit industrial-looking with their perfectly round, matte-brown tops, and they didn’t have much flavor. The insides were fluffy, but the dry, crusty bottoms weren’t my cup of tea.
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Whole Foods Market Kitchens Brioche Dinner Rolls: Visually, these were beautiful with their glossy golden-brown tops. And while I usually love an enriched dough like brioche (“enriched” meaning it contains ingredients like eggs and butter), I found these rolls surprisingly bland with just a hint of sweetness. Texture was the biggest offender; the rolls were soft, but had dry, brittle bottoms.
The Cheesecake Factory At Home Our Famous “Brown Bread” Dinner Rolls: I imagine these widely beloved rolls are more enjoyable when served at the restaurant itself, but I just didn’t love the store-bought version. For starters, these brown rolls would have looked more appetizing had they been round rather than log-shaped, and while I did detect sweetness, an unpleasant aftertaste was the dominant flavor. Texturally, they committed my No. 1 crime: They looked fluffy inside, but turned sticky and gummy while I chewed. (Don’t come at me, Cheesecake Factory fans!)
Must-haves for preparing dinner rolls
Amazon
Whether you’re baking frozen rolls or warming up fresh ones, you’ll need an oven-safe surface to heat them on. I always reach for a baking sheet, and this is my brand of choice; my pans are old enough to be museum relics at this point, and they still perform just as well as the day I got ’em.
Their most obvious uses are probably baking cookies and roasting vegetables, but I’ve also used mine to make cakes (you can cut out layers or make a large sheet cake), homemade Pop-Tarts and galettes. Pro tip: If I’m baking something runny in a pie or cake pan, I always stick one of these bad boys underneath to catch any drippings — it’s easier to clean the tray than the bottom of my oven!
Amazon
Here’s a hot tip: Before you heat your dinner rolls in the oven, baste the tops with some melted butter using a pastry brush. Not only will the butter give them a golden finish, but it’ll also make them taste so good, no one will know they’re store-bought. I prefer silicone brushes like this, since the bristles are less likely to fall off and they’re easier to clean. (Oh, and just after they’ve come out of the oven, sprinkle some Maldon sea salt on top — thank me later.)
Amazon
Sure, you could use a regular old butter knife to spread a pat over your dinner roll, but this No. 1 bestseller was designed to slice through even cold sticks like, well, buttah. Its blade is dotted with tiny holes that create curls of butter as it glides through, making it easier to spread on your bread (and the other side has a serrated edge for slicing said bread).
We received complimentary samples of some products and purchased others ourselves, but we reviewed all products using the same objective criteria.