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Salted Honey Butter Cheddar Brioche Rolls: light, airy, and ultra-buttery—these soft brioche rolls are perfectly salted and beyond delicious. Made with a swirl of salted honey butter, sharp cheddar cheese, and garlic in every bite. Serve these warm, straight from the oven, with a generous spoonful of honey garlic butter on top, a sprinkle of flaked sea salt, and fresh basil or parsley.
These rolls come together in under two hours with minimal effort, using just flour, salt, instant yeast, honey, eggs, butter, cheese, garlic, and herbs. They’re the perfect addition to any gathering—whether it’s a cozy family dinner, a weekend brunch, or a holiday spread.
With Easter Sunday top of mind for most of us today, I know many of you might be looking for a few new ideas to round out your holiday menus. If you’re anything like me, you keep things simple and stick to dishes you know everyone will love.
One thing that’s always had a place on our Easter table? Rolls. Both Nonnie and my mom never served a holiday meal without them—it’s a little tradition that’s stuck with me and always feels like home.
Now, they kept it pretty basic. I’m talking Pillsbury rolls from the can or frozen rolls baked up just before serving. Nonnie would always dress them up in a cute basket with an Easter-themed napkin and butter on the side—she had a way of making everything feel special.
If we were really lucky, Easter morning also meant waffles or one of Nonnie’s Dutch babies topped with canned Ready Whip and lots of berries.
It was perfect.
But—back to the rolls! They made an appearance at both brunch and dinner. Nonnie always served ham too, which I’ve yet to try making myself. Do any of you have a go-to recipe for Easter ham?
This year’s rolls
The rolls I’m making this year might just be some of my favorites yet. I’ve always loved a good brioche roll and have made them in so many ways—but never with cheddar cheese! These are definitely going to be a perfect addition to our Easter menus.
I used my go-to brioche dough (made with instant yeast—so, yes, totally no-fuss!), and swirled in salted honey butter and super sharp cheddar. Then, right before baking, I topped them with a garlicky, herby honey butter and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt.
Can’t wait for you to try them—hope they make your Easter table extra special!
Here Is What You Need To Know
Ingredients – for the dough
- flour
- instant yeast
- garlic powder
- onion powder
- salt
- whole milk
- honey
- salted butter
- whole eggs
- an egg yolk
- warm milk
- sharp cheddar cheese
Ingredients – for the swirl
- salted butter
- honey
- garlic powder
- fresh parsley and basil
- sea salt
Special Tools
These rolls are easiest when you have a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. The mixer can do all the work for you! If you don’t have a mixer, you can knead the dough with your hands instead. You’ll just have to use a little more arm strength!
Steps
Step 1: make the brioche dough
In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix all the dry ingredients: flour, instant yeast, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt. Then add in the honey and 3 large eggs. It’s best if the eggs are at room temperature.
What’s so nice about using instant yeast is that it allows you to skip the first rise and go almost directly to baking.
Mix the dough with the dough hook until it forms a smooth ball. Now cover the bowl and let the dough rest 15 minutes. If you leave it for an hour, that is fine too! It’s really no stress!
Step 2: prepare the filling
While the dough is resting, mix salted, softened butter and honey.
Shred lots of sharp cheddar cheese during this time too. I love to use a mix of white and yellow cheddar.
Step 3: roll the dough out
Now, we can immediately move on to rolling out the dough.
On a floured counter, divide the dough in half. Roll each half into a square, spread the honey butter on top, and top with cheddar cheese. Cut each square into 6 long strips. Roll the dough into a tight coil, similar to a cinnamon roll.
Arrange each roll seam-side down in a 9×9-inch square baking dish.
Step 4: brush the rolls and let them rest
Next, beat 1 egg yolk with a splash of water. This is known as an egg wash, which creates a beautiful golden crust over each roll.
Brush the tops of the rolls with the egg wash, then let them sit for an additional 15 minutes or up to 1 hour. They should get a little puffy and double in size.
Step 5: bake the rolls!
The final step is to bake. These only take around 25 minutes, so they bake up fast!
As they bake, you’ll smell that wonderful smell of baking bread in the air—sweet honey, a touch of garlic, cheddar, and this eggy smell that I can’t quite explain, but it’s wonderful.
Again, great for the Spring and Summer seasons!
Step 6: make the honey butter topping
While the rolls are baking, mix the remaining butter with garlic powder and honey. Melt this on the stove, then add either fresh basil or parsley.
I honestly use both. Dill is really nice too!
Step 7: serve these warm
Spoon the warm honey garlic butter over each roll, then sprinkle with sea salt.
Lastly, a sprinkle of sea salt makes every bite of these buttery, flaky cheddar brioche rolls just that much better. And remember, every really great meal, especially a holiday meal, has a yummy roll, too!
Looking for other savory bread recipes? Try these.
Homemade Honey Butter Cheddar Biscuits
Salted Honey Butter Parker House Rolls
The Best (easiest) No Knead Bread
Salted Honey Butter Jalapeño Cheddar Rolls
Salted Honey Butter Parker House Rolls
Jalapeño Cheddar Popovers with Honey Butter
Soft Garlic Herb Cheddar Cheese Bread
Lastly, if you make these Salted Honey Butter Cheddar Brioche Rolls, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love hearing from you 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!
Salted Honey Butter Cheddar Brioche Rolls
Servings: 12 rolls
Calories Per Serving: 374 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 3 1/2–4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 packet (2 1/4 teaspoons) instant yeast
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup warm milk
- 6 tablespoons honey
- 8 tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature
- 3 eggs, at room temperature
- 1 egg yolk, beaten with 1 tablespoon water
- flaky sea salt
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Honey Butter Topping
- 4 tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- fresh chopped parsley or basil
Instructions
- 1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, yeast, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt. Add the warm milk, 2 tablespoons of honey, 3 whole eggs, and 5 tablespoons of butter. Using the dough hook, mix until the flour is completely incorporated, about 4-5 minutes. If the dough seems sticky, add a 1/4 cup of flour at a time. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes or up to 1 hour.2. In a small bowl, mix 3 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of honey. Mix in a good pinch of sea salt.3. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a 9×9 inch baking dish with parchment paper.4. Punch the dough down and divide it in half. On a lightly floured surface, roll each half into a 12-inch square, about 1/4-inch thick. Brush each square with honey butter, saving any leftover butter for serving. Top each square with 1 cup of cheddar. Then, cut each square of dough into 6 to 8 strips. Roll each strip into a coil (see above photo) and arrange seam side down in the prepared baking dish.5. Brush the rolls with the beaten egg yolk. Cover the dish and let the rolls rise for 30 minutes until puffy.6. Bake the rolls for 22-25 minutes until golden. 7. Meanwhile, make the honey butter topping. In a small saucepan set over low heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter with the honey and garlic powder. Remove from the heat. Add the basil or parsley.8. Serve the rolls warm, with honey butter and flaky 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. Wrap 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 for 5-10 minutes, until bubbly and foamy on top. Add the flour and follow the remaining directions as listed in the recipe.
This post was originally published on April 18, 2025
Made this for Easter dinner. I baked for 25 min, the tops were golden but the inside of the rolls was still raw. I kept in an extra few minutes and the tops started getting way too dark, but actually I guess the same color as the photos for the recipe which is too dark for my liking. I pulled them out and the inside of the roll was still not completely done. Not really a brioche texture either. I don’t ever bake bread so I thought I did something wrong, but my MIL who bakes bread daily was over and I showed her the recipe, she said the rise time is wrong, for brioche first rise should be 1-2hrs, second rise should be 30min-1hr. Not worth the time and effort. I ended up tossing them.
Hi Jessie,
Sorry to hear these did not turn out for you, thanks for sharing your feedback and so sorry to hear you tossed them. xx
So rich and delicious! I sadly didn’t knead them long enough (make sure it’s in a smooth ball!) so they didn’t fully rise/bake properly. BUT the outside rolls were delicious. Going to try again with maybe a little less onion powder too.
Thanks so much, Jordan:) Love to hear these rolls were enjoyed. I appreciate you making them and your feedback! xx
These were amazing! Will be our family’s favorite for future Easter dinners.
I did change the directions, after brushing the dough square with the honey butter, I sprinkled the grated cheese on top & rolled up the dough like a cinnamon roll & pinched the dough edge to seal it off. Then using dental floss I cut off each roll & placed each roll in the pan like you do for cinnamon rolls (that way while the rolls baked the cheese melted on top & gave it a nice crusty top with the egg wash).
Never would have envisioned brioche, honey, garlic, onion, cheese, salt & parsley flavors could be combined—these were delicious! Learned something new at 73 yrs old. Sorry no picture, they got consumed too quickly with our ham dinner, a great combo!
Hey Debby,
That’s awesome!! Love to hear this recipe was enjoyed by your family. I appreciate you giving them a try! Happy Easter! xT
I was reading the recipe on my phone and accidentally put in all 8 tablespoons of butter into the dough without realizing that 3 of those tablespoons were meant to be reserved for the butter spread. I wound up finding the dough to be too sticky so I added another half cup of flour to the dough to get it to the right consistency. This mistake wound up being great — the rolls turned out delicious (and not too dense, like other commenters have mentioned.) I also started checking for done-ness at exactly 22 minutes. I checked every few minutes after 22 minutes and this helped prevent any burning. They turned out golden brown and perfect!
Hi Laura,
Perfect!! So glad to hear these rolls were a hit for you, thanks a lot for making them and your comment. Have a wonderful week! xx
These all morphed together in the oven and did not separate well at all. Also, I don’t think these classify as true brioche rolls.
Sorry to hear this, Sally! Thanks for trying the rolls and your comment. Next time, you could use a 9×13 baking dish. Have a nice week!
These are not brioche rolls, and they did not turn out well. Bland flavor, and they took much longer to cook than what the recipe states. Wondering if maybe Teghan stuck hers under the broiler? Either way, I won’t make again.
Hi Ruth,
Thanks for your feedback and trying this recipe. Sorry to hear they were not to your liking. If there is anything that I can help with, please let me know!
These were congealed and stuck together. I did cover them so they didn’t burn like yours, but they were very messy to serve. Taste was a bit bland, but I wasn’t expecting it to be that flavorful. Just wanted good rolls.
Hi Sami,
So sorry to hear you did not enjoy these rolls, thanks for giving them a try. Have a nice Sunday!
First recipe I’ve tried from this site and it turned out well. I kneaded the dough on my KitchenAid for 45 minutes until the dough formed a ball. Proofed for an hour. The rolls would not fit in one pan so I added a loaf pan too. They didn’t rise dramatically during the next proof but they got huge in the oven. Just huge, in a good way lol, although I might’ve made them smaller if I had known. They’re quite fluffy and tasty. I’m interested to see how the cheese behaves once they’re cool. Thanks for the recipe.
Thanks so much, Jen! So glad this recipe was enjoyed, I appreciate you making it! Happy Sunday!🌼🐰
These turned out super dense, I’m glad I did a trial run before making these tomorrow!
Thanks for sharing your feedback, Diane! To make these less dense, try using a 9×13 baking dish. Happy Easter!
The recipe says salted butter but your Intagram story has unsalted butter shown. Which is it?
Hi Jane,
You will use salted butter for this recipe. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
Your rolls look pretty burnt, how do I avoid that?
Hi Jennifer,
Feel free to cover with foil once the rolls are golden to your liking:) Have a wonderful weekend!
These were very dense & did not turn out at all. I followed the recipe exactly. Glad I tested it before trying to serve tomorrow!
Hi Michelle,
So sorry to hear this. If I can help in anyway, please let me know. Thanks for trying this recipe. x
These turned out extremely dense & did not rise properly. They all kind of smooshed together like your IG story showed…I should have known, but I was hoping they would turn out as separate rolls.
Hi Jenna,
Thanks for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback, sorry to hear they were not enjoyed.
Hi Tieghan, you mention you’ve never made ham before but you have a recipe for a ham on your site. Was that someone else’s? Thanks so much for the Easter recipe ideas!
Hey Lill! It’s a super old recipe, I forgot about it and it not really very traditional. I want to make own now, that is more like a classic ham roast for Easter and spring entertaining!
Have the most wonderful Easter weekend you your family and friends!! Enjoy the rolls!
Can’t wait to try these! We have a full Easter Sunday as my husband is a pastor and I assist with the music, so I’m always looking for delicious recipes that can be made ahead, or mostly ahead! Wondering if I could prep these up through the rolling them and getting them in the pan, then covering and freezing them? Then, the day I want to serve them, pull them out to thaw and puff up on the counter, then bake as directed??
Thanks for all your wonderful recipes with unique and incredible flavors. I know it’s a ton of work perfecting recipes — you’ve added so much to our meal times!!
Thanks so much, Gwen:) Of course, if you follow the prepare and freeze instructions, all should work nicely for you! I hope you love these rolls! xx
Oh my goodness — silly me. Somehow, I missed those “prepare and freeze” instructions — sorry to bother you, but thanks for taking time to reply!! Making them right now and will have to force myself not to bake and devour them before our Easter Sunday lunch! xx