With that next family dinner right around the corner, I wanted to share with you a super amazing recipe that is going to save you time in the kitchen and really add to your menu: whole wheat dinner rolls, made in a slow cooker!

You might be asking yourself: can I make bread in a slow cooker? I know it’s a question I, myself have asked in the past, and the answer is a big resounding YES! You can use your slow cooker/crockpot to make bread and dinner rolls!

Not only are these whole wheat dinner rolls amazingly delicious, but since they’re made in a slow cooker, you’re freeing up oven space (although I will mention I do like putting these whole wheat dinner rolls under the broiler for 2 minutes at the end before serving to give them a nice brown color, but that step is optional).

Ok, so I need to know…is anyone else in denial that Easter is less than 2 weeks away? The holiday is creeping up on us!

My husband keeps gently reminding me that we need to talk about our Easter brunch menu because we are hosting Easter this year. So I’m forgoing this weeks’ Five Ingredient Friday to share this recipe with you, because it’s a definite “must make/should make” on your Easter menu.

Are we crazy for hosting? Probably. But it’s Ben’s first Easter and I am SO excited about making a little Easter basket and doing an Easter egg hunt (if you have any tips/tricks/suggestions of what to put in a baby’s Easter basket please let me know in the comments below – I also what to know what you’re cooking!)

We also have lots of family who live near by, and I know they will contribute (my father-in-law (hi Ken) is an amazing bread baker, he’s the one who always helps me with bread recipes like this cinnamon sugar challah braid we made for Easter a few years ago.)

I’m all about simplifying the day-of an event cooking. I don’t want to be doing a lot of active cooking, I want to enjoy time with my guests. So I’m turning to my slow cooker/crockpot to do the work for me. Just like with these slow cooker cinnamon rolls (love them and have them on the menu), these whole wheat dinner rolls are made in a slow cooker.

Because they’re cooked with slow heat, you don’t need to wait for a million hours for yeast to rise (hint: I’m super impatient when baking bread!)

Speaking of yeast, it’s safe to say that I LOVE Red Star Yeast. It’s legit the only brand I use when baking with yeast. I’ve had some pretty astronomical yeast-baking failures with other brands of yeast (like where it never rises and are left with a dense/flat end product), so I am happy to report that I exclusively use Red Star Yeast brand.

I didn’t even use a fancy mixer or anything to make these dinner rolls, I simply used a wooden spoon to stir the mixture, then the slow cooker did the rest. No joke, these dinner rolls were one of the easiest recipes I’ve made.

And they’re so delicious. SO SO delicious. They’re whole wheat, but not in a dry and unappetizing way. The flavor is so good in these rolls, it’s really hard to just eat one. They’re soft and fluffy on the inside and have a nice hearty quality because of the whole wheat in them.

These whole wheat dinner rolls made in a slow cooker will become a favorite for family dinners and gatherings, and you’ll love how easy they are to make!

Yield: 12 whole wheat dinner rolls

Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls Made In A Slow Cooker

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Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Inactive Time 40 minutes

Total Time 2 hours 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup milk, warmed
• 2 1/4 teaspoons (1 packet) Red Star Yeast
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 2/3 cups stone ground whole wheat pastry flour
• Toppings:
• 1 tablespoon melted butter
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt

Instructions

Start by warming the milk (I simply heat mine in the microwave for 1 minute, you don’t want it hotter than 95 degrees). Add packet of yeast to the milk, stir once or twice and then let sit for 5-10 minutes until it is foamy.

Pour milk and yeast mixture into a large mixing bowl and add in the honey, sugar, melted butter and salt stir with a wooden spoon until combined.

Next add whole wheat pastry flour. Stir until the dough comes together. It will be a slightly wet and sticky dough.

Pinch of 12 pieces of dough, and form them into balls.

Line a slow cooker with parchment paper and spray lightly with cooking spray.

Place the dough balls at the bottom of the slow cooker. Put a big piece of paper towel under the lid (important step, you don’t want the condensation dripping onto your dough) and cover the slow cooker.

Turn on high and cook for 90 minutes. Check for doneness - the middle ones should be cooked through on the bottom and the outside ones should be slightly browned.

Lift the parchment paper out of the slow cooker and transfer to a baking sheet. Bake rolls under the broiler in your oven (or oven at 500 degrees) for 2 minutes.

Brush with butter and sprinkle with garlic salt and sea salt. Serve warm.

Looking for more yeast/bread recipe inspiration? Check out Red Star Yeast on facebook, pinterest, twitter and instagram.

I am a proud to bring you this post in partnership with Red Star Yeast, a company whose products I truly use and love. All opinions are mine alone. Thank you for supporting the brands that make the SweetPhi blog possible.