Quick 3-Ingredient Mayo Rolls (No Yeast)
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These Quick Mayo Dinner Rolls use just three ingredients — self-rising flour, milk, and a few tablespoons of mayonnaise — mixed in one bowl and baked in a muffin tin in about 20 minutes. No yeast, no kneading, and no rising time needed. They bake up light and tender with a golden crust on the bottom. More like a muffin-tin biscuit than a traditional yeast roll, and just as good. Let me show you how easy these are to put together.
Sheila’s Recipe Snapshot
My mom made these dinner rolls at least once a week when I was growing up. With a couple of growing boys at the table, she always made a double batch — and the amount of mayonnaise was never exactly measured. She’d open the jar and dip out three big spoonfuls. That’s still how I make them.
It never failed — whenever one of us had a friend stay for supper, they’d always ask: “Can you give that recipe to my mom?”
I first shared this recipe as a contributor to The Weary Chef, and it’s remained a family staple ever since. On weeknights when there’s no time for homemade bread, this is the recipe I reach for. Three ingredients, one bowl, twenty minutes — make them a couple of times and they’ll become second nature, just like they were for my mom.
Ingredients for Mayonnaise Rolls
- Self-rising flour | The leavening agents(baking powder and salt) are already built in — this is what makes these rolls rise without yeast. If you only have all-purpose flour, see the Variations section for the easy substitute
- Milk | Whole or 2% milk gives the rolls a slightly richer, more tender crumb. Any milk works, including non-dairy alternatives, but the richness of whole milk makes a noticeable difference.
- Mayonnaise | Mayo adds moisture, fat, and a subtle tang that you won’t taste directly but will notice in the final texture. It’s what makes these rolls so tender without any oil or butter in the batter.
Variations and Substitutions
- No self-rising flour? Substitute 2 cups all-purpose flour whisked with 3 teaspoons baking powder and ½ teaspoon salt — works identically.
- Miracle Whip: Can substitute for mayonnaise in equal measure for a slightly sweeter roll.
- Cheddar and herb rolls: Stir in ¼ cup shredded sharp cheddar and ½ teaspoon rosemary or garlic powder before spooning into the tin.
- Everything Bagel seasoning: Sprinkle generously over the batter before baking for a savory, seeded crust — reader-tested and highly recommended.
- Poppy seeds: Sprinkle over the batter before baking for a classic finish.
- Bacon and cheese: Add 2 tablespoons crumbled bacon bits and ¼ cup shredded cheddar — several readers have had great results with this combination.
- Dairy-free: Substitute any non-dairy milk in equal measure.
- Butter finish: Brush with melted butter immediately out of the oven for a richer, glossier crust.
How to Make Mayonnaise Rolls
STEP 1 | Preheat the oven and oil the pan
Set the oven temperature to 375 degrees, then pour a little canola oil (one-half teaspoon) into each muffin tin cup and use a paper towel to spread the oil all around the inside. Or, you can spray the insides well with cooking spray.
STEP 2 | Make the dough
Add the self-rising flour to mixing bowl and gently stir in the milk and 3 heaping tablespoons of mayonnaise. In all actuality, there’s probably about four tablespoons of mayonnaise if you leveled them out. But don’t worry about that, just use a heaping measure.
Don’t overmix. Just stir until the dry ingredients are moistened. The dough will be thick and lumpy, think muffin batter.
STEP 3 | Bake
Evenly divide the dough into the cups of the oiled muffin tin. Bake for about 15 minutes. As the rolls bake, a nice golden brown crust forms on the bottom and sides.
Depending on your oven, the tops may not get overly browned, so pop them under the broiler for just a minute if you like them more golden.
Next time, you may enjoy trying this easy Slow Cooker Bread made with just two ingredients.
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Recipe Success Tips
Storage and Reheating Tips
These rolls are best eaten straight from the oven. Unlike yeast rolls, they don’t reheat particularly well — the texture softens, and the crust loses its crispness. If you have leftovers, store in an airtight bag at room temperature for up to 1 day and warm briefly in the oven at 300°F for 5 minutes.
They also freeze well — place cooled rolls in a freezer bag for up to 1 month and reheat from frozen at 350°F for 8–10 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes — whisk 2 cups all-purpose flour together with 3 teaspoons baking powder and ½ teaspoon salt before adding the other ingredients. It works identically to self-rising flour. Several readers skipped the whisking step before adding the milk and mayo and ended up with dense rolls — don’t skip it.
Honestly, they’re somewhere in between. These are muffin-tin biscuit rolls — light and tender with a golden crust, not soft and puffy like a yeast dinner roll. If you’re expecting a traditional pull-apart yeast roll, this isn’t that recipe. If you want something quick, easy, and delicious alongside soup, stew, or a Southern supper, these are perfect.
The batter is too soft and sticky to hold its shape freeform — a muffin tin is essential. The oiled tin also creates the golden, crisped bottom and sides that make these rolls so good.
No — mix and bake immediately. Once the liquid activates the leavening in the self-rising flour, the batter needs to go straight into the oven. There’s no rising time needed, and the rolls come together so quickly that mixing ahead doesn’t save much time anyway.
Looking For More Easy Bread Recipes?
Ready in just 30 minutes, this quick biscuit bread bakes up like a pan of cornbread, but the texture is definitely soft like a biscuit. Make Greek Olive Focaccia Bread using your favorite pizza dough recipe or a store-bought pizza dough, and these buttery Sweet Potato Biscuits make a delicious sandwich bread for sliced ham and a smear of honey mustard.
Please check out my collections of easy bread recipes and Southern side dishes.
What to Serve With 3-Ingredient Mayo Rolls
Serve these rolls alongside Old Fashioned Potato Soup, Homemade Creamy Chicken Vegetable Soup, or any Southern supper that needs a quick bread on the table fast.
My husband especially likes buttering one of these hot and eating them with cooked apples at the end of the meal for a quick bite of something sweet.
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Quick 3-Ingredient Mayo Rolls (No Yeast)
Ingredients
- 2 cups self-rising flour
- 1 cup milk
- 3 tablespoons mayonnaise heaping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Generously oil or spray a 12-cup muffin tin; set aside.
- In a medium bowl, stir together all ingredients just until moistened (do not use a mixer). Spoon evenly into the prepared muffin tin.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve immediately.
- Variations: Sprinkle batter with poppy seeds before baking. Brush with melted butter immediately after removing baked rolls from oven.
Notes
- Stir just until the dry ingredients are moistened — the batter will be thick and lumpy. Overmixing makes the rolls tough.
- Oil or spray the muffin tin generously — a well-greased tin creates the golden crust on the bottom and sides and helps the rolls release cleanly.
- Broil for 1 minute at the end if the tops aren’t browning to your liking — watch carefully.
- These rolls need a muffin tin — the batter is too soft to hold its shape on a sheet pan.
- Best eaten straight from the oven — unlike yeast rolls, these don’t reheat particularly well and the crust softens as they sit.
- To store: Keep in an airtight bag at room temperature for up to 1 day. Warm in a 300°F oven for 5 minutes before serving.
- To freeze: Place cooled rolls in a freezer bag for up to 1 month. Reheat from frozen at 350°F for 8–10 minutes.
Nutrition
Life Love and Good Food does not claim to be a registered dietitian or nutritionist. Nutritional information shared on this site is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.
I forgot to add in my previous review, when the biscuits were done baking I topped them with butter and put them back in to melt the butter and brown a bit more. They were delicious!
This a a great go to recipe for a quick and easy roll/buscuit to accompany dinner. I drizzled in a bit of bacon drippings because I was a little short on the mayo and added about a 1/4 c of sharp cheddar cheese, a tsp of rosemary and topped them with French fried onions. They came out great! The biscuits were so tender and delicious!
Hmmm I’m wondering if I can use a loaf pan to bake this bread?
Think I’m going to try it… I’ll let you know how it works.
Could these be made with almond flour?
Kayren, I don’t see why not, but I haven’t tried it myself so I can’t guarantee the results.
Love these buns, easy to make, but have found takes more liquid than the recipe calls for. Also I have added grated cheese, onion and real bacon bits……mmm good
I came across this recipe somewhere and jotted it down on a piece of paper and kept it for a while but pulled it out to make tonight. Unfortunately I did not jot down the “self rising” flour so in my ignorance I used all purpose. BIG difference and NOT the fluffy, golden brown like yours. Wondering what I did wrong when I saw the dense, pale hockey puck looking biscuits in the muffin pan I went looking for the recipe and saw my mistake. Needless to say, I WILL try these again with the proper flour and from now on I will do a better job in proof reading recipes when I jot them down! Giving it three stars just for how easy it was to make and for you posting it. When I make them correctly I will re-post.
Wendy, so sorry about your experience! When you do try them again, if they don’t brown to your liking, place them under the broiler for a minute or two. Good Luck!
Easy and so delicious. Especially with an Irish stew!
Disgusting and flat. Tastes like raw flour. Very gummy and gross. Do not recommend this recipe. Do not waste your ingredients!
I was sooooo disappointed in this recipe ! I wanted a quick easy dinner roll. This is far from that. This is a biscuit roll ! I am not a fan of biscuits at all. So I just wasted good mayo , milk and flour. You need to change the recipe name ! Take the words dinner rolls out of it !!
I just tried these also !!
I agree … Very easy to whip together.
However, I would Not call them a dinner roll !!
More like heavy Biscuits.
Can I substitute nonfat yogurt for the Mayo?
I’ve never tried the recipe with yogurt, but it should work although the flavor may be a little bland.
can i use olive oil mayo?
Yes, olive oil mayo should work in the recipe.
Very good but has the texture of a biscuit rather than a dinner roll
Made these tonight….never imagined I could make bread like this..they are delicious..I made 2 batches because the first time I forgot to add all the milk and I added it after I had mixed it..instead of throwing it away I decided to bake them on a cookie sheet pan with parchment paper..they turned out great..I will be making them again
Could I use almond milk for these??
I don’t see why you couldn’t!
These are baking now for a ladies luncheon I am hosting, wow do they smell great!
These are fabulous and easy. Made them for the first time a week ago and have made them 3 times now. Added garlic and rosemary to serve them with a recipe that called for rosemary. I am wondering if I can just lay them out hand shaped into ropes to make bread sticks? Thanks
Barbi, oh! I’m happy to hear you are loving this easy recipe! I’m not about hand shaping these rolls since the dough is so sticky. If you do try it, I’d love to hear about your results.
I love these. They are quick and easy to make, had my grandbaby helping me. My go to for quick bread for soups and stews.
I don’t have a miffin tin. When I make yeast rolls, I pat them out on my countertop and cut them with a knife, then let them rise. Is it imperative that I use a muffin tin, or can I just press them out and cut them as I do yeast rolls?
Valerie, you will need a muffin tin for these rolls because they are more like muffins and the batter is too soft to roll or press out.
This is a really lovely and quick recipe and the good thing is that it is guaranteed you won’t fail. Since the lock down I wanted to learn how to make bread. I have had a few failures and I was skeptical this recipe would work. I could not believe how quick and delish these bread rolls are. Perfect for the family and even a nice addition when we do hosting. I gave up on other bread making, but instead bought bread maker machine and life is so much easier. As for these bread rolls, this is a delightful recipe I plan to always make and pass it to everyone. Thank you so much.
They use to be a recipe that called for sour cream instead of mayo. Do you recall that recipe?
Patty, I am not familiar with a quick roll recipe that uses sour cream.
Can these be frozen once baked?
Natalie, I don’t think the texture of these rolls would be as good after being frozen.
Is there a substitute for self rising flour?
Sharon, if you don’t have self-rising flour, then substitute 2 cups all-purpose flour and whisk it with 3 teaspoons baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Happy Thanksgiving!
Can’t make in advance (couple hours before)and cook when needed.
Stacey, I wouldn’t recommend mixing these up in advance; instead mix and bake immediately. They are so quick and easy to mix up and bake, making them ahead really wouldn’t save that much time.
Can you use Miravle Whip in place of mayonnaise in this recipe. I apologize of this has been asked and answered I havent read the comments yet
Ann, I believe that you could substitute Miracle Whip if that is your preference. Let me know if you try it!
Thank you for a quick, easy, & most important tasty recipe. I made 8 larger biscuit/rolls and sprinkled ‘Everything But the Bagel Sesame Seasoning Blend’ by Trader Joe’s on half of the biscuits. Yum enjoyed by all our family.