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Honey Nut Rolls are filled with ground walnuts and sweet honey. They’re sure to become a new holiday tradition.
This is a sponsored post on behalf of Fleischmann’s® Yeast as a Bake a Little Extra Blog Ambassador. Thank you for continuing to support the brands that make My Baking Addiction possible.
Growing up, nut rolls were always a part of our holiday celebrations. While I don’t have memories of my Nana making them in her kitchen, I definitely remember her purchasing them from church to share with family and friends.
We’d slice them up, warm the slices in the microwave, and slather them with butter. Much like our pumpkin rolls, they were a holiday tradition that I looked forward to every single year.
Last week, my mom and I were doing some blog prop organization in my basement and we happened upon a copy of a handwritten recipe that I had tucked away in a binder years ago.
The recipe was written by my great grandmother’s neighbor, Elsie. When I was little, I’d visit Else’s house and she’d always greet me with food. Whether it was perfectly popped popcorn drizzled with melted butter, a bowl of finely diced apples, or a slice of warm nut roll, Elsie’s house was my favorite spot for an afternoon snack.
And according to my mom, Elsie’s nut rolls were second to none – especially her frosting. It always included her secret ingredient – a splash of whisky.
Although I’m pretty confident in the kitchen, Elsie’s recipe definitely seems to have a couple of gaps. So instead of tackling her beloved version of nut rolls, I decided to gain experience with them first with a little help from Fleischmann’s® Yeast and their recipe for Maple Walnut Nut Roll. Only we swapped out the maple flavoring and added in honey, to make it more like Elsie’s nut filling.
Yeast can be an intimidating element in baking. Even my mom was a little apprehensive after reading Elsie’s recipe, but I assured her that with quality yeast and an instant read thermometer, we’d be nut roll pros in no time. Plus, by using Fleischmann’s® RapidRise™ Yeast, we actually save a bit of time, which is always a good thing during the holiday season!
The Fleischmann’s® recipe was a breeze to follow and was quite delicious. The dough was soft and tender, and held up incredibly well to being rolled ultra thin. The honey we added paired perfectly with the ground walnuts to add a bit of depth and sweetness to the filling.
Overall, I had great success with my first attempt at nut roll. My dad and brother actually ate over half a roll in one sitting and they didn’t even warm it or add butter! And Elle was all about picking little pieces of frosting off the top of each piece.
We can’t wait to tackle Elsie’s recipe this weekend, so stay tuned for the results later this month. We’re even thinking about tackling poppyseed roll after that.
While classic holiday recipes are always a must-have, I hope this post inspires you to step out of your comfort zone a bit and bake a little extra while creating new memories and traditions that will last for years to come.
For more delicious recipes using Fleischmann’s® Yeast, be sure to check out my Caramel Apple Cinnamon Rolls and Potato Rolls – both are sure to be a big hit this holiday season!
Honey Walnut Nut Roll
Ingredients
- 6 to 7 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 envelopes Fleischmann's® RapidRise™ Yeast
- 1 cup sour cream
- ½ cup water
- 1 cup butter
- 3 eggs at room temperature
- ¾ cup butter
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup honey
- 5 cups ground walnuts
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 3 to 4 tablespoons milk
- 2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Mix 2 cups flour, sugar, salt and undissolved yeast in a large mixing bowl.
- Combine sour cream, water and butter; heat to between 120° to 130°F. (Note: butter may not melt completely).
- Gradually add to dry ingredients and beat for 2 minutes at medium speed of electric mixer.
- Add eggs and 1 cup flour.
- Stir in enough remaining flour to make a soft dough.
- Turn out onto lightly floured surface; knead 8 to 10 minutes to form a ball.
- Cover and let dough rest 10 minutes.
- For filling, melt butter over low heat. Stir in sugar and honey. Add walnuts; blend well. Set aside.
- Divide dough into 4 equal pieces.
- Roll out each piece into a 14 x 12-inch rectangle.
- Spread each with an equal amount of nut filling.
- Roll each up from the long side; seal edges.
- Place on greased baking sheets; sealed edges down. Cover. Let rise in a warm, draft free place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
- Bake rolls at 350°F for 35 minutes, or until done. Remove from baking sheets and cool on wire racks.
- For frosting, combine sugar, milk and vanilla until mixture reaches desired consistency. Drizzle over each roll.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Please confirm that these are the ingredients for the walnut filling. Can vanilla extract be added?
Is this recipe for one or two rolls?
3/4 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup honey
5 cups ground walnuts
Thank you!
Hi Carol – That is correct, those are the filling ingredients. As noted in the recipe card, this recipe makes 4 rolls. I don’t see why you can’t add a bit of vanilla to the filling. Happy baking!
-Jamie
My mom used to make these nut rolls every year. She has since passed and I now am the one searching for the recipe because I can’t find the one she used. These are very similar instead of the icing she would brush with egg wash and then sprinkle alternately red and green stripes of sugar to make them look like candy canes. She would also bend one end around to make the candy cane and also look more authentic. This also helped to keep them from squatting when cooked. If I could upload a pic, I would. The family loves them. I will use your recipe this year. Thanks so much.
Do you have to put cream cheese in the dough?
Hello! Yes, the cream cheese is needed to achieve the proper texture and flavor of the dough. Hope this helps! Happy baking –
Jamie
My grandma Hough in Fort Smith Arkansas made a bunch of these (or a similar (no icing) nut roll) every Christmas back in the day, 1950 or so.
She would roll them up, then bend into a circle, ends almost touching, before baking. I think she wrapped them in foil next. I know she finished by wrapping in red or green cellophane and then distributed as gifts to friends and family. I haven’t had one since she sent me a couple around 1974.
I’m a bit leary of trying making them myself, but if you or anyone else would send me one I would be glad to test it to see if this is the same as grandma’s.
Thanks, David B
Would I need to alter this receipe for high
altitude?
Hello! I haven’t attempted this recipe at high altitude, so I am not sure of the result or changes needed. If you happen to give it a try, I’d love to know how it turns out. Thanks so much for stopping by.
-Jamie
Do you mix the sour cream, water and butter and then heat it on the stove top?
Hi Myia – Yes, that is correct. Happy baking!
the honey walnut roll can be easily confused for a real bread roll,i love the use of honey and topping on the finished baked rolls.it looks simple yet exotic.