Wondering what rolls or bread to serve for Thanksgiving? There are so many choices! Here are some of the best Thanksgiving bread basket ideas.
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Deciding which rolls and bread to serve for Thanksgiving often ends up a last minute decision. Turkey or ham? Sweet potatoes or russets? Broccoli or brussels sprouts? These often get our attention.
But the bread to serve for Thanksgiving can be just as important, if not more so. Think of the small children who only eat one roll during the entire holiday feast!
Yep, bread is important.
For the last few years I’ve made a little Cheesecake Factory copycat bread basket, baking sourdough as well as brown bread loaves, but this year, I’m thinking of busting out of my norm and trying something new.
How about you?
What Bread to Serve for Thanksgiving?
There are so many different options when it comes to serving bread for Thanksgiving. If you got the job of filling the bread basket this year, I think you have a fun job!
I’ve collected 20+ easy and delicious roll and bread recipes for Thanksgiving. All can be made ahead of time. All are super tasty.
Just be sure to soften the butter and have plenty of it!
Pro tip: if you’re doing Thanksgiving on a budget, remember to shop your kitchen first to see what ingredients you already own.
Thanksgiving Bread and Roll Recipes
Quick Breads
Quick breads are just that — quick! — which makes them easy to make on the fly. You don’t need to wait for the bread to rise, just mix up the batter and get baking.
These easy quick breads are delicious for Thanksgiving. Slice them when they’re still slightly warm from the oven and pile into a cloth-lined bread basket.
This Buttermilk Cornbread is so easy to make, super delicious — and it even passes muster with my Southern friends — even if it’s sweet cornbread.
Bake up a batch of this Milk and Honey Cornbread. It’s lightly sweetened and delicious for breakfast or the bread basket.
Bake up this hearty Whole Wheat Beer Bread to fill your bread basket. It’s delicious alongside soup, stew, or chili, and tastes great warm with butter.
Full of rich spices and the hearty sweetness of pumpkin, this Spiced Pumpkin Bread is one of my favorites to make during the fall and winter.
Irish Soda Bread is an easy quick bread to fill the bread basket with. It mixes up effortlessly and bakes up beautifully.
Rolls
Rolls are probably what most people think of when they think of the Thanksgiving bread basket. These are often a dime a dollar a dozen at the grocery store near the holidays, but they don’t taste as delicious.
The beauty of rolls is that there’s no slicing involved so once they’re formed and baked, you just pile them in a basket.
Bonus: rolls freeze and thaw really well. Be sure to check out How to Freeze Cake & Other Baked Goods.
Whole grain rolls dotted with sweet cranberries — what’s not to love? Bake a batch of Cranberry Rolls to eat now and one to freeze for later.
Homemade pumpkin dinner rolls for your fall or holiday bread basket!
Enjoy fresh-baked sub rolls, enriched with white whole wheat flour. Sandwiches on rolls you make yourself are better than any five-dollar footlong.
This Italian roll recipe is perfect for a bread basket for dinner, slathered in butter and only requires 5 simple ingredients! Or these sandwich rolls are great to serve with your favorite cold cuts for lunch.
Trust me on this, these hamburger buns are just as delicious as rolls. With the addition of Everything Seasoning, they are a perfect accompaniment to Thanksgiving dinner.
Biscuits
Depending on where you live, biscuits may be par for the course or they’re a novelty on the Thanksgiving table. One of the fun things about biscuits is that they can go sweet or savory and taste amazing both ways.
I’ve included several variations for Thanksgiving biscuits, including some with cheddar cheese like the fancy fish restaurant and some with jalapeños to spice things up.
Pro tip: biscuits freeze beautifully unbaked. Consult this “Flash” or “Open Freezing” Tutorial to learn how.
These hearty cheddar cheese biscuits are tender thanks to the buttermilk and full of flavor from cheese and fresh herbs.
Enjoy quick and easy self-rising flour biscuits in just minutes! Only three ingredients and you’re set for a treat in the bread basket.
Fill the bread basket with a batch (or two) of these easy Pumpkin Biscuits. You can make them in the oven or enjoy the ease and novelty of air fryer biscuits.
Give standard drop biscuits a spicy kick with this Cheesy Jalapeño Biscuits recipe, just the thing to pack your bread basket with flavor.
Skip the can of refrigerated biscuits! You can make flaky layers all on your own with this easy recipe for flaky buttermilk biscuits.
Dress up your bread basket with these simple, but elegant Garlic-Parmesan Swirl Biscuits. Packed with flavor, they are fun to make and great to eat!
Fill your bread basket with some homemade goodness. These Drop Biscuits mix up in minutes and bake up in a flash. They are delicious with butter and jam.
Yeast Breads
Don’t be intimidated by yeast breads. They really are simple to make. Once you master making the dough, there’s no end to the shapes and flavor variations you can try.
A fun twist that I’ve added to the Thanksgiving bread basket is the idea to make pretzels! Soft pretzels take a little more work than other breads and rolls for Thanksgiving, but they will be the hit of the party.
If your job is to bring bread, I think you should wow everyone with pretzels.
You need just five ingredients to make the tastiest, no-fuss sourdough rye bread: sourdough starter, water, bread flour, rye flour, and salt. You’re all set, no kneading required.
Enjoy the classic French bread at home. With a bread machine and a baguette pan, you can do it yourself.
You’ll be surprised at how simple it is to bake these Easy Garlic Breadsticks yourself! You may want to make a double batch and freeze the extra.
Be the hit of the party serving a bread basket filled with this tender Garlic Focaccia. It’s soft and fluffy, yet redolent in garlic and the bit of sea salt.
Whole Wheat Soft Pretzels are easy to make and so delicious. This recipe takes a little time, but it’s worth it.
Make your bread basket more exciting with homemade garlic herb pretzels. They are inexpensive at less than a dollar a dozen and so very tasty!
More Thanksgiving Meal Planning Ideas
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