Old Fashion Southern Butter Roll is rich, moist and decadent. Like many other Southern classics, this favorite dessert economical to make.

Old Fashion Southern Favorite Butter Roll dessert

A light biscuit-type dough is layered with butter and sugar then covered in a milk mixture and baked until golden.

The milk mixture makes a wonderful, sweet and buttery sauce.

Table of Contents

Old Fashion Southern Butter Roll

This is the type of dessert that you tell yourself ‘just one bite’ then you’ll stand over it and eat spoonful after spoonful straight from the pan.

Old Fashioned Butter Roll has been a Southern favorite for years! In fact, I had an old newspaper clipping from long ago that I have passed over time and again and never made it. Saturday I wanted something sweet, but easy. There the clipping was again, begging to be made. The directions were simple enough so I gave it a try.

Wow, I wish I had not passed it over so many times before. I love it!! It was economical, quick, easy, and delicious!!

Cut shortening into flour

Add milk and stir

Roll out into a rectangle, spread on sugar and cinnamon

Slice into rolls and add to baking dish

Pour milk mixture over rolls.

I know, weird, right?

I saw Big Daddy eyeing it like it was the weirdest thing he’d ever seen.

He didn’t think it was so weird after he tasted it! 😉

Old Fashion Southern Butter Roll

Old Fashioned Southern Butter Roll is rich, moist and decadent. Like many other Southern classics, this favorite dessert economical to make.

Author: Paula

5 from 6 votes

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Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 40

Total Time: 55

Servings: 9 servings

Ingredients

Butter Roll

2 cups self-rising flour
1/2 cup Crisco shortening
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup butter softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Milk Sauce

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°. Cut shortening into flour with a fork. Sir in milk. On a floured surface, dump out dough and press together with hands to form a ball. Roll into a rectangle (about 8x10). Spread softened butter over dough, sprinkle 1/4 c sugar and cinnamon over top. Roll up and press together lightly. Slice and place in an 8x8-inch baking dish.
In a saucepan, combine all sauce ingredients and heat over medium heat, stirring constantly, until bubbles just begin to form. Pour milk sauce over rolls. Bake 30 to 40 minutes or until lightly brown. Allow to sit and cool slightly. Great with vanilla ice cream.

Nutrition

Nutritional information given is an automatic calculation and can vary based on the exact products you use and changes you make to the recipe. If these numbers are important to you, I recommend calculating them yourself.

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58 Comments

I was so happy to find this recipe. My dad has spoken of these often. We are celebrating his 85th Birthday next week, and I’m going to surprise him with a Butter Roll! Thanks again.

Paula says:

05.01.15 at 5:56 pm

I am so glad you can make it for him! I love preserving these old recipes. Please let me know if he likes it!

Reply
1. Rosetta Parker says:
  
  10.10.15 at 6:52 pm
  
  Hi Paula,
  I can’t believe that I’m looking at a recipe for a Butter Roll. I’m 69 years old, and I was raised on this. My mom used nutmeg and lemon flavor, and that’s the way I make it today. This is my oldest sons absolute favorite dessert.
  I tweeked mine a little. I make my dough and cut into individual pieces, bake them separately. I make my milk sauce and pour over each when ready to eat. Left overs don’t get all soggy.
  I’m an Oklahoma girl!
2. Paula says:
  
  10.10.15 at 7:09 pm
  
  I love the idea of baking them individually, Rosetta! I’ll have to try that. I got this recipe out of our local newspaper years and years ago. It’s now one of my favorites. I love bringing back Southern classics! Please share any others with me that you may have, I’d love to try them.

My husbands family always made a butter roll. They left it in a roll & then added water & baked it. It had a self made sauce when it was done. It didn’t last very long either.

I love these. I’m from Memphis and butter rolls will definitely draw a crowd. But what is milk sauce?

Paula says:

01.23.15 at 8:54 pm

The ingredients: 2 c milk,2/3 c sugar, and 1 tsp vanilla listed below “Milk Sauce” in the recipe are the ingredients that make the milk sauce, directions are in the ‘Instuctions’ on how to make it.

Reply

All lovely recipes. Thanks so much.

Used to have this at church potlucks when I was a kid. Maybe I’ll try it with some pillsbury cinnamon rolls & the milk sauce. Probably a dessert women came up with back in the days of home-made butter.

Paula,
I’ve never seen this before but I’m intrigued. Pinned.
Annamaria

Paula says:

08.17.13 at 8:21 pm

It really is good, just all the milk that it cooks in is odd to me.

Reply

I grew up eating Butter Roll Dessert My Mom Effie Gaskin could make the best

Paula says:

04.28.13 at 6:01 pm

I really enjoy them too. Thanks for stopping by

Reply

My granny makes this (from Louisiana) and she uses butter pats all on the inside and out side. She does not cut the roll. She rolls it up and bakes it complete. The butter is key.