Dinner Rolls Calculator

How many dinner rolls do you need for Thanksgiving, Christmas or a big family dinner? Enter adults, kids and appetite to see the rolls, dozens and packs to buy or bake, plus butter to serve. Results are rounded up.

Rules used

• Adults eat the chosen number of rolls; kids eat half that (at least 1 each when kids are listed).
• Rolls are rounded up to whole packs of the size you enter (store packs are commonly 8, 12 or 24).
• Butter: about 1 1/2 teaspoons per roll; one stick is 8 tablespoons (about 16 rolls).

Quick reference (2 rolls per adult)

FAQ

How many dinner rolls per person?

Plan about 2 dinner rolls per adult and 1 per child for a big holiday meal like Thanksgiving. Use 1 1/2 per adult if there are many other sides, or 3 if you want leftovers for sandwiches.

How many rolls for 20 people?

At 2 rolls per person, 20 adults need 40 rolls, which is 3 1/3 dozen, so buy 4 dozen or 4 packs of 12.

How much butter for dinner rolls?

Allow about 1 1/2 teaspoons (half a tablespoon) of butter per roll. One stick of butter is 8 tablespoons, enough for about 16 rolls.

See also: Thanksgiving food calculator · Christmas dinner calculator · Mashed potatoes calculator · Stuffing calculator · Gravy calculator · Cranberry sauce calculator · All holiday dates · all tools