Make your own copycat version of Hawaiian Rolls at home with this easy, made-from-scratch recipe that makes soft and fluffy Hawaiian sweet rolls!
Hawaiian rolls are quite possibly the most delicious rolls ever. They are soft and buttery and sweet.
They can be made into smaller dinner rolls or buns for slider, or they can be made into larger, bun-sized rolls. They pair well with everything from burgers to ham, which makes them perfect for baked ham and Swiss poppy seed sandwiches.
Why you'll love these rolls
- They're soft! The rolls are soft and fluffy.
- They're tasty! The rolls are sweet and buttery with a bit of sweet pineapple flavor thrown in.
- They're easy to make! The rolls are simple and don't require much hands-on time.
How to make homemade Hawaiian rolls
Step 1: Grease 2 9x13-inch pans. Set aside.
Step 2: In a small saucepan, heat pineapple juice over medium-low temperature until juice reaches about 105 F.
Step 3: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, stir together yeast and 2 tablespoons of sugar.
Step 4: Once the pineapple juice is at temperature, add to the bowl. Stir, and let the yeast mixture stand for 5-10 minutes, or until foamy.
Step 5: Once the yeast is foamy, add the remaining sugar, butter, vanilla extract, and eggs; stir to combine.
Step 6: Switch from the paddle attachment to the dough hook, and add 3 cups of flour and salt. Stir on low.
Step 7: Continue adding flour ½ cup at a time until dough clears the sides of the bowl. The dough will feel slightly sticky. It takes 5 ½ cups of flour for my rolls.
Step 8: Once the dough comes together and clears the sides, continue to knead for about 1 minute.
Step 9: Cover bowl with plastic wrap or a clean towel, and let it rise until dough has doubled in size, about 1 ½ hours.
Step 10: Shape dough into rolls. If you would like smaller, dinner-sized rolls, shape into 24 rolls. If you would like larger, bun-sized rolls, shape into 12-18 rolls depending on desired size. Place half of the rolls in each pan.
Step 11: Cover rolls with plastic wrap, and let rolls rise until doubled, about 1 ½ hours.
Toward the end of the second rise, preheat oven to 350 F.
Step 12: Bake rolls for about 20 minutes (for dinner-sized rolls), or until rolls are golden brown. Immediately brush rolls with butter.
Serve warm or at room temperature.
Tips
- Pineapple Juice: I use the mini cans of pineapple juice that come in a 6 pack. However, any 100% pineapple juice should work.
- Yeast: An equal amount of instant yeast will also work. Just skip proofing the yeast and continue with the recipe as written.
- Flour: I've also made these rolls with all-purpose flour when I didn't have any bread flour. I had to add about ½-1 cup additional flour for a total of 6-6 ½ cups of flour.
- Gluten Free: While I haven't tried it, I have heard from people who have successfully used measure-for-measure gluten free flour in this recipe.
Storage
The rolls should be stored in an airtight container at room temperature. They'll keep for up to 3 days when properly stored.
More delicious roll recipes!
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Hawaiian Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups pineapple juice
- 4 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar divided
- ½ cup butter at room temperature, plus extra for brushing rolls
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 5-6 cups bread flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Grease 2 9x13-inch pans. Set aside.
- In a small saucepan, heat pineapple juice over medium-low temperature until juice reaches about 105 F.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, stir together yeast and 2 tablespoons of sugar.
- Once the pineapple juice is at temperature, add to the bowl. Stir, and let the yeast mixture stand for 5-10 minutes, or until foamy.
- Once the yeast is foamy, add the remaining sugar, butter, vanilla extract, and eggs; stir to combine.
- Switch from the paddle attachment to the dough hook, and add 3 cups of flour and salt. Stir on low.
- Continue adding flour ½ cup at a time until dough clears the sides of the bowl. The dough will feel slightly sticky. It takes 5 ½ cups of flour for my rolls.
- Once the dough comes together and clears the sides, continue to knead for about 1 minute.
- Cover bowl with plastic wrap, and let it rise until dough has doubled in size, about 1 ½ hours.
- Shape dough into rolls. If you would like smaller, dinner-sized rolls, shape into 24 rolls. If you would like larger, bun-sized rolls, shape into 12-18 rolls depending on desired size.
- Place half of the rolls in each pan.
- Cover rolls with plastic wrap, and let rolls rise until doubled, about 1 ½ hours.
- Toward the end of the second rise, preheat oven to 350 F.
- Bake rolls for about 20 minutes (for dinner-sized rolls), or until rolls are golden brown.
- Immediately brush rolls with butter.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
Video
Notes
- Flour: I've also made these rolls with all-purpose flour when I didn't have any bread flour. I had to add about ½-1 cup additional flour for a total of 6-6 ½ cups flour.
- Nutrition facts are estimates.
Nutrition
Originally published April 8, 2013. Updated with new pictures on March 15, 2017. Updated again on 3/15/22 with additional photos and information.
Jasmine Garrett
I'm a pastry chef and this recipe is off the chain!!!!
Kate
Thank you so much!
M.C.
So Good!!!
Kate
Thank you!
Melissa
I have been trying for weeks to find the perfect bun recipe and I finally found it! These are SO good and relatively easy to make. I’m a novice baker and these came our perfect! Yummmm
Kate
Thank you! This recipe is a family favorite, and I'm so glad that other people are enjoying it, too!
Kathy
Thank you for this recipe! For dinner roll size rolls do you use 2 9x13“ pans and parchment paper?
Kate
I usually bake the rolls on a half sheet pan lined with parchment paper.
Brenda
These are so, so good! I’ve made them several times and they came out perfect every time.
Kate
Thank you! I'm so glad that you liked them!
Mendy Wilson
Could this be made in a bread machine?
Kate
Hi! I've heard from a few people who have made the dough in a bread machine, but I haven't tried it myself.
Annabelle
I am a beginner so please excuse my somewhat silly question. When you say "shape" into rolls do you mean take some dough and roll it around to make a ball, is that ball called a roll?
Do you use a scoop or anything to make sure they are all the same size?
Thank you.
Annabelle
Kate
No worries! Feel free to ask whatever questions you need to ask. Yes, when I say "shape", I mean to form it into a ball. You can either weigh the dough to make sure that it's the same size, or you can use this trick to portion the dough. I divide the dough in half, then divide it in half again, and I keep doing that until I have 8 equal-sized pieces of dough. Then, I divide each piece into 3 pieces. Hope that helps!
Angie
I love these rolls! Sometimes I put an extra egg in their but this recipe is always the one I make for family get togethers or just to take to the neighbors up the street!!
Rose
Fantastic! These are our favorite rolls that we make again and again.
Kate
Thank you! I'm so glad that you liked them!
Cindi Baker
Can fresh pineapple juice be used instead of canned?
Kate
I haven't tried using fresh, but I would guess that it would work.
Angie
This has become my go to recipe for making rolls. I put them in my bread machine and there the best. Thanks for sharing!!
Kate
You are very welcome! I'm so glad that you're enjoying the recipe. Thanks for commenting!
Joycelyn
Not meaning any offence but we buy Kings Hawaiian sweet rolls ( made in Hilo Hawaii) from a local shop and can attest there is no pineapple juice in the ingredients list.
Ingredients for Kings Hawaiian rolls are enriched flour, barley flour, water, sugars (sugar, liquid sugar, ) butter, dried whole egg, potato flour, whey, yeast, skim milk powder, salt, soy flour, yellow corn flour, wheat gluten and the usual dough enhancers one would find in packaged breads.
That said, your recipe sounds quite lovely so shall certainly give it a go but will refer to it as pineapple rolls upon presentation.
Kate
Thank you! No offense taken! =) I hope you enjoy the rolls! They're a favorite at my house.
Nancy Candy
Has anyone made these with gluten free flour (maybe cup 4 cup flour)? If so would I have to add the extra flour needed to make it like a bread flour?
Kate
I haven't tried using gf flour, but I'm hoping someone else can help with this.
EvaDiva
These were a hit for Easter! I had to do it in stages b/c I wanted to serve them after church Sunday morning. I started them the night before and did the first rise covered in the fridge. I had lots of running around that day so later that evening, they had risen and I was able to roll them out into the pan. Then I covered them, back in the fridge til the next morning. I set them on the counter before church for the 2nd rising. By the time church was over, they had risen and filled the pan, ready to go in the oven. They were wonderful!
Kate
I'm so glad that you liked the rolls! Thank you so much for your notes about letting the dough rise in the fridge! I hadn't tried letting them rise in the fridge, and that's really helpful to hear. Thanks again! =)
deanne moffitt
Would canned pinneapple juice work (the juice in a can of crushed?) and could you add the pineapples in the recipe (like crushed) be good? Just wondering if juice would be sweet enough?
Kate
You can use the juice from canned pineapple (like pineapple chunks in juice). I'm not sure how adding the pineapple to the rolls would work, but it would likely mean some other changes to the recipe. Good luck! =)
EvaDiva
Deanne, I used the pineapple juice from canned pineapple and it worked beautifully. Straight juice though, no pineapple bits.
Kate
Thank you!
Amy
OMG!!! These are the best rolls EVER!! I made them and was only able to eat one because everyone else devoured them.
Kate
Thank you so much! These rolls are a holiday staple at my house, and I love to hear that other people are enjoying them, too! =)
Kathie
Do you know if I can sub gluten free measure for measure flour?
Kate
Yes, I believe that I've heard from people who have successfully substituted gf measure for measure flour in this recipe.
Molly
Can I use instant yeast instead?
Kate
Yes, instant yeast should work just fine.
Gina G
Hi! I'm definitely going to make these but what is bread flour? I've never seen it before. Thanks! ?
Kate
Bread flour is a type of flour that has more protein than all-purpose flour. It's used in bread, rolls, and even cookies to give a little extra chew. It's sold right alongside all-purpose and whole wheat flour in most supermarkets.
If you can't find it, you can use all-purpose flour in this recipe. I have found that I need to adjust the amount of ap flour, though, so you may need to do the same. Hope that helps! =)
Patty Mayo
I used a food processor to mix everything and it still turned out great!
Kate
I'm so glad! What a great tip! Thank you! =)
Jarrod ladd
You should try substituting the low fat milk for coconut milk, that's what I did and it makes the flavor more complex.
Kate
Thanks for the idea! I had coconut bread when I visited Hawaii, and it was fantastic. I'll have to give your suggestion a try the next time I make these rolls. =)
Linda Toste
I did not see any kind of milk in this recipe. Am i missing something.
Linda
Kate
No, there's no milk in the rolls. I was guessing that he meant to sub coconut milk for part or all of the pineapple juice. =)
Elizabeth Johnson
Hello! I don't have a stand mixer or bread machine, could you make these by hand? TIA!
Kate
Hi! You can! You'll just need to add a couple of minutes to the kneading time. Hope that helps!