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.
“This is my new go-to dinner roll recipe! Very easy to make and everyone loves them. It’s also very easy to cut the recipe in half when I don’t need so many. I love this recipe!” – Julie
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.
Ingredient notes and substitutions
- 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.
- Butter: I use salted butter in this recipe.
- Flour: I’ve also made these rolls with all-purpose flour when I didn’t have any bread flour. I had to add about 1/2-1 cup additional flour for a total of 6-6 1/2 cups of flour.
How to make homemade Hawaiian rolls
Here you’ll find step-by-step photos showing how to make this recipe. The full recipe is given below.
Step 1: Grease 2 9×13-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.
Recipe Tips!
- Freezing the rolls: To freeze the baked rolls, let them cool to room temperature. Wrap the rolls tightly in plastic wrap and then place in a freezer-safe container. Freeze the baked rolls for up to 1 month.
- 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
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar divided
- 1/2 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 9×13-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 1/2 cup at a time until dough clears the sides of the bowl. The dough will feel slightly sticky. It takes 5 1/2 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 1/2-1 cup additional flour for a total of 6-6 1/2 cups flour.
- Nutrition facts are estimates.
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?
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Originally published April 8, 2013.
Reader Interactions
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Comments & Reviews
Megs says
These look amazing, can’t wait to try them!
Kate says
Thanks!! I hope you enjoy the rolls! =)
Kristen says
King’s Hawaiian rolls are my favorite – I can’t wait to try this recipe!
Kate says
Aren’t they great?! I hope you enjoy these rolls! They’re one of my family’s favorite recipes.
Kim Beaulieu says
Omg these look so good. I could not take my eyes of them this morning on Pinterest. I need to make these as soon as possible.
Wendy says
Perfect rolls for Sliders!
kateheartseating says
Thanks! They are!! =)
Carol Moseley says
Hi! I just received an email from Pintrest that they had to take down my Pin of Hawaiian Sweet Rolls from your web site. Something to do with copyright infringement by someone else using the same Pin or Re-pin. Why?? It has a “Pin It” on your recipe/site.
Thanks in advance for the response
Carol Moseley
kateheartseating says
I asked that the full recipe be removed from the comment section of one recipe. Instead, Pinterest took down every single pin associated with the recipe, which was not what I wanted. Please, please feel free to pin anything that you would like on my site!!
Linda Flint says
I was curious why the Pin for this was removed from Pinterest. I had pinned to save to make and you do have the PIN button active on your blog. But I received an email saying they removed it because of a copyright infringement. Does this mean you do not want items from your blog pinned to Pinterest? And do you know why it was removed? Hopefully this is not sounding negative. I just want to be sure I am not violating your wishes by pinning to Pinterest.
kateheartseating says
No, it doesn’t sound negative. I do want people to pin things! I even put multiple pin it buttons on my site to make is as easy as possible. Someone posted the entire recipe in the comments of their pin. I asked that the recipe portion of that pin be removed. Instead, Pinterst removed every pin associated with the post. So, please feel free to pin anything that you would like to pin on my site!!
Shirley Lambert says
Hawaiian rolls recipe looks great
kateheartseating says
Thanks so much! This is one of my family’s absolute favorites. =)
Jennie says
I made the sweet rolls today, they turned out wonderfully. Made them in to buns it will go perfectly with chicken breasts!
kateheartseating says
I’m so glad they came out well for you!! That sounds delicious! Thanks so much for coming back to let me know; I love to hear that!! =)
Kathy Kellenbenz says
I Love the Hawaiian Sweet Rolls, but I need a Sweet Roll recipe, can I use this one and just leave out the Pineapple juice?
kateheartseating says
Hi! I sent you an email about this. Please let me know if you have any other questions!
cara p says
If I want to only bake some and freeze some, at what point and time do I freeze the dough? Before or after the 2nd rising?
kateheartseating says
I’ve never frozen this dough, so I’m not sure how it will fare. I’m also not sure on the rising, but I would guess that it would be better after the first rising. I’d be afraid that it might overrise if you went through the second rising and then had to let it thaw (and continue rising during the thawing time) before baking. Good luck! And please come back and let me know how it works out. I’m sure that other people would be interested to know how this turns out. =)
britney says
You can make them then freeze them, that is what my grandmother did with her rolls
kateheartseating says
Thanks for the tip! That’s a great idea because this recipe makes quite a few rolls. =)
Nancy says
I’ve made bread dough for pizza crust and frozen 1/2 before the 2nd rise. When I want to use the frozen portion, I just pull it out a few hours ahead of time and let it thaw in the fridge for a while before letting it go through it’s 2nd rise.
Kate says
Thanks for the tip! I appreciate it! =)
tammy says
Kate
is there a way to make them w/o a paddle mixer ?
kateheartseating says
Yes! You could also mix them by hand. You would just want to knead them for about 3-4 minutes instead of 1 minute. The dough is pretty sticky once the flour is added, and that’s ok, but it feels a little wet when you’re kneading it by hand. If you have any issues/questions, please let me know!
Toya R says
Pinned and added to my list of recipes to try. My boys love Hawaiian bread so I’ll know instantly if I do it correctly.
kateheartseating says
These rolls are my family’s favorite rolls. I hope you and your family enjoy them as much as we do, and if you have any questions on them, just let me know! =)
Amy says
Are these baked on a cookie sheet or in a baking pan? Thanks
kateheartseating says
I baked them on a half sheet pan, but a rimmed cookie sheet would work well, too. Please let me know if you have any other questions! =)
allison says
what is the nutritional value of the Hawaiian rolls?
Kate says
I don’t have a program on my site that figures out the nutritional value of my recipes. Here is a link to the page that I’ve used before, though. Hope that helps!
Carla says
I just wanted to pop by again and let you know that we made these and absolutely love them!! This is my new favorite recipe–I only wish my Kitchen Aid could handle a quadruple batch, lol!!
kateheartseating says
Thank you so much for taking the time to come back and let me know! I love to hear things like that!! =)
Dawn says
I made these last week using my bread machine. They turned out perfect. I used the dough cycle and then shaped the dough for the second rise. Great recipe!
kateheartseating says
Thank you for letting me know! I had several questions from people about using the bread machine. Now I can point them to your blog and to you if anyone else has questions about that. =)
Silvia (Córdoba - RA) says
Hi, Kate !
My name is Silvia, I´m from Argentina. I´m cooking your hawaiian sweet rolls now. My english isn´t very good, but Google helpme.
Take care!
S
kateheartseating says
Hi Silvia! Your English is great! It’s much better than my rusty Spanish! =) Thanks so much for stopping by all the way from Argentina! I hope you enjoyed the rolls!! =)
Kimberli says
I invite you to join me tonight! 8:30 p.m. Mountain time for the Share it With Us Saturday link party. Come Share some of your new posts at the party, link up all weekend long. I would love to have you!www.greatastestuesdays.blogspot.com
kateheartseating says
Thanks so much for the invite! I’ll be there!! =)
Averie @ Averie Cooks says
I’ve seen these absolutely everywhere this week from linky parties to FG to Pinterest to just…everywhere. They are a smashing success and making Hawaiian rolls was on my 2013 bucket list…thanks for the nudge. Pinned!
kateheartseating says
I have a food bucket list, too! I had no idea how popular the recipe would be! It’s been pretty awesome to see. I just hope that everyone enjoys the rolls as much as we do! =)
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
So, so yummy! Featuring tonight Kate!
kateheartseating says
Thanks so much!! That is really awesome! Your party rocks! =)
Debi says
I can’t wait to make these! Thank you for sharing on Thursday’s Treasures! I’ve featured this recipe on Week 83. Please stop by my blog and grab my “I’ve been featured on” button. Have a great week!
kateheartseating says
We love them, so I hope you enjoy them as much as we do! Thanks so much for hosting and for the feature! =)
Q @ JAQS says
Another great recipe to try out. Looks delicious :)
thanks!
kateheartseating says
Thanks so much! And thanks for the feature! That’s awesome!! =)