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Homemade Hawaiian rolls are endlessly fluffy, soft, and buttery, sweetened with a hint of pineapple juice. They taste even better than my favorite store-bought brand! Use these pillowy rolls for sliders or serve them as a side with dinner.
Aloha, friends! Can you taste these homemade Hawaiian rolls already? I have a feeling they’re about to become your go-to side dish and appetizer for football season and beyond.
Hawaiian rolls are made with yeasted dough and enriched with sugar and eggs, similar to challah bread or brioche. An added layer of sweetness comes from pineapple juice in the batter. You’ll be surprised at how easy it is to make Hawaiian rolls from scratch (I say this now, after multiple rounds of testing! 🤪).
The Homemade Difference In These Hawaiian Rolls
- Quicker rise. This Hawaiian rolls recipe uses instant yeast, so the rising time is under 3 hours instead of overnight, like some dinner roll recipes call for.
- Fresh is best. If you already love King’s Hawaiian rolls or similar, wait until you’ve tasted homemade! These rolls are softer, fluffier, and more flavorful than any store-bought version.
- Versatile. Serve them as you would serve dinner rolls, whether for holiday meals or everyday dinners. They’re delicious sliced in half and slathered with butter. Or, you can turn them into cheeseburger sliders on game day.
You’ll Need These Ingredients
- Canned Pineapple Juice – Emphasis on canned! Fresh pineapple juice contains enzymes that can ruin the yeast. Bring the juice to room temperature before you start. Use the leftover canned pineapple to make a pineapple upside-down cake!
- Milk – Whole milk or 2% is best. Heat the milk, but no hotter than 110ºF.
- Butter – Melted and cooled.
- Sugar – I use a mix of brown sugar and cane sugar because it adds more flavor, but you can substitute it with white sugar.
- Eggs – Bring them to room temperature.
- Instant Yeast – Unlike active dry yeast, you can mix instant yeast right into the dough with the other ingredients. This speeds up the rising process.
- Flour and Salt – Our essential dry ingredients. Make sure to measure the flour using a kitchen scale or by spooning the flour into the measuring cup and leveling it off.
- Egg Wash – You’ll combine another egg with milk and melted butter to brush over the rolls before baking. The butter adds flavor, and the wash helps the rolls bake up glossy and golden.
Quick Tips for the Best Rolls
- Don’t use fresh juice. Again, it’s important to use canned pineapple juice in the dough to avoid the enzymes in fresh pineapple. These enzymes break down the yeast cells.
- Don’t overheat the milk. The milk you combine with the batter should be warm, around 110ºF, but not hot. If it’s too hot, it risks killing the yeast.
- Smooth out the dough. Make sure that your dough is smooth after you’ve shaped it into balls.
- Your climate can impact the dough. Things like humidity can affect the outcome of the dough. If the dough is too sticky when handling, add a little more flour.
Serving Suggestions
- On theme: Hawaiian rolls are great stuffed with Kalua pulled pork for an easy weeknight dinner, and served with a Hawaiian macaroni salad!
- With soups: These soft, sweet rolls make the perfect side to cozy cheeseburger soup, lasagna soup, and chili.
- Saucy dishes: Hawaiian rolls are great for sopping up turkey gravy, mushroom gravy from Salisbury steak, or the leftovers from a pot roast.
- Game day sliders: Slice the whole sheet of Hawaiian rolls in half horizontally, and layer in deli ham, cheese, honey mustard, or any of your favorite toppings for ham and cheese sliders! Close the sliders and brush the tops of the rolls with garlic butter sauce, then bake at 350ºF for 15 minutes.
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Hawaiian Rolls
Homemade Hawaiian rolls are fluffy, soft, and buttery, flavored with a hint of pineapple juice. Use these pillowy rolls for slider sandwiches, or serve them as a side with your favorite meals.
Ingredients
For the rolls:
- ½ cup canned pineapple juice, room temperature
- ½ cup whole milk, heated to 110ºF
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 6 tablespoons cane sugar, or granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 2½ teaspoons instant yeast
- 4½ cups all purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons salt
For the egg wash:
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted and cooled
Instructions
- Combine the flavor base. Whisk the pineapple juice, milk, melted butter, cane sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and yeast in a large bowl.
- Add the dry ingredients. Add the flour and salt to the bowl with the liquid base. Stir with a spatula until the dough comes together. Transfer the dough onto a floured kitchen surface and knead until smooth. Alternatively, knead it in a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook on medium-low speed for 8 to 10 minutes, until smooth.
- First rise. Transfer the dough to a clean bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. Set the dough in a warm spot in your kitchen and let it rise for 1½ hours.
- Shape the dough. Punch down the dough and divide it into 15 pieces. Shape each piece into a smooth ball. Butter a 9×13-inch baking dish and arrange the dough balls inside.
- Second rise. Cover the dough balls with a clean cloth and let them rise for 1 hour.
- Prep. 15 to 20 minutes before the end of the rising time, set your oven to preheat to 375ºF. Also, whisk together the egg, milk, and melted butter to make the egg wash.
- Baking time. Brush the dough balls with the egg wash, then bake them for 20-22 minutes or until golden brown, and the internal temperature of the rolls registers at 190-200˚F with an instant-read thermometer.
- Cool. Remove the Hawaiian rolls from the oven and let them cool for at least 20 minutes before serving. Optionally, you can brush the tops with melted butter when you pull them out of the oven.
Equipment
Notes
- Do not use fresh pineapple juice, because pineapple contains enzymes that may ruin your yeast.
- Use a mixer. If you want, you can knead the dough in a stand mixer with dough hooks attached.
- Make it smooth. Your dough needs to be smooth once it is shaped into balls.
- Adjust as needed. If your dough is too sticky, add more flour. Climate and humidity may have an impact on your dough.
- You can use white sugar instead of cane sugar. I used cane sugar for more flavor.
Nutrition
Serving: 1Hawaiian roll | Calories: 231kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 46mg | Sodium: 252mg | Potassium: 100mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 204IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 2mg
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
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Step-By-Step: How to Make Hawaiian Rolls
Even if you’re new to baking with yeast, I’ve made this recipe as approachable as possible. Here’s how to make Hawaiian rolls in a few simple steps.
- Mix the wet ingredients. Start by whisking together pineapple juice, milk, melted butter, both sugars, eggs, and yeast.
- Add the dry ingredients. Next, add the flour and salt. Stir the ingredients together to make a rough dough. Then, transfer the dough to a clean surface to knead. You can also knead the dough using your stand mixer and dough hooks, if you have them.
- First rise. Once smooth, place the dough into a clean bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in a warm place to rise for 1 ½ hours.
- Shape the dough. Now, punch down the dough. Divide the dough into 15 equal-sized pieces and shape them into smooth balls. Then arrange the dough balls in a 9×13-inch baking dish that’s been greased.
- Second rise. This time, cover the dough balls with a clean cloth. Leave that to rise for 1 hour.
- Add the egg wash. While the oven preheats to 375ºF, whisk the egg with milk and melted butter to make the egg wash. Brush this over your risen rolls.
- Bake. Lastly, bake your Hawaiian rolls at 375ºF for 20-22 minutes, until they’re baked through and golden. Cool the rolls before serving.
Make-Ahead
To make these Hawaiian rolls ahead of time, prepare the dough, complete the first rise, and shape the rolls as directed. Instead of letting the rolls rise a second time, cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and place the rolls into the fridge overnight. You’ll need to take the rolls out 2-3 hours before you bake them and let them rest in a warm place to rise. Afterward, bake as usual.
How to Store
- Store airtight. Once completely cooled, keep the Hawaiian rolls in an airtight container at room temperature. They’re freshest within 2-3 days.
- Freeze. You can freeze Hawaiian rolls for up to 2 months. Double-wrap the rolls tightly in plastic wrap to prevent freezer burn. Thaw the rolls at room temperature before serving.
