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Homemade Hawaiian Sweet Rolls

4 from 19 votes

A hearty, fluffy homemade dinner roll lightly sweetened and flavored with pineapple juice.

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Easy Homemade Hawaiian Sweet Rolls -A lightly sweet roll flavored with pineapple juice for a hearty, fluffy, homemade treat that comes together in minutes. Terrific topped with ham, hot pepper jelly and your favorite cheese | www.savingdessert.com

Homemade Hawaiian Sweet Rolls ~ A lightly sweet roll flavored with pineapple juice for a hearty, fluffy, homemade treat that comes together in minutes. Terrific topped with ham, hot pepper jelly and your favorite cheese.

Not only has Christmas come and gone with lightening speed, 2014 is about to expire never to come again.  We steam-rolled from Thanksgiving to Christmas and now we have another milestone holiday centered around celebrating with family, friends, food and drinks.   If you’re looking for a New Year’s recipe – you may want to take a closer look at these lovely rolls.  Have you ever had Hawaiian Rolls from the Deli department of your grocery store?  These copycat homemade Hawaiian rolls pair perfectly with left over ham, cheese and hot pepper jelly to make a pretty terrific slider.  Made with unsweetened pineapple juice, the fluffy rolls have a lightly sweet tropical flair that makes them distinct and versatile.

 

Easy Homemade Hawaiian Sweet Rolls -A lightly sweet roll flavored with pineapple juice for a hearty, fluffy, homemade treat that comes together in minutes. Terrific topped with ham, hot pepper jelly and your favorite cheese | www.savingdessert.comHomemade Hawaiian Sweet Rolls are made with a simple yeast dough that comes together easily in a stand mixer.

The hands-on time is very short with the yeast doing all the work.

 

Easy Homemade Hawaiian Sweet Rolls -A lightly sweet roll flavored with pineapple juice for a hearty, fluffy, homemade treat that comes together in minutes. Terrific topped with ham, hot pepper jelly and your favorite cheese | www.savingdessert.comOnce risen the dough is formed into 15 individual balls and placed in a 13×9 inch pan.

 

Easy Homemade Hawaiian Sweet Rolls -A lightly sweet roll flavored with pineapple juice for a hearty, fluffy, homemade treat that comes together in minutes. Terrific topped with ham, hot pepper jelly and your favorite cheese | www.savingdessert.comBrush each dough ball lightly with an egg and water mixture before the final rise.

 

Easy Homemade Hawaiian Sweet Rolls -A lightly sweet roll flavored with pineapple juice for a hearty, fluffy, homemade treat that comes together in minutes. Terrific topped with ham, hot pepper jelly and your favorite cheese | www.savingdessert.comOnce risen bake the rolls for 20 minutes.

 

Easy Homemade Hawaiian Sweet Rolls -A lightly sweet roll flavored with pineapple juice for a hearty, fluffy, homemade treat that comes together in minutes. Terrific topped with ham, hot pepper jelly and your favorite cheese | www.savingdessert.com

Can you freeze Hawaiian Sweet Rolls?

These Hawaiian Sweet Rolls can be frozen fully baked or refrigerated over-night before the second rise.  That makes them perfect for gatherings and events – like Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Eve!

 

Easy Homemade Hawaiian Sweet Rolls -A lightly sweet roll flavored with pineapple juice for a hearty, fluffy, homemade treat that comes together in minutes. Terrific topped with ham, hot pepper jelly and your favorite cheese | www.savingdessert.com

Do you have family or friends that eat gluten-free only?  You might like to try this recipe for Pull-Apart Gluten-Free Dinner Rolls for a gluten-free option.

 

Easy Homemade Hawaiian Sweet Rolls -A lightly sweet roll flavored with pineapple juice for a hearty, fluffy, homemade treat that comes together in minutes. Terrific topped with ham, hot pepper jelly and your favorite cheese | www.savingdessert.com

Why not impress your guests with homemade rolls this New Year’s?  They really don’t need to know how easy they are to make and bake.  With the lightly sweet overtones, ham and hot pepper jelly really compliment the fresh baked rolls.

 

Easy Homemade Hawaiian Sweet Rolls -A lightly sweet roll flavored with pineapple juice for a hearty, fluffy, homemade treat that comes together in minutes. Terrific topped with ham, hot pepper jelly and your favorite cheese | www.savingdessert.com

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homemade Hawaiian sweet rolls

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Homemade Hawaiian Sweet Rolls

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours 40 minutes
Yield: 15 Rolls
Course: Bread, Rolls
Author: Tricia
Pin RecipePrint RecipeRate Recipe
4 from 19 votes
A hearty, fluffy homemade dinner roll lightly sweetened and flavored with pineapple juice.

Ingredients

  • ½ cup unsweetened pineapple juice
  • ½ cup warm milk 100-110°F
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted and cooled slightly
  • 2 whole eggs lightly beaten
  • 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 ½ teaspoons salt
  • 2 ¼ teaspoons (1 package) active-dry yeast
  • 4 ½ cups unbleached bread flour
  • 1 egg for brushing on prior to baking

Instructions

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the pineapple juice, warm milk, melted butter, sugar, yeast and salt.
  • Blend until mixed then add the 2 lightly beaten eggs. Mix until incorporated (may be somewhat curdled).
  • Remove the paddle attachment and exchange for the dough hook. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour ½ cup at a time until all flour is incorporated.
  • Increase the speed to medium and blend for about 5 minutes or until the dough is smooth and holds together in a ball.
  • Place the dough ball in a lightly greased large clean bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm, draft free location for about 2 hours or until dough is double in size.
  • Spray a 13x9 inch baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.
  • Remove the dough to a clean surface and cut into 15 equal pieces. Form each piece into a ball pulling the sides down and tucking them under to the bottom of the dough ball.
  • Place each ball in the prepared pan.
  • Once all 15 dough balls are formed, brush each roll with 1 egg beaten with 2 tablespoons of water. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and store in a warm, draft-free location until risen and almost doubled in size - about 1 hour.
  • Bake at 350°F for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Recipe Notes

  • To refrigerate unbaked rolls, form dough into balls as in step 7, then refrigerate until ready to bake. Allow the rolls to come to room temperature at least 1 hour before brushing with egg wash and baking. Proceed with step 9.
  • Recipe adapted from Handle the Heat
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. When multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.

Nutrition

Calories: 208kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 42mg | Sodium: 250mg | Potassium: 90mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 155IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 1mg

Looking for more roll recipes?  We love our Easy 90-Minute Rolls, and these Quick Whole Grain Oat Rolls and Rustic Old Fashioned Potato Rolls too!

We hope you have a wonderful happy New Year!  We’re planning some new recipes, a few sinful desserts, and a couple of adventures for you in 2015!  Thanks so much for being part of the SRFD family!  Blessings to you and yours.

Tricia

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72 Comments

  1. Rene

    3 stars
    This are yummy and easy if not strange ingredients. However they really only are good right out of the oven. Not moist after they cool down. The reviews warned of this.

    Reply

  2. Dana Carstensen

    These rolls tasted nothing like Hawaiian rolls but they were very good !I followed the directions exactly but they came out a little too thick for Hawaiian rolls, more like a traditional dinner roll.

    Reply

  5. John

    5 stars
    I followed the recipe exactly. While I would have preferred the rolls to be sweeter, the texture was perfect. I will make them again but perhaps with added sugar of maybe ice them. I used a Wondermix .Very pleased with the crumb.

    Reply

  6. Mary Sawyer

    5 stars
    These are so good! Only problem my mixer was not tough enough and I burnt it up! ??‍♀️ I made them into hamburger buns instead of rolls! ?

    Reply

      • Gabriella

        1 star
        I was making this recipe for Thanksgiving because my husband’s family loves Hawaiian rolls and it’s a tradition for them. I am a master pizza maker so I am not new to handling dough. This dough is an absolute nightmare to work with and required A LOT more flour than the recipe called for. I am not in a humid environment. Even with a lot more flour out was a sticky mass to wrestle with and I could not make into rolls, had to make a big loaf essentially. I wasted a lot of expensive ingredients only to be frustrated and disappointed. I won’t be making these from scratch anymore.

        Reply

  9. Kathie

    5 stars
    This is a fantastic recipe! I’ve made them twice this week already, and will make another batch tomorrow. Thank you so much!

    Reply

  10. Annese

    5 stars
    OMG I made these today I didn’t have bread flour so I used all purpose flour and added 1/2 cup of sour cream to make up for the extra protean and they are delicious

    Reply

  11. Elizabeth

    Hi. So in reading your instructions you leave out a key step. In order to get the most out of the rise of your bread you need to proof the yeast using your warm milk and dash of sugar, let sit for about 10 min then move forward. If someone is not a breD maker they wouldn’t know to do that. I am making these today!

    Reply

    • Tricia Buice

      Hi Elizabeth. I didn’t leave that step out as it’s not part of this recipe. I have never done that step and they turn out great – but I often use that method for other breads and rolls. Hope they turned out great for you!

      Reply

  12. J Griffiths

    3 stars
    They tasted good but centre ones were under baked even though I added 5 min to cooking time. Maybe because the dough was drier and more dense than I am used to. Next time I would add less flour and bake in bigger pan to allow for more spreading while They

    Reply

    • Tricia Buice

      Thanks for the feedback. I’ve never had this trouble but pans and ovens bake differently. Spreading out on a larger pan sounds like a plan. The other thing could be the humidity where you are. Sometimes we need more liquid to achieve the proper dough. I’ve made these at different times throughout the years but never had a baking problem. Thanks again for trying the recipe.

      Reply

      • Jeanneen

        I made 2 batches this weekend, one with mixer and 2nd with breadmaker dough cycle. The 2nd batch turned out much better. Rose more and faster, much lighter and fluffier. I’m definitely using my breadmaker to make these rolls again

        Reply

        • Tricia Buice

          Thanks for the feedback Jeanneen. I bet the bread maker warms the dough during that cycle, giving it a better rise. I always use my microwave as a proofing oven, as it is warm when the task light is turned on underneath. Thanks for trying the rolls and hope you enjoyed!

          Reply

  18. Dianebkht

    5 stars
    I really love this recipe! I have tried other recipes for Hawaiian Rolls, but due to my family really loving this one, I decided to stick with it! Very easy to make after measuring all ingredients Thank you for sharing! Dianebkht.

    Reply

    • Tricia Buice

      Thank you Diane! I’ve been thinking about making these again soon – such a wonderful roll to have around the holidays. There are so good with ham or turkey or just butter! Thanks so much for trying the recipe and for taking the time to comment. Happy baking!

      Reply

  20. Ben

    Just finished my first batch. Oh my. So fluffy, light, and tasty. Better than King’s Hawaiian at the store. Well done. Will definitely keep this one up my sleeve. Dough was very shaggy on the last couple scoops of flour. Added a splash more pineapple juice and it pulled it all in perfectly.

    Reply

    • Tricia Buice

      Hi Sherry – that’s a really great question. I haven’t tested it but I think you could slightly undertake the rolls by about 5 minutes, then cool completely and when ready to serve pop them in the oven for 5 minutes at 350 degrees. Make sure they are fully risen before removing them from the oven on the first bake. Good luck – hope it works out for you!

      Reply

    • Tricia Buice

      Hi Brenda – you can substitute all-purpose flour for bread flour but the results may be slightly different. The rolls may not rise as well and the texture may not be the same – but it should be in the acceptable range. Good luck and thanks for the great question!

      Reply

  27. Wendy

    Hawaiian rolls are my kryptonite! I am normally not a big eater, but could honestly make my way through a whole pan of Hawaiian rolls on my own! Warm and fresh from the oven must be heavenly. After eating this fresh version, I am sure the packaged variety will lose its allure (a very good thing)! Thanks, Tricia! I will be making these as part of my 2015 resolve to overcome my yeast-phobia. 🙂 Wishing you and your family a healthy and happy New Year!

    Reply

  29. Betty

    Gorgeous rolls! I love ham and cheese sliders on Hawaiian rolls, but I can’t always find them in the grocery when I want them. Your homemade version would be even better I know! 🙂

    Reply

  30. Monica

    The holiday season is definitely flying past! I hope you had a wonderful Christmas with your family, Tricia. I know you will ring in 2015 with style and I wish you and your family all the best for the New Year! I cannot wait to see all the deliciousness you’ll bring to us in the new year. : ) And these rolls…I buy Hawaiian rolls all the time and everyone loves them. Homemade would be incredible, especially if they look as delectable as yours turned out. I could just make a meal out of your beautiful rolls.

    Reply

  31. michael

    wow, they look great! I have never been able to bake bread, rolls, etc. for some reason, they just never turn out right! You do such a wonderful job with it 🙂

    Reply

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