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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.
Homemade Hawaiian 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.
Once risen the dough is formed into 15 individual balls and placed in a 13×9 inch pan.
Brush each dough ball lightly with an egg and water mixture before the final rise.
Once risen bake the rolls for 20 minutes.
The rolls can be frozen fully baked or refrigerated over-night before the second rise. That makes them perfect for gatherings and events – or even New Years’ Eve!
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.
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.
Don’t forget your PIN!
- 1/2 cup unsweetened pineapple juice
- 1/2 cup warm milk, 100-110 degrees F
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 2 whole eggs, lightly beaten
- 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 2 1/4 teaspoons (1 package) active-dry yeast
- 4 1/2 cups unbleached bread flour
- 1 egg, for brushing on prior to baking
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 1/2 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 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
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.
Prep time and cook time does not include rising time of approximately 3 hours.
Recipe adapted from Handle the Heat
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
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.
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!
Can the sweet roll dough be done in the bread maker?
I’m not sure Cindy – I haven’t tried it. But I don’t see why not. Good luck.
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.
Woohoo! So happy to hear you liked the recipe. I can’t wait to make these again. Thanks for trying it and thank you very much for the feedback! Happy baking 😉
Help I’m allergic to pineapple juice. Is there anything I can use instead (also allergic to oranges and the like)
Hi Jess – I think it would be fine to use water or half water and half milk to replace the pineapple juice. They won’t have the same flavor, or fruity sweetness, but I’m sure they will still be good. Hope they work out for you! Thanks for the great question 🙂
so can i use orange juice?
Hi Elida – great question! I’ve never tried orange juice but I bet it would be delicious. Enjoy!
Can I prebake these rolls to make brown and serve?
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!
can i use plain flour instead of bread flour
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!
My husband doesn’t like sweet bread or rolls so I rarely make them but I LOVE Hawaiian sweet rolls and I’m going to make these just for ME ! 🙂
Happy New Year!!
Happy New Year to you Maureen! I bet you can win him over with these – good luck! I know you’ll love them!
I’ve never tried Hawaiian rolls but they would be fantastic with ham. They look so perfectly baked too!
I had no idea how much my husband loves Hawaiian Sweet rolls, until I took a Thanksgiving shortcut and bought some. Now, I can make them from scratch! Thank you!
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!
You will love these Wendy and they are perfect for those just getting started with yeast. Good luck and Happy New Year!
Oh my goodness, just look at those buns. I am so loving how they turned out. Thanks for providing the recipe because I can’t wait to make them. Happy New Year!
Thanks for stopping by and Happy New Year!
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! 🙂
Give them a try Betty – I know you will love them too. Happy New Year!
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.
I think I did make a meal out of these rolls – so tasty fresh from the oven. Enjoy and Happy New Year Monica!
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 🙂
You are an artist Michael and I know you can bake – and I bet you could do these too! Happy New Year!
I have always wanted to make Hawaiian rolls, I’m going to get right to it now, they look amazing Tricia — Happy New Year!
Thanks Sue – Happy New Year to you too!
They look so very soft and good! I would love a couple of them for my cauliflower soup :-))
They would be terrific with anything you make Angie 🙂 Happy New Year!