Sweet Hawaiian Bread Rolls

Soft sweet Hawaiian bread rolls are perfect for breakfast and light dinner and have a secret ingredient adding sweetness – sweet and acidic pineapple juice and signature pillowy texture.

So many recipes can use a couple of good home-baked sweet Hawaiian dinner rolls and you can always just munch them as they are, especially if you make a simple honey glaze, mmm oh so good!

This is my go-to copycat roll recipe that is at the base of so many easy grab-and-go meals in my family. Just add some ham and cheese, or make homemade Hawaiian sweet rolls sliders, eat it with soup or just with some garlic butter.

I highly recommend doubling the recipe and freezing a batch – you will have simple dinners at any time of the month.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Minimal prep time and you only have to wait for the dough to rise.
• Homemade Hawaiian sweet rolls are incomparable in taste to any store-bought beloved King’s Hawaiian rolls
• Soft and fluffy rolls, buttery, golden brown, and absolutely delicious and they only need 9 pantry staples to come together in this recipe.
• Good batch. It makes 12 regular-size rolls or around 20-24 mini rolls.
• Home-baked bread aroma in the house and homemade bread without an expensive bread machine.

Ingredients Notes

These versatile sweet Hawaiian dinner rolls only use simple ingredients you most likely already have in the kitchen (except the juice maybe).The full ingredient list is at the end of this blog post in a recipe card.

• Pineapple juice. Canned pineapple juice or freshly squeezed. They won’t be overly sweet or fruity, don’t worry. You can also use crushed pineapple.Don’t worry the pineapple flavor won’t be overpowering even if you use these rolls for savory recipes. 
• Whole milk. I use room temperature milk as I am heating it with the juice but you can also use warm milk (or warm water) to proof yeast. Milk activates the yeast and it is what makes these rolls so soft.
• Unsalted butter melted (not too hot!). We use butter to make flavorful dough and also instead of egg wash. Using salted butter is ok too, just skip the added salt in the instructions then.
• Granulated sugar for sweetness but more importantly to feed the yeast for softer dough. You can use honey instead.
• Active dry yeast (1 packet). I used a regular yeast mixture so it requires proofing. You can use a packet of instant yeast (same ratio) and skip that step. Make sure it is not expired.
• Eggs for fluffy bouncy buns.
• All-purpose flour or bread flour for chewy Hawaiian rolls.
• Salt
• Vanilla extract for a little flavoring.

Kitchen Equipment

• Saucepan
• 9×13-inch pan, greased
• Mixing bowl
• Stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachments
• Pastry brush

How To Make Homemade Hawaiian Sweet Rolls

Although this process requires yeast proofing, kneading, and dough rising, it is a beginner-friendly bread recipe.

1: Cook The Pineapple Juice Mixture

1. Combine the pineapple juice and milk in a small saucepan. Heat over low until lukewarm (approx 110°F).
2. Remove and stir in the melted butter. Set aside.

2: Proof The Yeast Mixture

1. Combine the sugar and yeast in a large mixing bowl.
2. Pour the juice mixture over the top and set aside for approx 5 minutes for the yeast to proof. The mixture should become foamy on top.
3. Note: If you use instant yeast, you don’t need to proof it.

3: Make The Bread Dough

1. Add the wet ingredients (eggs and vanilla) to the dry ingredients (3 cups of flour and salt) in a bowl of a stand mixer. Use a dough hook to work the ingredients together until a soft dough forms. The dough is ready when it doesn’t stick to the sides of the bowl.
2. The best way is to add 1/2 cup or half of the flour first, mix it first, and add the remaining flour.

4: Knead

Transfer to a flat, lightly floured surface and knead for 8-10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and has an elastic texture. (the kneading is what forms the gluten – giving the rolls that soft, airy, chewy texture)

5: Let The Rolls Rise

Place the dough ball into a greased bowl. Cover it with a lint-free clean towel or plastic wrap and set it aside in a warm, draft-free place. Let it rise for about an hour or 2, or until it has doubled in size.

6: Dough Shaping & Second Rise

1. Once the dough has doubled, punch it down. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces, and you don’t need to flour the work surface to do so. Shape each portion into a rough ball shape and place shaped rolls into a prepared pan.
2. Cover the dish with the same lint-free towel. Set aside in a warm place and let the dough rise again for another hour. (they should be visibly larger at this point)
3. You can make this ahead of time and simply leave the shaped dough balls to rise overnight.

7: Bake Rolls

1. The next day preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place rolls into the preheated oven.
2. Bake the risen rolls for 18-20 minutes or until they are golden brown on top. You can also broil the tops for a couple of minutes at the end of the baking time if you want them a deeper brown on top.

8: Brush With Melted Butter

1. Immediately brush with melted butter when removing from the oven.
2. Allow the rolls to cool slightly before serving. Serve warm for the best taste.

Storage

Storing. Store in an airtight container or plastic wrap/ plastic bag for 3-4 days at room temperature. You can also store leftover rolls in the fridge for up to a week.

Freezing. You can freeze fully baked rolls tightly wrapped in plastic wrap for 1 month.

Unbaked, but shaped rolls can also be frozen on a baking sheet with enough space between them to avoid sticking. They will be good in a freezer for 3 months as well.

Thaw overnight in the fridge and warm up in the oven for 5-10 minutes at 300F covered with aluminum foil.

Substitutions & Variations

• Orange juice can substitute for pineapple juice when making homemade Hawaiian rolls
• Honey butter glaze. Melted butter and honey are melted and combined together and you can brush the mixture on top of the bread rolls.
• A great way to use these rolls is to make sliders or delicious mini sandwiches with your fav protein for an easy weeknight dinner. You can also use it to make French toast for breakfast.
• If you prefer to stick with egg wash, simply mix the egg yolk with water and brush over the buns instead of the melted butter.
• You can also sprinkle some coarse sea salt or brown sugar over the top of baked rolls brushed with butter mixture.
• Dessert rolls can also have crushed pineapple, shredded coconut, cinnamon, and other sweet add-ons.

Expert Tips For Making The Best Sweet Hawaiian Bread Rolls

• It is easier to transfer the dough in and out of the bowl if you lightly grease your hands or wet them.
• Make sure to sift the flour and measure it correctly. Too much of it will make tough, dense rolls.
• Expired yeast doesn’t produce foam. You can’t use it.
• Liquids to activate dry yeast should be warm but not boiling hot! It will kill the yeast.
• If the dough is just slightly sticky, don’t add more flour. Too much flour will ruin the fluffy texture of the yeast roll, and the yeast dough is naturally a sticky dough. 
• Do not warm the dough to speed up the rising process. Be patient and wait until the punch in the dough slowly returns to its original shape (not quickly).

Popular Questions

What Makes Hawaiian Bread Different?

Homemade Hawaiian bread has subtle sweetness thanks to the pineapple juice in the dough. They are super soft, fluffy, and buttery, and make great buns for sliders and sandwiches. They are well known for their irresistible flavor.

Do You Need To Bake Hawaiian Rolls?

Yes, the dough for homemade Hawaiian sweet rolls needs to rise first, then you shape and bake it. However, for freezing you can store unbaked Hawaiian rolls.

What Is The Difference Between Hawaiian Rolls And Dinner Rolls?

Homemade sweet Hawaiian rolls are often called and used as dinner rolls, but also dinner rolls may be less sweet, have more flour be denser, and be made without pineapple juice or honey butter glaze.

Are Hawaiian Rolls Just Brioche?

Sweet Hawaiian rolls have brioche-like texture but they are made differently. Hawaiian rolls have pineapple juice in the dough and are shaped like rolls while brioche is shaped like bread and doesn’t contain fruit juice.

If you love this Hawaiian dinner roll recipe, you’re going to love these other Hawaiian-inspired recipes too. Please click each link below to find the easy, printable recipe!

More Great Dinner Rolls

30-Minute Garlic Parmesan Dinner Rolls

One Hour Dinner Rolls

Heavenly One Hour Dinner Rolls

One Hour Brown Bread Dinner Rolls

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