Hawaiian Rolls
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These Homemade Hawaiian Rolls are even better than the ones you buy at the store. They're soft, slightly sweet, and have a pillowy texture that makes you want another bite
Hawaiian rolls are one of my favorite breads to bake at home. The store-bought kind is tasty, but making them yourself takes them to a whole new level, and you only need one bowl. After trying homemade, you probably won't want to go back.
Hawaiian bread is soft and stretchy, with a touch of tangy yeast flavor and just enough sweetness to make you want another piece. The sweetness comes from pineapple juice and brown sugar, a combination that's also great in pineapple upside-down cake. Eggs and melted butter make the rolls even richer.
Here's Why You'll Love This Recipe
- These rolls taste better than store-bought ones, with richer flavor and a softer, fluffier texture.
- You can make everything in one bowl, and you don't need any special equipment.
- This recipe is flexible. You can make the rolls in one day or split the prep over two days with an overnight rise.
- These rolls freeze well, whether baked or unbaked, so you can always have some ready when you need them.
Ingredients You'll Need
The recipe card at the bottom of the post contains the full list with all of the amounts. Refer to that when you're cooking.
- Warm water: It should feel slightly warm, similar to a baby's bath, but not hot.
- Active dry yeast: Leavens the dough. You can use instant yeast instead; just reduce the rise time by 10-15 minutes.
- Pineapple juice: The key to that classic Hawaiian roll sweetness and flavor. Guava juice works well as a substitute if you want to switch things up.
- Dark brown sugar: Adds sweetness and a hint of molasses flavor.
- Unsalted butter: Melted, plus extra soft butter for brushing after baking.
- Eggs and egg yolks: Use high-quality eggs if you can.
- Kosher salt: Balances the sweetness.
- Vanilla extract: Rounds out the flavor.
- All-purpose flour: You can substitute bread flour if that's what you have on hand.
In Photos: How To Make Hawaiian Rolls
Step 1: Proof Yeast
To make this easy recipe, you're going to start by proofing the yeast.
Just stir the yeast together with a little bit of warm water. It should be warm, not hot, like a baby's bath.
Set it aside for about 10 minutes, until you notice little bubbles coming to the surface.
This is how you know your yeast is alive! If you don't see the bubbles, start again. Either your yeast was expired (always check the date!) or you may have killed it with too-hot water.
Step 2: Start Forming Dough
Once the yeast has proven, add in the pineapple juice, brown sugar, melted butter, eggs, salt, and vanilla.
Whisk everything together just to get it combined.
Now you can start adding flour. Work it in about ½-cup at a time.
After about 4 to 4 ½ cups have gone it, you should start to see the dough gathering itself into a ball and pulling away cleanly from the sides of the bowl.
Depending on the humidity in your kitchen, you may need slightly more or slightly less flour.
Step 3: Knead
Knead the dough for a good 10 to 15 minutes. Put on a timer and make sure it gets plenty of kneading. This is what develops the glutens, and creates that signature stretchy, elastic texture that's so key for good homemade bread.
After about 10 minutes of kneading, pinch off a little piece of dough and using your fingertips, stretch it gently from the center outward. You should be able to pull it tissue-thin without it tearing. It should be so thin you can see the light passing through, just like a windowpane.
That's why this is called the "windowpane test."
This test works for any kind of yeast bread recipe, so if you've made a loaf and it seems crumbly, it's probably because it hasn't been kneaded long enough and would not have passed the windowpane test.
The more you know!
If your dough doesn't pass the windowpane test, keep kneading until it does.
Step 4: Rest & Rise
Once you're there, just mist the bowl with a little non-stick spray, place the dough back in, and cover it with plastic wrap.
Allow it to rise in a warm place until doubled in volume.
This usually takes about an hour, but if your kitchen is on the cooler side it may take longer.
Step 5: Form Rolls & Rise Again
Once the dough has risen, divide it into 15 equal portions and roll each one into a tight little ball to make rolls.
Place them in a greased and parchment-lined 9x13 pan, cover them with a sheet of plastic wrap that's been misted with non-stick spray, and it's time for the second rise.
OVERNIGHT ROLLS
If you want, at this point you can break up the prep over 2 days.
To make overnight Hawaiian rolls, place the unbaked rolls in the refrigerator before the second rise. They can hang out there for up to 48 hours.
When you're ready to move on with the recipe, just take them out of the fridge and allow them to come up to room temperature, then put them in a warm place and allow them to double in volume once again.
Step 6: Bake & Brush
Once they've puffed, place them in a preheated 350 degree F oven and bake them 'til their tops are golden brown and delish.
Then I like to brush them with a little softened butter, while they're still warm. The butter will melt over the warm bread and give it a glossy sheen, plus a little added flavor and richness.
Helpful Tips and Tricks
- Don't skip the butter brush at the end. It adds extra richness and keeps them from drying out. One reader found out the hard way after skipping this step.
- You can use bread flour instead of all-purpose flour if you want a slightly chewier roll. Just use the same amount.
- If you want to change the flavor, try using guava juice instead of pineapple juice for a different kind of sweetness.
- Storage: Keep the rolls in a sealed bag at room temperature for 2 to 3 days, or in the fridge for up to 5 more days. You can freeze baked rolls for several months and reheat them in the microwave for 15 to 20 seconds each, or wrap them in foil and warm in a 170°F oven. You can also freeze unbaked shaped rolls, then thaw, allow to rise, and bake as usual.
Gluten-Free Hawaiian Rolls
While I have not personally tested it this way, I do think this recipe could work well using a gluten-free flour blend. Look for one that subs 1:1 for regular flour.
Here are a few good options:
What To Eat Hawaiian Rolls With
These rolls are delicious split and spread with butter, but they also make great slider buns. Slice the whole batch in half horizontally, add your favorite fillings, and bake covered with foil until hot and melty.
Some fun slider ideas are pulled pork with coleslaw, sweet and sour meatballs, meatballs with tomato sauce and mozzarella, ham and cheese with honey mustard, or barbecue chicken with sharp cheddar.
You can also use this dough as a base for pineapple stuffing, Thanksgiving stuffing, or bread pudding.
- Mini hamburgers or cheeseburgers
- Roast beef with provolone and horseradish
- Scrambled eggs, bacon, and cheese
- Cuban sliders with ham, roast pork, swiss cheese, pickles, and mustard
- Sloppy joe sliders
- Bbq chicken sliders with thin sliced red onion and sharp cheddar cheese
- Buffalo chicken sliders with bleu cheese
- Reuben sliders with corned beef, sauerkraut, swiss, and thousand island dressing
More Homemade Bread Recipes
If you love baking bread from scratch, Soft Homemade Dinner Rolls, Easy Ciabatta Bread, and Crusty French Baguettes are all worth trying next.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons (29.57 ml) warm water, (just barely warm to the touch, like a baby's bath)
- 1 tablespoon (14.79 g) active dry yeast*
- ¾ cup (177.44 ml) pineapple juice
- ⅓ cup (73.33 g) dark brown sugar, (firmly packed)
- ¼ cup (56.75 g) unsalted butter, (½ stick), melted
- 2 (88 g) eggs, (large)
- 1 (18 g) egg yolk, (large)
- 2 teaspoons (9.86 g) kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon (4.93 ml) vanilla extract
- 4 ¼ cups (531.25 g) all-purpose flour, (approx., you may need a little less or a little more)
- soft butter, (to brush on after baking)
Instructions
- Stir the warm water and yeast together in a large mixing bowl, then set aside until foamy (about 10 minutes).
- Add the pineapple juice, brown sugar, melted butter, eggs, egg yolk, salt, and vanilla and whisk to combine.
- Stir in the flour, about ½ cup at a time, until a stiff dough forms and pulls away cleanly from the sides of the bowl.
- Knead the dough until it passes the windowpane test,** (about 10 to 15 minutes).
- Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and allow it to rise in a warm place until doubled in volume (about 1 hour).
- Punch down the dough and divide it into 15 equal portions (about 65 grams each).
- Shape the rolls and place them in a 9x13-inch greased baking dish that's been lined with parchment paper.
- Cover the rolls with a sheet of greased plastic wrap (if making overnight rolls, place them in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours).
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Bake the Hawaiian rolls until puffed and golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and brush the tops with soft butter.
Notes
Author
Have a question about this recipe? Ask AI:
These turned out incredible! The dough is so supple and beautiful to work with. I made them for company ham & cheese sliders with homemade mashed potatoes and salad. They’re fluffy, soft, and immensely flavorful! These are definitely going into the regular rotation. Thanks for an amazing recipe!
My pleasure Andi! I'm so glad you were happy with them. Thanks for the great feedback!
Hi! Can this be made with bread flour, and if so, the same amount as the AP flour?
Yes, that's correct!
can u use a different juice like guava juice?
Absolutely!
I made these but forgot to add the butter. They still came out great, just a little dry. I’ll be sure to add the butter next time!
So glad they still worked for you! Thanks for the 5-star review!