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:
I only have medium eggs, do I need to use more eggs to equal large?
Probably. Medium eggs weigh about 50 grams, large eggs are more like 57 and are the standard size for baking. I'd recommend placing a bowl on a digital scale, zeroing it out, then cracking in eggs until you're close to the right weight. Beat them smooth then pour out any excess. Good luck dear!
5 stars out of 5! Again! This time I made loaves. After the 1st proof, I split the dough in half, shaped them for loaves, 20 minutes at 350 and They are absolutely the best, I've ever eaten! The comment that they aren't sweet enough is absurd! Then you say you're going to keep making them because they're so good! Now I'm confused!
Thank you, Miss Allie, these belong in a 5 star restaurant!
Wow, thank YOU Jeff! I'm so happy you were pleased!
I'm in the middle of making my first batch! So I withheld my star rating until its finished, but while waiting for the second proof, I read some comments and I'm confused on how some of you can not find regular yeast! My job takes me to every type of grocery store in a 30 mile radius and every one of them has original and instant and most have choices of brands! Even ALDI's has 2-3 kinds!
So far your recipe is 5 stars!
That's great! So glad you're happy with it so far. So a few years back when this was published it actually was hard to find yeast. And bread flour was scarce too, because of the pandemic everyone was getting into baking and there was a shortage!
Sounds to good to be true I'll try it for sure. I just wanted to reply to a lady on here yes u can use any other juice just as if you were baking a ham. I used to be allergic to pineapples and my husband and his boys r highly allergic so we always had to have our Easter ham made with apricot juice and maybe one was peach either way. I search easy recipes for this now I lost it after getting all the ingredients and the girl was younger they looked incredible only like prolly family 6 people commented on them. And that's the one I'm still searching for since I have all the ingredients and instead of 3 or 4 hours it was only one and a half hours it had dark brown sugar and honey used and the pineapple juice too. I stopped taking prescribed pain meds and my taste buds changed and some also u can always start with like a life saver depending on how severe ur allergy is that is how we found out my husband's youngest son was allergic to pineapple too and he ate it every morning for breakfast nothing happened but that lifesaver pineapple flavored white ones his face was all blotches red spots then the swelling came on so he was only mildly allergic his dad highly allergic his bro right in-between that even, but what I'm saying is no matter what ur diet has everything to do with ur skin so maybe something in ur diet don't mesh well with u having pineapple maybe a medication don't. Either way like Adderall u can't have or not suppose to have any acids no grapefruit or oj or soda it says in thepill book. Either way A) try changing something n ur diet or meds I'm finally off all my meds thank goodness 29 yrs ovarian cancer free test rat I was 12 stage 4 no chance and beat it in 5 weeks of double the chemo with 3 bags a day 5 days a week for 5 weeks and I beat that sucker as a test rat they now use my record to help others yes I did use that powder everyday my legs would chauf in sports being skinny and very athletic before that mom used it on me all the time as a baby and child. But that was may 1995 day after mothers day we found out. No surprise to me bcuz that was the only dream I had for 6 months straight and every part of my dream actually happened too. Anyways I changed my died and I could have some things I couldn't before bcuz they don't mesh well and unless ur gonna take a detoxifying med or drink or whatever then who knows how long whatever don't go with it for ur body will stay n ur system. B) try a lifesaver or something small with pineapple like barely any n it just to see if ur still allergic after having cancer I have become allergic to at least 3 things a year not all r foods either but I can now have things I liked and became allergic to back then, etc. Or C as I said I'm gonna try this recipe but since I already bought all the ingredients I'm gonna use my dark brown sugar and Honey (I got Winnie the pooh honey) and keep searching for that girl with hardly any comments that has those ingredients in it and try it first. But I do have a question I'm sure I'll never see the answer to, but I was wondering when making this can you just put it in a bread pan instead of making rolls and make it a loaf instead of rolls or sliders buns? Thank you for ur time. P.s. allergic to pineapples make sure you don't eat carrot cake most carrot cakes r made with either the pineapple juice or crushed pineapple etc just a little FYI. But heck u might not even be allergic to it anymore my skin is allergic. To the touch of onions it burns my skin so bad so either glove up or don't touch. But I can eat them bcuz my insides can have them just not my skin.
Yes you can bake it as a loaf if you prefer. Good luck!
Although the rolls turned out incredible, they aren't sweet enough to compare to Hawaiian rolls. I followed the recipe exact. I'll definitely make them again as they really are good rolls.
11/2 the recipe, rolls turned out pretty good, but not as doughy as I like homemade bread or rolls. Froze for Thanksgiving dinner, hope they thaw and heat up okay. Also not quite as yeasty tasting as I think homemade bread should taste. Don't know if I will try again.
I'm sorry to hear that you weren't completely happy. If you like a doughier texture maybe try baking them for a few minutes less?
I tried your recipe but for some reason it was a total disaster. Heavy dough and I even had to reduce the flour by a full cup and a half. I bake rolls and breads often but this is my first attempt at the Hawaiian style. I dont know what went wrong. I followed the recipe to the letter. After 10 minutes in the stand mixer I could see the dough texture and weight were way off base so I had to toss the whole thing. Any suggestions?
I'm so sorry to hear this Brenda! I can't imagine what could have gone wrong. Just took a quick skim through the comments and it looks like all the other readers who've tried it seemed to enjoy it. So sorry!
Made these last night, messed up the yeast part and didn't add it until after the dough was partially mixed, so they took longer to rise. Then having to rush out the door meant having to leave them another 45 minutes after the rolls had risen and were ready to bake. Despite all that, we ended up with beautiful, fluffy rolls! Perfect recipe (even if we didn't execute it perfectly)! Thank you!
My pleasure Angelina! I'm so happy it worked out in spite of life getting in the way, lol!
Hi Allie,
My entire family loves the hawiian rolls except for me. Not because I don't like them, I can't eat them as I'm Very allergic to pineapple. I know - it's so sad! I use to love everything pineapple untill my allergies kicked in and since then I can't eat them. They take my breath away - and not in a good way. So I was wondering if I could substitute anything for the pineapple? I was thinking honey but that may change the feel of the dough and lead to a heavy roll.
Do you have any suggestions? Thanks! Melissa
Really great recipe! Tastes just like Hawaiian rolls, only a little more dense!
Maybe try a mango juice, I bet another tropical type juice would be nice- maybe half mango half orange? Just a thought!
Have been needing to tell you, Allie, that King Arthur GF Measure for Measure works in any recipe NOT containing yeast. They do have another flour that is GF and can be used with yeast (although I have never used it) Measure for Measure GF Flour works wonderfully for cakes, cookies, muffins, coffee cakes or anything not requiring yeast. Do want to mention that I like the flavor of the GF flour much better than Bob's Red Mill brand or for that matter any of the other GF flours available.
Can this be made as a loaf of bread instead of rolls? Or do you have a specific recipe for a loaf. TY for a response.
I have not tried that myself but I do think it should work, based on the volume of dough it makes. Good luck!
I made a loaf in the breadmaker. It turned out wonderful!
Just made these for Thanksgiving. They are great!
These look beautiful and sound delicious! Are you kneading by hand or by machine?
Thank you for all of your wonderful tips and recipes. I’m so happy to have found your site!
Lillian
Hi Lillian! I kneaded mine by machine but you could do them by hand too if you'd like. Good luck!
I can't wait to make them. Can I ask where did you get your baking dish?
Of course! There is an affiliate link to purchase it just above the recipe card. It displays as blue but you can buy it in other colors as well.
For those of you who prefer to measure flour by weight, I found 580g of all purpose flour to be just right (king arthur brand)
made it for birthday
So happy you enjoyed! Thanks for the 5-star review!
Can you make these without the pineapple juice?
If you don't have pineapple juice, you can substitute with another type of fruit juice. Whatever you have on hand should work relatively well. Good luck!
These sound delicious, but I only have instant yeast. Would I just leave the 2 T water used to proof the yeast out of the recipe or would that mess it up? Bread baking seems like a great thing to do right now. Thanks for all your great recipes!
Hey Linda! I'm getting this question a lot and I can understand why- it is so hard to find yeast in stores these days! I'm more comfortable using regular active dry yeast so that's why most of my recipes call for that, but if all you can get is instant that's ok, it will still work. You'll just need to make a few modifications. Here's a great article explaining all the differences and how to sub one for the other: https://www.thekitchn.com/whats-the-difference-between-active-dry-yeast-and-instant-yeast-54252. Hopefully this is helpful to you and anyone else that may be reading!