This Hawaiian rolls recipe is a homemade version of the famous King's Hawaiian sweet rolls. Soft, golden, and lightly sweet, these rolls are incredibly easy to make!
This Hawaiian rolls recipe uses pineapple juice and honey to get that signature sweet flavor along with a soft, pillowy texture that pulls apart perfectly. They are super simple to make and are wonderful for making sliders, sandwiches, or as dinner rolls. Smear a warm roll thickly with butter...pure joy!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Soft and fluffy texture - The dough is slightly sticky on purpose! That's what gives these rolls their light, pillowy texture.
- These homemade Hawaiian rolls have a lovely subtle tropical flavor and sweetness that's just so irresistible.
- Golden and glossy, bakery-style finish, thanks to a simple egg wash!
- One batch makes 20 small rolls - perfect for feeding a crowd!
- These Hawaiian rolls freeze beautifully. Make a double batch and freeze the extras for up to 2 months.
- They are so versatile. Use them as dinner rolls, sliders, or sandwich buns. They work well with both sweet and savory pairings.
Recipe Ingredients
Flour: Use all-purpose flour for the softest and fluffiest texture.
Yeast: This Hawaiian rolls recipe uses instant yeast. But an equal quantity of active dry yeast will also work. Make sure to activate it in warm milk before whisking in other liquid ingredients.
Pineapple juice: This adds sweetness and a tropical flavor. Please use canned pineapple juice, as fresh juice contains enzymes that prevent gluten development.
Honey: Also for sweetness, and it also helps feed the yeast so the dough can rise well.
Milk: I used regular whole milk for richness and moisture. You can use any plant-based milk such as almond milk, cashew milk, or coconut milk. Please avoid low-fat milk.
Vinegar: White vinegar or apple cider vinegar; either will work. This helps balance the sweetness and also helps produce a tender crumb.
Egg: For richness and structure. We also use egg wash to brush on top of the dough balls before baking. This gives a nice sheen and a beautiful bakery-style finish.
Please see the recipe card below for full information about the ingredients and quantities.
How To Make Hawaiian Rolls
This recipe has been adapted from Bigger Bolder Baking. These rolls are a firm family favorite, and I make them at least once a month!
Recipe Video
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: Line a 9 x 13 - inch baking pan with parchment paper and lightly grease it with butter.
Step 2: In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine flour, salt, and yeast.
Step 3: In another bowl, whisk together milk, pineapple juice, honey, egg, and vinegar.
Step 4: Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Mix using a spatula to form a rough dough. Knead the dough at slow speed for 2-3 minutes, and then at medium - high speed for 10- 12 minutes, until a smooth, slightly sticky dough is formed.
Step 5: Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel.
Step 6: Set aside for 1 - 1.5 hours or until the dough has doubled in size.
Step 7: Turn out the proofed dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently deflate it. Divide the dough into 20 equal-sized pieces and roll them into smooth balls.
Step 8: Place the dough balls in the prepared tray. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel and let the rolls proof for 30-45 minutes or until puffy
Step 9: Brush the proofed rolls gently with egg wash.
Step 11: Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool the rolls for 15-20 minutes before serving. Serve warm!
Top Tips
- For the most consistent results, weigh all the ingredients on a kitchen scale.
- Make sure all the liquid ingredients are at room temperature.
- The dough for Hawaiian rolls should be soft and slightly sticky, but manageable. If the dough is too sticky, add 1-2 tablespoons of flour at a time. A soft dough will make soft and fluffy rolls.
- You can easily make 12 regular-sized rolls instead of 20 small ones as I did.
- Don't skip the egg wash. This is what gives these Hawaiian dinner rolls a gorgeous color and shine.
- I like to brush these sweet Hawaiian rolls with butter as soon as they come out of the oven. This keeps them extra soft!
How To Serve And Store
These homemade Hawaiian rolls are absolutely delicious paired with cinnamon honey butter, easy cherry jam, strawberry chia jam, or homemade fig jam.
For a savory twist, enjoy them with homemade cream cheese, cashew ricotta cheese, or this easy creamy labneh.
They are wonderful for making sliders and sandwiches. They also make the best dinner rolls! Serve them with stews and soups such as roasted carrot soup, roasted pumpkin soup, or a creamy pea soup.
Store the leftover rolls in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in a preheated oven for 4-5 minutes or in the microwave for 15-20 seconds.
These Hawaiian dinner rolls freeze very well. Place the cooled rolls in a freezer-friendly airtight container and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature and reheat in a hot oven at 200 C / 400 F for 5-10 minutes. You can also reheat in a microwave or air fryer.
Recipe FAQs
Please use canned pineapple juice only. Fresh juice has an enzyme, bromelain, that breaks down gluten, so your rolls won't rise properly.
Hawaiian roll dough is meant to be soft and sticky. However, if it's unmanageable, add 1-2 tablespoons of flour at a time. Don't add too much or your rolls will turn out dense.
Yes. You can refrigerate the shaped dough before the 2nd rise for up to 1 day. Make sure the tray is covered tightly. Allow to come to room temperature and finish proofing before baking.
More Easy Dinner Rolls
Did you try this recipe? I'd love to hear how it turned out. Please drop a comment below or reach out on Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, or Facebook. I hope you love these delicious homemade Hawaiian rolls as much as we do!
📖 Recipe
Hawaiian Rolls Recipe
Ingredients
- 4.5 cups All-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp Instant yeast
- 2 tsp Salt
- 3/4 cup Milk, lukewarm
- 1/2 cup Pineapple juice, room temperature Canned, not fresh.
- 1/3 cup Honey, room temperature
- 1 Egg, room temperature
- 2 tsp Vinegar
Egg Wash
- 1 Egg
- 1 tbsp Water
Instructions
- Line a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Grease the parchment paper with butter. Keep aside.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine flour, yeast, and salt.4.5 cups All-purpose flour, 1 tbsp Instant yeast, 2 tsp Salt
- In another bowl, whisk together milk, pineapple juice, egg, honey, and vinegar.3/4 cup Milk, lukewarm, 1/2 cup Pineapple juice, room temperature, 1/3 cup Honey, room temperature, 1 Egg, room temperature, 2 tsp Vinegar
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and combine using a spatula until the ingredients come together into a rough dough. Knead the dough at slow speed for 3-4 minutes and then at medium to high speed for 10-12 minutes in your stand mixer.You can also knead the dough by hand.
- The dough will be ready when it leaves the sides of the bowl and is smooth, soft, and just slightly sticky.If the dough is too sticky, add more flour 1-2 tablespoons at a time.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl. Cover it with a damp kitchen towel or plastic wrap, and keep it aside in a warm place for 1 - 1.5 hours or until the dough doubles in size
- Once the dough has doubled, turn it out on a lightly floured work surface and gently deflate it.
- Divide the dough into 20 equal-sized pieces. I used a kitchen scale, and my dough pieces were approximately 1.8 oz/ 52 gms each.You can also make 12 bigger rolls.
- Roll each dough piece into a ball and place it on the prepared pan.
- Cover with a damp kitchen towel or plastic wrap, and let the rolls proof the 2nd time for 30-45 minutes or until puffy.
- While the rolls are proofing, preheat your oven to 190 C / 375 F.
- Once the rolls are proofed, gently brush them with egg wash and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.1 Egg, 1 tbsp Water
- Cool for 15-20 minutes, then serve warm. Enjoy!
Egg Wash
- Whisk together egg and water in a small bowl.
Video
Notes
- For the most consistent results, weigh all the ingredients on a kitchen scale.
- Make sure all the liquid ingredients are at room temperature.
- The dough for Hawaiian rolls should be soft and slightly sticky, but manageable. If the dough is too sticky, add 1-2 tablespoons of flour at a time. A soft dough will make soft and fluffy rolls.
- You can easily make 12 regular-sized rolls instead of 20 small ones as I did.
- Don't skip the egg wash. This is what gives these Hawaiian dinner rolls a gorgeous color and shine.
- I like to brush these sweet Hawaiian rolls with butter as soon as they come out of the oven. This keeps them extra soft!
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