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Homemade Hawaiian Rolls – Soft, fluffy, and slightly sweet, these homemade Hawaiian rolls are the perfect addition to any meal. Great for sliders, dinner sides, or enjoying warm with butter, they’re easy to make and always a crowd favorite!
There’s nothing quite like the warm, pillowy goodness of homemade Hawaiian rolls fresh from the oven. Their subtle sweetness and soft, buttery texture make them irresistible, whether you’re serving them as a dinner side, using them for sliders, or just enjoying one on its own.
Plus there is just something about the smell of fresh baked bread that will get you every time! Making these Hawaiian buns at home not only gives you that unbeatable fresh-baked flavor and aroma, but also lets you skip the store-bought version for something that is even better!
And trust me, yeast can be intimidating, but if you just follow the instructions and make sure your ingredients are fresh and not expired, you can be making fresh bread on repeat!
What You’ll Need
Be sure to scroll to the bottom of the post for the FULL PRINTABLE recipe card.
- Pineapple Juice – you want the canned juice, not fresh or it will react with the yeast and cause problems.
- Active Dry Yeast
- Brown Sugar
- Butter
- Vanilla Extract – I know it sounds odd for bread, but just trust me!
- Eggs
- Bread Flour – you can use all-purpose in a pinch
- Salt
How To Make Hawaiian Rolls
- Bloom Yeast. When you use active dry yeast you need to activate it before you start using it. Heat your pineapple juice in the microwave for about 45 seconds. You want it to be 110º F. Stir in the yeast and 2 Tablespoons of brown sugar. Let it rest for 5-10 minutes and it will start to foam up.
- Mix. Add the pineapple juice mixture, the rest of the brown sugar, butter, vanilla, eggs and egg yolk, and salt to and electric mixer that is fitted with a the paddle attachment. Add 1 cup of the flour and start to mix. Continue adding the flour 1 cup at a time. The dough should come away from the sides as it mixes, but will be sticky.
- Knead. Switch out the paddle attachment for the dough hook, and knead for 3-4 minutes.
- Rise. Cover the bowl with a clean towel and let it rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until the dough has roughly doubled in size.
- Shape. Divide the dough into 16-24 balls of dough, depending on the size you want. 24 will be small like the ones from the store, 16 will be more like hamburger buns. I made 20 that were like dinner roll size. Roll the balls of dough and place in a greased baking pan.
- Rise. Cover the pan and let the rolls rise for another 90 minutes, until they are about double in size.
- Bake. Bake the rolls for about 25 minutes (will depend on the size of your rolls), until they are fluffy and golden brown. Remove from the oven and top with butter.
Storage
Keep the rolls in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days.
Freezing
You can easily freeze the baked rolls as well. Let them cool and then tightly wrap with plastic wrap to keep them from getting freezer burned. They will last for 1-2 months in the freezer.
Recipe Tips & Suggestions
- Fluffiest Rolls. The recipe calls for 5-6 cups of flour, because the climate will impact the dough. For the fluffiest rolls, you will want to avoid using too much. The dough is sticky and soft, to you will be tempted to add more. But when the dough pulls aways and clears the side of the bowl as it is mixed, you have added enough.
- Be Patient. These rolls have 2 rises and each will take over and hour. Let the bread rest in a warm place and the yeast will do what it is supposed to do. If you move on to the next step before it has fully risen, you will end up with a dense and hard roll.
- Yeast. Yeast can be intimidating, I get it! The first step is to make sure it is fresh and not expired. The next step is to follow the directions, use the temperature given for blooming and the time given for kneading.
- Flour. The recipe calls for bread flour and the reason behind that is it contains more protein than all-purpose flour, which helps build the gluten and give structure to the bread. So you get the height and fluffiness you are looking for. In a pinch you can use all-purpose flour, but the results will not be quite the same.
Hawaiian Roll Uses
- Buffalo Chicken Sliders
- Crunchy Hawaiian French Toast
- Ham & Cheese Sliders
- Pizza Sliders
- Pulled Pork Sliders
Homemade Hawaiian Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups pineapple juice
- 4 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 2/3 cup light brown sugar, divided
- 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 whole eggs
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 5-6 cups bread flour
- Butter for topping
Instructions
- Heat pineapple juice to 110º F in a microwave safe bowl or on the stovetop. Add yeast and 2 Tablespoons of brown sugar, mix to combine. Let rest for 5-10 minutes until it is nice and foamy.1 1/2 cups pineapple juice, 4 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast, 2/3 cup light brown sugar
- Add the pineapple juice mixture to an electric mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment. Add the remaining brown sugar, butter, vanilla, eggs, egg yolk, and salt. Turn the mixer on low.1/2 cup butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 2 whole eggs, 1 egg yolk, 2 teaspoons salt
- Add 1 cup of flour at a time until the dough is soft, but comes together and clears the side of the bowl. It will be sticky, but not super tacky. You may be tempted to add more flour, but if it comes away from the side of the bowl while mixing stop.5-6 cups bread flour
- Swap out the paddle attachment for the dough hook and knead for 3-4 minutes until a soft ball of dough forms.
- Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover and let it rise for 1 – 1 1/2 hours, until it has doubled in size.
- Spray a 9×13 baking pan with non-stick spray. Gently turn the dough onto a clean surface. Use a sharp knife or bench scraper to divide the dough into 16-24 equal pieces (see notes below for sizes). Shape each piece into a ball and place in the prepared pan.
- Cover the pan with a clean towel and let it rise for another 1 – 1 1/2 hours until the rolls have doubled in size.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350º F.
- Once the rolls have rise, place in the hot oven and bake for about 25 minutes until golden brown and fluffy.
- Remove from the oven and immediately top with butter.Butter for topping
Notes
20 pieces = dinner roll size (bake as directed)
24 pieces = store bought Hawaiian roll size (bake 20-25 minutes)
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
