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Homemade Hawaiian rolls made with pineapple juice, brown sugar, and butter. Soft, fluffy, slightly sweet, and perfect for sliders or holiday dinners.
There is nothing quite like pulling a pan of warm Hawaiian rolls out of the oven. They are pillowy soft, just a little bit sweet, and they tear apart into those perfect buttery squares everyone fights over. Once you make them from scratch, the store-bought package is going to have a hard time competing. The pineapple juice gives them that classic flavor without tasting like fruit, and a brush of butter right out of the oven makes them shine.
I know yeast can feel intimidating, but this dough is surprisingly forgiving. As long as your yeast is fresh and your pineapple juice is the right temperature, the mixer does most of the work. You can make them in the morning for dinner, or shape them the night before and bake them the next day, which makes them a lifesaver for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter. Make a batch for sliders on game day and you will never go back to the bag.
Erin’s Notes
- Better than store-bought. Fresh, warm, and buttery with that same sweet flavor you love from the package.
- Make-ahead friendly. Shape the rolls the night before, refrigerate, and bake when you need them.
- Pick your size. Make 24 small store-style rolls, 20 dinner rolls, or 16 slider and burger buns.
- Freezer friendly. Bake a double batch and keep extras in the freezer for busy weeknights.
- No mixer required. A stand mixer makes it easy, but you can absolutely mix and knead by hand.
Ingredient Notes
- Pineapple Juice – Use canned or bottled pineapple juice, not fresh. Fresh pineapple contains an enzyme that breaks down the gluten in the dough and leaves you with sticky, flat rolls. Canned juice is heat-treated, so it is safe to use.
- Active Dry Yeast – Check the expiration date before you start. Old yeast is the number one reason rolls do not rise.
- Light Brown Sugar – Adds sweetness and a hint of caramel flavor. A little goes into the pineapple juice to feed the yeast, and the rest goes into the dough.
- Butter – Softened to room temperature so it mixes smoothly into the dough. You will also need a little extra for brushing on top.
- Vanilla Extract – It sounds odd for bread, but it rounds out the sweetness and is part of what makes these taste like the real thing. Just trust me!
- Eggs + Egg Yolk – The extra yolk adds richness and gives the rolls their golden color and tender crumb.
- Bread Flour – Higher protein than all-purpose flour, which gives the rolls more structure and height. All-purpose flour works too (see FAQ).
- Salt – Balances the sweetness. Do not skip it.
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.
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.
Recipe Tips
- Do not add too much flour. The recipe calls for 5 to 6 cups because humidity affects how much the dough needs. The dough should be soft and a little sticky. Too much flour is the fastest way to end up with dense, dry rolls.
- Check the juice temperature. 110°F is the sweet spot. Too cool and the yeast will not wake up; too hot and it can kill the yeast. An instant-read thermometer takes the guesswork out.
- Be patient with the rises. Both rises take over an hour. Let the dough fully double in a warm spot. Rushing the rise leads to small, heavy rolls.
- Find a warm spot. On a cold day, let the dough rise in the oven with just the light on, or near (not on) a warm stovetop.
- Divide evenly. A kitchen scale makes it easy to portion equal pieces so the rolls bake evenly.
- Butter them hot. Brushing the tops with butter as soon as they come out of the oven keeps the tops soft and gives them that bakery shine.
Recipe Variations
- Honey Butter Topping – Stir a drizzle of honey into softened butter and brush it over the warm rolls for an even sweeter, glossier top.
- Egg Wash – For a deeper golden, shiny top, whisk an egg with a splash of water or milk and gently brush it over the rolls right before they go in the oven. Still brush with butter after baking.
- All-Purpose Flour – Swap it in for the bread flour if that is what you have. The rolls are still soft and delicious, just a little less tall.
- Slider Buns or Burger Buns – Divide the dough into 16 pieces for larger buns. Bake closer to 30 to 35 minutes.
Make Ahead Instructions
These rolls are perfect for holidays because you can do most of the work the day before. Make the dough, let it go through the first rise, then shape the rolls and place them in the greased pan. Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
The next day, take the pan out of the fridge and let the rolls sit at room temperature until they are puffy and doubled in size. Since the dough starts out cold, this can take a little longer than a normal second rise. Bake as directed.
Storage & Freezing
- Room Temperature: Store leftover rolls in an airtight container or zip-top bag at room temperature for 3 to 4 days.
- Freezer: Let the baked rolls cool completely, then wrap them tightly in plastic wrap to prevent freezer burn. Freeze for 1 to 2 months.
- Reheating: Thaw at room temperature, then warm in a 350°F oven for a few minutes, loosely covered with foil, until soft and warm.
No. Use canned or bottled pineapple juice. Fresh pineapple contains an enzyme called bromelain that breaks down the gluten in the dough, so the rolls will not rise properly and the dough turns sticky and hard to shape. Canned and bottled juices are heat-treated, which deactivates the enzyme.
The two most common reasons are too much flour and not letting the dough rise long enough. Stop adding flour once the dough clears the sides of the bowl, even if it still feels a little sticky, and make sure the dough truly doubles during both rises.
Yes. I have made these with all-purpose flour and they are still soft and fluffy. Bread flour gives the rolls a little more height and structure, but all-purpose works great when that is what you have.
Absolutely. Mix the wet ingredients in a large bowl, then stir in the flour 1 cup at a time with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together. Turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead by hand until smooth and elastic, about 8 to 10 minutes, adding only as much extra flour as you need to keep it from sticking to your hands.
They should be deep golden brown on top and sound slightly hollow when tapped. If you have an instant-read thermometer, the center of a roll should read about 190°F.
