The most soft and tender slightly sweet rolls are easier to make at home that you’d think. These homemade Hawaiian rolls feature a hint of pineapple and are super delicious!
If you like King’s Hawaiian rolls and you want to try making them yourself, you are in the right place. They homemade dinner rolls have that same slightly sweet flavor and super soft texture.
Hawaiian rolls are the perfect bread for so many applications. They make amazing sliders, are perfect piled with pineapple pulled pork or are wonderful served on the side of any meal.
Making them yourself means they are extra fresh and delicious. You’ll have a hard time not sneaking them right out of the bread basket!
Baking With Yeast
Do you like making your own bread and rolls? Baking with yeast always seems a little intimidating if you aren’t used to it, but armed with a good recipe it can really be pretty simple.
We love Mimi’s three day rolls. They have been a favorite in our family for decades.
They are soft and delicious. Plus you know exactly what is in them which is always a plus!
I can’t be the only one that gets a little creeped out by the fact that some of the bread from the store basically never molds. It goes stale and dries out, but could practically sit there forever.
Then you look at the ingredients and it becomes clear why. There is a lot of “stuff” in there to keep it good longer.
Now I don’t really blame them. Bread is highly perishable and most people don’t want to make their own, so you have to find work arounds.
However, when you have the time nothing is better than fresh. Especially when you are talking fresh baked bread!
Homemade rolls are such a great way to take a meal from good to great. Knowing that extra effort was made makes it feel extra special.
In addition to the 3 day rolls, we also make potato rolls every so often. They are another great option as a sandwich bun.
Making Your Own Pineapple Dinner Rolls
Sometimes the menu calls for something with a little more pizzazz than a standard dinner roll. These pineapple rolls are just the thing!
They are so super soft with just the right amount of sweet. The can of crushed pineapple kind of melts into the dough leaving a bit of color and fabulous flavor.
It seems almost too good to be true, but it’s not! You really can do it and your family and friends will be so impressed.
This recipe makes 24 dinner roll size portions. You can do 12 instead if you want closer to hamburger bun sized rolls.
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Both are great for loading with pulled pork or making hot ham and cheese sandwiches. This particular day I served the smaller dinner roll size version with braised pork chops and Parmesan skillet corn for a down home style dinner.
Tips and Tricks
Do not try to substitute fresh pineapple. Fresh pineapple has an enzyme in it that affects the bake.
Fun fact, you really don’t want to use fresh pineapple in any recipe that wasn’t specifically developed with it. That same enzyme, bromelain, can also affect jello recipes.
Cooking pineapple changes the enzyme, making pineapple play nicer in recipes. That is why canned pineapple works in places fresh won’t.
After the first proof you can store the dough in the refrigerator for up to three days. Just make sure it is covered tightly so it doesn’t dry out.
When you are ready to proceed, punch it down and shape the rolls. The second rise will take longer due to the chilled dough, but the flavor should be delicious!
What to do with the Leftovers
While these are super delicious and it will be tempting to eat them all, 24 is a lot for most meals. Don’t despair, you have options!
They store well for several days on an airtight container at room temperature. Don’t give in to the temptation to put them in the refrigerator.
You don’t really ever want to store bread in the refrigerator. It dries it out and makes it go stale faster.
If you won’t get all of the rolls eaten in a few days, put the extra in a freezer safe bag. Squeeze out as much air as you can without squishing the rolls the freeze.
When you are ready, warm them in the microwave for a few seconds. They will be as good as new!
In addition to turning the rolls into amazing sandwiches and slider, the leftovers can also make a wonderful bread pudding.
More Great Dinner Roll Recipes:
Soft, slightly sweet crescent rolls are easy to make from scratch. They are perfect for the holidays or just because. Make a batch and fall in love!
Sourdough crescent rolls are soft, ever so slightly sweet with a nicely rounded sourdough flavor. They are the perfect accompaniment to your next dinner!
Homemade Hawaiian Sweet Rolls
Equipment
Ingredients
Dough
- ⅓ cup milk
- 2 teaspoons yeast
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil or other mild flavored oil
- 2 Tablespoons melted butter
- 2 eggs lightly beaten
- 8 oz can crushed pineapple do NOT drain!
- 5 cups all-purpose flour more or less depending how it comes together
- ½ teaspoon salt
For Finishing
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup water
- 1 Tablespoon melted butter
Instructions
- Mix milk, yeast, sugar, oil, butter and eggs until combined⅓ cup milk, 2 teaspoons yeast, ½ cup granulated sugar, ⅓ cup vegetable oil, 2 Tablespoons melted butter, 2 eggs
- Stir in pineapple8 oz can crushed pineapple
- Slowly add flour until dough comes together. It will be a sticky dough, but should form a nice ball. Sprinkle with salt.5 cups all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon salt
- Knead for 10 minutes then place in a greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap until doubled in size (about 45 minutes to an hour).
- Grease a 9×13 pan. Punch down dough and form into 24 balls. Place in prepared pan and cover with plastic wrap or a slightly damp towel. Let rise until doubled again (about an hour).
- Mix egg and water and brush the top of the rolls. Bake at 350°F for 20 minutes or until lightly browned.1 egg, ¼ cup water
- Brush with butter and devour! They are especially good right out of the oven.1 Tablespoon melted butter
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I think these rolls could brighten our spirits this weekend! Just need to get the pineapple!
It was so fun to see that you made them! I hope you liked them as much as we do!! xo
Absolutely wonderful! I put a third of each ingredient in the bread machine on dough cycle; went to step 5 when it beeped at me. Served with pork roast and green beans. Oh, so good!
Oh, yay! I am glad you liked it!
Pinned – I love these things, amazing taste!
Thank you! I love them too!
So there is no need to use a food processor or blender on the pineapple first? Does it leave pinapple pieces throughout or does it bake into the bread without being noticed?
No need to blend. I only noticed one little piece of pineapple, and I ate a LOT of them! I can't imagine it would hurt anything though if you're concerned.
No need to blend. I only noticed one little piece of pineapple, and I ate a LOT of them! I can't imagine it would hurt anything though if you're concerned.
Thanks for visiting. This recipe is definitely worth a try!
They are worth the effort, that is for sure! It is fun to make something a little different every once in a while!
Pineapple — really? I don't think I've ever seen that ingredient in any bread recipe before. I'm intrigued!!!!!!
It is a little strange, but really good!!
I've never heard of Hawaiian rolls before, they sound and look great!
They are worth a try if you like sweet breads. They are so yummy!
I love Hawaiian Sweet Rolls. Great for a family gathering! Thanks for sharing
We made pulled pork sliders with these and they were sooo good! Though my little guy was perfectly content eating them plain!
I can't wait to try these. I've never made anything quite like this.
They are a fun twist on traditional rolls. It's fun to switch it up every once in a while!