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These sweet Hawaiian dinner rolls are the perfect amount of sweetness and sure to be a hit at your next dinner!

Note: This recipe was updated December 9, 2024 to add more details and helpful tips for new bakers. Thank you for your support!

Hawaiian dinner rolls are one of those breads that everyone loves! However, I am always on the hunt to simplify my ingredients, so making these from scratch is an easy way to make sure my ingredient list is minimal. Plus, every time I make these rolls everyone is in love and begging for more, so it’s a good thing that it makes a lot!

Ingredients

Yeast – I use active dry yeast in this recipe. If you want to swap for instant yeast, mix the yeast in with the flour mixture instead of proofing the yeast with the juice mixture in step one.
Sugar – regular granulated sugar. 1 tablespoon is used to help activate the yeast, and the rest to sweeten the rolls. We prefer our rolls to not be as sweet as the store bought rolls, however if you want sweet sweet rolls add in the full amount of sugar. I have made this recipe both way with no changes.
Pineapple Juice – this adds the pineapple flavor that we love from the Hawaiian rolls and a touch of sweetness.
Salt – adds flavor and structure to your dough.
Butter – this helps to provide a more tender dough that is softer than recipes that don’t include butter.
Egg – helps to add structure to the dough. I have made this recipe without the egg and it still turns out great. Just add 2 extra tablespoons of liquid to compensate.
Flour – regular all purpose flour is great here, I have also used bread flour but the rolls turn out a bit more dense when I do.

How to Make Sweet Hawaiian Rolls

Combine 1/4 cup warmed water with yeast and 1 tablespoon of sugar. Set aside until foamy. If your mixture does not foam up, your yeast may no longer be good or you need to find a warmer spot for it. Do not move on if your mixture does not foam.
In a large bowl add 3 cups of flour, sugar, salt, butter, egg, yeast mixture, and pineapple juice. Mix together until well combined. Add in additional flour until the dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl.
Knead mixture by hand for 7-10 minutes, or in a stand mixer for 3-5 minutes. When kneading you are looking for a dough that is smooth on the surface, if your dough is too sticky and sticking to your hands or the counter add in additional flour.
One the dough is smooth, shape into a ball, place back into bowl, and let rise for an hour, or until doubled in size.
Place dough onto counter and divide into 12 sections (roughly 2.5 oz each). Shape into a ball and place on a baking sheet to rise four about another hour or until doubled in size.
Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes. Top with a little more butter if desired when they are fresh from the oven.

Can this be made by hand or with a stand mixer?

Yes to both! I have made this mixture by hand and with my Kitchen Aid Stand mixer. If using a stand mixer, make sure to mix using the dough hook.

What happens if my dough didn’t rise?

A few things could have gone wrong, so let’s do our best to troubleshoot.

Did your yeast mixture foam up in step 1? If yes, then move on. If no, then this is likely your issue. You want to make sure that your yeast is still active.
Is your house cool? Less than 70F? If yes, then try and find a warm spot in your house for your dough and give it more time to rise. Yeast is sometimes on it’s own schedule and it isn’t something you can rush. Give it more time.

Share Your Experience

I would love to hear about your experience making and enjoying my Homemade Sweet Hawaiian Rolls! Feel free to tag me on Instagram or leave a review below. Your feedback helps me improve our recipes and provides inspiration to fellow bakers.

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