These Hawaiian rolls are super soft and fluffy inside. Slightly sweet with a touch of pineapple flavor they make great dinner rolls and slider buns. Best of all this Hawaiian sweet roll recipe is just 4 ingredients and super easy to make.
In last week’s Cuban ham salad post I promised that I’d share the recipe for the rolls that were pictured. These are them. These Hawaiian rolls have become a family favorite.
- They are super easy to make, with only 4 ingredients!
- They make a big batch, around 30 rolls which for us is the perfect amount for big family dinners. But for others, means you can bake half now and freeze half to bake later!
- They are versatile! Hawaiian rolls are great dinner rolls, but also make fantastic slider buns.
Because this Hawaiian roll recipe only has 4 ingredients: pineapple cake mix, yeast, water, and flour, it’s really important that you choose a quality pineapple cake mix with dried pineapple juice in the ingredient list. When the water is added that is going to reconstitute the dried juice and give us the pineapple juice any Hawaiian roll needs to get that unique flavor. The brand I use is Duncan Hines. You would think that all pineapple cake mixes would have this as an ingredient, it seems pretty important, but they don’t. So please check your mix before you begin.
You’ll know the dough has risen enough when indentations remain after being poked.
Punching down the dough removes the air bubbles.
Leave some space between the rolls for them to rise.
Easy Homemade Hawaiian Rolls
These Hawaiian rolls are super soft and fluffy inside. Slightly sweet with a touch of pineapple flavor they make great dinner rolls and slider buns.
Ingredients
- 1 (16.5 ounce) pineapple cake mix
- 7 teaspoons instant yeast
- 2 1/2 cups warm water
- 4 1/2 cups all purpose flour, reserve 1/2 cup to knead in
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add the pineapple cake mix, yeast and warm water. Mix on low to combine.
- Add in the flour one half cup at a time with the mixer on low until the dough starts to come together and becomes too thick for the mixer. Stir in the remaining flour by hand, with the exception of 1/2 cup. The dough should be slightly sticky, but workable. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead in the remaining 1/2 cup. Knead for 8 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic. Oil a large bowl. Place the dough in the bowl and flip the dough over so that the surface of the dough is oiled. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a clean towel and place in a warm spot to rise for 30 minutes.
- When the dough has doubled in size, punch it down and divide the dough into around 30 pieces. Shape the dough into rolls, approximately 2 inches in diameter, and place them on a baking sheet. Cover with a clean towel and place in a warm spot to rise again for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake rolls for 25 minutes or until golden brown on top and sound hollow when tapped. Brush with melted butter after removing from the oven and allow to cool.
Notes
Freezing instructions: Immediately after kneading the dough, divide and shape the dough you plan to freeze into rolls. Place the rolls on a parchment lined baking sheet and cover the dough tightly with plastic wrap that's been sprayed with non-stick spray. Place in the freezer until completely frozen. Remove the rolls from the baking tray and transfer them in a large ziploc freezer bag. Store the rolls in the coldest part of the freezer, not the door. These rolls can be frozen for up to 2 weeks. When ready to bake, remove from the bag and place on a baking sheet to thaw and rise, about 4-5 hours, then bake as usual.
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Barb
Wednesday 15th of February 2023
Do yo know how many yeast Packs that would be
Amy D
Monday 20th of February 2023
Hi Barb! There's approximately 2 1/4 tsp in each pack of yeast. So if you were using packets you'd need 3. It will be a tiny bit short, but it should still work just fine.
Susan W.
Tuesday 13th of November 2018
I can't wait to try these! Who knew you could use cake mix to make rolls. Thanks for sharing!
Amy D
Wednesday 14th of November 2018
I know, right? I got the idea after seeing a recipe for cinnamon rolls that started with a cake mix! I hope that you'll love these easy rolls as much as we do Susan. Have a great week!
jane
Wednesday 12th of July 2017
The Hawaiian Rolls were awesome! And easy. I baked them in cake pans so I could make a pan of sliders, per grandson request.
Rosina Harter
Thursday 29th of June 2017
OMD! Sound yum. More than ever I wish I had an oven! Maybe try to make them at church someday.
Amy D
Friday 30th of June 2017
Thanks Rosina, they are pretty scrumptious! I just bought the stuff to make more. I've been in a bread baking mood lately.