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Hawaiian sweet dinner rolls bring a little bit of paradise to your next meal. Try these next time you want to switch up your homemade bread options!
One of my family’s favorite dishes is pretty much anything served with or on these Hawaiian sweet dinner rolls. They just make everything taste amazing!
The flavor of these rolls is a mixture of tangy, balanced with the perfect amount of sweetness. Oh, so tasty, and made with the healthy goodness of freshly milled whole grain flour. Hawaiian rolls have it all!
No restaurant or grocery store are needed to enjoy this delicious treat. You can make them at home from scratch. Once you do, you and everyone else are going to insist on the homemade version forever more.
Luckily, they don’t just taste amazing, they’re also super easy to make.
Let’s get started!
Table of Contents
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Fresh Milled Flour is Best
Everyone wants to know the secret to the best homemade breads. In my opinion, it’s all about the flour. I freshly mill all of my flour from wheat berries. You can learn more about the benefits of freshly milled flour here or in my cookbook.
In a nutshell: you get the absolute best nutrition and flavor within the first hours and days after milling your grains. You also get to customize your flour texture and grain blends while saving money. Plus, it’s an easy-peasy process that takes very little time. Totally worth the small amount of effort it requires!
Hawaiian Sweet Dinner Rolls Supplies and Ingredients
Supplies
- Large mixing bowl and spoon or stand mixer with a dough hook attachment
- 9×12 in baking dish
Ingredients
- 1 cup pineapple juice (room temperature)
- ¼ cup melted and cooled coconut oil
- ⅓ cup brown sugar or sucanat
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 tablespoons sunflower lecithin (optional, but highly recommended)
- 3 teaspoons instant yeast
- 4-5 cups (450-500 grams) freshly milled flour
How to Make Hawaiian Sweet Dinner Rolls
Mixing the Dough
In a mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, combine the pineapple juice, coconut oil, and sugar. Stir to dissolve the sugar.
Add the vanilla, eggs, salt and sunflower lecithin. Mix thoroughly.
Add about half of the flour, followed by the instant yeast, and mix. Once you feel the yeast is incorporated, add the remaining flour.
Knead/mix the dough until it is smooth and elastic. This may take 5-7 minutes. Add more flour, if needed.
First Rise
Oil a large bowl, transfer the dough to the bowl, and cover with plastic wrap or a moist tea towel.
Let the dough rise until doubled. This dough takes longer than normal to rise. Place it in a warm place to speed things up.
Shaping the Rolls
Prepare a baking dish or sheet pan by spraying with non-stick spray or lining with parchment paper. A 9 x 12 baking dish works perfectly to fill with 15 rolls, very close together.
Once the dough is doubled, dump your dough onto a slightly wet or lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into 15 equal portions, about 2-2.5 ounces each. (This size works great as sliders or smaller rolls, like the Hawaiian rolls you would see in the store.)
To shape, first flatten the dough in a round shape on the countertop. It can help to lightly flour your surface, if your dough is a bit sticky. Lift it up and form a ball shape by wrapping the edges underneath the center of the dough. With your hand in a cupped “C” shape, hold the dough lightly and place the flat side of your hand down on the countertop (pinky side). With the dough in the center of the cupped hand, move your hand in a circular motion while shaping a beautiful round ball of dough.
Place the dough balls together in the baking dish. You want them to touch slightly after rising, so place them about ½ -1 inch apart.
Second Rise
Cover the dough again, and let rise until almost doubled.
Baking Instructions
When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.
To get a golden brown color on top, prepare an egg yolk wash to paste over each roll before baking. Alternatively, you can spread melted butter over the dough before baking.
Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes.
Remove from the oven and lather melted butter on the tops of the rolls, if desired.
Let cool slightly on a wire rack before making your sandwiches. Aloha!
Storing Hawaiian Sweet Rolls
You can wrap leftovers in plastic wrap and store it at room temperature for a few days. For longer storage, place wrapped rolls in an airtight container and keep in the refrigerator. You can even freeze these dinner rolls in a freezer bag or freezer-safe container for up to a few weeks.
Printable Recipe Card for Hawaiian Dinner Rolls
Hawaiian Sweet Dinner Rolls with Fresh Milled Flour
Ingredients
- 1 cup pineapple juice (room temperature)
- ¼ cup melted and cooled coconut oil
- ⅓ cup brown sugar or sucanat
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 tablespoons sunflower lecithin (optional, but highly recommended)
- 3 teaspoons instant yeast
- 4-5 cups (450-500 grams) freshly milled flour
Instructions
Mixing the Dough
- In a bowl or mixer, combine the pineapple juice, coconut oil, and sugar. Stir to dissolve the sugar.
- Add the vanilla, eggs, salt and sunflower lecithin. Mix thoroughly.
- Add about half of the flour, followed by the instant yeast, and mix. Once you feel the yeast is incorporated, add the remaining flour.
- Knead/mix the dough until it is smooth and elastic. This may take 5-7 minutes. Add more flour, if needed.
First Rise
- Oil a large bowl, transfer the dough to the bowl, and cover with plastic wrap or a moist tea towel.
- Let the dough rise until doubled. This dough takes longer than normal to rise. Place it in a warm place to speed things up.
Shaping the Rolls
- Prepare a baking dish or sheet pan by spraying with non-stick spray or lining with parchment paper. A 9 x 12 baking dish works perfectly to fill with 15 rolls, very close together.
- Once the dough is doubled, dump your dough onto a slightly wet or floured surface. Divide the dough into 15 equal portions, about 2-2.5 ounces each. (This size works great as sliders or smaller rolls, like the Hawaiian rolls you would see in the store.)
- To shape, first flatten the dough in a round shape on the countertop. It can help to lightly flour your surface, if your dough is a bit sticky. Lift it up and form a ball shape by wrapping the edges underneath the center of the dough. With your hand in a cupped “C” shape, hold the dough lightly and place the flat side of your hand down on the countertop (pinky side). With the dough in the center of the cupped hand, move your hand in a circular motion while shaping a beautiful round ball of dough.
- Place the dough balls together in the baking dish. You want them to touch slightly after rising, so place them about ½ -1 inch apart.
Second Rise
- Cover the dough again, and let rise until almost doubled.
Baking Instructions
- When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.
- To get a golden color on top, prepare an egg yolk wash to paste over each roll before baking. Alternatively, you can spread melted butter over the dough before baking.
- Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and lather melted butter on top of the rolls, if desired.
- Let cool slightly before making your sandwiches. Aloha!
Hawaiian Roll Serving Suggestions
These Hawaiian sweet dinner rolls are a treat by themselves, but you can dress them up with butter and jam or honey. Try serving them alongside ham steaks or pork. Take a little sliced ham and cheese and fill cut rolls to make delightful picnic sliders (just google “Hawaiian sweet roll sliders” and you’ll find many recipes).
My personal favorite way to serve these rolls is filled with shredded bbq chicken, coleslaw and finely diced pineapple. So good!
Where to Buy Bread Making Supplies
Need an easy way to get all your bread baking supplies and ingredients without spending hours researching? I’ve done all the trial and error for you and put together the TIDBITS & Company Bread Making Supplies Moonsift page. Here you’ll find all of my favorite bread making items along with links and product descriptions. Check it out!
More Recipes You’ll Love
Homemade Hawaiian sweet rolls are such a delight! I hope you get to try this recipe for yourself. And remember, these rolls aren’t just tasty, they’re also a healthy snack made with freshly milled whole grain flour. Enjoy them guilt-free!
If you’d like more of my favorite recipes, try one of these:
- Potato Bread Dinner Rolls with Fresh Milled Flour
- 100% Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Banana Bars
- Healthy Banana Ricotta Muffins | Recipe
- Whole Grain Pretzels Recipe with Fresh Milled Flour
- Family Favorite Whole Grain Pizza Crust Recipe
- Artisan Bread Recipe with Yeast and Fresh Milled Flour
- Whole Wheat Honey Oat Bread with Fresh Milled Flour
- Brioche Bread Recipe Made with Fresh Milled Flour
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