Hawaiian Cinnamon Rolls
Hawaiian Cinnamon Rolls combine the classic sweet, cinnamon flavor and cream cheese frosting of cinnamon rolls with soft, sweet Hawaiian rolls to create a tasty twist on a classic that everyone in the family will love.
Cinnamon rolls are a classic breakfast, brunch, or afternoon snack, and we can’t get enough of them. Of course, us being us, we had to try changing them up somehow. That’s how we came up with this delicious variation using Hawaiian rolls. This version has all the hallmark flavors of both cinnamon rolls and Hawaiian rolls, creating the perfect marriage of flavors.
Table of contents
❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It only takes a few simple ingredients.
- It’s an easy recipe that’s done in no time.
- The sweet Hawaiian rolls are perfect with the cinnamon and cream cheese frosting flavors.
- It’s a fun, unexpected twist on cinnamon rolls.
🛒Ingredients
You’ll only need a handful of simple ingredients to make this recipe, and you’ll find them all in your kitchen or at your local grocery store. We’ve listed them all here, but you’ll find their exact amounts in the recipe card at the end of the post.
- Hawaiian Rolls
- Butter – divided
- Brown sugar
- Cinnamon
- Cream cheese – softened
- Powdered sugar
- Milk
🔪 How to Make Hawaiian Cinnamon Rolls
Making these rolls is incredibly easy. A few minutes of prep and a little baking are all it takes!
Step 1: Prep
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and slice the Hawaiian rolls in half. then, melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a 9×13 baking dish.
Step 2: Make the Cinnamon Mixture
Melt 8 tablespoons of butter in a small bowl. Then, mix the cinnamon and brown sugar and add it to the melted butter. Mix until combined.
Step 3: Spread
Place the bottom halves of the rolls in the baking dish with the melted butter. Then, top them with half the cinnamon mixture. Add the tops of the rolls and pour the remaining cinnamon mixture over them.
Step 4: Bake
Bake for 15 minutes until heated through.
Step 5: Make the Frosting
While the rolls are baking, melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a small bowl. Then, add the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and milk and whisk until smooth.
Step 6: Frost
Remove the rolls from the oven and let them cool for 10 minutes. Then, pour the frosting over them and spread it evenly. Slice and enjoy!
📝Variations
- Add a layer of your favorite chopped nuts to the center of the rolls for more flavor and texture.
- Try cutting the rolls into chunks to make a version reminiscent of monkey bread.
- Add chocolate chips to the center for chocolate cinnamon rolls.
If you love recipes like this made with Hawaiian rolls, then try making your own with our homemade Hawaiian roll recipe.
🥄 Equipment
- Measuring cups and spoons
- 9×13 baking dish
- Bread knife
- Small bowls
- Whisk
🥫 Storage
Refrigerate these rolls for up to 2 days in an air-tight container. To reheat them, place single portions on a microwaveable plate and heat at 30-second intervals until warm.
What to Serve with Cinnamon Rolls
Serve these Hawaiian cinnamon rolls with fresh fruit or make them a sweet addition to a larger breakfast or brunch with your favorite dishes like sausage, bacon, eggs, breakfast casseroles, and more.
💭 Tips
- Hawaiian rolls are generally connected in the package, so an easy way to cut them in half is by doing it all at once. Take a sharp, serrated bread knife and cut the rolls in half while they’re still connected to one another.
- Be sure your cream cheese is fully softened for smooth, creamy frosting. Hard or semi-hard cream cheese can make for grainy frosting.
- Let the rolls cool for about 10 minutes before adding the frosting. At that point, they’re cool enough for the frosting to stay in place but warm enough that it will get just a little thing and really coat everything.
⁉️ FAQ
Do you have questions about this recipe? Here are the answers to the most commonly asked questions.
Hawaiian cinnamon rolls are a sweet treat that combines classic cinnamon roll filling and cream cheese icing with Hawaiian rolls instead of cinnamon roll dough. They’re a shortcut recipe that gives all the flavor of cinnamon rolls with an extra layer of sweetness.
A dull knife is almost always the culprit in this scenario. If your knife is dull, you’ll have to press more. That pressure squishes your rolls. Use a very sharp, serrated bread knife, applying just enough pressure for the teeth to bite into the bread. This prevents squished rolls.
We don’t recommend freezing them. The texture is never quite the same.
🍽 More Recipes
Do you enjoy cinnamon rolls? Then try these delicious recipes:
🧾Recipe Card
Want to make this recipe? Print the recipe card below, or pin this recipe, so you can find it later.
Hawaiian Cinnamon Rolls
Equipment
- bread knife
- 9×13 baking dish
- small bowl
Ingredients
- 12 Hawaiian Rolls
- 12 tablespoons butter divided
- ⅔ cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- ¼ cup milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Slice your rolls in half.
- Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a 9×13 baking dish.
- Lay the bottom half of the rolls in the pan.
- In a small bowl melt 8 tablespoons of butter.
- Mix in the brown sugar and cinnamon.
- Spread half of the cinnamon butter on the rolls in the pan.
- Top with the tops of the rolls.
- Pour the rest of the cinnamon butter over the top of the rolls.
- Bake for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile whip up the frosting.
- In a small bowl melt 2 tablespoons of butter.
- Add the cream cheese, powdered sugar and milk.
- Whisk until smooth.
- Remove cinnamon rolls from oven and let set 10 minutes.
- Pour over the frosting and spread over the rolls.
- Slice and serve!
