Hawaiian Roll Cinnamon Rolls
Sometimes you just need warm, gooey cinnamon rolls without the hours of waiting. These Hawaiian Roll Cinnamon Rolls are the cozy little hack that brings all the cinnamon-sugar joy with half the effort.
Why This Shortcut Is Pure Genius
No Messy Pull-Aparts: With my recipe, you just slice the whole slab in half. It’s way easier, way cleaner, and the rolls stay perfectly fluffy.
Double Butter, Double Cinnamon Sugar: My version layers it inside and out, so you get gooey centers and caramelized tops in every single bite.
Quick Bake, Perfect Texture: I bake them covered, then uncovered, so you get soft, pillowy middles with golden, bakery-style tops every time.
Ingredients Needed
Butter: Use salted butter, or add a few pinches of salt if you use unsalted butter.
Brown Sugar: I prefer dark, but you can use light brown sugar.
Add Nuts: Add ½ cup of chopped nuts like pecans or walnuts to the cinnamon sugar mixture for a nutty twist!
Pumpkin Spice: Add ½ teaspoon nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon ginger, and a pinch of cloves for that pumpkin spice flavor.
How to Make Hawaiian Cinnamon Rolls
I’m obsessed with cinnamon rolls, but I’m not always in the mood for all the work. This recipe takes just 5 minutes of prep, and you’ll have gooey, soft cinnamon rolls ready in under 30 minutes!
Prep: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside. Without breaking the rolls apart, slice the King’s Hawaiian rolls in half horizontally. Carefully lift the top half off the bottom half, keeping both halves intact. Place the bottom half of the rolls, cut side up, in the prepared baking pan.
Butter Bottom Half: Spread 5 tablespoons of the softened butter over the bottom half of the rolls. Combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a small bowl. Sprinkle about ⅔ of the mixture evenly on top of the butter.
Top and Bake: Place the top half of the rolls onto the cinnamon sugar, then spread the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter over the top, followed by the remaining ⅓ of the cinnamon sugar. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 12 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 5 minutes to brown the tops.
Cream Cheese Frosting: While the rolls are baking, prepare the frosting. Beat the cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla together in a medium bowl using a hand mixer until smooth. Let the rolls sit for 2-3 minutes before frosting them and serving.
Alyssa’s Pro Tip
Don’t rush the frosting! Give the rolls a couple of minutes to cool so the frosting stays thick and dreamy instead of melting and disappearing.
Hawaiian Roll Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
Frosting
2 ounces softened cream cheese1 tablespoon softened salted butter1 cup powdered sugar1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Notes
Storage: Keep leftovers in an airtight container or tightly wrapped in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Reheat: Warm in the microwave in 20–30 second bursts until heated through.
Make Ahead: Assemble through step 4, cover, and refrigerate overnight. Add 3–4 minutes to the bake time the next day.