I first created this gluten-free Hawaiian rolls recipe in 2021, and it quickly became a reader favorite for its soft, fluffy texture. A combination of brown sugar and honey gives them that signature Hawaiian roll sweetness. They come together in under two hours with just one rise, making them perfect for sliders or serving alongside your holiday dinners.
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What Makes These Hawaiian Sweet Rolls Different?
- No pineapple juice: Many homemade Hawaiian roll recipes include pineapple juice, but in my tests, the pineapple flavor completely overpowered the rolls. They didn't taste much like King's Hawaiian rolls at all. Brown sugar and a little honey gave me the sweet roll flavor I was looking for.
- Caputo Gluten-Free Flour: My number one tip for better gluten-free yeast bread is to use the right flour. It can make or break a recipe. You can learn more about why I recommend Caputo Gluten-Free Flour in my full review and check out some of the over 20 recipes I've created with it.
Ingredients You'll Need
- Caputo Gluten-Free Flour Blend: (formerly Caputo Fioreglut) is the reason these rolls have a soft and fluffy texture. *Please note: Caputo Gluten-Free Flour contains gluten-free wheat starch and is not recommended for those with a wheat allergy.
- Psyllium Husk Powder: This ingredient helps with structure and softness. I prefer powdered psyllium husk over whole husk. If you only have whole, be sure to calculate how much whole husk you'll need instead.
- Potato Flour (not potato starch): This ingredient retains some moisture in the bread, which helps give the rolls that soft, pull-apart feel.
- Instant Yeast: Use instant (rapid rise) yeast. It is mixed directly into the dry ingredients and works best when liquids are heated to 120°F to 130°F. I don't recommend active dry yeast for this recipe.
Get the Goods!
Caputo Fioreglut Gluten-Free Flour
I recommend you buy Caputo Gluten-Free Flour (formerly Fioreglut) from Brick Oven Baker. They have great prices and you can use code: KATIE for 10% off your first order!
Can I Use a Different Brand of Flour?
Other gluten-free flour blends might work, but the texture and rise will vary. The closest substitute I've seen readers have success with is King Arthur's Gluten-Free Bread Flour. I haven't tested this though and I still recommend using Caputo Gluten-Free Flour.
The Dough Will Be Soft and Sticky
This recipe uses a high-hydration dough. The increase in moisture helps achieve a soft, squishy roll. Adding additional flour may make the dough easier to work with but leads to a dense and crumbly outcome.
To make the rolls easier to work with, be sure to mix the dough for 2 minutes and then let the batter rest for 5-10 minutes to fully hydrate. Use a greased scoop and greased hands to minimize sticking.
Making Gluten-Free Hawaiian Rolls
- Step 1: Start by whisking all the dry ingredients together in the stand mixer bowl.
- Step 2: Whisk together the melted butter, milk, and honey. Heat the mixture to 120-130°F before whisking in the eggs. Check the temperature again and reheat if needed before mixing into the dry ingredients.
- Step 3: Blend on medium speed for 2-3 minutes. The dough will be smooth, thick, and sticky.
- Step 4: Use a large cookie or portion scoop to scoop the dough into 8 equal portions.
- Step 5: With greased hands, gently shape each portion into a smooth ball of dough.
- Step 6: Arrange the dough balls evenly in the prepared pan. Let them rise in a warm spot for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- Step 7: When the dough has risen, brush with melted butter before baking.
- Step 8: Before removing from the oven, ensure the rolls are golden brown and the internal temperature is at least 205°F. Brush with more melted butter after removing from the oven.
How Do You Know When They're Proofed?
It can be tricky to tell when a gluten-free bread is properly proofed. There's a fine line between under-proofed, properly proofed, and over-proofed, and it takes some practice to recognize each stage. Look for these signs in properly proofed rolls:
- Rolls are visibly puffy. They should appear full, light, and pillowy.
- Bubbles: When the dough is expanded to its fullest, it will look like there are air bubbles just under the surface. If air bubbles have broken through the tops, the rolls are likely over-proofed. Bake them as soon as possible.
- Poke test: Gently poke one roll with your fingertip. The dough should feel like a soft marshmallow and the indent may slowly bounce back. If the roll feels dense or firm, it is not ready.
Can I Make the Rolls Ahead?
You can make these rolls ahead, but I'll be honest, they are best enjoyed freshly baked and warm!
Especially during the holidays though, I understand wanting to do some prep work ahead of time. In that instance you can shape the rolls, cover the pan, and let them begin to rise until slightly puffy, about 30 minutes or so. Then refrigerate the rolls up to overnight. They should finish proofing during this time.
When you're ready to bake, remove the pan from the refrigerator and let the rolls sit at room temperature while the oven preheats. If they look fully risen, go ahead and bake them. If they still need more time to proof, let them finish rising in a warm place before baking.
Top Recipe Tips
- Measure in grams, not cups: Use a digital kitchen scale to measure ingredients by weight, rather than cups. This will give you the most consistent results, especially with starchy flours that are hard to measure by volume.
- Use the paddle attachment: Don't use the dough hook for your mixer, the paddle attachment is much better for mixing gluten-free bread dough which is more like a thick batter.
- Temperature is key. A digital instant read thermometer will help ensure you have correctly warmed the wet ingredients and that you're baking the rolls to the proper internal temperature.
- Be sure your environment is warm enough for a rise. If your kitchen is cold, turn your oven on to 'warm' for about 5 minutes, then turn the oven OFF. Place the baking pan in the oven with the light on to rise.
Troubleshooting Tips
| Problem | What to Check |
|---|---|
| The rolls aren’t rising. | Check that the yeast is fresh and the proofing area is warm. Move the rolls somewhere warmer and give them more time. |
| The dough is too loose to shape. | Let the dough rest for the full 5–10 minutes before shaping. Confirm that potato flour and psyllium powder were used and measured correctly. The dough will be soft but the rolls will dome up more as they rise. |
| The baked rolls are dense. | They were likely under-proofed, or extra flour was added. Next time, let them rise until visibly puffy and resist adding more flour. |
| The rolls shrank after baking. | They may have needed more proofing or baking time. Let them become soft and puffy before baking, then bake the rolls to at least 205°F. |
More Gluten-Free Yeast Bread Recipes
Recipe
Gluten-Free Hawaiian Rolls (King's Copycat)
Video
Equipment
- 8-inch round cake pan or 9x5 inch loaf pan
- 2-ounce cookie/portion scoop or ¼ cup measuring cup
Ingredients
- 250 g Caputo Gluten-Free Flour
- 54 g brown sugar (¼ cup)
- 8 g potato flour (2 teaspoons)
- 6 g psyllium husk powder (2 teaspoons)
- 6 g instant yeast (2 teaspoons)
- 2 g table salt (½ teaspoon)
- 28 g unsalted butter (2 tablespoons, plus more for brushing tops of rolls.)
- 140 g 2% milk
- 25 g honey (1 tablespoon)
- 100 g eggs (2 large eggs)
Instructions
- Grease an 8-inch round cake pan or 9x5-inch loaf pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
- Add the gluten-free flour, brown sugar, potato flour, psyllium husk powder, instant yeast, and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer. Whisk to combine.
- Melt the butter in a 2-cup glass measuring cup or microwave-safe bowl. Add the milk and honey, then whisk to combine. Warm the mixture in the microwave to 120 to 130°F.
- Whisk in the eggs until well combined. Check the temperature again. If it falls below 120°F, rewarm it in short intervals, whisking after each one.
- Pour the warm liquid mixture into the dry ingredients. Mix with the paddle attachment on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes, scraping the bowl occasionally. The dough should be thick and smooth. Let the dough rest for 5 to 10 minutes before shaping.
- Use a greased 2-ounce scoop, about ¼ cup, to divide the dough into 8 portions. With greased hands, gently shape each portion into a smooth ball. Arrange the rolls evenly in the prepared pan.
- Cover with plastic wrap. Place the pan in a warm spot and let the rolls rise for approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until noticeably puffy and almost doubled in size.
- When the rolls are almost fully proofed, preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Brush the tops with melted butter. Bake at 350°F for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown and the center rolls reach an internal temperature of at least 205°F.
- Brush the warm rolls with more melted butter immediately after baking.
Notes
- Measuring ingredients, especially the flour and milk, by weight is preferred. Smaller amounts, less than 10g, should be measured in teaspoons/tablespoons, especially if you don't have a scale that accurately reads down to 0.01g. To convert to grams or cups, click the "metric/grams" or "us/cups" button at the top of the ingredients list.
- Caputo Gluten-Free Flour contains gluten-free wheat starch. It is suitable for people with celiac disease but not for anyone with a wheat allergy.
- Potato flour and potato starch are not interchangeable. Be sure to use potato flour.
- Gluten-free dough does not always fully double during proofing. Properly proofed rolls should look visibly puffy and feel soft, almost like a marshmallow. If the dough still feels firm, it likely needs more time.
- Finding a warm place to rise: If your kitchen is cool, briefly warm your oven, turn it off, and place the rolls inside with the oven light on. Remove the rolls before preheating the oven for baking.
Storage:
- These rolls are best enjoyed warm within a few hours of baking. Once completely cool, store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Avoid refrigerating them because gluten-free bread tends to become dry and firm in the refrigerator.
- Reheat individual rolls in the microwave for 10 to 15 seconds. For longer storage, wrap the cooled rolls tightly and freeze them for up to 1 month. Thaw at room temperature and reheat before serving.
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Estimated Nutrition
* Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and should be used as an estimate only. See the nutrition policy for more information.
Becky says
I just made this today and WOW SO DELICIOUS!!! Very easy to make and I actually feel like we are eating "Real SOFT Bread" for the first time since my husband was diagnosed with Celiac's Disease in 2021! I sure have missed bread, lol. I was thrilled that you offered this recipe with Caputo flour too. This has been the only flour that satisfies my bread cravings. I make LOTS of pizza and Italian bread with it but never thought of doing a sweet SOFT bread. This is definitely a keeper and meow (Cat lover here, lol!) I will be checking out your other bread recipes! Thanks for taking the time and effort to create this for the GF people out there! 🙂
Katie Olesen says
I am so happy you enjoyed the recipe!
Sandy says
These are really good! We used King Arthur's GF pizza crust flour (which has similar ingredients to Caputo) if you're looking to try another flour. I will try them again with Caputo to compare.
Katie Olesen says
Thanks for sharing! I haven't had a chance to try that flour yet so I am glad it worked well in the recipe.
Terry Burnham says
These these are amazing and extremely easy. Thank you 😊
Olga says
Just made them I’m out of words to describe these! Pillowy, soft yes with body it does resemble Hawaiian rolls but a little bit denser. Flavorwise 10/10! Made with Caputo flour
Gloria says
I'm allergic to potatoes. Is there something else I can use? Where do you get psyllium husks powder?
Katie | Wheat by the Wayside says
You can likely just omit the potato flakes and sub with more of the fioreglut. I get the psyllium off of amazon but you may be able to find it in a health foods store or similar aisle at your grocery store.
Patrice says
Hi Katie,
I'm making these for Easter dinner and have a lot going on that day. Is there any issue with taking all the dry ingredients and putting them in a ziploc bag the day before? I want to be able to basically dump them in like a mix, add the wet ingredients and continue on with the recipe, eliminating some of the dishes and flour residue on the holiday. (I'm not the neatest baker on the block ;))
Katie | Wheat by the Wayside says
Of course you could do that! I'd say maybe wait to add the yeast since it needs to stay refrigerated.
Amanda says
I made these with the cup 4 cup multipurpose flour. The dough was so moist. Is that normal? I’m awaiting the first rise so we will see how that works
Katie | Wheat by the Wayside says
The dough is generally more moist than regular yeast breads. How did they turn out for you?
Wendy says
The best gluten free rolls recipe I have tried - great texture and not too sweet. I'm not sure I'd mistake them for King's Hawaiian rolls (although it's been a solid decade since I've had one) but this will be a go-to recipe for me. Thank you!!
Pam says
Can I use swerve brown sugar, ( sugar free sub)?
Pam says
Can I use Swerve brown sugar substitute?
Pamela Grimes says
Can you use swerve brown sugar, zero carb replacement for this recipe? Thanks Pam
Kelsey Ngo says
I'll start by saying that this recipe makes a nice roll. I used King Arthur brand 1:1 flour. Perhaps the texture doesn't work exactly like the suggested flours, but it was the taste of a Hawaiian roll that I was looking for. Do these taste like Hawaiian rolls...? I can't say that they do, at least, if we're talking King's Hawaiian or even some close counterparts (I recall Aldi's brand tasting pretty good, but it's been a while since I have had gluten so....). I remember Hawaiian rolls tasting pretty sweet--not like cake, but a delicate background sugar-taste--but these aren't sweet like that. Thus, the four stars. But the roll is nice, just not Hawaiian nice.
Katie | Wheat by the Wayside says
Fair enough, Kelsey! I could possibly try making them sweeter next time and see how they taste. Also, King's contain malted barley flour, which is hard to replicate gluten-free, but would add to that distinct flavor. As far as King Arthur Measure for Measure, no it will not give you the same texture as Caputo Fioreglut.
Danielle says
What about using malted sorghum flour?
Renee M says
I have developed a gluten intolerance and miss dinner rolls so much. I have tried a few different recipes and this is the first one that I am really happy with. The rolls are light and fluffy (as much as a gluten free bread can be 😉 ) and tasted great. Thank you so much for this recipe - it's a keeper!
Katie | Wheat by the Wayside says
I'm so happy you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks for the kind review!
Emily says
Is there a typo in the directions? It says to let them rise for about an hour, but the summary says rising time is 4 hours.
Mine are still sitting in their warm spot, so not sure how they’ll turn out.
🙂
Katie Olesen says
One hour in a warm spot should be plenty! About doubled in size.
j says
The "buns" were flat and disappointing. Followed the recipe accurately.
Katie | Wheat by the Wayside says
Sorry to hear you had trouble. Definitely sounds like something went wrong there. Happy to help if you'd like to provide more details! Based solely on this response, I would ask if you made any substitutions? Also, please double check the freshness and type of yeast used. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions.
Katie | Wheat by the Wayside says
Hi Carol,
1. That is a good point. The back of the bag states, "not processed with wheat or gluten" but I will swap out the links for a better alternative.
2. You can make these in muffin cups! No changes other than bake time, reduce to about 18-20 minutes. It will still make 8 rolls.
3. The fully baked rolls can certainly be frozen. I haven't specifically frozen this dough yet, but I did try that with my other gluten-free dinner rolls recipe and it worked fine (https://wheatbythewayside.com/gluten-free-dinner-rolls/). I went into a bit more detail about freezing in that post. If you want to try freezing them before baking, I would follow the steps through forming the rolls. Then freeze individually. It will take about 4 hours to thaw/rise before baking. Personally, I would bake them first and then freeze.
Emily says
How important do you think the brand of flour is? I tried to make this using Bob’s Red Mill All Purpose flour and and the taste was good but the texture was more muffin/biscuit-like. I am wondering if my problem was not using one of the flours you listed. And do you have suggestions for how to approach gf recipes since each of them are probably based on different gf flour? Thanks!!
Katie | Wheat by the Wayside says
Yes, the brand of flour makes a HUGE difference, especially in GF baking, even more especially in gluten-free yeast breads. That is why I always list which flours I tested for each recipe. Even within brands, there are differences. For example, Bob's has their All purpose flour, which does not include Xanthan Gum and their 1:1 for baking, which does include it.
I really enjoy Caputo Fioreglut for yeast breads, the results are far superior, but I know there are still some who are not comfortable using it or can't use it. For this reason, I am always thinking about how I can adapt my yeast breads to use different flours. When I come up with a flour that is comparable to Caputo, I will be sure to update the recipes.
As far as other recipes, if you don't have the specific flour listed a good place to start is to compare the list of ingredients on the flour the recipe creator used and your flour. Are they similar? Is the first ingredient rice flour or a starch? Try to choose a flour blend that is as close to the one in the recipe as you can. Also, just bear in mind, that yeast breads are especially finicky when it comes to gluten-free baking, so if you can avoid substitutions, that is the best route to take! Hope that helps! If you have any more questions, I'm always happy to help!
Ethel says
We use Anthony's psyllium husk powder because it advertises being batch-tested for gluten. I've never had an issue with Anthony's gluten-free products, and their labelling has always been clear.
Anthony's does make some gluten-containing products as well, but they are generally the obvious culprits (e.g., vital wheat gluten). Anything that one would expect to be gluten-free is generally also marked as batch-tested to be free from gluten.
Carol says
1. You link to NOW psyllium husks. Last I checked, they are not certified gluten free. The package did not even have a gluten free claim. As psyllium is processed like flours, I believe the recommendation is that it be certified.
Do you have other recommendations?
2. Can the rolls be made in muffin pans? If so, how many muffin cups are needed? Are there any changes to the recipe or baking time if this is done?
3. Can the dough be frozen? I am 1 person. That is a lot of rolls to eat before they lose freshness. Is there a recommended process for freezing/thawing? Do you freeze before or after rising? Is a re rising period necessary? Any changes to the baking procedure?
Thank you!