Hawaiian Roll Cinnamon Rolls

Hawaiian Roll Cinnamon Rolls are sweet, soft, gooey, and topped with an incredible cream cheese glaze. Ready in under 30 minutes!

Hawaiian Roll Cinnamon Rolls Are…

1. Quick and easy: They’re ready in 30 minutes, simple to prepare!
2. Gooey and delicious: We pack ’em with cinnamon-sugar sweetness.
3. Rich cream cheese glaze: Slather on tons of glaze for every roll.
4. Versatile: Great for a fun breakfast or dessert.
5. Customizable: Mix it up with your favorite add-ins.
6. Crowd-pleasing: Everyone loves ’em!

Hawaiian Roll Cinnamon Roll Ingredients

• Hawaiian sweet rolls: Choose a fresh pack for the best softness.
• Unsalted butter: Soften to room temperature for easy spreading; don’t melt.
• Light brown sugar: Fresh is best for soft sugar that mixes well with butter.
• Ground cinnamon: Customize the amount to personal preference.
• Cream cheese: Soften before use to ensure a smooth glaze.
• Powdered sugar: Add more for a thicker glaze.
• Milk: Adjust quantity for the glaze consistency you prefer.
• Vanilla extract: Use pure extract for better flavor.
• Salt: A pinch boosts sweetness and balances flavors.

How To Make Hawaiian Roll Cinnamon Rolls

• Preheat and grease: Heat oven to 350°F. Grease pan.
• Mix butter and sugar: Blend butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt.
• Layer rolls: Slice the rolls horizontally into one large slap. Place the bottom half in the pan, spread butter mix, top with the other half, and apply the remaining mix.
• Bake: Heat for 11-13 minutes until golden.
• Make the glaze: Beat cream cheese and butter; add powdered sugar, vanilla, milk, and salt.
• Frost: Cool rolls briefly, and then glaze. Enjoy!

Recipe Tips

• Softened butter, not melted: Otherwise, it won’t spread well.
• Coat evenly: Apply butter mixture on all sides except the bottom of the rolls.
• Use fresh soft rolls: They’ll yield the best texture and flavor.
• Watch the baking time: Avoid over-baking.
• Glaze when slightly cooled: Spread on the glaze before the rolls are fully cooled. This helps the glaze stick well.
• Serve warm: For the best gooey cinnamon roll experience!

More Cinnamon-Sugar Goodness:

• Cinnamon Roll Cookies
• Cinnamon Roll Popcorn
• Monkey Bread
• Cinnamon Roll Cake
• Cinnamon Bread

I discovered this recipe on Instagram and have been tweaking it to create our ideal quick cinnamon roll. I switched from frosting to a glaze, increased the sugar and cinnamon, and used softened instead of melted butter.

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5 from 4 votes

Hawaiian Roll Cinnamon Rolls

By Chelsea Lords

Hawaiian Roll Cinnamon Rolls are sweet, soft, gooey, and topped with an incredible cream cheese glaze. Ready in under 30 minutes!

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 13 minutes minutes

Servings: 12 cinnamon rolls

Equipment

• 9x13-inch pan
• Cooking Spray

Ingredients 

USMetric

 

1x2x3x

Cinnamon Rolls

• ▢ 1 tablespoon butter (spread on base of pan)
• ▢ 12-count pkg. Hawaiian Sweet Rolls
• ▢ ½ cup unsalted butter, softened to room temp (do not melt!)
• ▢ ⅔ cup soft light brown sugar, gently packed
• ▢ 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• ▢ ⅛ teaspoon salt

Cream Cheese Glaze:

• ▢ 2 ounces cream cheese, softened (Note 1)
• ▢ 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• ▢ ½ cup powdered sugar
• ▢ 2 tablespoons milk (we use whole)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ Tiny pinch of salt

Instructions 

• PREP: Grease a 9x13-inch pan with cooking spray. Spread 1 tbsp softened butter on the base of the pan. (I like to put a small plastic bag on my hand like a mitt and spread). Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bring butter to room temp (See note 2).
• BUTTER MIXTURE: In a medium-sized bowl, combine 8 tbsp butter (that's one stick), brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Beat with an electric hand mixer until you have a thick and smooth mixture.
• ASSEMBLE: Slice the entire slab of rolls horizontally, keeping individual rolls connected. Place the bottom half in the prepared pan. Spread just under half of the butter mixture evenly over it. Place the top half of the rolls on and spread the remaining butter mixture on the top and sides. (Cover all parts of rolls except the bottom.)
  
• BAKE: Bake for 11-13 minutes or until the rolls are lightly golden on top. Prepare the glaze while baking.
• GLAZE: Beat the cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer until smooth. Add powdered sugar, vanilla, milk, and salt, and mix until smooth. Continue to beat until the frosting is light and fluffy.
• FROST: After removing the rolls from the oven, let them cool for a minute. Then spoon the frosting over them, ensuring it fills all crevices. Optionally, apply a second layer of frosting once they cool a bit more. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

Note 1: Cream cheese: Use brick-style, full-fat cream cheese. Soften (unwrapped) in the microwave to avoid lumps in the glaze.

Note 2: Softening the butter is key: Let the butter sit at room temperature for about an hour or microwave it in short bursts. To microwave, heat for 5 seconds, flip, another 5 seconds, flip again, and then a final 5 seconds if needed. Be careful not to melt it at all.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 268kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 43mg | Sodium: 136mg | Potassium: 33mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 393IU | Vitamin C: 0.02mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 0.2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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