How to Freeze Homemade Sweet Hawaiian Rolls Easy

Homemade Hawaiian Rolls Recipe

First things first. You can grab a pack of King’s Hawaiian rolls at the store for like $4-5 something. Or watch them like a hawk for when they go on sale. 

But for those who prefer to make theirs from scratch, here’s a simple yet delicious recipe to try. The full recipe for Homemade Hawaiian Sweet Rolls – otherwise known as the best dinner rolls you’ll ever eat!

Unless you’re more a fan of a buttery instant yeast roll often found at the dinner table on Thanksgiving. Or like the ones from Golden Corral that I recently learned how to recreate using this dinner roll recipe from Acre Homestead. Gahhhh my Dad loves those soft dinner rolls.

You’ll find the recipe for these delicious rolls here. Good eatin’ is all I’ll say.

But lemme do say this though – when trying to come up with the perfect recipe, I saw some online calling for poppy seeds. Girl, don’t. Just don’t. They’re unnecessary IMO. These homemade rolls never tasted so good without ’em! The best part has to be the incredibly soft fluffy texture. It’s like “am I even eating bread??”

Once you make em, the next step is just to try not to devour all of these in one sitting. But that’s hard to do because these really are the perfect roll. That’s where freezing some for later comes in handy.  

Let’s get to Freezing!

Freezing Hawaiian rolls is a simple process that preserves their freshness & flavor. So it’s a good option to use so you can enjoy some sweet Hawaiian rolls anytime without having to do much later. 

Start by allowing the rolls to cool completely if you just made some fresh. Because yes, you can freeze them cooked & raw. If you chose to get store-bought, they’re ready to go as-is. 

Next, wrap individual rolls or batches of them securely in aluminum foil or plastic wrap to prevent freezer burn. You don’t want to squeeze the life out of them, but with their pillowy texture, it’s not hard to do. So be careful. If you choose to skip this step, you might not get the absolute best results, but you’ll still have perfect homemade bread rolls.

For a second layer, package your wrapped rolls in an airtight container or sealable freezer bags. Label it with the date & contents before placing it in the freezer.

Now girl you know I love vacuum sealing everything that goes in my freezer. It’s the best way I know to preserve frozen foods at the moment, but I haven’t tried vacuum sealing these just yet because I’m not sure how well they’ll bounce back. I expect they would get compressed almost into a flat sheet because they look like rolls, but they’re really just air covered in some golden-ness.

BUT – the challenge won’t go unanswered. When I do get around to vacuum sealing my homemade Hawaiian rolls here’s my plan.

I’ll take fresh rolls & place them in the freezer in a single layer on a cookie sheet for 8-12 hours to freeze through. Unwrapped, just straight. They’re small (which is the only downside to storage bought rolls). So it shouldn’t take long to freeze these Hawaiian rolls. But if you forget about them…..smh you’ll be upset when you remember ahahah

Then I’ll package them in a vacuum sealing bag (again, in a single layer). What I suspect is that when the air is removed from the plastic bag, they will become small hard pucks. But I still think they’ll be the most tender dinner rolls ever. 

I’ll also try freezing unbaked rolls to see if the different options have any different results. 

Ways to Enjoy Frozen Hawaiian Rolls

Once you know how to freeze Hawaiian rolls, the possibilities for enjoying them are endless. Thawed rolls can be reheated as soon as the next day ahahaha in the oven (or microwave if you use one) & served alongside your favorite dishes. 

The Hawaiian sweet roll recipe above is so delicious, you could use the sweet flavor of the roll to make some Hawaiian cinnamon rolls by adding a cinnamon sugar frosting. That’s incredibly easy. 

1. Cheeseburger Sliders: My family-famous burger mix is pretty incredible because of the 50/50 beef to pork ratio. The flavor is insane. To make a slider, split Hawaiian rolls in half & fill them with mini cooked patties. Top with your favorite cheese & any other toppings then slide in the oven for a quick second. Just until the cheese is melted & the rolls are slightly, slightly toasted. You want these with a light crisp but still that soft texture. They’re a crowd-pleasing appetizer or a meal if you want.
2. Mini Sandwiches: Use thawed Hawaiian rolls as slider buns or make ’em large enough & use as hamburger buns. I love Hawaiian sweet roll sliders for the variety of fillings you can add. Like a combination of salty ham & melty Swiss cheese or pulled pork with coleslaw. I once made up several trays of these sliders for a Friendsgiving we were invited to & they punished them all.
3. Breakfast Options: These are my own words, but hands down the easiest way to use these is in breakfast meals. If you freeze Hawaiian rolls just thaw a bit, cube them & use them as a base for a a french toast casserole or try this one my mom makes for holidays. Sub these rolls for the Grand’s homestyle biscuits she uses (which I love too btw. I love just about any bread product hello ahahah). Then layer on eggs, cheese, sausage & veg like onions, bell pep or spinach. The hint of sweetness balances the saltiness of the sausage & cheese giving it a delicious flavor. I can’t say it’s a better flavor, but it’s pretty near close! The first time she ever made it I knew I’d be enjoying that dish for the rest of my life. 
4. Bread Pudding: Now, I’ll be real with you. I haven’t tried this yet, but most bread puddings seem to stem from a fairly easy recipe. So use one you love or find a copycat recipe & use the Hawaiian roll instead. This is a great way to turn these into a decadent dessert for no extra cost because the original recipes usually make use of pantry staples. 
5. Garlic bread: who doesn’t love a good garlicky roll or toast with a freshly prepared pan of spaghetti? Idk but it ain’t me! Ahahah use the oven, the toaster, your air fryer – doesn’t matter. Take some thawed Hawaiian rolls, slice them in half & give them a light toast. Just so the edges are starting to crisp. Slather on that garlic butter & like them get a touch more crispy. Then enjoy!

I just had to put these tips & recipe ideas together for you because…girl. Learn how to freeze Hawaiian rolls so you can have the irresistible taste of them anytime. And this is a way to batch too so you save some money & time too. All you need now is a lil pineapple slice in a mocktail with an umbrella & you’re golden! (I’ll have to write down the one my husband makes next time he does because it’s delicioso!)

You’ve got this lovely!

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