Before we went vegetarian, never mind vegan, I could put down some Hawaiian rolls.

Every single Thanksgiving my family would buy a Honey Baked Ham and I would look most forward to the leftover ham sandwiches with mayo on a Hawaiian roll. It was my favorite sandwich that I only got to eat once a year.

For years and years my husband and I have talked about missing that sandwich. So I decided enough was enough and it was high time I make a convincing vegan ham.

Well, I did. But I still needed a vegan Hawaiian roll, so set my 14 year old to task with coming up a with a vegan version of the best roll on the planet (just my opinion but seriously, it is the best)

I have talked more than once about how amazing our 14 year old is (all of our kids are really rad, actually) but P can bake ANYTHING and make it vegan.

It took her just one attempt at veganizing a Hawaiian roll recipe to develop the most perfect Hawaiian roll I maybe ever have had.

Sweet, soft, and just waiting for a big pile of vegan ham and some mayo.

And just like that. all the stars aligned and there was finally nostalgic food joy in our house year around. Glory glory!!

These vegan Hawaiian rolls are gonna take you some time. They are after all a yeast roll and those just take time to rise. It is what it is. So make sure if want these for dinner to start them in them several hours before you are wanting to eat.

And let me just mention before you ask or comment, these rolls are suppose to be sweet. Sweet and a little savoy. In case you have never had one. The pineapple juice is key ingredient so no, you can not swap it out. If you do, it will not be a Hawaiian roll. It will be some other kind of roll and thats ok, but it won’t be a traditional Hawaiian roll.

They are best warm, right out of the oven, but they keep well for a few days and are still delicious at room temp.

And if you are also a fan of ham on Hawaiian, try our vegan ham recipe. It is so easy to make, and really affordable. I am talking $4 for about a pound and a half of vegan deli meat. Y’all, you will never have to pay too much for vegan lunch meat ever again!! And if you don’t like ham, I have turkey, brisket, and pastrami recipes as well!!

If you are not in it for the sandwiches, then these rolls make a perfect bread side for just about any meal. They are great for BBQs, pot lucks, or just Sunday night dinner.

Thanks again to our brilliant P for all of her veganizing genius and these rolls.

INGREDIENTS:

4 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 starch eggs ( 2 tablespoons tapioca or corn starch+ 6 tablespoons water, mixed)
1/4 cup melted vegan butter
1/2 cup warm oat milk (100-110 degrees, if it’s too hot it will kill the yeast, it should be about the temp of hot water from the tap as a gauge if you don’t have a kitchen thermometer)
1/2 cup pineapple juice, room temp

GLAZE:

3 tablespoons oat milk
3 tablespoons maple syrup

INSTRUCTIONS:

In the bowl of a stand mixer, or large bowl if mixing by hand, add the pineapple juice, warm milk, melted butter, starch eggs, sugar, salt, and yeast.
Add 2 cups of flour and stir with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to incorporate the wet ingredients with the dry. The dough will be shaggy, loose, and sticky.
If using a stand mixer, attach the dough hook. On medium/low speed begin adding remaining flour until the dough comes together. If the dough seems a little too dry, add a tablespoon of water. If it seems too wet, you can add a few extra tablespoons of four. Let the dough knead in the mixer for 5 minutes unit a smooth, soft dough forms.
If mixing by hand, add a little flour at a time mixing by hand unit the dough forms. Turn dough out onto a clean floured surface and knead by hand for 5 minutes. (it will be a good workout, to work off all those carbs you are about to cram in your face)
Lightly coat a large mixing bowl with some oil. Place dough in bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen bowl. Place the bowl in a warm place and allow it to rise until doubled in size. This should take about an hour but will depend on how warm it is in your house. It could take a bit longer. I let my dough rise in my oven with it turned off.
Lightly coat or spray a 9x13 pan with oil.
Turn the dough out onto a clean surface and divide it into 15 equal pieces. You can eyeball it, or if you are the kind of person that needs them to be EXACTLY the same size, use a kitchen scale. Roll each piece of dough into a ball place them in the 9x13 pan.
In a small bowl mix 3 tablespoons oat milk and 3 tablespoons maple syrup. Brush the tops of the rolls and cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen bowl. Let rise again for 30 minutes. You can use any plant milk you have but oat milk browns better than the rest.
While the rolls are rising, preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Uncover and bake rolls on the middle oven rack for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
Store any leftovers in an airtight container at room temp.

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