Easy Hawaiian Roll Cinnamon Buns

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I’m telling you, turning a 12-pack of King’s Hawaiian sweet rolls into cinnamon buns is one of the best breakfast hacks I’ve got. These Hawaiian roll cinnamon buns are INSANE, and they taste just as good as the real deal (honestly, maybe better?). Best of all, you can throw them together in about 25 minutes. No yeast, no dough, no rising, no waiting around. You just slice the rolls in half, pack in a brown sugar cinnamon butter, bake, and drizzle on a simple vanilla icing. The best part is pulling them apart and watching that cinnamon butter ooze out the sides. 🤯

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What Makes These Hawaiian Roll Cinnamon Buns So Good

It all comes down to those King’s Hawaiian rolls. They’re already soft, fluffy, and just a little sweet, almost like a brioche, so they drink up all that brown sugar cinnamon butter and bake into something way richer than any plain roll could. You get that pillowy pull-apart center, a gooey cinnamon-sugar layer running right through the middle, and a sweet vanilla glaze pooling on top. Warm out of the oven, they’re soft, messy, and SO good!

Fancy? Not even a little. But they vanish off the plate crazy fast, and I could eat that gooey cinnamon middle straight out of the pan with a fork. Plus, this is the same sweet-roll cheat code behind my gooey King’s Hawaiian sticky buns, which bake the same 12-pack over a bubbling pecan caramel and get flipped upside down so the caramel drips down the sides. Same rolls, completely different sugar rush.

Can You Make Cinnamon Rolls With King’s Hawaiian Rolls?

Yes, and once you try it you might never mess with the tube of dough again. Those pillowy King’s Hawaiian sweet rolls do all the work here, and I don’t even bother with a tube of dough anymore. Because they come connected in a slab, you get to cut the entire 12-pack in half like one giant slider bun, load the middle with cinnamon sugar, and bake it as a pull-apart. The rolls are already baked, so you’re really just melting butter and sugar into them and warming everything through. That’s what makes these such an easy cinnamon buns recipe with no yeast and no real skill required. It’s CRAZY easy!

What Is the Difference Between a Cinnamon Bun and a Cinnamon Roll?

They start in a similar place but finish a little differently. A cinnamon roll is usually rolled into that classic spiral and topped with a cream cheese frosting or glaze after baking. A cinnamon bun leans a touch simpler and often gets a lighter icing drizzle or a sticky glaze instead of a thick frosting. In a semi-homemade situation like this one, the line really blurs, and I just call these buns because that pull-apart, drizzle-on-top vibe is exactly what you get. Either way, the sweet roll cinnamon buns route gets you there in a fraction of the time.

Tips for Making Hawaiian Roll Cinnamon Buns

1. Use a bread knife for a clean split

Keep the rolls connected and cut the slab in half horizontally with a gentle sawing motion. A serrated bread knife cuts through the soft rolls without squishing them flat, so you end up with a clean top and bottom layer to build on.

2. Soften the butter, don’t melt it

You want the butter for the buns spreadable, not liquid. Softened butter spreads into an even layer and holds the cinnamon sugar in place, while melted butter just runs off and pools in the pan. Leave it on the counter for a bit before you start.

3. Don’t overbake them

Fifteen minutes at 350F is the sweet spot. These rolls are already cooked, so you’re just warming them and melting that cinnamon butter. Go too long and the tops dry out and get tough instead of staying soft and gooey. Set a timer and trust it!

4. Ice them warm, not screaming hot

I always let the buns rest a few minutes before I drizzle. If you glaze them the second they come out, the icing slides right off. Give it a minute or two and it’ll melt into the grooves just enough while still setting up on top.

Storage & Leftovers

These are best warm and fresh, but I’ve found leftovers keep just fine. Store them in an airtight container at room temp for a day, or in the fridge for up to 3 days. The icing will set as they cool, which actually makes them easier to stack and pack up for later.

To bring back that soft, gooey texture, warm one in the microwave for about 10 seconds or pop it in a 300F oven for a few minutes. I would hold off on drizzling any extra icing until after you reheat so it doesn’t turn into a puddle.

Can You Make These Cinnamon Buns Ahead of Time?

You can, and this is where I love them, for a brunch or a holiday morning. Mix your brown sugar and cinnamon and stir together the icing the night before, then keep the icing covered in the fridge. In the morning, all that’s left is buttering the rolls, sprinkling the cinnamon sugar, and baking, so you go from fridge to table in about 20 minutes. You can also bake the whole batch ahead and just rewarm them right before serving, since they reheat so well. Save the icing drizzle for the last second so everyone gets that fresh-out-of-the-oven moment!

Equipment

• Serrated bread knife
• Baking pan
• Mixing bowls
• Whisk

Ingredients

For the buns:

• 1 King’s Hawaiian Sweet Rolls 12 pack
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (softened)
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
• 2 tsp cinnamon

For the icing:

• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter (melted)
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 2-3 tbsp milk
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Substitutions and Swaps

This recipe is pretty forgiving, but a few swaps are worth knowing before you start.

• The rolls. King’s Hawaiian is really the move here because that soft, sweet crumb is what makes these taste bakery-good. A generic sweet Hawaiian roll will work in a pinch, but skip plain dinner rolls, they bake up dry and you lose the whole point.
• Dark brown sugar. Light brown sugar works fine and is a totally fair swap, you just lose a little of that deep, molasses-y richness. Dark is what I reach for if I have it.
• The milk in the icing. Any milk works, and oat or almond milk drizzles on exactly the same, so use whatever’s in the fridge! Add it a splash at a time until the glaze is as thick or thin as you like.
• Want a tangier glaze? Beat a couple tablespoons of softened cream cheese into the icing for a cream cheese drizzle that leans a little more toward classic cinnamon-roll frosting.
• Want a fruit version? My King’s Hawaiian apple pie cinnamon rolls stuff the same 12-pack with brown sugar, cinnamon, and gooey apple pie filling, so it’s the same shortcut with a cozy apple twist.

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350F. Keeping the King’s Hawaiian rolls connected, use a bread knife to slice the whole slab in half horizontally so you have a top and a bottom layer. Place the bottom layer on a nonstick or lightly buttered pan.
2. In a small bowl, stir together the dark brown sugar and cinnamon. Spread about a quarter cup of the softened butter across the bottom layer of rolls, then sprinkle two-thirds to three-quarters of the cinnamon sugar evenly on top.
3. Set the top layer of rolls back on. Butter the top with the rest of the softened butter and sprinkle on the remaining cinnamon sugar.
4. Bake for 15 minutes.
5. While they bake, make the icing. Whisk together the melted butter, powdered sugar, salt, vanilla, and 2 tablespoons of milk. Add another tablespoon of milk if you want it thinner and easier to drizzle.
6. Let the buns rest a couple minutes, then drizzle the icing all over, pull them apart, and dig in.

These are the definition of a low-effort, high-reward recipe. Not fancy, not complicated, just warm pull-apart cinnamon buns from a bag of rolls in about the time it takes to brew a pot of coffee. They’re perfect for a slow weekend morning, and they’re easy enough to pull off half-asleep before the coffee even kicks in.

If you love using these rolls as a shortcut, my King’s Hawaiian roll cream cheese danishes pull the same move into pastry territory with a sweet cream cheese filling.

Would you make these for breakfast or dessert? Let me know in the comments, and if you give them a try, leave a star rating on the recipe card so I know how they turned out! 🙌

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