The 2 Ingredients Needed To Give Hawaiian Rolls A Dash Of Fall

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Delightfully fluffy Hawaiian rolls ideally balance sweet and savory charm. Emerging from Portuguese baking tradition, it's a style of bread reminiscent of sweet potato rolls and the Filipino pan de sal. Yet, in addition to their beautiful golden egg-washed hue, another quality that makes Hawaiian rolls shine is their fruitiness, often derived from pineapple juice. Subsequently, the bread makes for an ideal canvas for a dessert, especially with a fall twist. 

And what better way to beckon autumn than with the flavors of apple pie? All you need are two additional ingredients to transform the rolls. Start by buying a premade apple pie filling like the jarred one from Bonne Maman or canned Duncan Hines Comstock, which also comes with a topping. You'll also want some butter; the fat enhances with a rich flavor and a golden sheen ideal for fall coziness. For the rolls, go with trusty King's Famous, or try out Aldi's cheaper copycat.

Best of all, the assembly is just as easy as the shopping. Start by hollowing out the rolls: Stay on theme and use an apple corer to create ideal cylindrical indentations or simply carefully cut out a rectangular shape with a knife. Either way, just make sure to retain some dough on the underside for structure. Next, spoon in the apple filling right to the top, and brush over with melted butter. Bake for five to 10 minutes at 375 Degrees Fahrenheit, and you'll yield a delicious sweet treat without much fuss. 

Just like how an easy apple pie recipe gives you options for various seasonings, apple-pie flavored Hawaiian rolls open to new flavors, too. Want to add dimension to the fruity-sweet palate? Mix a combination of spices into the melted butter, like cinnamon, clove, ginger, nutmeg, cardamom, and allspice. For extra sweetness, some brown sugar also ups the caramelization, or savvily use pre-packaged apple cider packets for flavoring.

Once you've nailed the flavoring, consider also crafting an icing to finish, taking the rolls into cinnamon roll territory. Whip up a classic egg white and sugar combination for a nice white drizzle, or make an easy frosting from cool whip and cream cheese. Alternatively, finish the rolls with a store bought caramel or simply an apple jam to create a mouth-watering glaze atop.

Add up all such elements together, and this everyday bread transforms into an all-out dessert. Best of all, the package of rolls remain lightly adhered to each other, thereby letting you batch as much as a dozen of these sweets at once. And if you still have some Hawaiian rolls left over, you can use them to make easy garlic bread, showcasing the buns in both sweet and savory format.