Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease 9x13-inch baking dish.
- Using sharp serrated knife, carefully slice each Hawaiian roll horizontally, creating top and bottom halves. Keep halves together as pairs. Use gentle sawing motion—rolls are soft and delicate.
- In small bowl, beat softened cream cheese, granulated sugar, egg, and vanilla with whisk or mixer until completely smooth and creamy with no lumps, 1-2 minutes. Cream cheese must be room temperature.
- Spread generous thin layer (about 1 tablespoon) of cream cheese mixture onto bottom half of each roll. Gently place top half back on to close. Arrange filled rolls snugly in prepared baking dish.
- Using pastry brush, generously brush tops of all rolls with melted butter. Make sure every roll is coated.
- In small bowl, mix cinnamon and brown sugar. Sprinkle generously and evenly over buttered tops.
- Bake 15-20 minutes until tops are deeply golden brown and cream cheese filling is set (no longer jiggles when pan gently shaken).
- Cool in pan 5-10 minutes before serving. Cream cheese sets just enough. Serve warm.
Notes
Cream cheese must be completely softened to room temperature. Critical for smooth filling. Cold cream cheese won't mix smoothly. Let sit 1 hour or microwave 10-15 seconds.
Don't overfill rolls. Too much oozes out during baking. Thin, even layer (about 1 tablespoon per roll) is perfect.
Keep rolls close together in dish. Helps them stay moist and support each other as filling bakes.
Use serrated knife—regular knife squishes soft rolls. Serrated cuts cleanly without compressing.
Brush butter generously—creates golden crust and helps cinnamon-sugar stick.
Best served warm when cream cheese is soft and topping is slightly gooey.
Add cream cheese glaze: Drizzle with glaze (2 oz cream cheese + 1 cup powdered sugar + 2 tablespoons milk) after baking.
Try different spices: Add ½ teaspoon nutmeg or cardamom to cinnamon-sugar.
Make them chocolate: Add 2 tablespoons cocoa powder to cream cheese filling.
Add fruit: Fold fresh blueberries or diced strawberries into filling.
Orange version: Add 1 tablespoon orange zest to cream cheese filling.
Use dinner rolls if no Hawaiian rolls, though won't be as sweet.
Add nuts: Sprinkle chopped pecans or walnuts over topping before baking.
Pumpkin spice: Add ¼ cup pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice to filling.
Lumpy filling: Cream cheese not softened enough. Must be room temperature.
No eggs: Egg helps filling set. Can try substitute but texture will be different—softer, less custard-like.
Filling oozed: Overfilled rolls. Use thin layer, about 1 tablespoon. Arrange snugly so they support each other.
Smaller batch: Use 6 rolls, halve all ingredients. Bake in 8x8-inch dish same time.
Refrigerate after first day due to cream cheese filling. Before that, room temp fine if eating within 24 hours.
Store leftovers airtight at room temp up to 2 days or refrigerate up to 4 days.
Don't freeze well—cream cheese filling becomes watery when thawed. Best fresh.
Reheat: Microwave individual rolls 10-15 seconds or warm whole batch covered with foil at 300°F for 10 minutes. Delicious at room temp too.
Make ahead: Assemble completely through step 5, refrigerate overnight. Room temp 20 minutes before baking. Add 3-5 minutes to baking time.
Serve with: Hot coffee, chai tea, hot chocolate, cold milk, fresh fruit salad, scrambled eggs, bacon. For dessert: vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
Don't overfill rolls. Too much oozes out during baking. Thin, even layer (about 1 tablespoon per roll) is perfect.
Keep rolls close together in dish. Helps them stay moist and support each other as filling bakes.
Use serrated knife—regular knife squishes soft rolls. Serrated cuts cleanly without compressing.
Brush butter generously—creates golden crust and helps cinnamon-sugar stick.
Best served warm when cream cheese is soft and topping is slightly gooey.
Add cream cheese glaze: Drizzle with glaze (2 oz cream cheese + 1 cup powdered sugar + 2 tablespoons milk) after baking.
Try different spices: Add ½ teaspoon nutmeg or cardamom to cinnamon-sugar.
Make them chocolate: Add 2 tablespoons cocoa powder to cream cheese filling.
Add fruit: Fold fresh blueberries or diced strawberries into filling.
Orange version: Add 1 tablespoon orange zest to cream cheese filling.
Use dinner rolls if no Hawaiian rolls, though won't be as sweet.
Add nuts: Sprinkle chopped pecans or walnuts over topping before baking.
Pumpkin spice: Add ¼ cup pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice to filling.
Lumpy filling: Cream cheese not softened enough. Must be room temperature.
No eggs: Egg helps filling set. Can try substitute but texture will be different—softer, less custard-like.
Filling oozed: Overfilled rolls. Use thin layer, about 1 tablespoon. Arrange snugly so they support each other.
Smaller batch: Use 6 rolls, halve all ingredients. Bake in 8x8-inch dish same time.
Refrigerate after first day due to cream cheese filling. Before that, room temp fine if eating within 24 hours.
Store leftovers airtight at room temp up to 2 days or refrigerate up to 4 days.
Don't freeze well—cream cheese filling becomes watery when thawed. Best fresh.
Reheat: Microwave individual rolls 10-15 seconds or warm whole batch covered with foil at 300°F for 10 minutes. Delicious at room temp too.
Make ahead: Assemble completely through step 5, refrigerate overnight. Room temp 20 minutes before baking. Add 3-5 minutes to baking time.
Serve with: Hot coffee, chai tea, hot chocolate, cold milk, fresh fruit salad, scrambled eggs, bacon. For dessert: vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.