Hawaiian Roll Croutons

When you have Hawaiian rolls left over from recipes such as baked ham and cheese sliders, it can be hard to think of ways to put the remaining rolls to use outside of other slider recipes. However, we just came up with a solution: Hawaiian roll croutons! Our recipe is an especially tasty take on homemade croutons because you can still taste the sweetness of the Hawaiian bread even after they’re baked.

Whenever I make homemade croutons, I wonder why I don’t make them more often—because they’re so delicious and easy to prepare. My husband and I love these on top of our lunchtime Mason jar salads in particular, but you can try them on any kind of fresh salad, or sprinkled over soups, chilis and stews.

Ingredients for Hawaiian Roll Croutons

• Hawaiian rolls: The most well-known brand is King’s Hawaiian Rolls, which are small slider or dinner roll-sized buns. You can also make the croutons from homemade Hawaiian dinner rolls.
• Olive oil: I toss the croutons in extra virgin olive oil, which holds the seasonings on the surface and helps the bread cubes crisp in the oven.
• Butter: Melted butter helps with browning but also, most importantly, adds flavor to the croutons.
• Seasonings: Toss the bread cubes with garlic powder, pepper, salt and a little paprika. This is just enough seasoning to add savory flavor while still letting the bread’s sweetness come through.

Directions

Step 1: Slice and dry the Hawaiian rolls

Preheat the oven to 200°F. Line a 15x10x1-inch baking sheet with parchment.

Slice the Hawaiian rolls into 1-inch cubes and spread them out onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring once. Then, let them cool completely.

Editor’s Tip: A serrated knife is the best choice for slicing the soft rolls without squishing them. Also, another option is to spread the bread cubes on the baking sheet and leave them to dry out overnight instead of baking them.

Step 2: Make the oil and spice mixture

Increase the oven temperature to 300°. In a small bowl, whisk together the extra virgin olive oil, melted butter, garlic powder, salt, black pepper and paprika.

Step 3: Toss everything together

Add the cooled bread cubes to the large mixing bowl and toss to combine. Again spread the bread cubes evenly over the lined baking sheet.

Editor’s Tip: Use a rubber spatula to toss everything together for several minutes, scraping the bowl periodically to incorporate all the oil and spices.

Step 4: Bake the croutons

Bake the bread cubes for 17 to 20 minutes, stirring them every five minutes to help them brown evenly. The finished croutons will be golden brown and crisp at the edges. Move the pan to a wire rack and allow the croutons to cool completely before storing them.

Editor’s Tip: Stirring the bread cubes every five minutes as they bake ensures even browning. It also lets you keep an eye on them to prevent burning, since the sweet bread browns more rapidly than regular bread.

Hawaiian Roll Crouton Variations

• Try a cheesy version: After coating the bread cubes in the oil-spice mixture, add grated Parmesan cheese to the bowl and toss to coat.
• Add some spice: Stir a little crushed red pepper, cayenne pepper or chili powder into the spice mixture for a little heat.

How to Store Hawaiian Roll Croutons

You’ll want to keep the Hawaiian roll croutons crisp and crunchy, so it’s important to store them in an airtight container. The croutons can also be transferred to a resealable bag with all the air pressed out. Store the croutons at room temperature.

How long do Hawaiian croutons last?

As long as the Hawaiian croutons are tightly sealed to keep out moisture and off-flavors, they’ll last for up to two weeks.

Hawaiian Roll Crouton Tips

How can you use Hawaiian roll croutons?

Let’s start with the obvious answer: salad recipes! Regular croutons make any salad more flavorful and crunchy, but Hawaiian roll croutons in particular add a unique flavor and light sweetness too. Sprinkle them over a classic chef salad or add them to the top of a warm spinach and bacon salad. Add them to salads with sweet ingredients, such as a nectarine arugula salad or a green salad with berries. Surprisingly, croutons are also good on cold pasta salads for adding some crunch. Try topping Hawaiian macaroni salad with Hawaiian roll croutons.

Keep these croutons in mind during soup season too. When you need to use up leftover Hawaiian rolls after enjoying ham and cheese sliders, bake up Hawaiian roll croutons for topping homemade tomato soup, green chile pork stew or bowls of sweet potato chili.

How do you prevent soggy homemade croutons?

Drying the bread cubes to remove as much moisture as possible before baking is a key step in getting Hawaiian roll croutons that are crisp, not soggy. Leave the cubed sweet roll pieces out on a baking sheet for a day or longer to let them get stale and dry, or place them in a low-temperature oven to dry them more quickly, as we call for in our recipe. I also find that cooling the seasoned, baked croutons rapidly helps give them a really crunchy texture. Do this by pointing a small fan at the baking sheet as the croutons cool. Then, transfer the croutons to an airtight container to keep them crisp.