Pani Popo is a Samoan sweet roll baked in a delicious coconut sauce. One of my favorite Pacific-Island dishes from my bakery days in Hawaii.
Pani Popo (Samoan Coconut Rolls)
Oh how I love Pani Popo. Even though it is a Samoan dish, I was first introduced to it when I lived in Hawaii. As I mentioned before, I worked at a bakery when I lived in Hawaii and was introduced to SO MANY amazing treats and recipes, this being one of my-all time favorites. I loved waking up early in the morning and making these delicious rolls. The smell is intoxicating!
What is Pani Popo?
Pani popo is such an easy dish to make and it is oh so tasty. If you have never had Pani popo before, it is basically a soft dinner roll baked with a sweet coconut sauce. It is soft and fluffy on the inside and the bottom is nice and gooey, like a gooey sweet roll should be (but gooier). I love that I am am able to make these at home for my family (and that they LOVE them as much as I do. Seriously, my kids go nuts over these)!
Versatile and Delicious
You can serve this with pretty much any dish. They’re delicious as a breakfast item, side dish or even dessert. With Thanksgiving coming up, this would be a great way to switch things up and try a new kind of dinner roll that the whole family will love!
If you want to go traditional and make your own, made from scratch rolls, you can use the recipe HERE. But if you want a quick and easy alternative, you can just use frozen rolls and thaw them (both taste great).
More Yummy Hawaiian/Island Treats:
- Hawaiian Wedding Cake: Hawaiian Wedding Cake starts with a simple cake mix. Add a splash of coconut and pineapple and it becomes a refreshing cake that tastes like a piña colada.
- Coconut Cream Cake with Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting: This Coconut Cream Cake is a coconut lovers dream! Coconut infused cake, with a rich and creamy coconut cream cheese frosting, sprinkled with even more toasted coconut, you will be in coconut heaven with every bite.
- Caribbean Coconut Fudge Bars: These Caribbean Coconut Fudge Bars can’t be beat! A soft oatmeal cookie crust with chocolate fudge and gooey coconut topping- an instant favorite!
- Orange Pineapple Cake: Orange Pineapple cake is a light, fruity cake with an island flair. You will love the delicious whipped creamy topping! Perfect for potlucks and parties!
How to make Pani Popo (Samoan Coconut Rolls)
Pani Popo (Samoan Coconut Rolls)
INGREDIENTS
- 12-20 frozen dinner rolls depending on size (see note above for homemade rolls)
- 1 10 oz. can coconut milk
- 1 c. sugar
INSTRUCTIONS
- Coat a 9x13 glass baking dish with cooking spray and arrange rolls evenly to thaw (if doing homemade rolls, roll dough into golf-ball size balls and arrange the same way).
- Cover with plastic wrap sprayed with cooking spray (to keep dough from sticking to the plastic wrap).
- Allow to rise until doubled in size. This can take 4-5 hours. If you need the rolls to thaw quicker, follow the quick-rise instructions on the frozen roll packaging.
- Pre-heat oven to 350-degrees.
- In a bowl, combine coconut milk and sugar and whisk until sugar is dissolved.
- Pour about 2/3 of the coconut mixture over the rolls and bake for 20-30 minutes (or according to package/dough recipe instructions) or until golden brown and dough is baked through.
- Remove from oven and pour remaining coconut mixture evenly over the top of the rolls.
- The rolls should be sticky and gooey on the bottom (read notes above). Can be served upside down or right-side up.
Maud says
November 6, 2015 at 11:40 pmLike belly stickers…sort of…
kt says
November 11, 2015 at 12:50 pmMy friend makes these. They are so good!
pam says
November 12, 2015 at 8:09 amMy neighbor makes something like this only she leaves out the sugar and uses 2 T. Corn starch and 2 T. water to the coconut milk.
Toni-Sue Lua says
May 7, 2017 at 11:51 amSugar is relative. Some people use only 1/2 cup. Some use cornstarch and some do not. Corn starch makes the sauce a little thicker is all. Some even use half coconut milk and half water with the cornstarch.
Bruna says
November 14, 2015 at 7:21 pmWhat brand of frozen dinner rolls you like to use?
Erica says
November 15, 2015 at 11:40 amTypically we will use Rhoades rolls.
Ashli Garris says
March 20, 2016 at 11:56 pmWhat grocery store do you find Rhoades rolls in typically. ..I have looked around my area aND can’t find them? Thanks
Erica says
March 30, 2016 at 9:21 pmWe have found them at almost any grocery store in the U.S. Did you look in the frozen section?
Lady Paia says
October 6, 2016 at 5:03 pmI have not found frozen buns in my Safeway or Foodland in Hi. I have to make my own sweet bread
Erica says
October 6, 2016 at 7:53 pmHomemade is definitely the best. I bet your pani popo is amazing! 🙂
Victoria says
January 31, 2017 at 11:34 pmWalmart sells the Rhodes frozen dinner rolls
Toni-Sue Lua says
May 7, 2017 at 11:52 amuse whatever brand you have. They are in the freezer section
Victoria says
May 24, 2016 at 10:49 amI was SUPER excited to try this :I LOVE anything coconut . What I ended up with were rolls where the tops were beautiful golden brown and the bottoms were very slimy and beyond soggy. The texture was SO disgusting I cannot see how anyone would like this. I must have done something wrong as the recipe was SUPER simple. What did I do wrong??
Erica says
May 24, 2016 at 8:47 pmThe texture is supposed to be very wet.. the bottoms are supposed to be drenched in the coconut milk. That is how they are in Hawaii. Sorry it didn’t turn out the way you had expected!
Wenduy says
January 30, 2017 at 12:36 pmAll your recipes you post look scrumptious. This one I could do looks pretty easy.
Echo says
February 2, 2017 at 12:31 pmThank you so much! You will love the Pani Popo rolls. They are delicious!
Judie Hensel says
March 28, 2017 at 10:13 amrecipe for homemade rolls for the Pani Popo rolls are on a broken link. where to find it??
Echo says
March 30, 2017 at 10:11 amThank you for letting us know the link is broken! It is now fixed. You can find the recipe here:
https://www.favfamilyrecipes.com/moms-homemade-rolls/
Cam says
April 25, 2017 at 11:18 amHow do you store these and for how long?
Erica says
April 26, 2017 at 9:55 amThey don’t stay great for way long– I would say a day or two at most. They will get too soggy. Definitely the best fresh.
Sherry says
June 7, 2017 at 5:25 amDo you have a good recipe for peanut butter bars?
Erica says
June 7, 2017 at 7:44 amYou bet! https://www.favfamilyrecipes.com/peanut-butter-bars/
Liza says
November 22, 2017 at 5:31 pmThe one thing you don’t mention is the time it will take to thaw/double in size.
Can’t wait to try these…I hope I give them enough time to rise. The turkey does not wait for rolls.
Favorite Family Recipes says
November 23, 2017 at 12:25 amThank you for pointing this out. I made some adjustments to the recipe. It does take 4-5 hours for the rolls to thaw and rise. Most frozen rolls packaging gives instructions for speed-rising that takes about 2 hours. I hope you enjoy the rolls!
Kahikolu says
January 3, 2018 at 9:16 pmThis is a Samoan Dish. It comes from Samoa.