These sweet potato cinnamon rolls have fall flavor baked right in. Sweet potato goes into the dough, warm spices go into the dough and the filling, and a simple maple glaze goes on top.
You’ll find the full recipe with ingredient amounts and instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Be sure to check out the blog post itself for extra tips and tricks!
Sweet Potato Cinnamon Rolls Flavor Snapshot
How it tastes
Difficulty
Worth the extra time
Two rises and some rolling. The careful part is giving the first rise enough time.
I love to bake, I love cinnamon rolls, and I love a sweet potato, so I had to make sweet potato cinnamon rolls. My goal was to give a traditional cinnamon roll some fall flavor, and we nailed it.
These are different from my classic cinnamon rolls in a few ways. I added warm spices to the butter filling, and I kept a good amount of sugar in the dough so the sweet potato really comes through. In my first test I cut the sugar back, since sweet potatoes get sweet once they bake, but the dough needed the full ⅓ cup to be perfect.
Happy Baking,
Tanya
If you want the classic version, try my Cinnamon Rolls with Heavy Cream. For more sweet potato baking, try my Sweet Potato Bread and Sweet Potato Pancakes.
A Quick Look at the Ingredients
Ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions are on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Sweet potato puree - One large sweet potato (about 280 g) gives you about 1 cup. Cook it in the oven, the air fryer, or the microwave (my microwave sweet potato is the fastest way), then blend it completely smooth. Mashing by hand leaves lumps, and lumps make lumpy dough.
- Bread flour - The same flour I use in my classic cinnamon rolls. It has more protein than all-purpose flour, which helps the rolls rise tall and soft.
- Instant yeast - One packet (2 ¼ teaspoons). It goes right in with the flour, so there's no proofing it in liquid first.
- Granulated sugar - I tried using less since sweet potatoes are already sweet, but the dough needed the full ⅓ cup.
- Cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger - These go in the dough and the filling. This is where the fall flavor comes from.
- Milk, eggs, and butter - Warm the milk until it's warm to the touch, not hot. The eggs should be at room temperature and the butter should be soft.
- Light brown sugar - Packed, for the filling. Mixed with soft butter and the spices, it turns into a paste that stays inside the rolls.
- Maple glaze - Powdered sugar, pure maple syrup, and a splash of milk.
Tools to Gather
- Stand mixer
- Food processor
- Plastic mixing bowl
- Rolling pin
- 9x13 baking dish
- Serrated knife
- Instant-read thermometer
- Whisk
Tip Proof the dough in a plastic bowl. It rises faster for me than in glass or ceramic.
How to Make Sweet Potato Cinnamon Rolls
Please see the recipe card below for the full printable recipe, ingredients, and instructions. Here you will find step-by-step photos of how to make this recipe.
Make the Dough
Step 1: Cook and blend the sweet potato. Cook one large sweet potato until it's soft all the way through. You can bake it at 400°F (204°C) for 45 to 60 minutes, air fry it at 400°F (204°C) for 35 to 45 minutes, or prick it all over with a fork and microwave it on high for 8 to 10 minutes, flipping it halfway. Scoop out the flesh and blend it in a food processor until it's completely smooth. Measure 1 cup and let it cool to lukewarm. Hot puree will kill the yeast.
Step 2: Make the dough. Whisk the bread flour, sugar, yeast, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the warm milk, the lukewarm sweet potato puree, and the eggs. Mix with the dough hook on low for about 2 minutes, until a shaggy dough forms.
Add the softened butter a little at a time, then knead for 8 to 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. If it feels stiff or dry, add warm milk a tablespoon at a time. Only add more flour, a tablespoon at a time, if it's sticky.
Top Tip
Sweet potatoes vary in moisture, so go by feel. The dough should be soft and tacky, which means it feels a little sticky when you touch it but doesn't leave dough on your fingers.
Step 3: First rise. Put the dough in a lightly greased bowl and turn it once to coat. Cover it and let it rise in a warm spot until it doubles. Mine took about 1 ½ hours. The sweet potato makes the dough a little more dense than a plain dough, so yours could take longer, up to 2 hours. Wait until it doubles before you move on.
TIP: I let my dough rise in a plastic bowl. When I proof at about 80°F (27°C), it rises much faster for me in plastic than in glass or ceramic.
Make the Filling
Step 4: Make the filling. Stir the softened butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and a pinch of salt into a smooth paste you can spread.
Step 5: Roll out and fill. Roll the dough into a 12 by 18 inch rectangle on a lightly floured surface, with a long side facing you.
Spread the filling evenly over the dough, leaving a 1 inch strip bare along the long edge farthest from you. That bare strip helps the roll seal shut.
Shape, Rise, and Bake
Step 6: Roll, cut, and let them rise again. Starting from the long edge closest to you, roll the dough up tightly. Pinch the seam closed, set the log seam side down, and cut it into 12 rolls. Arrange them in a buttered 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
Cover the dish and let the rolls rise for 30 to 45 minutes, until they're puffy and just touching. Heat the oven to 350°F (177°C) during the last 15 minutes.
Step 7: Bake. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the rolls are golden and the center of the middle roll reads 190°F to 200°F (88°C to 93°C) on a thermometer. If the tops brown too fast, cover the dish loosely with foil.
Make the Glaze
Step 8: Make the maple glaze. Whisk the powdered sugar, maple syrup, and milk until smooth and pourable. If it's too thick, add milk a teaspoon at a time.
Step 9: Glaze and serve. Let the rolls cool for about 10 minutes, then spread or drizzle the glaze over the warm rolls. Serve them warm.
What to Serve with Sweet Potato Cinnamon Rolls
They're great on their own with a cup of coffee or a cold glass of milk. For a brunch table, add something salty like my Million Dollar Bacon or my Grits Casserole so the table isn't all sweet.
Make Ahead and Storage
- Room temperature: Keep glazed rolls in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
- Fridge: Keep them in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- Freezer: Freeze the baked rolls before you glaze them, for up to 2 months. Thaw them overnight in the fridge, warm them up, and glaze them fresh.
- Reheating: Warm one roll in the microwave for 15 to 20 seconds.
Tanya's Top Tips
- Blend the sweet potato completely smooth. Lumps in the puree mean lumps in the dough.
- Let the puree cool to lukewarm. Hot puree will kill the yeast.
- Give the first rise the time it needs. Mine took about 1 ½ hours, and it can take up to 2. Go by size, not the clock.
- Go by feel. Sweet potatoes vary in moisture, so aim for a dough that's soft and tacky.
- Use a thermometer. The center of the middle roll should read 190°F to 200°F (88°C to 93°C).
More Sweet Potato Baking
If you've tried these sweet potato cinnamon rolls or any other recipe on my blog, please rate it and let me know how it turned out in the comments below!
Sweet Potato Cinnamon Rolls Recipe
Ingredients
Equipment
Instructions
- Whisk the flour, sugar, yeast, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the warm milk, lukewarm sweet potato puree, and eggs. Mix with the dough hook on low for about 2 minutes, until a shaggy dough forms.
- Add the softened butter a little at a time, then knead 8 to 10 minutes, until smooth and elastic and pulling away from the sides of the bowl. The dough should feel soft and tacky. If it feels stiff or dry, add warm milk a tablespoon at a time. Add flour a tablespoon at a time only if the dough is sticky.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl and turn it once to coat. Cover and let rise in a warm spot for 1 ½ to 2 hours, until doubled.
- Stir the softened butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and pinch of salt into a smooth, spreadable paste.
- Roll the dough into a 12 by 18 inch rectangle, with a long side facing you. Spread the filling evenly over the dough, leaving a 1 inch border along the far long edge. Roll up tightly from the long edge closest to you. Pinch the seam closed and set the log seam side down. Cut into 12 rolls.
- Butter a 9 by 13 inch baking dish and arrange the rolls in it. Cover and let rise 30 to 45 minutes, until puffy and just touching. During the last 15 minutes, heat the oven to 350°F (177°C).
- Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until golden and the center of the middle roll reads 190°F to 200°F (88°C to 93°C) on a thermometer. If the tops brown too fast, tent loosely with foil.
- Whisk the powdered sugar, milk, and maple syrup until smooth and pourable. If the glaze is too thick, add milk a teaspoon at a time.
- Cool the rolls about 10 minutes, then spread or drizzle the glaze over the warm rolls. Serve warm.
Nutrition
Notes
- Sweet potato: To get 1 cup of puree, cook one large sweet potato (about 280 g). Bake at 400°F (204°C) for 45 to 60 minutes, air fry at 400°F (204°C) for 35 to 45 minutes, or prick it all over with a fork and microwave on high for 8 to 10 minutes, flipping halfway. Scoop out the flesh and blend it in a food processor until completely smooth. Mashing by hand leaves lumps.
- Cool the puree: Let it cool to lukewarm before it goes into the dough. Hot puree will kill the yeast.
- Rise time: Sweet potato dough can rise a little slower than a plain dough. Mine took about 1 ½ hours, but it can take up to 2. Wait until it doubles before moving on.
- Sweet potatoes vary in moisture. The dough should be soft and tacky. Doneness: The center of the middle roll should read 190°F to 200°F (88°C to 93°C).
- Storage: Keep glazed rolls in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 days, or refrigerated up to 5 days. Warm individual rolls in the microwave for 15 to 20 seconds. Freeze unglazed baked rolls up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, rewarm, and glaze fresh before serving.
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