Sweet Potato Cinnamon Rolls Recipe

Close-up of glazed rolls in the pan, with maple glaze running into the swirls.

Sweet Potato Cinnamon Rolls Recipe

Soft cinnamon rolls with sweet potato in the dough, warm fall spices in the filling, and a simple maple glaze on top.

Course Bread, Breakfast

Cuisine American

Keyword sweet potato cinnamon buns, sweet potato cinnamon rolls

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 30

Rise Times 2 15

Total Time 3 15

Servings

Calories 446kcal

Author Tanya Harris

Equipment

Stand Mixer

Ingredients

For the Dough

4 ½ cups bread flour 587g, plus more as needed
⅓ cup granulated sugar 67g
2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast 1 packet, 9g
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
½ cup milk plus 2 tablespoons (150 g), warmed until warm to the touch
1 cup sweet potato puree lukewarm, 245g
2 large eggs room temperature
5 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

For the Filling

6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 cup light brown sugar, packed 200g
1 ½ Tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground ginger
Pinch of salt

For the Maple Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar 130g
2 Tablespoons milk plus more as needed
1 Tablespoon pure maple syrup

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.

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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