Sweet Potato Cinnamon Rolls

If you love homemade cinnamon rolls, you need to try these sweet potato cinnamon rolls. They’re soft, fluffy and filled with plenty of that lovely cinnamon sugar filling, but with a little fall twist.

The sweet potato works so well in the dough too. You don’t get an overpowering sweet potato flavor, it just adds a subtle sweetness and helps make the rolls really soft.

I think these would be lovely for a cozy weekend breakfast, but they’d be perfect for Thanksgiving or Christmas morning too. Especially with a big mug of coffee while they’re still warm!

Equipment

• Stand mixer with dough hook (helpful, but not essential)
• Large mixing bowl
• Rolling pin
• Sharp knife or unflavored dental floss for cutting the rolls
• 9×14-inch baking dish

Ingredients

Dough

• Whole milk – Warm the milk to around 110°F so it’s warm enough to help activate the yeast without being too hot.

• Granulated sugar – This adds sweetness to the dough, with some of it also used to get the yeast going.

• Active dry yeast – This is what gives the cinnamon rolls their lovely soft, fluffy rise.

• Egg – Let the egg come to room temperature before you start so it mixes into the dough more easily.

• Unsalted butter – Make sure the butter is nice and soft so it combines easily with the other ingredients.

• Sweet potato purée – The star of the recipe! You’ll want smooth sweet potato purée without any added seasoning or other ingredients.

• All-purpose flour – Regular all-purpose flour works perfectly here, and you’ll need a little extra for dusting your work surface too.

• Kosher salt – Just a teaspoon helps balance out all the sweetness in the dough.

Filling

• Unsalted butter – Softened butter makes it much easier to spread right across the rolled-out dough.

• Light brown sugar – This gives you that lovely sweet, slightly caramel-like filling inside the rolls.

• Ground cinnamon – You can use between 1 and 1½ tablespoons depending on how cinnamon-y you like your cinnamon rolls.

• Ground nutmeg – Just a little nutmeg adds some extra warmth and works really well with the sweet potato and cinnamon.

• Kosher salt – A small amount helps balance the sweetness of the brown sugar filling.

Maple Cream Cheese Icing

• Cream cheese – Use block cream cheese and let it soften to room temperature so you get a lovely smooth icing.

• Unsalted butter – You’ll want this softened too so it blends properly with the cream cheese.

• Powdered sugar – This sweetens and thickens the icing until it’s just right for spreading over the rolls.

• Maple flavor or extract – This gives the icing that lovely maple flavor that goes so well with the sweet potato and warm spices.

• Vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract – Either works here and adds a little extra sweetness and vanilla flavor to the icing.

Topping

• Chopped pecans – These are completely optional, but I love the little bit of crunch they add on top of the finished cinnamon rolls.

Recipe Instructions

Full measurements and cooking times can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Step 1: In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the warm milk and 2 tablespoons of the sugar.

Step 2: Sprinkle the yeast on top and mix well. Let the mixture sit for 7–10 minutes, or until foamy.

Step 3: Once the mixture is foamy, add the remaining sugar, egg, butter, sweet potato purée, flour and 1 teaspoon kosher salt.

Step 4: Mix the ingredients using the dough hook on low speed until everything is incorporated.

Step 5: Increase the speed to medium and knead the dough for 5 minutes. The dough should be smooth and elastic and shouldn’t be sticking to the bowl. If it is still sticking, add a little more flour.

Step 6: Lightly grease a large bowl and shape the dough into a ball. Place it in the bowl, cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and leave to rise for 90 minutes. If you want to make the dough ahead, instead of leaving it to rise for 90 minutes, place the covered dough in the refrigerator and allow it to cold proof for 8–10 hours.

Step 7: After the first proof, punch down the dough to knock out the air, then turn it out onto a lightly floured surface.

Step 8: Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out to approximately 15 × 10 inches.

Step 9: Spread the softened butter over the dough, leaving a small margin around the edges.

Step 10: Combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and ¼ teaspoon kosher salt in a small bowl.

Step 11: Sprinkle the brown sugar mixture evenly over the butter and gently rub it in with your hands, again leaving a small margin around the edges.

Step 12: Starting from one of the long sides, roll the dough into a tight log with the seam side facing down.

Step 13: Pinch the seam to seal the dough.

Step 14: Using a large serrated bread knife or unscented dental floss, cut the log crosswise into 12 equal pieces.

Step 15: Spray a 9 × 14-inch baking dish with cooking spray, then arrange the rolls in 3 rows of 4, leaving a little space between them so they have room to expand.

Step 16: Cover the pan with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel. Leave the rolls to proof somewhere warm until puffy, about 60 minutes. If you used the overnight cold-proof method, allow around 90 minutes for this second proof.

Step 17: Towards the end of the proofing time, preheat the oven to 350°F.

Step 18: Remove the plastic wrap or kitchen towel and bake the sweet potato cinnamon rolls for around 30 minutes, until lightly golden brown.

Step 19: While the rolls are baking, make the maple cream cheese icing. Using a stand mixer or handheld electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth.

Step 20: Add the powdered sugar, maple extract and vanilla.

Step 21: Continue mixing until the icing is well combined, silky smooth and free from any lumps. Set aside until the rolls have finished baking.

Step 22: Once the rolls are baked, spread the maple cream cheese icing over the top.

Step 23: Finish with chopped pecans, if desired.

What to Serve with Sweet Potato Cinnamon Rolls

These sweet potato cinnamon rolls are definitely sweet enough to be the star of breakfast, so I like the idea of keeping anything you serve alongside them pretty simple. They’re great with a hot drink on a lazy weekend morning, or you can add a few savory bits if you’re putting together a bigger brunch.

• Fresh fruit – Berries, sliced apples, grapes or whatever you already have in the fridge work well.

• Bacon or breakfast sausage – Something salty and savory is really good alongside the sweet cinnamon rolls.

• Scrambled eggs – An easy way to turn them into more of a proper breakfast.

• Coffee – Probably my first choice! The maple, cinnamon and sweet potato flavors are so good with a big mug of coffee.

• Hot chocolate – A lovely one for a cozy fall or Christmas morning breakfast.

• Fresh orange juice – Something cold and fresh is nice alongside a warm, sweet cinnamon roll.

Storing

Because of the cream cheese icing, I’d keep any leftover sweet potato cinnamon rolls in the fridge. Pop them into an airtight container and they should keep well for around 3–4 days.

They’re definitely nicest when they’re warm, so I’d give one a quick reheat before eating it. Just warm it gently in the microwave until it’s soft again. You don’t need long, especially if it already has the icing on top.

Variations & Substitutions

There are a few easy ways you can change these up depending on what you have in the kitchen or the flavors you like. I wouldn’t mess around too much with the dough itself, but the filling, icing and toppings are really easy to play around with.

• Swap the pecans – Walnuts would work really well here too, or you can leave the nuts off completely.

• Leave out the maple – If you’re not a big maple fan, skip the maple extract and make a simple vanilla cream cheese icing instead.

• Add more cinnamon – The recipe gives you a little wiggle room with the cinnamon, so go for the full 1½ tablespoons if you like a stronger cinnamon flavor.

• Add some orange – A little orange zest in the cream cheese icing would be really nice with the sweet potato and warm spices.

• Try pumpkin spice – You could swap the cinnamon and nutmeg for pumpkin pie spice for even more of a fall flavor.

• Skip the icing – They’ll obviously be less sweet, but you could leave off the cream cheese icing if you prefer a simpler cinnamon roll.

FAQs

Can you use sweet potato in cinnamon rolls?

Yes! Sweet potato purée works really well in cinnamon roll dough. It adds a little natural sweetness and helps give these sweet potato cinnamon rolls their lovely soft texture.

Can I make sweet potato cinnamon rolls ahead of time?

Yes. Instead of leaving the dough to rise for 90 minutes, cover it and pop it in the fridge to cold proof for 8–10 hours. When you’re ready to continue, allow a little extra time for the second proof, around 90 minutes rather than 60.

Can I use canned sweet potato purée?

Yes, canned sweet potato purée is an easy option. Just make sure you’re using plain sweet potato purée rather than sweet potato pie filling, which has other ingredients added to it.

Can I make my own sweet potato purée?

Absolutely. Cook your sweet potato until completely soft, then mash or blend it until smooth. Let the purée cool before adding it to your cinnamon roll dough.

Why didn't my cinnamon roll dough rise?

The yeast is usually the first thing to check. Your milk should be warm at around 110°F rather than really hot, as too much heat can kill the yeast. Make sure your yeast becomes nice and foamy before adding the rest of the dough ingredients.

How do I know when sweet potato cinnamon rolls are ready to bake?

After their second proof, the rolls should look noticeably bigger and puffy. This normally takes around 60 minutes, although rolls made with dough that's been cold proofed overnight may need closer to 90 minutes.

How long do sweet potato cinnamon rolls last?

Because these cinnamon rolls have cream cheese icing, keep any leftovers covered in the refrigerator. They should keep well for around 3–4 days and are lovely warmed up again before serving.

Are sweet potato cinnamon rolls good for Thanksgiving breakfast?

Definitely. The sweet potato, cinnamon, nutmeg and maple flavors make these a really nice fall breakfast and they'd be perfect for Thanksgiving morning or brunch. You could make the dough the night before too, which saves a bit of work in the morning.

Can I make these sweet potato cinnamon rolls for Christmas morning?

Yes! These are a lovely Christmas morning cinnamon roll, especially with the maple cream cheese icing. Using the overnight method means you can get most of the dough prep done on Christmas Eve too.