The Best Sweet Potato Cinnamon Rolls

Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegetarian

Prep Time: 30

Cook Time: 30

Rising Time: 1 30

Total Time: 2 30

Servings: rolls

Calories: 645kcal

Author: Jazzmine Woodard

Soft and cozy cinnamon rolls with sweet potato in the dough and the cream cheese frosting!

Print Recipe

Equipment

Ingredients

For the Dough

¾ cup milk
3 tablespoons granulated sugar divided
7 grams active dry yeast typically one packet
5 cups all-purpose flour plus more for dusting
2 eggs beaten and at room temperature
¾ cup sweet potato puree
½ cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon bourbon whiskey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste

For the Filling

1 ½ cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
¾ cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature

For the Frosting

2 cups powdered sugar
4 ounces cream cheese softened to room temperature
¼ cup sweet potato puree
2 tablespoons unsalted butter softened to room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract or 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste
1 pinch fine sea salt

Instructions

Make the Dough: Warm milk to 110 degrees Fahrenheit, then add to the bowl of a stand mixer. Use a whisk or kitchen spoon to dissolve two tablespoons of granulated sugar in the milk. Mix in yeast and set aside for about 10 minutes or until foamy.
*If the milk gets too hot, don't worry. Just let it cool down to between 110 and 120 degrees F before adding sugar and yeast.
¾ cup milk, 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, 7 grams active dry yeast
Add remaining sugar, flour, eggs, sweet potato puree, butter, salt, bourbon, and vanilla, then secure the bowl to the base of your stand mixer and attach the dough hook. Mix at low speed until the mixture starts to become dough-like (about 45s to one minute), then increase to medium speed for about five minutes or until you have a smooth, slightly sticky dough. Use floured hands to remove any dough from the hook and shape the dough into a ball, then place it back into the mixing bowl, cover with a damp towel, and set aside in a warm spot to rest and rise until it doubles in size (about one hour ).
*If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can knead the dough by hand on a floured surface for about 10 minutes.
5 cups all-purpose flour, 2 eggs, ¾ cup sweet potato puree, ½ cup unsalted butter, 1 teaspoon fine sea salt, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon bourbon whiskey
Make the Filling: Mix up the brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside.
1 ½ cup brown sugar, 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
Assemble and Proof the Rolls: Dust your cutting board or work surface with flour. Punch or press the middle of the dough to flatten out air and turn it out onto the floured surface. Knead the dough for a minute or two, then shape it into a rectangle. Use rolling pin to roll out the dough into a large rectangle that’s about 12 x 18 inches and about ⅓ inch thick.
Spread the butter all over the dough, stopping about half an inch from the edges. Cover the butter with the brown sugar mixture, then gently press it into the butter to help it stick.
¾ cup unsalted butter
Roll the dough, starting at one of the short edges, into a tight spiral (but don’t squeeze the dough so much that it changes shape) until it reaches the other edge. Press that edge of dough against the log to seal it. Use a knife to score the log into 12 equal sections, then use the same knife or a string of unflavored dental floss to cut the log into pieces.
Line baking dish with parchment paper or grease with a bit of softened butter, then place the rolls in the pan and cover with a damp towel and set in a warm spot to proof until doubled in size (about 25 minutes).
Bake the Rolls: Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Uncover the rolls and transfer to oven to bake for about 30 minutes or until the rolls are golden brown, and the cinnamon filling is gooey.
Make the Frosting: While the rolls bake, use stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment or a hand mixer to beat together powdered sugar, cream cheese, sweet potato puree, butter, vanilla, and salt until smooth and creamy.
4 ounces cream cheese, 2 cups powdered sugar, ¼ cup sweet potato puree, 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 1 pinch fine sea salt
Finish and Serve: Let the baked cinnamon rolls cool for about 10 minutes then spread frosting over top, and enjoy warm.

Notes

Preparation

I prefer for my rolls to smoosh up against each other, which exposes some of the swirl to more heat while baking. This creates a crackly, bruleed effect with the brown sugar for a nice contrast to the softness of the rolls. If you don't want this, use a larger pan or two pans.

Modifications

This recipe makes 12 jumbo cinnamon rolls as written. To make two dozen smaller rolls, just roll the dough along the long edge instead of the short edge in step six, then cut it into 24 pieces.

To make overnight sweet potato cinnamon rolls, do not let the rolls rise for a second time during step seven. Instead, cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and transfer it to the refrigerator for up to 12 hours. When ready to bake, remove the pan from the fridge and let the rolls rise covered for up to two hours or until doubled in size, then continue with the recipe as written. Remove the plastic wrap before baking.

Storage

Store the rolls in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days, then in the refrigerator for up to five, for a total of seven days of storage time before the quality may begin to degrade.

To freeze, cool the cinnamon rolls to room temperature. You can either frost them or reserve the frosting until you're ready to eat. Either way, wrap each roll individually with plastic wrap, followed by a layer of aluminum foil, before placing in the freezer. I like to also put all the wrapped rolls in an airtight, freezer-safe container for good measure. Alternatively, you can wrap the entire pan of rolls with a couple layers of plastic wrap, then a sheet of aluminum foil. Once frozen, they will keep for up to three months.

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