Sweet Potato Rolls

Sweet potato rolls piled in a ceramic baking dish.

Grab a light, fluffy sweet potato roll to round out your holiday meal. They are easy to make, slightly sweet and perfect with any dish.

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Homemade rolls are one of if not the best part of a holiday meal. Who is with me?! If you’re a bread connoisseur like me, then you are probably often on the hunt for new bread recipes to try.

In comes the sweet potato roll. I love a good potato roll but I was intrigued and wanted to try my hand at a sweet potato version. It just seemed perfect for holiday meals.

These sweet potato rolls turned out SO fluffy and they are easier to make than you may think. You should definitely plan for these slightly sweet rolls to hit your table soon.

Pan of sweet potato rolls with one removed to show the interior texture.

Ingredients for Sweet Potato Rolls

Here’s what you will need to whip up a batch of sweet potato rolls:

  • Sweet potato: You’ll need a sweet potato around .75 pounds. Peel and dice into 1-inch chunks.
  • Whole milk: The sweet potato is cooked in milk until tender. If you need a dairy free option, you can sub your milk of choice.
  • Active dry yeast: You’ll need one packet or 2 1/4 teaspoons of yeast for this recipe.
  • Granulated sugar: For a little sweetness and to feed the yeast.
  • Butter: There is melted butter in the dough as well as some brushed on the top after baking.
  • Salt: Brings flavor to the bread.
  • Eggs: Adds richness to the dough.
  • All-purpose flour: I wanted to keep it as simple as possible so this recipe uses all-purpose flour.
  • Honey: After baking, the rolls get a hefty brush of honey butter while still hot. It adds a delicious, sticky sweetness to the rolls. You can skip this part if you want.
Sweet potato rolls piled into a white ceramic square baking dish.

Make the Sweet Potato Puree

Peel and dice your sweet potato. You’ll want them to be in about 1-inch chunks.

Add to a small saucepan and add the milk. Bring to a simmer and cook until the sweet potatoes are tender. This will take about 15 to 20 minutes.

Keep an eye on the sweet potatoes and if too much milk is absorbed add an extra glug so they don’t dry out. When they are done, not much liquid will be left and that’s ok. The puree will be thick.

Once the potatoes are tender it’s time to mash them into a super smooth puree. I personally like to use my immersion blender. You could also puree them in a food processor or blender.

A potato masher will work too, just make sure to get all the lumps out. Remove from the hot pan and smooth out in a shallow bowl or plate to allow it to cool quickly.

You will need 1 cup of puree. You will probably have a little over that amount.

Close up of sweet potato roll.

Prepare the Sweet Potato Roll Dough

While the puree is cooling, whisk together the water, yeast and sugar in the bowl of your stand mixer. Let it sit for 10 minutes to bubble and activate.

Add sweet potato puree, melted butter, sugar and eggs. Mix until combined. Next, add the flour, 1 cup at a time, until the dough just comes together.

A sticky ball of dough will form and you’ll know it’s done.

Sweet potato roll dough in a large white bowl before it has risen.

Let It Rise

Place the dough in a greased large mixing bowl. Flip the dough to coat all sides.

Cover with a kitchen towel and place the bowl in a warm place to rise. It will need to be double in size. This should take about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Sweet potato roll dough in a large white bowl after it has risen.

Shape and Rise Again

Divide the dough into 16 equal pieces. Do the best you can, they don’t have to be perfect.

Roll each portion into a ball and place in two greased 9-inch round cake pans. The dough will be sticky and you won’t be able to make perfectly round balls.

8 sweet potato rolls shaped and place in round cake pan, not yet risen.

Cover pans with a kitchen towel and let rise again until doubled. This step will take 30 to 45 minutes (depending on how warm your home is).

8 risen sweet potato rolls in round cake pan.

Baking and Finishing Touches

Bake the rolls for about 15 minutes. They will be lightly brown and perfectly fluffy when they are done.

While they are baking, whisk together the melted butter and honey. As soon as you pull the rolls out of the oven, brush them with the honey butter mixture. Best served warm.

8 sweet potato rolls baked in a round cake pan and brushed with honey butter.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make these ahead of time? Yes you can but I don’t recommend more than a day in advance. Warm in a 200 degree oven before serving for best results.

Can I make the dough the night before? You can! Make the dough then instead of rising it until doubled, cover it with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator. It will rise in the fridge overnight. In the morning, remove from the oven and form dough balls. Rise until doubled. Because the dough will be cold from the refrigerator, it will take longer to rise.

Can I make these rolls dairy free? I haven’t tried this but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. Sub in your prefered milk for the sweet potatoes or just use water to boil them. If you use water, drain before pureeing. Sub in your favorite dairy-free butter.

Can I make these gluten free? I am not a gluten free baker and have not tested this recipe with gluten free flour. I would recommend searching specifically for a gluten free recipe. You could try gluten free all-purpose flour but I can’t guarantee the outcome.

8 sweet potato rolls baked in a round cak pan with one removed and tilted to show interior.

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Sweet potato rolls piled in a ceramic baking dish.
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Sweet Potato Rolls

Grab a light, fluffy sweet potato roll to round out your holiday meal. They are easy to make, slightly sweet and perfect with any dish.
Prep Time3 hours 30 minutes
Active Time20 minutes
Total Time3 hours 50 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: sweet potato roll
Yield: 16 rolls

Ingredients

  • 3/4 pound sweet potato, peeled and diced into 1-inch chunks
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1 .25 ounce packet active dry yeast (or 2 1/4 teaspoon)
  • 1/2 cup warm water (105 to 110 degrees F)
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 4 Tablespoons butter
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour

For honey butter:

  • 2 Tablespoons melted butter
  • 2 Tablespoons honey

Instructions

  • Combine sweet potatoes and milk in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until softened. Watch the mixture and if it starts to get too dry, add a glug of milk or water. By the end, almost everything will be evaporated but make sure there is a little liquid while cooking. Puree the mixture and place in a bowl to cool to room temperature.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine yeast, warm water and granulated sugar. Stir to dissolve then let sit for 10 minutes, until foamy.
  • Meanwhile, melt 4 tablespoons butter and allow to cool slightly. After the yeast is activated, add sweet potato puree, melted butter, salt and eggs. Mix until combined. Add flour, 1 cup at a time, until a soft ball of dough forms. It will be sticky.
  • Grease a large bowl with nonstick spray or olive oil. Add dough to bowl and flip to ensure it's all coated. Cover with a kitchen towel and place in a warm area to rise until doubled, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
  • Punch risen dough and let rest for 5 minutes. While dough is resting, grease two 9-inch cake pans. Divide dough into 16 equal sized balls. Roll and place evenly among each cake pan. I placed 7 around the edge of the pan and one in the middle. Cover with towel and rise until doubled, about 30 to 45 minutes. While they are rising, preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
  • Bake rolls for 12 to 18 minutes, until golden (mine took 15 minutes). While rolls are baking mix together the melted butter and honey. Brush the rolls with the honey butter as soon as they are done baking. Serve warm.

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