With a sweet potato dough, a brown sugar filling and a nutty browned butter frosting, these sweet potato cinnamon rolls are a crowd-pleaser for holiday breakfasts, potlucks or cozy weekend mornings. Below you’ll find clear instructions, helpful tips for make-ahead and freezing options, and a complete ingredient and instruction list for baking a single 9″x13″ casserole of rolls.
Disclaimer: This post was sponsored by Ello; all opinions are my own.
The holiday season brings extra cooking for family, friends and gatherings. If you’re used to cooking for two, feeding a crowd can feel overwhelming. That’s why I love one-dish recipes like these sweet potato cinnamon rolls: they combine fluffy, spiced dough with a buttery brown sugar filling and a browned butter glaze, and bake up in a single casserole dish.
Using a quality glass baking dish lets you prepare, store and bake the rolls in the same container. The sealing lids on some dishes make it easy to refrigerate or transport your rolls without extra bowls or storage containers.
How to make sweet potato cinnamon rolls
1. Brown the butter for the frosting.
Place the butter for the frosting in a small saucepan and bring it to a gentle boil over medium heat. Stir continuously so the butter browns evenly. As it cooks, the butter will foam, which can make it hard to see the color. If needed, remove the pan from the heat briefly so the foam subsides and you can judge the color.
You’ll know the butter is perfectly browned when it turns light brown, you see small browned bits on the bottom and it gives off a nutty aroma. Pour the browned butter into a bowl, cover and let it cool—overnight is fine. If the butter smells burnt, strain out the dark solids with a fine-mesh sieve and discard them, keeping the golden liquid.
2. Make the sweet potato dough.
Warm the milk until it feels warm to the touch (not hot), then stir in the active dry yeast and let it proof until frothy, about 5 minutes. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, brown sugar, salt, ground ginger and ground nutmeg. Add the proofed yeast mixture, sweet potato puree, melted butter and egg.
Using a dough hook, knead the mixture until it becomes smooth and elastic, about five minutes. The dough should be soft but not sticky. Place it in a greased bowl, cover and let it rise in a warm place until doubled in size, roughly one hour.
Turn the risen dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll it into a 12″x16″ rectangle. Spread the softened butter reserved for the filling evenly over the dough. Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and sprinkle it over the buttered dough. Roll the dough into a log along the long edge and slice into 10–12 rolls with a sharp knife or kitchen string.
Using string to cut the rolls helps them keep a neat round shape: slide the string under the log, bring the ends up and cross them over the top, then pull until the string slices through. Arrange the rolls in a greased 9″x13″ baking dish with space to rise. Let them rise another 30–40 minutes, or until they expand to fill the pan.
Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 25–30 minutes, or until golden brown. To check doneness, gently tug at the center with a toothpick: a little give with a cooked appearance is ideal. If the center lifts easily and looks raw, bake a bit longer; if it won’t budge at all, it may be overbaked.
3. Make the browned butter frosting.
Whisk the cooled browned butter and powdered sugar together in a bowl and beat on high until smooth and lump-free. Spread the frosting over the still-warm rolls so it melts slightly and becomes glossy. Serve warm for the best texture and flavor.
These rolls are best enjoyed the day they’re baked, but tightly sealed storage will keep them fresh for a couple of days.
A few tips for making sweet potato cinnamon rolls
- Salvaging overcooked browned butter: If your browned butter smells burnt, strain out the dark solids with a fine-mesh sieve and use the remaining liquid.
- Best way to cut rolls: Use a sharp knife or kitchen string to retain perfectly round rolls; string tends to give the cleanest cut.
- How to test for doneness: Use a toothpick to tug the center slightly—look for a little give but a cooked appearance.
- Overnight option: Make the dough and refrigerate it overnight. When ready to bake, bring the dough to room temperature (30–60 minutes), roll, fill and proceed with the recipe.
- Freezing unbaked rolls: Slice the log into rolls, arrange them in the baking dish, freeze unrisen, then thaw and allow to rise before baking for best results.
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container for 2–3 days; gently reheat before serving.
Recipe
Ingredients
For the dough:
- ⅓ cup warm milk
- 2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- ½ tsp salt
- ⅔ cup sweet potato puree
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
For the filling:
- 5 tbsp very soft butter
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
For the browned butter frosting:
- ½ cup unsalted butter (to brown)
- 1 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Brown the butter for the frosting in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring until light brown. Pour into a bowl and cool.
- Combine warm milk and yeast; let proof until frothy, about 5 minutes.
- In a mixer bowl, whisk flour, brown sugar, salt, ginger and nutmeg.
- Add the proofed yeast, sweet potato puree, melted butter and egg. Knead with a dough hook until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.
- Place dough in a greased bowl, cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
- Turn dough onto a floured surface and roll into a 12″x16″ rectangle.
- Spread softened butter for the filling over the dough. Mix brown sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over the buttered surface.
- Roll the dough into a log from the long edge and cut into 10–12 rolls using a sharp knife or string.
- Arrange rolls in a greased 9″x13″ dish with room to rise. Let rise 30–40 minutes until they fill the pan.
- Bake at 350°F for 25–30 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Beat the cooled browned butter with powdered sugar until smooth. Spread over warm rolls and serve.
Notes
- If browned butter smells burnt, strain out the dark solids and use the liquid.
- Cut rolls with string or a sharp knife for best shape.
- For overnight prep, refrigerate the risen dough and proceed the next day after bringing it to room temperature.
- To freeze, slice the unrisen rolls, freeze in the dish, then thaw, let rise and bake when ready.
Nutrition (approximate)
- Serving Size: 1 roll
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 19.9 g
- Sodium: 229 mg
- Fat: 16.3 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Carbohydrates: 47.1 g
- Fiber: 1.5 g
- Protein: 4.7 g
- Cholesterol: 57 mg
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