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    Home » All Breakfasts

    Published: Nov 7, 2019 · Modified: Nov 16, 2022 by Claire

    Sweet Potato Cinnamon Rolls

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    Jump To Recipe Print Recipe

    With a sweet potato dough, a brown sugar filling and a delicious browned butter frosting, these sweet potato cinnamon rolls are sure to be a hit wherever you take them! Scroll all the way through for tips on how to work ahead by making these overnight or freezing them.

    overhead photo of multiple hands around a plate of cinnamon rolls

    Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Ello but all words and thoughts are my own.

    The holiday season is nearly upon us which means potlucks, family meals and cooking for relatives abound!

    Normally, I cook for two, which means cooking for 4 or 8 or even an office potluck is significantly more cooking than I'm used to.

    So as you can imagine, I'm all about a one dish recipe for the busy holiday season... Like these easy, peasy sweet potato cinnamon rolls. They're a one bowl, one casserole dish wonder with all the trappings of holiday baked goodness: Fluffy sweet potato dough, brown sugar filling and a slightly nutty-flavored browned butter frosting.

    And if you grab yourself an Ello DuraGlass baking dishes to make these in, these babies can go from freezer to fridge to oven all in one container.

    Plus I'm literally living for the sealing lids that come with each of these dishes.

    How to make sweet potato cinnamon rolls

    First, brown the butter for the browned butter frosting.

    In a small sauce pan, bring the butter for the frosting to a gentle boil over medium heat.

    Once the butter begins to boil, you'll want to stir it continually to make sure it browns evenly. As the butter browns, it'll also start to develop a foam, which can make it hard to see how much the butter has browned.

    If this happens, don't be afraid to remove the butter from the heat so that the froth diminishes and you can see where your butter is at in the browning phase.

    You know your butter has reached browning perfection when it's light brown, there are visible browned bits in the bottom and it has a nutty smell.

    Pour the browned butter into a bowl, cover and allow it to set overnight.

    If you overcooked the browned butter and it smells burnt rather than nutty, you can simply strain the burnt bits out with a fine mesh sieve. Discard the solids and use the remaining liquid butter.

    collage of dough rising

    Second, make the sweet potato dough.

    Combine the warm milk and the active dry yeast and allow to proof until frothy (about 5 minutes).

    In order you give your yeast the best environment possible to grow, you want your milk to feel warm to the touch but not hot.

    In the bowl of a stand mixer, stir together the flour, brown sugar, salt, ground ginger and ground nutmeg.

    Add the remaining ingredients and, using a dough hook, knead the dough until it's smooth and elastic (about 5 minutes).

    At this point the dough should be soft but not sticky.

    Place the dough in a greased bowl (this could literally be the bowl you just made it in), cover and allow to rise in a warm place until double in size (about an hour).

    dough rolled out with filling on top

    Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a 12″x16″ rectangle.

    Spread the softened butter for the filling out over the dough.

    In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar and cinnamon for the filling. Sprinkle the filling over the buttered dough.

    Roll the dough into a log along the long edge and use a sharp knife or string to cut the dough into 10-12 rolls.

    cutting cinnamon rolls with string

    Personally, I find that using string helps the cinnamon rolls retain their perfect circular shape. To cut the dough with string, simply work your sting under the log, bring the ends up, over and across to the other side, pulling until the string slices all the way through.

    Place the rolls in your greased 9"x13" Ello DuraGlass casserole dish with enough room between them to rise. Allow the rolls to rise for 30-40 more minutes or until they fill up the pan.

    cinnamon rolls in a pan

    Bake your sweet potato cinnamon rolls at 350F for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.

    A great way to test for doneness: Use a toothpick to gently tug at the center of your cinnamon rolls. If it easily slides up and looks raw, it needs to bake a little longer. If it won't budge, it's probably a little overcooked. The sweet spot is right when the center has a little bit of give but looks cooked through.

    baked cinnamon rolls that are partially iced

    Finally, make the frosting.

    The frosting for these cinnamon rolls really couldn't be easier!

    Simply combine the browned butter and powdered sugar in a bowl, and beat on high until smooth and lump-free.

    Spread the browned butter frosting over the top of your still-warm cinnamon rolls and serve!

    These cinnamon rolls are best eaten the day of, but if you don't manage that, the Ello DuraGlass dishes all come with handy lids that seal in all that baked goodness.

    close up of cinnamon roll

    A few tips for making these sweet potato cinnamon rolls

    • Your browned butter is overcooked: If you overcook your browned butter and it has a burnt smell, you can salvage it by straining out the burned bits with a fine mesh sieve.
    • Cutting the cinnamon rolls: Be sure to use a really sharp knife or a string to help the rolls retain their round shape. To cut cinnamon rolls with string, slide the string under the dough log, bring it up, over and continue pulling until the string cuts clean through.
    • Testing for doneness: To test if your cinnamon rolls are done, use a toothpick to gently tug at the center. You want the to be able to pull the center slightly up and have it look cooked through.
    • Overnight cinnamon rolls: Don't have time to make these in one go? Simply make the dough and allow it to rise overnight in the refrigerator. To use, bring the dough to room temperature (about 30-60 minutes), roll it out and continue with the recipe.
    • Freezing: If you want to work ahead by freezing your unbaked cinnamon rolls, simply take them all the way through to slicing them up and freeze them (unrisen) in your dish. To bake, allow them to thaw and rise before baking as directed.
    • Storage: Store any leftover cinnamon rolls in your airtight Ello DuraGlass dish for 2-3 days.

    packing up leftover cinnamon rolls with dirty dishes

    Like what you see? Check out Ello's full line of bakeware including their 8"x8" dish, 9"x13" casserole dish and their 6 piece bake and store set!

    Print

    Recipe

    Sweet Potato Cinnamon Rolls

    baked cinnamon rolls that are partially iced
    Print Recipe

    ★★★★★

    5 from 10 reviews

    With a sweet potato dough, a brown sugar filling and a delicious browned butter frosting, these sweet potato cinnamon rolls are sure to be a hit wherever you take them!

    • Author: The Simple, Sweet Life
    • Prep Time: 2 hours 20 minutes
    • Cook Time: 30 minutes
    • Total Time: 2 hours 50 minutes
    • Yield: 10-12 1x
    • Category: Breakfast
    • Cuisine: American

    Ingredients

    Units Scale

    For the dough:

    • ⅓ cup warm milk
    • 2 ¼ tsp dry active 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 butter, very soft
    • ¼ cup brown sugar
    • 2 tsp ground cinnamon

    For the browned butter frosting:

    • ½ cup unsalted butter
    • 1 cup powdered sugar

    Instructions

    1. In a small sauce pan, bring the butter for the frosting to a gentle boil over medium heat.
    2. Stir continually until the butter is a light brown color. Pour the browned butter into a bowl and allow to set overnight.
    3. Combine the warm milk and the active dry yeast. Allow to proof until frothy (about 5 minutes).
    4. In the bowl of a stand mixer, stir together the dry ingredients for the cinnamon rolls (flour, brown sugar, salt, ground ginger and ground nutmeg).
    5. Add the remaining ingredients and, using a dough hook, knead until the dough is smooth and elastic (about 5 minutes).
    6. Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover and allow to rise in a warm place until double in size (about an hour).
    7. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a 12"x16" rectangle.
    8. Spread the softened butter for the filling out over the dough.
    9. In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar and cinnamon for the filling. Sprinkle the filling over the buttered dough.
    10. Roll the dough into a log from the long edge.
    11. Use a sharp knife or string to cut the dough into 10-12 rolls. Place the rolls in a greased 13"x16" dish with enough room between them to rise.
    12. Allow the rolls to rise for 30-40 more minutes or until they fill out the pan.
    13. Bake at 350F for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.
    14. In a bowl, beat together the browned butter and powdered sugar. Spread the frosting on top of the stir warm cinnamon rolls.

    Notes

    • Your browned butter is overcooked: If you overcook your browned butter and it has a burnt smell, you can salvage it by straining out the burned bits with a fine mesh sieve.
    • Cutting the cinnamon rolls: Be sure to use a really sharp knife or a string to help the rolls retain their round shape. To cut cinnamon rolls with string, slide the string under the dough log, bring it up, over and continue pulling until the string cuts clean through.
    • Testing for doneness: To test if your cinnamon rolls are done, use a toothpick to gently tug at the center. You want the to be able to pull the center slightly up and have it look cooked through.
    • Overnight cinnamon rolls: Don't have time to make these in one go? Simply make the dough and allow it to rise overnight in the refrigerator. To use, bring the dough to room temperature (about 30-60 minutes), roll it out and continue with the recipe.
    • Freezing: If you want to work ahead by freezing your unbaked cinnamon rolls, simply take them all the way through to slicing them up and freeze them (unrisen) in your dish. To bake, allow them to thaw and rise before baking as directed.
    • Storage: Store any leftover cinnamon rolls in your airtight container for 2-3 days.

    Dough recipe adapted from Style Sweet 

    Nutrition

    • Serving Size: 1
    • Calories: 350
    • Sugar: 19.9g
    • Sodium: 229mg
    • Fat: 16.3g
    • Saturated Fat: 10g
    • Carbohydrates: 47.1g
    • Fiber: 1.5g
    • Protein: 4.7g
    • Cholesterol: 57mg

    Keywords: sweet potato cinnmon roll, cinnamon roll recipe, how to make cinnamon rolls

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tag @thesimplesweetlifeblog on Instagram and hashtag it #thesimplesweetlife

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    Share Something Sweet!

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    Comments

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      Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

    1. Sue says

      November 07, 2019 at 2:45 pm

      These look super delicious! I can't wait to try them. Your baking and photography are fantastic! I'll have to check out those baking dishes.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    2. Megan Ellam says

      November 07, 2019 at 7:32 pm

      Wow Claire, these look amazing! Love the use of sweet potato as a "hidden" veg. Thanks for sharing

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    3. Nicoletta De Angelis Nardelli says

      November 08, 2019 at 2:08 pm

      Never had a sweet potato cinnamon roll but would love to try! Love sweet potatoes and I'm pretty sure I'd love these sweet treats. It seems a pretty straightforward recipe, thank you for the tips!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    4. Gail says

      November 08, 2019 at 2:16 pm

      How perfect are those swirls?! I'm obsessed with any kind of cinnamon roll but I absolutely must try a sweet potato version. This is Fall in a bun!!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    5. Anne Lawton says

      November 09, 2019 at 8:46 am

      It can't get much better than cinnamon, sweet potatoes and rolls all in one ! Can't wait to make these.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    6. Shelley says

      November 09, 2019 at 10:18 am

      Oh my goodness - what an awesome idea to pack all the fall comfort-food-holiday vibe of sweet potatoes into these gorgeous cinnamon rolls! So many great little tips, too - like about using a string to cut the rolls so they don't lose their shape. But best of all - I seriously didn't know you could salvage burnt browned butter by straining it - brilliant! Great post! Thank you!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    7. Jamie says

      November 10, 2019 at 1:45 am

      This is my new favorite breakfast to have during the fall! The sweet potato flavor goes so well with the cinnamon. My whole family loves this recipe!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    8. Jenni LeBaron says

      November 10, 2019 at 1:27 pm

      These sweet potato cinnamon rolls are brilliant! I love making potato rolls that are savory because it does such great things to the dough, but sweet potato cinnamon rolls take the cake! Can't wait to devour a batch of these during the holiday season!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    9. SHANIKA says

      November 10, 2019 at 11:40 pm

      These sweet Potato Cinnamon Rolls look great! I love making them also! Such the perfect sweet treat for the entire family!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    10. Natalie says

      November 11, 2019 at 5:03 am

      Oh I must give this recipe a try. Looks and sounds fantastic. I love how you used sweet potato here. It's a must try, definitely. Can't wait!

      ★★★★★

      Reply

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