Can I use canned sweet potato or yam?

Yes — drain it well and mash smooth. Canned purée is fine; canned candied yams in syrup should be rinsed and you should cut back the added sugar.

Does it taste strongly of sweet potato?

No — it's subtle. The potato mostly adds moisture, softness, and a gentle earthy sweetness that reads as cozy and warm rather than savory.

Can I use leftover mashed sweet potato with butter in it?

Yes, as long as it's plain-ish. Reduce the recipe's butter slightly and skip it if the mash is heavily sweetened or spiced already.

Sweet Potato Cinnamon Rolls

Name: Sweet Potato Cinnamon Rolls
Prep time: 140 min
Cook time: 26 min
Total time: 176 min
Yield: 12 rolls
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 0.5 cup warm whole milk (about 110°F); 2.25 tsp instant yeast; 1 cup smooth mashed sweet potato; 0.25 cup granulated sugar; 0.33 cup unsalted butter, melted; 1 egg large egg; 4 cup all-purpose flour; 1 tsp fine salt; 0.33 cup unsalted butter, softened; 0.75 cup packed brown sugar; 2 tbsp ground cinnamon; 0.25 tsp ground nutmeg; 4 oz cream cheese, softened; 0.25 cup unsalted butter, softened; 1 cup powdered sugar; 2 tbsp pure maple syrup; pinch of salt

Ultra-soft cinnamon rolls enriched with mashed sweet potato, which keeps the crumb tender for days and adds a warm, earthy sweetness under a maple cream cheese frosting.

a pan of cinnamon rolls made with warm golden-orange sweet-potato enriched dough (AI-generated editorial image) — Image: CinnamonRollsRecipe.com · AI-generated editorial (Flux)

Total time: 2 hr 56 min
Bake: 26 min
Yield: 12 rolls
Level: intermediate

The quick answer

Sweet potato cinnamon rolls fold about a cup of smooth mashed sweet potato into the dough. Because the potato adds moisture, hold back some of the milk and add flour as needed until the dough is soft and just slightly tacky — it will feel more supple than a plain roll dough.

Mashed sweet potato does for cinnamon roll dough what it does for a Thanksgiving casserole — it turns everything soft, moist, and gently sweet. Worked into an enriched dough, it gives the rolls a faint gold color, a pillowy crumb that stays tender well past day one, and a cozy autumn flavor that loves brown sugar, cinnamon, and a little maple in the frosting. It's a great way to use up a leftover roasted sweet potato, and the result feels like fall in a pan.

a sweet-potato cinnamon roll pulled apart to show a soft tender golden-orange crumb and cinnamon swirl (AI-generated editorial image) — The soft, pull-apart crumb you're after.

Ingredients

Make

rolls

Dough

½ cupwarm whole milk (about 110°F) — warm, not hot
2¼ tspinstant yeast — one packet
1 cupsmooth mashed sweet potato — roasted or steamed, cooled
¼ cupgranulated sugar
⅓ cupunsalted butter, melted
1 egglarge egg — room temperature
4 cupsall-purpose flour — plus more as needed
1 tspfine salt

Cinnamon filling

⅓ cupunsalted butter, softened
¾ cuppacked brown sugar
2 tbspground cinnamon
¼ tspground nutmeg

Maple cream cheese frosting

4 ozcream cheese, softened
¼ cupunsalted butter, softened
1 cuppowdered sugar
2 tbsppure maple syrup
pinch of salt

smooth mashed cooked sweet potato in a bowl being mixed into pale enriched dough (AI-generated editorial image) — A look at the method — follow the steps below.

Instructions

Whisk the warm milk and yeast and let it sit until foamy.
Surface looks foamy.
Mix in the mashed sweet potato, sugar, melted butter, and egg until smooth. Add flour and salt, then knead until soft and elastic, adding flour a tablespoon at a time only if it's too sticky to handle.
Dough is smooth, supple, slightly tacky.
Cover and rise in a warm spot until doubled.
Dough has doubled.
Roll into a 16x12-inch rectangle. Spread with softened butter and scatter the brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg evenly, leaving a clean edge.
Filling covers the dough edge to edge.
Roll up tightly from the long side, cut into 12 rolls, and arrange in a buttered 9x13 dish.
Rolls hold a tight spiral.
Cover and proof until puffy and touching.
Rolls look pillowy and fill the pan.
Bake at 350°F until golden and set in the center.
Tops are golden; center roll reads about 190°F.
Beat the frosting until smooth and spread over the warm rolls.
Frosting melts slightly into the tops.

Make ahead, store & reheat

Make ahead: Roast and mash the sweet potato up to 3 days ahead. Assemble through cutting, cover tightly, and refrigerate overnight; let sit at room temperature 45–60 minutes before baking.
Storage: Store covered at room temperature up to 3 days — the sweet potato keeps them notably moist.
Reheating: Microwave a roll 15–20 seconds, or warm the covered pan at 300°F for about 10 minutes.
Freezing: Freeze baked, unfrosted rolls up to 2 months; thaw, warm, then frost.

Substitutions

Mashed pumpkin or butternut squash instead of smooth mashed sweet potato
Plain cream cheese frosting or vanilla glaze instead of maple cream cheese frosting

Troubleshooting

Dough is too wet and sticky: Sweet potato varies in moisture — add flour a tablespoon at a time until the dough is supple and just tacky, and hold back milk if your mash is very wet.
Rolls are gummy in the center: Make sure the mash is smooth and fully cooled, and bake until the center roll reaches about 190°F.

Tools I reach for

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Frequently asked questions

Can I use canned sweet potato or yam?: Yes — drain it well and mash smooth. Canned purée is fine; canned candied yams in syrup should be rinsed and you should cut back the added sugar.
Does it taste strongly of sweet potato?: No — it's subtle. The potato mostly adds moisture, softness, and a gentle earthy sweetness that reads as cozy and warm rather than savory.
Can I use leftover mashed sweet potato with butter in it?: Yes, as long as it's plain-ish. Reduce the recipe's butter slightly and skip it if the mash is heavily sweetened or spiced already.

Nutrition (estimate): 1 roll (of 12) · ~420 kcal. Nutrition is an automated estimate and will vary with brands and exact quantities.

Food safety: don't taste dough containing raw flour or raw egg. Refrigerate anything with cream cheese frosting, and reheat leftovers until piping hot.