These Sweet Potato Cinnamon Rolls are made with a sweet potato filled dough and a sweet, spiced orange sweet potato pie filling. Then they’re topped with a thick layer of cream cheese icing for the perfect finish.
The Best Homemade Sweet Potato Cinnamon Rolls
If you’re an avid All the Healthy Things reader then you know I LOVE a good cinnamon roll. There are currently four different versions on the site and each of them are my very favorite, haha!
I love coming up with new cinnamon roll combinations every year and this year I knew I wanted to a sweet potato version. Pumpkin gets so much love every year, and even though I’m pumpkin’s biggest fan, I felt like sweet potato was getting left out. So, I made this sweet potato cinnamon rolls to highlight one of my favorite root veggies and they came out even better than I could have imagined.
These sweet potatoes are decadent yet balanced and filled with plenty of warming spices and fresh sweet orange. Oh, and as if the rolls themselves weren’t delicious enough, the brown butter cream cheese frosting just takes everything up a notch!
Watch How to Make This Recipe
More Reader Favorite Cinnamon Rolls Recipes
- Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls
- Banana Bread Cinnamon Rolls
- The Best Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
- The Best Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
- Apple Cinnamon Rolls with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Icing
Recipe Ingredients
Whole Milk: we’re using regular whole milk for these rolls. I’ve included some additional milk options below if you are interested!
Active Dry Yeast: yeast helps the rolls to rise. We’re using two packets of yeast for these sweet potato cinnamon rolls.
Sugar: a little bit of granulated sugar helps feed the yeast and sweeten the dough.
Butter: I prefer to use unsalted butter in both the dough and filling to prevent the rolls from being too salty.
Eggs: we’re using one whole egg and one egg yolk for the perfect chewy texture.
Vanilla Extract: we include lots of delicious vanilla flavor throughout the dough, filling, and icing.
Sweet Potato: you’ll need ¾ cup plain mashed sweet potato, which equals about 1 medium-sized sweet potato. I like to bake or microwave a whole sweet potato for this recipe before mashing and using in the dough. If you’ve never roasted sweet potatoes before then be sure to give this helpful how-to post a quick read.
Spices: ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cardamom, salt, and cloves add warmth to the dough and filling.
Orange Zest and Juice: I love the flavor of sweet potato and orange so there’s a bit of zest in the filling and orange juice in the cream cheese icing. You could leave this out of course but I really do think it gives the rolls a little something special.
All-Purpose Flour: you’ll need flour for the dough as well as for kneading and rolling out the dough.
Dark Brown Sugar: you’ll use this in the cinnamon roll filling.
Ingredient Substitutions
- Do I have to use whole milk? – nope! you could swap the whole milk for butter milk or full fat coconut milk if you prefer.
- Can I make these dairy-free? – yes! Just use non-dairy milk like canned coconut milk and vegan butter!
- Can I add nuts? – absolutely! Chopped walnuts or pecans would both work in the filling. Half a cup works great!
Helpful Kitchen Tools
- CANDY THERMOMETER – this helps you make sure that the milk is just the right temperature so that your yeast properly activates.
- LARGE MIXING BOWL – you’ll need a bowl with a lot of room to mix the dough.
- WOODEN SPOON – I prefer using a wooden spoon to stir the dough because it has a nice firm handle.
- MEASURING TAPE – if you want evenly sized cinnamon rolls measuring tape is your best friend! Making sure that the rolls are the same size also helps to ensure they cook evenly as well!
- TEA TOWEL – to cover your dough while it rises.
- ROLLING PIN – you’ll need this to roll out the dough. I prefer to use a French rolling pin without handles to get the dough an even thickness.
- SERRATED KNIFE – this makes cutting the cinnamon roll dough a breeze! You can also use unflavored dental floss to cut the rolls but I prefer to use a sharp serrated knife.
- PARCHMENT PAPER – you’ll need this to line the baking dish and prevent any mess.
- 9×13 BAKING DISH – this recipe makes 12 cinnamon rolls so you’ll need a 9×13 pan to hold all the rolls.
How to Make Sweet Potato Cinnamon Rolls
Step One: Warm the milk to 110-115 degrees Fahrenheit. Then, transfer it to a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle the yeast on top of the warm milk, and sprinkle granulated sugar over the yeast. The yeast should begin to foam and become frothy. Next, add the melted butter, egg, egg yolk, vanilla extract, mashed sweet potato, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cardamom to the yeast mixture, and whisk until well combined.
Step Two: Sift the flour and salt into the wet ingredients. Then, use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to stir in the flour until a well-combined dough forms, making sure to incorporate all the flour from the sides of the bowl. You’ll know it’s time to move on to the next step once it becomes difficult to stir. The dough will be thick and shaggy and still quite a bit sticky. That’s okay!
Step Three: Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface. Then, use your hands to knead the dough for 8 to 10 minutes or until it becomes elastic and can easily be shaped into a smooth ball. The dough should feel slightly tacky but should not stick to your hands or the kneading surface. If the dough is still too sticky after kneading, add 1 tablespoon of flour at a time and continue to knead the dough until it becomes a smooth, elastic ball.
Step Four: Grease a clean, large bowl with one teaspoon of avocado oil. Then, transfer the ball of dough to the greased bowl. Cover the bowl with a tea towel, and let the dough rise in a warm area like your oven or stovetop for 1 to 1 ½ hours or until the dough doubles in size.
Step Five: While the dough is rising, make the filling by combining the dark brown sugar, spices, and vanilla in a small bowl.
Step Six: Once the dough has risen, punch it down to release the extra air. Then, transfer it to a lightly floured surface. Shape the dough into a rough rectangle, and use a rolling pin to roll it into a 20×16 rectangle that is roughly ¼ inch thick.
Step Seven: Use an offset spatula or knife to spread the softened butter evenly over the dough. Then, sprinkle the filling mixture over the butter, making sure to cover all the edges of the dough. Use your fingers to press the sugar mixture into the butter a bit.
Step Eight: Tightly roll up the dough on the long side, and place the log seam side down. Pinch the seam a bit so the rolls don’t unravel. Next, use a sharp serrated knife or unflavored dental floss to cut the roll into 12 equal-sized pieces. Place the cinnamon rolls in a 9×13 casserole dish lined with parchment paper leaving space between each piece. You should have 3 rows with 4 rolls per row!
Step Nine: Cover the casserole dish with a tea towel, and let the sweet potato cinnamon rolls rise for another 25 to 30 minutes or until they have nearly doubled in size.
Step Ten: Bake the cinnamon rolls on the center rack at 350 degrees for 23 to 25 minutes or until the rolls are a light golden brown color and sound hollow when tapped. Remove the cinnamon rolls from the oven, and let them cool for 10 minutes before icing.
The Best Cream Cheese Frosting
One of the best parts of cinnamon rolls is the thick layer of delicious cream cheese icing on top! These sweet potato cinnamon rolls are extra special because the icing is infused with cinnamon, vanilla extract, fresh orange juice, and nutty brown butter.
Baking Tips
Make sure your yeast is not expired – check the label on your packets of yeast to make sure that it hasn’t expired so that you get a good rise on your cinnamon rolls.
Don’t overheat or underheat your milk – in order for your yeast to activate properly you want to be sure that your milk is heated to 110-115 digress Fahrenheit. I like to heat my milk in a small pot on the stovetop, but you can also heat it in the microwave in increments of 15-20 seconds until warm. Use a candy thermometer to ensure the milk isn’t too hot or not hot enough.
Make sure your eggs are room temperature – this helps to keep the milk at the correct warm temperature.
Measure the flour correctly – be sure to measure your flour by spooning it into the measuring cup. Then, use a knife to level it out. Measuring it correctly will ensure that you don’t add too much flour to the dough, which will make the cinnamon rolls tough.
Swap AP flour for bread flour – I’ve made these rolls with both all-purpose flour and bread flour, and both ways come out great. However, if you want extra fluffy chewy cinnamon rolls, bread flour is a great option!
Use room temperature butter in the filling – I’ve tested these rolls with both melted butter and room temperature butter and room temperature butter wins every single time. I found that the filling leaked out of the rolls while baking when I used melted butter. Make sure it’s softened to room temperature so that it’s easily spreadable.
Use measuring tape – I used to really struggle with getting evenly-sized cinnamon rolls until I started to pull out my measuring tape. Now, I keep one in the kitchen, and it helps me to cut evenly sized cinnamon rolls every time.
Line your pan with parchment paper – if you want to make clean-up a breeze and keep your rolls from sticking, don’t forget to line your baking dish with parchment paper before adding the cinnamon rolls.
Don’t overbake – the cinnamon rolls should be a nice golden brown on the top and not too dark. If you tap the top of a roll and it sounds hollow then you know they’re done.
Practice makes perfect – here’s the thing with any type of cinnamon roll. You get better at making them the more you make them. I’ve made dozens of batches of various cinnamon at this point, and I still feel like I learn a new little trick or find something I want to tweak every time I make them. Just know that if you follow this recipe your rolls will be delicious, and you’ll feel even more confident making them with more practice!
Can I Make This Sweet Potato Cinnamon Rolls Recipe Ahead of Time?
Absolutely! Here’s an overview of how I make these the night before.
- To make overnight: Roll, cut, and place the cinnamon rolls in a parchment lined baking dish after they have finished their 1st rise. Then, cover the rolls tightly with plastic wrap and place in the fridge overnight. The next morning, remove the baking dish from the fridge and let the rolls finish their second rise in a warm area for about 45 minutes to 1 hour before baking.
How to Store and Reheat
Storage Notes: Wrap the cinnamon rolls tightly in plastic wrap, and store them in the fridge for up to 4 to 5 days (if they last that long!). The trick with storing cinnamon rolls is to make sure that they don’t dry out. So, keeping them tightly wrapped or stored in an airtight container is important.
Reheating Tips: My favorite way to reheat a cinnamon roll is in the microwave. Just place one cinnamon roll on a microwave-safe plate, cover it with a moist paper towel, and heat on medium-power or defrost for 10 to 15 seconds at a time until warmed through. Reheating the cinnamon rolls at a lower heat makes sure that they don’t dry out or become “overcooked’ in the microwave.
More Delicious Sweet Breakfast and Brunch Recipes
- Sweet Potato Coffee Cake with Sweet Orange Icing
- Pumpkin Streusel Muffins
- Brown Butter Banana Bread
- Apple Coffee Cake
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread
- Banana Coffee Cake with Peanut Butter Icing
- Lemon Blueberry Coffee Cake
I hope you give this Sweet Potato Cinnamon Rolls Recipe a try! They’re sweet, perfectly spiced, and so delicious. If you do give this recipe a try, I want to know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo & tag @allthehealthythings on INSTAGRAM. Your reviews help support All the Healthy Things and make it possible for me to continue to create the recipes you know and love.
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Sweet Potato Cinnamon Rolls
- Prep Time: 2 hours 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 12 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
These Sweet Potato Cinnamon Rolls are made with a sweet potato filled dough and a sweet, spiced orange sweet potato pie filling. Then they’re topped with a thick layer of cream cheese icing for the perfect finish.
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 – 1/4 oz packets active dry yeast
- 1/4 cup white granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
- 1 egg + 1 egg yolk, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup mashed sweet potato (about 1 medium sized sweet potato)
- 2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon cardamom
- 4 1/2 – 5 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Filling
- 6 tablespoon butter, softened
- 1 1/4 cups packed dark brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon orange zest (optional but so delicious!)
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon cardamom
- 1/4 teaspoon ground clove
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3/4 cup confectioner’s sugar, plus more to taste
- 1 tablespoon orange juice
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Warm the milk to 110-115 degrees Fahrenheit and then transfer to a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle the yeast on top of the warm milk and then sprinkle the granulated sugar over the yeast. The yeast should begin to foam and become frothy. If after 5 minutes the yeast still does not start to foam or become frothy, throw out the milk mixture and start again with new yeast. Next, add the melted butter, egg, and egg yolk, vanilla extract, mashed sweet potato, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cardamom to the yeast mixture and whisk together until well combined.
- Sift the flour and salt into the wet ingredients. Use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to stir in the flour until a well combined dough forms, being sure to incorporate all of the flour from the sides of the bowl. You’ll know it’s time to move on to the next step once it becomes hard to stir. The dough will be thick and shaggy and still quite a bit sticky and that’s ok!
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and then use your hands to knead the dough for 8-10 minutes until it becomes elastic and can easily form into a smooth ball. The dough should feel slightly tacky but it should not stick to your hands or the kneading surface. If the dough is still too sticky after kneading for a few minutes, add 1 tablespoon of flour at a time and continue to knead the dough until it becomes a smooth, elastic ball.
- Grease a clean, large bowl with one teaspoon of avocado oil and then transfer the ball of dough to the greased bowl. Cover the bowl with a tea towel and let the dough rise in a warm area (like the top of your oven/stovetop) for 1 – 1 1/2 hours or until the dough has doubled in size.
- While the dough is rising, make the filling by combining the dark brown sugar, spices, and vanilla extract in a small bowl.
- Once the dough has risen, punch it down to release the extra air and then transfer to a lightly floured surface. Shape the dough into the shape of a rough rectangle and then use a rolling pin to roll the dough out into a 20×16 rectangle that is roughly 1/4 inch thick.
- Use an offset spatula or knife to spread the softened butter evenly over the dough and then sprinkle the filling mixture over the butter, being sure to cover all of the edges of the dough. Use your fingers to press the sugar mixture into the butter a bit.
- Tightly roll up the dough, on the long side, and place the log seam side down. Pinch the seam a bit so the rolls don’t unravel. Use a sharp serrated knife or unflavored dental floss to cut the roll into 12 equally sized pieces. Place the cinnamon rolls in a 9×13 casserole dish, lined with parchment paper, evenly spaced apart. You should have 3 rows with 4 rolls per row.
- Cover the casserole dish with a tea towel and let the cinnamon rolls rise for another 25-30 minutes or until they have almost doubled in size.
- Bake the cinnamon rolls on the center rack at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until the rolls are a light golden brown and sound hollow when tapped. Remove the cinnamon rolls from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes before icing.
Make the Brown Butter Cream Cheese Icing:
- Add the diced butter to a small skillet or pot. Heat the skillet to medium heat. The butter will start to melt as the skillet heats up.
- Allow the butter to bubble and “cook” until it begins to change from a bright yellow color to a golden brown color. Continually stir the butter as you see the foam start to dissipate and brown bits begin to form in the bottom of the pan. Cook and stir the butter until it is a golden brown color and has a nutty aroma.
- Remove the butter from the heat and transfer to a heat safe dish. Transfer to the fridge to refrigerate until solid.
- Add the cream cheese, solidified brown butter, and confectioner’s sugar to a mixing bowl. Use a hand mixer to mix the frosting until it is fluffy and the confectioner’s sugar is well incorporated without any lumps. Next, add in the orange juice, vanilla extract, and cinnamon. Mix on high again until well combined. Set aside until ready to use.
Recipe by: Ashlea Carver / All the Healthy Things | Photography by: Eat Love Eat
