Sweet Potato Dinner Rolls
Sweet potato dinner rolls are fluffy, soft dinner rolls with just a hint of sweet potato flavor. The addition of sweet potato to these classic yeast rolls adds more starch to the dough, which holds onto moisture and creates a really light and fluffy texture when baked. This same method of adding potatoes to yeast dough is similar to my potato cinnamon rolls and potato bread recipes, which are both great recipes to try the next time you have leftover mashed potatoes.
The sweet potato to these dinner rolls also adds a slightly sweet flavor, without being overly sweet and can be a great way to use leftover sweet potatoes. There is a small amount of brown sugar added to the dough to add a little sweetness, but make sure your mashed sweet potatoes have no added sugar to them to ensure the rolls are not overly sweet.
Sweet potato dinner rolls are great to make in the fall, winter and holiday months since they pair great with warm, cozy meals that keep you warm in the cold weather season! Be sure to read tips below the recipe on how to make these rolls ahead and freeze them, so you can have fresh sweet potato dinner rolls all winter long.
How to Make Sweet Potato Dinner Rolls
The recipe for these sweet potato dinner rolls was adapted from a 1960’s version and originally called for canned sweet potatoes, which were popular at the time. I have updated the recipe (be sure to read the tips below about using leftover sweet potatoes).
This recipe yields 9 rolls, but you can easily double the recipe and bake them in a 9”x13” pan, which makes these rolls easy to make ahead of time and keep in the freezer.
Ingredients
- 3 ¼-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 packages (0.5 oz each) active dry yeast
- ¾ cup milk
- ¼ cup packed brown sugar
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- ½ cup mashed sweet potatoes
- melted butter, for brushing
Instructions
In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine 1 ½ cups of the flour, yeast and salt. In a saucepan, heat milk, brown sugar and butter to 110-115°F. Add to dry mixture in mixing bowl followed by the mashed sweet potato. Beat the mixture gradually increasing to high speed; beat on high 3 minutes or until smooth. Slowly add in the remaining flour to make a stiff dough (you may not need the remaining ¼ cup of flour).
Turn out onto a floured surface and knead for 5-8 minutes, or until smooth and elastic. Alternately, use the dough hook on the stand mixer and knead the mixture 2-3 minutes, or until smooth and elastic.
Shape the dough into a ball and place in a lightly greased bowl. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rise in a warm, but not hot, place until doubled in size (about 45 minutes – 1 hour). Punch down, cover again and let rest 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, shape into 9 rolls and place in a 9” baking pan. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rise in a warm, but not hot, place until the rolls have doubled in size. Bake at 375°F for 35-45 minutes (or until an instant read thermometer reaches 190°F when inserted into a roll)°F.
Immediately brush with melted butter once removed from oven (optional).
Tips for Sweet Potato Dinner Rolls
- If the milk and water mixture heats to more than 115℉, allow to cool until it reaches under 115 ℉; it will kill the yeast if it is too hot
- This rolls are best if eaten within 2 days of baking; store in an airtight container
- Baked rolls will keep frozen up to 3 months
- Use leftover sweet potatoes (make sure there is no sugar added, or the rolls will be sweeter
- This recipe yields 9 rolls, but you can easily double the recipe and bake them in a 9”x13” pan, which makes these rolls easy to make ahead of time and keep in the freezer
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Want more yeast bread and roll recipes? Check out these recipes:
Sweet Potato Dinner Rolls
Equipment
- 9” baking pan
- mixing bowls of various sizes
- electric mixer
- instant read thermometer
- pastry brush
Ingredients
- 3 ¼-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2- 0.25 oz packages each active dry yeast
- ¾ cup milk
- ¼ cup packed brown sugar
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- ½ cup mashed sweet potatoes
- melted butter, for brushing
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine 1 ½ cups of the 3 ¼-1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 2- 0.25 oz packages each active dry yeast and 1 ½ teaspoons salt.
- In a saucepan, heat ¾ cup milk, ¼ cup packed brown sugar and 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter to 110-115°F.
- Add to dry mixture in mixing bowl followed by the ½ cup mashed sweet potatoes. Beat the mixture gradually increasing to high speed; beat on high 3 minutes or until smooth.
- Slowly add in the remaining flour to make a stiff dough (you may not need the remaining ¼ cup of flour).
- Turn out onto a floured surface and knead for 5-8 minutes, or until smooth and elastic. Alternately, use the dough hook on the stand mixer and knead the mixture 2-3 minutes, or until smooth and elastic.
- Shape the dough into a ball and place in a lightly greased bowl. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rise in a warm, but not hot, place until doubled in size (about 45 minutes – 1 hour).
- Punch down, cover again and let rest 10 minutes. Then, shape into 9 rolls. Place the rolls in a 9” baking pan.
- Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rise in a warm, but not hot, place until the rolls have doubled in size.
- Bake at 375℉ for 35-45 minutes (or until an instant read thermometer reaches 190℉ when inserted into a roll).
- Immediately brush with melted butter once removed from oven (optional).
Notes
- If the milk and water mixture heats to more than 115℉, allow to cool until it reaches under 115 ℉; it will kill the yeast if it is too hot
- This rolls are best if eaten within 2 days of baking; store in an airtight container
- Baked rolls will keep frozen up to 3 months
- Use leftover sweet potatoes (make sure there is no sugar added, or the rolls will be sweeter
- This recipe yields 9 rolls, but you can easily double the recipe and bake them in a 9”x13” pan, which makes these rolls easy to make ahead of time and keep in the freezer.
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