I did it, y’all. I turned sweet potato pie into cinnamon rolls! My Big Mama Maggie’s sweet potato pie inspired these rolls, so I roasted some sweet taters, mashed them up with fall spices, then tucked that filling into soft, buttery yeast dough. To finish these sweet potato pie cinnamon rolls, I added a delish brown butter marshmallow cream cheese frosting and crumbled Biscoff on top. I think I got that pie flavor down, boos. Big Mama would approve!
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Sweet Potato Pie Cinnamon Rolls Ingredients
- Yeast mixture: Active dry yeast, warm water, and granulated sugar start the dough. Check the date on your yeast and follow the package’s water temperature instructions. If it’s too hot, you’ll kill the yeast.
- Dough dry ingredients: All-purpose flour, more granulated sugar, and kosher salt. Spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it off so you don’t pack in extra and end up with dense rolls.
- Dough wet ingredients: Whole milk, melted unsalted butter, a whole egg, and an egg yolk. Bring the milk and eggs to room temp, and let the melted butter cool until soft before mixing.
- Sweet potato pie filling: Roasted sweet potato, softened unsalted butter, light brown sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and kosher salt. Use orange-fleshed sweet potatoes and mash them smooth. To roast them, scrub, dry, and prick the skins, then bake at 450°F until a fork slides right through. I have the full how-to in my baked sweet potatoes recipe! Let the flesh cool before making the filling.
- Butter and cinnamon sugar layer: Softened salted butter, light brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and kosher salt. The butter needs to spread easily without tearing the dough, but it shouldn’t be melted or runny.
- Frosting: Salted butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar, marshmallow fluff, salt, and vanilla extract. That brown butter flavor in these cinnamon rolls comes from the frosting, boos! Use full-fat block cream cheese at room temp, and sift the powdered sugar if it’s lumpy.
- Optional garnish: Crushed baked pie crust, graham crackers, or Biscoff cookies. I like the pie crust here for that sweet potato pie feel, but the cookies and crackers add a good crunch too. If you’re baking your crust, let it cool before crumbling.
How to Make Sweet Potato Pie Cinnamon Rolls
These step-by-step photos show how to make cinnamon rolls with sweet potato filling, but be sure to check the recipe card below for the full ingredient list and detailed instructions. Skip to the → Sweet Potato Pie Cinnamon Rolls Recipe
1. Get the yeast started
Stir the yeast, sugar, and warm water together, then let the mixture stand until a foamy layer forms on top.
2. Combine the dry ingredients
Mix half the flour with the dough, sugar, and salt in your stand mixer fitted with the dough hook.
3. Add the wet ingredients
Pour in the milk, melted butter, yeast mixture, whole egg, and egg yolk, then mix until everything starts coming together.
4. Knead and let the dough rise
Mix in the remaining flour, knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, then shape it into a ball and let it rise in a greased, covered bowl until doubled.
5. Mix the sweet potato pie filling
Stir the cooled mashed sweet potato with the softened butter, brown sugar, vanilla, spices, and salt until smooth.
6. Roll out the dough and spread the butter
Chill the risen dough, roll it into a rectangle on a lightly floured counter, and spread with softened salted butter, leaving the edge closest to you bare.
PRO TIP: If the dough keeps springing back, cover it and let it rest. Once it relaxes, you can roll it out without fighting it.
7. Add the sweet potato and cinnamon sugar layers
Spread the sweet potato filling over the butter, then sprinkle with the separate brown sugar and spice mixture, keeping that bare edge clear.
8. Roll up and slice your sweet potato cinnamon rolls
Roll from the far long edge toward you, pinch the bare edge closed, then set the log seam-side down, trim the ends, and cut into even pieces.
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9. Arrange the rolls and let them rise
Place the rolls cut-side up in your greased pan, cover, and let them rise until plump and nearly doubled.
10. Bake until golden brown
Bake until the tops are golden and the dough in the center of the rolls is cooked through, then set the pan aside to cool slightly.
NOTE: I used a 9×12×3-inch pan for these rolls. A deep 9×13-inch pan is a good alternative. Arrange the rolls in three rows of three and keep an eye on them because the pan’s material and depth can change the timing.
11. Brown the butter for the frosting
Melt the salted butter, cook until the milk solids turn golden brown and smell nutty, then transfer to a heatproof bowl and chill until solid but soft enough to beat.
12. Beat the brown butter, cream cheese, and powdered sugar
Beat the softened brown butter and cream cheese until smooth, then mix in the powdered sugar on low before increasing the speed.
13. Finish the marshmallow cream cheese frosting
Add the marshmallow fluff, salt, and vanilla, then beat until the frosting is smooth and fluffy.
14. Frost and add your cookie crumble
Spread the frosting over the slightly cooled rolls and sprinkle with crushed baked pie crust, graham crackers, or Biscoff cookies if using.
Full Sweet Potato Pie Cinnamon Rolls Recipe
Sweet Potato Pie Cinnamon Roll Recipe
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Equipment
- Unflavored dental floss
- 9x12x3 pan
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 1/4 oz active dry yeast 2 1/4 tsp total
- 1 tsp granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup warm water about 115F
- 4 cups all purpose flour plus more for rolling
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1 cup whole milk room temperature
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter melted
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 egg yolk room temperature
For the Filling
- 12 oz roasted sweet potato mashed and cooled
- 2 tbsp softened unsalted butter
- ⅓ cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ginger
- Pinch cloves
- Pinch kosher salt
To Assemble
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ginger
- Pinch cloves
- Pinch kosher salt
- 6 tbsp softened salted butter
For the Frosting and Garnish
- 8 tbsp salted butter
- 12 oz cream cheese room temperature
- 2¾ cups powdered sugar
- ⅓ cup marshmallow fluff
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla
- Optional: Crushed baked pie crust, graham crackers, or Biscoff cookies for garnish
Instructions
For the Dough
- In a small bowl, combine active dry yeast and sugar. Stir in warm water. Let sit for 10 minutes and a 2-inch head of foam should appear on the top. (This is a good sign that your yeast is active and ready to be used.)
- Meanwhile in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, add 2 cups flour, sugar, salt. Mix on low for 30 seconds until evenly combined.
- Add in milk, melted butter, yeast mixture and eggs, and mix on low until ingredients start to come together, about 1 minute.
- Add in remaining 2 cups flour and mix on medium until all the flour is absorbed and a dough begins to form, about 2 minutes. Turn up the mixer to medium high and mix for 7-8 minutes. A taut ball should form and the sides and bottom of the bowl should be empty.
- Remove dough from the mixer, shape into a ball, then place into a glass or metal bowl sprayed with nonstick spray. Cover with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and leave in a warm spot for 1 hour. The dough should double in size.
For Filling
- Place the mashed potato in a medium bowl and stir in the butter until melted. Whisk in the sugar and vanilla until dissolved. Next, whisk in the spices. Set aside.
For Assembly and Bake
- Stir the sugar and spices together in a separate bowl and set aside.
- Prepare a 9x12x3 pan by spraying the bottom and sides with nonstick baking spray.
- Once your dough has doubled in size, chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- At this point, you’ll want to work quickly, so your dough stays chilled and the filling doesn’t become messy as you roll and cut. Once chilled, set dough on a lightly floured work counter and roll into a 14×17 inch rectangle. (Make sure as you roll out your dough, you ensure it’s not sticking to the counter.) The long side of the rectangle should be facing you/even with your countertop.
- Using your offset spatula, spread 6 tablespoons softened butter across the surface of the dough, leaving a 1-inch space at the bottom uncovered.
- Spread the sweet potato mixture over the top then sprinkle with the brown sugar mixture on top of the butter, and press lightly.
- Starting from the top, quickly roll your dough into a log, careful to keep it even as you roll towards the bottom. Once your dough is completely rolled up, pinch the bottom uncovered edge into the dough, so it’s sealed. Position your log so the seal is on the bottom.
- Using unflavored dental floss, trim ½ inch dough from both edges of your log. Then cut your log into 9 even pieces and place each piece cut side up in the prepared pan.
- Cover the pan with either a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and place in a warm spot to rise for 40 minutes. The rolls should be almost doubled in size and look plump. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375F.
- Bake the rolls until golden brown and the smell fills the house, 25-30 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for 20 minutes.
For the Frosting
- While rolls are baking, in a small saucepan, add butter and melt over medium heat. Once the butter has fully melted, a white foam will begin to appear over the top of the butter.
- Watch carefully as the butter’s color changes to brown and the smell of the butter becomes somewhat nutty.
- As soon as the butter is an amber brown color, remove from heat and cool in the refrigerator until the butter has become solid again (can take about an hour or so).
- Add cooled brown butter and cream cheese to the bowl of your mixer and beat on high speed until it begins to thicken and fluff.
- Next slow down the mixer and carefully add in the confectioner’s sugar. Once all sugar has incorporated, turn the mixer back to high to continue whipping.
- Add the marshmallow fluff, salt and vanilla extract and continue whipping until it is smooth. Generously spread over the cooled cinnamon rolls, sprinkle with your garnish if using and serve.
Notes
How to Store
- Fridge: Keep the rolls in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days. If you know you’ll have leftovers, save a few unfrosted and store their frosting separately so reheating is easier. The frosting will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Freezer: For the best texture, freeze cooled, unfrosted rolls individually wrapped in plastic wrap, then tucked into a freezer bag for up to 2 months. Label with the date and thaw overnight in the fridge. Freeze the frosting in a separate airtight container for up to 3 months.
- Reheating: Warm an unfrosted roll in the microwave in short bursts, or cover a few with foil and warm in a 300°F oven until heated through. Add the frosting after warming. You can microwave a frosted roll, but the frosting will melt into it.
Nutrition
Recipe Tips
- Mark the dough’s starting height. A piece of tape on the outside of your bowl makes it easy to see when the dough has doubled. This is my top trick for getting the rise right, boos!
- Use just enough flour to keep the dough moving. Dust the counter lightly as you roll. Piling on flour can undo all the work you put into making soft rolls.
- Keep the log snug without stretching it. Roll evenly from one end to the other so the rolls hold together without squeezing out the filling.
- Mark your slices before cutting. Divide the trimmed log into thirds, then mark each third into three pieces so all nine rolls bake more evenly.
- Check a center roll before pulling the pan. Gently separate a middle swirl to check the dough. The sweet potato filling will stay soft, but the dough shouldn’t look raw or pasty.
Recipe Help
Your yeast could be old, or the water could be too hot or too cool. If there’s no foam after about 10 minutes, toss that mixture and start fresh.
If the yeast foamed, the dough probably needs more time or a warmer spot. Keep it covered somewhere warm, and go by how much it grows. A cool kitchen slows things down.
Fo sho boo! Arrange the sliced rolls in the pan, cover tightly, and refrigerate before the second rise. The next morning, let them rise in a warm spot until plump and nearly doubled before baking. That will take longer than it does with freshly shaped dough, so give them extra time.
The brown butter or cream cheese was too warm. Chill the frosting briefly, then mix again. If it only melts after you spread it on the rolls, let the rolls cool some more before frosting the rest.
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