Fluffy Sweet Potato Bread Rolls Recipe

Save this

Sweet potato bread rolls are soft, golden brown, and just the right mix of slightly sweet and savory. This recipe is perfect for using up leftover sweet potatoes while giving you a frugal, healthy, and freezer-friendly option for your fall table.

If you’re looking for more ways to use up extra sweet potatoes, try these sweet potato fajitas or this creamy sweet potato and black bean soup recipe. Both are simple, frugal, and full of flavor.

How to Make Sweet Potato Bread Rolls

Making these rolls is easier than you might think. With a few simple steps, leftover mashed sweet potato becomes smooth dough that bakes into hot rolls ready for your holiday season table or weekday side dish.

Ingredients

You can use mashed sweet potato or sweet potato puree prepared ahead of time. Here’s what you’ll need for this roll recipe.

• sweet potato puree (or mashed sweet potato)
• all-purpose flour or bread flour (plus more if needed)
• warm milk (whole milk works best)
• active dry yeast or instant yeast
• white sugar or brown sugar
• eggs, room temperature
• melted butter
• flaky sea salt (plus extra for topping)

For the egg wash:

• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons milk

Directions

The first step in this bread recipe is preparing the sweet potato. Once you’ve got that ready, you can mix the wet ingredients and move on to forming a soft dough.

1. Prepare the sweet potato mash: Peel, dice, and boil a large sweet potato until tender. Use a potato masher or food processor to make a smooth puree. Let it cool to room temperature before adding it to the dough.
2. Mix the wet ingredients: In the bowl of a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled sweet potato, melted butter, sugar, eggs, and salt. Mix on low speed until blended.
3. Add warm liquid: Stir in the warm milk. In a small bowl, mix the yeast with a cup of water to form a yeast mixture if you prefer using active dry yeast. For instant yeast, simply add it directly to the flour.
4. Combine dry and wet ingredients: Add half the flour and yeast to the wet ingredients. Use the dough hook attachment on an electric mixer at medium speed until smooth. Slowly add the rest of the flour, one cup of flour at a time, until the bread dough comes together. Avoid adding too much flour—you want a sticky dough that becomes elastic with kneading.
5. Knead: Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface or keep kneading in the bowl of your stand mixer until you have a smooth ball. Use the windowpane test to check elasticity.
6. First rise: Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel, and leave in a warm place for about 90 minutes, until the risen dough doubles in size.
7. Shape the rolls: Punch down the dough, then use a bench scraper to divide into equal portions. Shape into smooth dough balls and place in a greased baking pan or baking dish lined with parchment.
8. Second rise: Brush lightly with egg wash, cover, and allow another rise time of 40–60 minutes. The dough should nearly double again.
9. Bake: Preheat oven to 375–390°F. Brush the top of the rolls with more egg wash, sprinkle with flaky sea salt, and bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes.
10. Cool: Remove from the preheated oven and place rolls on a wire rack for a few minutes before serving.

These light dinner rolls are delicious warm from the oven with a smear of honey butter or cane syrup. If you love homemade bread recipes, you might also enjoy these condensed milk dinner rolls for a soft, slightly sweet variation.

Sweet Potato Bread Rolls Recipe FAQs

Do you have questions about making sweet potato buns or fluffy rolls at home? Here are the most common ones—if you don’t see yours, leave it in the comments below.

Can I freeze sweet potato bread rolls?

Yes, these sweet potato dinner rolls freeze beautifully. Once cooled, wrap them in aluminum foil or place them in an airtight container. Reheat in a 300°F oven for 5–8 minutes to refresh.

Can I use pumpkin puree instead of sweet potato puree?

Pumpkin puree makes a good substitute if you’re short on sweet potatoes. The texture will be slightly different, but you’ll still get delicious rolls with a soft dough and a hint of natural sweetness.

What meals go best with sweet potato rolls?

Sweet potato rolls are versatile. Serve them alongside Thanksgiving dinner, with a light soup, or as sweet potato buns for sliders. They’re also a great base for cinnamon rolls if you want to use the dough for something sweet.

Sweet Potato Bread Rolls for Fall Meals

These sweet potato bread rolls are a frugal, healthy, and freezer-friendly way to use up leftover sweet potatoes. With simple steps and everyday ingredients, this roll recipe helps you turn holiday extras into fluffy rolls that are a perfect addition to your fall and winter meals.

Like this recipe? Pin it for later!

Save this