Sweet Potato Cinnamon Rolls With Maple Cream Cheese Icing

These homemade Sweet Potato Cinnamon Rolls are superb! The mashed sweet potatoes gives extra tenderness and moisture to this dough, and it also adds a pretty color. These are filled with a buttery cinnamon filling, and then iced with a cream cheese frosting, while piping hot. Bet you can’t eat just one!

What’s not to love about freshly baked Cinnamon Rolls? When my son was little, we used to cruise the shopping mall. He’d excitedly beg ask me to buy him a Cinnabon.  How could I resist those baby blues? Thank goodness I learned how to make cinnamon rolls at home!

We all love sweet potatoes– yams, to be specific.  Yams have a beautiful color to them, similar to pumpkin.  Potato bread is really moist– so why not make Sweet Potato Cinnamon Rolls? Of course, once I searched for recipes, I realized this wasn’t just my idea. These rolls turned out to be better than I expected.

So, you are yeast dough challenged?  The last time you tried to bake bread, it turned out like a brick? Worse, it turned out like a flat pancake?  I’ve been there, and it’s disappointing. Fear not.  I’ll share a few times from an unprofessional baker (that would be moi).  I promise you, these will turn out. Trust me.

So, one baked yam equals about 1/2 cup.  I, upped the amount to 3/4 of a cup = 2 yams, plus extra. The the rest of it for lunch. Delicious.   I used pumpkin pie spice (from Trader Joe’s) because it has a blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and cardamon.  Otherwise, you can make your own blend (included in the printable recipe card at the end of this post).

Let’s talk about yeast.  I keep SAF Instant yeast in my freezer, and use it often.  However, when I want to speed things up,  I find that Rapid-Rise Yeast is my trusty friend.  I buy mine in a jar, make sure it’s not expired and– once opened– keep it in the fridge.

Here’s the thing about yeast, that I’ve finally figured out. Yeast likes to be warm and fed.  Yeast doesn’t like to be too hot, or it won’t work.  I like my house to be at 68F, but yeast likes it at about 110F.  It’s warm and cozy. I use an instant read thermometer, so I don’t have to guess. How do I know the yeast is working?  I like to add either sugar or honey to the liquid (usually milk or water), then pour the yeast in, give it a stir and wait.  Chemistry (which I failed in high school) starts to work. Within 3 minutes, it starts to bubble and foam.  This means the yeast is happy.  You can relax and know that your dough will rise.

My Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer is my bread baking sous chef.  I used to have a bread maker– two of them– and they both broke within two years. I gave up with bread makers!  In a separate bowl, I mix unbleached all-purpose flour, sugar, pumpkin spiceForget to bring the eggs to room temperature? Fill a bowl with hot tap water and let them sit for a minute or two.and extra cinnamon.

In the bowl of the stand mixer,  begin blending the baked yam and room temperature eggs.  Then, slowly begin adding the flour mixture.

Forget to bring the eggs to room temperature? Fill a bowl with hot tap water and let them sit for a minute or two.

I’ve heated whole milk, one teaspoon of honey and 4-1/2 teaspoons of Rapid Rise Yeast to 110F, and I begin to add it to the mixture in the bowl.

I used the paddle attachment to let the machine knead the dough, for about five minutes. It’s a bit sticky, but it had elasticity. Good.

This is a helpful tip if you don’t own a bread proofing drawer: While the dough is kneading, turn your oven on to WARM for 3 minutes. Turn it off.This mimics a bread proofer, when the weather is cold.

Be sure to flour your hands, as the dough is a bit sticky, okay?  Otherwise, you will be like me, scraping and cleaning off stuck dough from my camera. Not fun.  Dump the dough into a buttered bowl, and cover it with plastic wrap.  Place the bowl into the warm and cozy oven you’ve created.  The yeast is going to be very happy.  It will be so happy, that one hour later, the dough has doubled quite well!

Let’s make cinnamon rolls: You can make your own filling (included in the recipe card.).I am not paid to endorse King Arthur Flour. I love their baking products, and their bakers cinnamon filling. This is one of my favorite products that has Vietnamese Cinnamon, Extra Fine Sugar and Dry Shortening. When you mix it with water, it turns into a beautiful and thick cinnamon filling.

Dump the dough onto a lightly floured or oiled surface. Punch the dough, then press and roll the dough into a rectangle. Spread some very soft butter onto the rectangle, leaving about a 1″ border. Add your filling, leaving a border. Roll the dough, short side facing you, into a long cylinder.

Slice the rolls about one-inch thick. I’ve learned that using a long string of (unused, of course) unscented dental floss works great! The floss cuts right through the dough, without smashing each piece.

I use a 10″ ceramic pan, sprayed with non-stick spray. This pan fits nine rolls. (The remaining three went into a small baking dish for the next day. Of course, if you have a larger pan, you can fit all twelve!

While shaping the rolls (before I bought my dough proofing box), the WARM oven trick works well or the second proof. Cover the rolls and allow them to proof– about 45 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350F and bake between 22-25 minutes.

MAKE AHEAD: You can bake these rolls the following day, by covering the risen rolls with plastic wrap and refrigerating. The next morning, allow them to come to room temperature and place them into a warm draft-free place to rise. Then proceed to bake them.

Let’s make the glaze:

To 4 ounce of cream cheese and 4 Tablespoons of salted butter, softened to room temperature, add up to 2 cups of powdered sugar in 1/2 cup increments.

The glaze can be sweetened with either pure maple syrup or vanilla. I chose maple syrup.

So, here they are –“Naked Sweet Potato Cinnamon Rolls”. Go ahead. Dig in. What are you waiting for? You want icing with that? Me, too.

This glaze reminds me of my childhood years– my mother would buy those cinnamon rolls in the tube. It would come with that plastic bag of frosting. Oh, how I loved squeezing the frosting on those hot rolls! Well, here ya go– pour that frosting on each, hot-out-of-the-oven roll….

…watch that glaze melt.

These look so tempting.

What is it about Cinnamon Rolls that is so darn seductive? Look how these rolls love the camera?!

The rolls are such a beautiful Fall color, aren’t they?

TASTING NOTES:   Oh, wow.  I’m in really in deep trouble right now. I have set the bar high for cinnamon rolls.  These are really tender– and moist.  My son was, eagerly, standing by with a cup of coffee in his hand.  We both began to eat one of these…and then… well, we had to go back for seconds. Yes, I confess my son. We each ate two.  

My son, who has become a very honest taste tester said these are “awesome”.  Can I taste the sweet potatoes? Well, not really.  I think the sweet potatoes add a gorgeous color and they do, indeed, add moisture and tenderness.  I have to say, that I love my “go-to” cinnamon rolls, but these…well, I think they just moved to the top of “favorites”.

Go forth and splurge.  Still afraid to work with yeast?  C’mon.  You can do it! I’ve made some dismal failures, in the past.  Listen to me– fresh yeast, keep it warm and cozy and feed it with something sweet– tuck it into a warm and cozy place, and it will do it’s job.

Your family will love your for it.  Just don’t tell your Weight Watchers sponsor. I won’t!

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Sweet Potato Cinnamon Rolls

Waking up to freshly baked cinnamon rolls is a special treat. When they are homemade, from scratch, they are even more special. The mashed sweet potatoes gives extra tenderness and moisture to this dough, and it also adds a pretty color. These are filled with a buttery cinnamon filling, and then iced with a cream cheese frosting, while piping hot. Bet you can't eat just one!

Prep Time2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Cook Time23 minutes mins

Total Time2 hours hrs 53 minutes mins

Course: Breakfast, Brunch

Cuisine: American

Servings: 12

Author: Debby – www.AFeastfortheEyes.net

Equipment

• Helpful equipment: Silicone mat, for shaping the dough. Unscented dental floss (unused, obviously!) for slicing the dough.

Ingredients

For the dough:

• 4 tbsp butter
• 2/3 cup milk
• 3/4 cup mashed sweet potato about 2 sweet potato, baked
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 eggs room temperature
• 2 packets active dry yeast or 4-1/2 teaspoons; I prefer SAF Instant yeast
• 4 1/4 cup flour
• 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice plus
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp allspice
• 1/2 tsp cardamom

For the filling:

• NOTE: I buy Baker’s Cinnamon Filling from www.kingarthurflour.com because it makes the BEST cinnamon filling To make your own you will need:
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 tbsp cinnamon
• 4 tbsp butter very soft
• For the icing:

For the icing:

• 4 oz cream cheese softened
• 4 Tbsp. butter softened
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 Tbsp. Pure Maple Syrup optional (not pancake syrup)

Instructions

• Bake the yams at 375F for about 45 minutes, on a foil-lined baking sheet, until soft. Carefully cut open and scrape out the flesh. Set aside to cool.

For the dough:

• Heat the milk and the 4 tbsp butter together in a small pan on the stove over low/medium heat until the butter melts and the milk is warm to the touch. Remove from heat, let cool about 10 minutes (temperature should be around 100 degrees—like warm bath water. If it’s hotter than that, the yeast will die and the rolls won’t rise!) sprinkle in the yeast and stir so yeast will dissolve. Let yeast mixture sit for five minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine the mashed sweet potato and eggs in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment.
• In another bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, pumpkin pie spice (or spices of cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice).
• Add flour mixture to the sweet potato mixture. With mixer running on low speed, slowly pour in the yeast and milk.
• Knead for about six minutes on medium speed with the dough or paddle attachment. The dough should be smooth and elastic when you’re done.
• Flour your hands (you’ll thank me, as the dough is a bit sticky), and push the dough in a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm area to rise for 1 hour 15 minutes.
• NOTE: I turn my oven on WARM for 3 minutes, then shut it off. Place the dough into this warm draft-free zone and your dough will rise super fast– like in an hour…maybe less.
• If you took my advice, and bought the King Arthyr Flour Cinnamon Baker's Filling, mix 1 cup of filling mix, with 4 Tablespoons water and whisk until smooth, set aside.
• Otherwise, make your filling:

Otherwise, make the filling:

• Mix together the brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.
• Remove dough by dumping it onto a lightly floured surface. (I use a silicone mat, so that I need less flour). Roll out to a large rectangle and spread soft butter on top. Sprinkle brown sugar mixture on top keeping an inch bare around the sides.

  IF using the KAF Cinnamon Filling, using an off-set spatula, spread leaving about a 1" border.
• Gently roll up dough so it resembles a log. Slice dough into 1 inch slices and place in a greased 9 x 13″ dish. Cover with a dishcloth and let rise for another 45 minutes.
• NOTES: I use a long piece of unscented (obviously unused) dental floss. to make perfect slices. Once again, I use that quick WARM method in the oven to make for a warm and draft-free place for the second proof. The rolls are ready to bake in 30 minutes!
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake rolls for 22-25 minutes, until lightly golden brown.

For the glaze:

• Whisk together the softened cream cheese and butter, then add the powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time. You want the glaze to be thick, but not like cement.
• Once the rolls are removed from the oven, immediately add a large spoonful of frosting over each roll, and then spread with the back of the spoon. The glaze will ooze over each roll.
• Enjoy while still warm.

Notes

NOTES: I am so thankful to have a stand mixer that can do all the hard work of kneading dough. The majority of the directions are adapted for using a stand mixer. If you don’t own a stand mixer, you can mix this, by hand, though it will take a bit more elbow grease. If you have a bread machine, then by all means, mix up the dough and then shape the dough, by hand!

Tried this recipe?Mention @afeastfortheeyes or tag #afeastfortheeyesblog!

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