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These Sweet Potato Dinner Rolls are the perfect addition to your Thanksgiving dinner! These soft and tender sweet potato rolls are made with real sweet potatoes and make for the perfect dinner bread roll.

One side view of a roll on a cooling rack

Soft Sweet Potato Rolls Recipe (Homemade Dinner Rolls)

These soft and fluffy sweet potato dinner rolls are bursting with fresh sweet potato flavor! Adding sweet potato puree to dinner rolls is a natural way to sweeten the rolls as well as provide some really pretty orange color to them. Which also makes them perfect for holiday meals!

These sweeter rolls are loved by everyone! The best part is that the recipe calls for a packet of instant rapid rise yeast – making them a fail-proof homemade bread dough recipe that’s perfect for beginners. 

A basket with a towel full of rolls.

Simple Ingredients For Making This Roll Recipe

  1. Large Sweet Potato
  2. Whole Milk
  3. Unsalted Butter : Melted butter is what the recipe calls for. It also needs to be cooler to room temperature before using it in the recipe. Tips for how to do this are in the recipe card below. 
  4. Large Eggs : The eggs are divided in the recipe; meaning that you will use 2 of them at one point and the other one later in the recipe. 
  5. Pure Maple Syrup : Do not try to use pancake maple syrup as it’s not the same thing. Look for pure maple syrup which is by the pancake syrup but up higher on the shelf. 
  6. Packet of Instant Yeast or Rapid Rise Yeast
  7. Kosher Salt
  8. All-Purpose Flour
  9. Coarse Salt : This is optional for serving. I usually just use kosher salt to sprinkle over top the rolls. 
Labeled ingredients

How To Make Fluffy Rolls With Sweet Potatoes (Printable Recipe Card Below)

Lightly spray the inside of a large mixing bowl and a 9×13 baking pan with ample cooking spray. Set aside. 

Use a fork to puncture the sweet potato 4-5 times. Then microwave the sweet potato for 5 minutes or until the center is fork tender and easily pierced with a fork. Depending on your microwave, you may need longer (like 6-7 minutes). Allow the potato to cool for 5 minutes. 

Scoop out the insides of the sweet potato out using a spoon. Place it into a small mixing bowl and mash until there are no lumps. If your really want a smooth sweet potato puree then I highly recommend using a food processor to process until smooth. You need 1 cup of sweet potato puree or mashed sweet potato for the recipe. 

Process images for this dinner roll recipe

In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, add the mashed sweet potato, milk melted and cooled butter, 2 eggs, packet of instant yeast, and the maple syrup. Mix on medium-slow speed to combine. Add in the kosher salt and 2 cups of the flour. Mix again, on low speed, until the mixture becomes slightly sticky and forms a shaggy mass of dough. 

Process images for this dinner roll recipe

Remove the paddle attachment and insert the dough hook attachment. Add the remaining flour (2.5 cups of flour) and mix on medium-low speed. Allow the dough hook to mix and knead the dough for 4-5 minute and until it forms a smooth ball of dough. The dough will be slightly tacky and pulled away from the sides of the bowl, but not so tacky and sticky that it cannot form a ball easily and be transferred to a mixing bowl. 

Process images for this dinner roll recipe

Place the dough ball into the prepared large bowl (the one you sprayed with cooking spray earlier). Cover with a clean towel and allow the dough to do it’s first rise for 45-60 minutes at room temperature until the dough has doubled in size. 

Carefully deflate the dough ball and then divide it into 15 equal pieces. Form each piece into a ball and place them inside the prepared 9×13 baking pan. Use a pastry brush to coat the tops of the rolls with the egg wash. Sprinkle with coarse flaky salt or additional kosher salt. Cover the pan with a clean kitchen towel and let the dough do it’s second rise for 30 minutes or until the rolls are doubled in size. 

Process images for this dinner roll recipe

While the rolls are rising preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Bake the rolls for 20-30 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm and enjoy!

Process images for this dinner roll recipe
Process images for this dinner roll recipe
Process images for this dinner roll recipe

Tips For Letting Dough Rise

  • Warm Place/Room Temperature : For best results make sure you are placing the dough at room temperature in a warmer part of your kitchen. Usually next to the stove or oven are always the good spots. 
  • Cover : Use a clean dish towel to cover the bowl while it’s rising. You can also use plastic wrap to cover the bowl or baking pan as well. If using plastic wrap, I recommend spraying the side that will touch the rolls with cooking spray, this will prevent the wrap from sticking to the rolls while they’re rising. This is especially true in the baking dish where the rolls might reach to the top of the pan. 
Process images for this dinner roll recipe

How To Store Leftover Sweet Potato Rolls (Homemade Rolls)

These homemade sweet potato rolls are best consumed within 24 hours of baking them. Any leftovers, keep inside an airtight container or bag, at room temperate, for 2-3 days. I recommend serving the rolls right after they are done baking so they’re still warm and super fresh. 

Overhead pic of the baked rolls

What If My Dough Is Too Sticky?

If the dough is too sticky to handle, like when you move it to the bowl to rise, add 1 tablespoon of flour to the dough and continue to mix until combined. Add more if you need to but only add 1 tablespoon at a time, the mix, and add more if needed. 

Side view of a pan of rolls

Is There A Substitute For Pure Maple Syrup?

Yes! Use honey instead of pure maple syrup when making these rolls. I love the maple addition with the sweet potato flavor but honey also works just fine as a sweetener. 

Serving Suggestions

Of course as with any homemade bread I always recommend serving the rolls slathered in butter! There is nothing better if you ask me.

These sweet potato rolls also make the perfect addition to your Thanksgiving menu. Try serving it alongside this Praline Sweet Potato CasseroleNo Mushroom Green Bean Casserole, or this Corn Casserole. For the turkey try my Crockpot Cranberry Turkey Breast or Air Fryer Turkey Breast. And don’t forget the drink – I always serve my Citrus Cranberry Punch at Thanksgiving. 

Rolls on a cooling rack
Buttered roll

Try These Other Bread Recipes

One side view of a roll on a cooling rack
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Sweet Potato Rolls


Author Jessica – Together as Family
Course bread, Side Dish, Thanksgiving
Cuisine American
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Proofing Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 25 minutes
Servings 15
These Sweet Potato Dinner Rolls are the perfect addition to your Thanksgiving dinner! Soft and tender sweet potato rolls made with real sweet potato puree and make for the perfect dinner roll.

Ingredients
  

  • 1 large sweet potato
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted & cooled
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
  • 1 packet (0.25 oz) instant rapid rise yeast
  • 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
  • 4½ cups all-purpose flour divided

Topping

  • 1 large egg
  • flaky sea salt (or additional kosher salt)

Instructions

  • Spray the inside of a large mixing bowl (for the dough to rise in later) and a 9×13 baking pan with cooking spray. Set aside. 
  • Use a fork to puncture the sweet potato 4-5 times. Then microwave the sweet potato for 5 minutes or until the center is tender and easily pierced with a fork. Allow the potato to cool for 5 minutes.
    *Depending on your microwave, you may need longer (like 6-7 minutes).
    1 large sweet potato
  • Scoop out the insides of the sweet potato using a spoon. Place it into a small mixing bowl and mash until there are no lumps. If you really want a smooth sweet potato puree then I recommend using a food processor to process until smooth. You need 1 cup of sweet potato puree or mashed sweet potato for the recipe. 
  • In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, add the mashed sweet potato, milk, melted butter, eggs, pure maple syrup, and packet of instant yeast. Mix on medium-slow speed until combined.
    1 cup whole milk, 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, 2 large eggs, 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup, 1 packet (0.25 oz) instant rapid rise yeast
  • Add in the kosher salt and 2 cups of the flour. Mix again, start on low speed, until the mixture becomes slightly sticky and forms a shaggy mass of dough. 
    1½ teaspoons kosher salt, 4½ cups all-purpose flour
  • Remove the paddle attachment and insert the dough hook attachment. Add the remaining flour (2.5 cups of flour) and mix on medium-low speed.
  • Allow the dough hook to mix and knead the dough for 4-5 minutes or until it forms a smooth ball of dough. The dough will be slightly tacky and pulled away from the sides of the bowl, but not so tacky and sticky that it cannot form a ball easily and be transferred to a mixing bowl.
  • Place the dough ball into the prepared large bowl (the one you sprayed with cooking spray earlier). Cover with a clean towel and allow the dough to do it's first rise for 45-60 minutes at room temperature until the dough has doubled in size. 
  • Carefully deflate the dough ball and then divide it into 15 equal pieces. Form each piece into a ball and place them inside the prepared 9×13 baking pan.
  • Whisk the egg in a small bowl with a fork until mixed well. This is the egg wash for the next step.
    1 large egg
  • Use a pastry brush to brush the tops of the rolls with the egg wash. Sprinkle with coarse flaky salt or additional kosher salt. Cover the pan with a clean kitchen towel and let the dough do it's second rise for 30 minutes or until the rolls are doubled in size. 
    flaky sea salt
  • While the rolls are rising preheat the oven to 375℉. Bake the rolls for 20-30 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm and enjoy!

Notes

Dough Too Sticky? : If the dough is too sticky to handle, like when you move it to the bowl to rise, add 1 tablespoon of flour to the dough and continue to mix until combined. Add more if you need to but only add 1 tablespoon at a time, the mix, and add more if needed.
Honey : Use honey instead of pure maple syrup if wanted.

Nutrition

Calories: 214kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 47mg | Sodium: 267mg | Potassium: 162mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 3389IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 2mg

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