Move over, pumpkin! Rich sweet potatoes, warming spices, and a brown butter cream cheese frosting make these cinnamon rolls hard to resist! I use extra egg and softened butter that’s folded into the dough (instead of mixing in melted butter) gives these rolls a super soft and pillowy brioche-like texture.
For the dough:
- 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 envelope Fleischmann’s® RapidRise® Instant Yeast
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp nutmeg
- ½ tsp ground ginger (optional, but recommended!)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 cup sweet potato puree
- 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk room temperature
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
For the filling:
- 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
- 2 tbsp cinnamon
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 tsp salt (helps balance the sweetness)
- 1/2 cup heavy cream (or half & half)
For the frosting:
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- 3 tbsp heavy cream
Instructions
- Sweet potatoes can be roasted in the oven at 400 degrees for ~40 minutes until soft. This could take longer if the sweet potatoes are large. Allow to cool, and then remove the skin & mash with a fork.
- Warm the milk in the microwave for 30 seconds. It should be very warm, but not too hot! Think bath water temperature. If you have a kitchen thermometer, the milk should be right around 100 degrees.
- If using a stand mixer, add the warmed milk, sweet potato puree, and eggs.
- In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, instant yeast, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt. Add to the mixing bowl with wet ingredients.
- Using the paddle attachment, mix the ingredients on low until just combined. Then, add the dough hook and knead on medium for 8 minutes. This dough will be very sticky, but if the dough is not coming together, add 1 tbsp of flour at a time until a dough ball begins to form.
- Add in the softened butter 1 tbsp at a time until fully combined.
- If using your hands, add the wet mixture to the bowl of dry ingredients. Use a wooden spoon to combine the ingredients. Pour out on to a floured surface. Knead for about 7-9 minutes, adding the softened butter 1 tbsp at a time. Add flour 1 tbsp at a time if the dough is too sticky and not forming a ball.
- Sprinkle flour on the counter. Place the dough on the counter, and use your hands to knead until the dough is easy to work with and a ball forms.
- Grab another bowl. Spray lightly with non stick oil spray. Place the dough ball in the bowl, cover with plastic wrap. Set it in a warm place (on the counter works fine), and let the dough rise for 1-2 hours until doubled in size. The humidity and temperature of your kitchen can cause this to take more or less time. Once the dough is nice & springy, you’ll know its ready.
- To roll out the dough, flour the counter again. Take a rolling pin and roll out the dough into a rectangle (10″ x 6″). If the dough is too tacky, feel free to sprinkle more flour on your working surface.
- Use a spoon or sauce brush to distribute the 1/4 cup of softened butter over the surface of the dough. Sprinkle the filling mixture over the butter.
- Starting with the longest side of the dough, gently roll.
- Slice the roll into 8 even pieces. I prefer using unflavored dental floss, but a sharp knife works just fine! The goal here is to make even cuts without squishing the dough.
- Line an oven safe pan or baking dish with parchment paper and arrange the rolls about an inch or two apart. They will expand!
- Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap. Allow to rise for 30-40 minutes until the rolls have doubled in size. This is a great time to preheat your oven to 350 degrees!
- Grab the heavy cream (or half & half), and gently pour over the cinnamon rolls making sure that it reaches every crevice. This creates that smooth, ooey-gooey, but still fluffy texture that makes the perfect cinnamon roll. Just do it!
- Place in a 350 degree oven for 23 minutes, they should be golden but still supple. *For darker cinnamon rolls, remove from oven after 25-30 minutes.
- While the rolls are baking, make the frosting. In a small saucepan, begin to melt your butter on low while whisking frequently. The butter will begin to brown after 3-4 minutes and you should smell a nutty aroma. Take it off the heat immediately and move to a mixing bowl.
- In that same bowl, add softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and heavy cream. Use a hand mixer and combine until smooth.
- Frost the rolls when they are fresh out the oven.
- Enjoy!
