These Sweet Potato Cinnamon Rolls are made with whole wheat flour and mashed sweet potatoes, packing in the nutrients while keeping the same decadently delicious cinnamon roll taste!
½cupmashed sweet potatoabout 1 potato, roasted, skinned, and smashed
2largeeggs
2 ½cupall-purpose flour300 g
½cupwhole wheat flour60 g
Filling
2Tbspunsalted vegan buttersoftened, 30 g
½cuppacked brown sugar90 g
¼cupwhite sugar50 g
1Tbspcinnamon7.5 g
⅛tspground cloves.5 g
Pinch of salt
Icing
4ozcream cheeseor plant-based, 113 g
4Tbspsoftened butteror plant-based, 56 g
½cuppowdered sugar50 g
½tspvanilla extract2.5 mL
Milk as needed
Instructions
On stove or in microwave, heat milk so that it is warm (about 100 degrees F, 38 C), but not hot. In a large bowl, mix in yeast and set aside 10 minutes, until mixture is frothy.
Mix in sugar, salt, cinnamon, butter, mashed sweet potato, and eggs.
In separate bowl, whisk together the flours, then slowly incorporate flour into the potato mixture. When mixture forms a loose ball, throw it onto a floured surface and knead for a few minutes, adding a touch more flour as needed, until you have a smooth dough ball.
Rinse out your large bowl, grease it, and set dough back into the bowl. Cover bowl with plastic wrap or a warm wet towel and set somewhere warm. Allow dough to double in size (1 to 2 hours).
Punch down the dough, then place it back onto your well-floured surface. Roll dough into a large rectangle*.
Gently spread softened butter onto dough rectangle. In a small bowl, mix together remaining “filling” ingredients, then evenly sprinkle them evenly over the dough.
Gently and tightly roll dough from the widest edge of the rectangle, then mend the seam with a touch of water.
To cut the rolls, a thread or floss works best. Work thread under the rolls. Cross your hand in opposite directions over the roll, almost like you were going to tie a knot, to make a clean cut. Each should be about 1 inch wide.
Set rolls on a greased cookie sheet** and bake at 350 degrees F (176 C) for about 30 minutes, until tops have lightly browned.
Beat together “icing” ingredients, adding milk as desired to reach a good consistency, and drizzle over warm cinnamon rolls.
Notes
*We’re not going to get really specific with sizes here. It’s too early in the morning and you want your cinnamon rolls now! These things are forgiving, and exact sizes won’t really affect how delicious your cinnamon rolls will turn out. Rule of thumb: Roll your dough thinner = more surface area for brown sugar/cinnamon filling, more layers. Roll your dough thicker = Less sugar, less layers. You can guess which I tend towards…**I crowded mine in the pan too much. Don’t do that. They’ll expand quite a bit!