Amazing 12 soft sweet potato rolls

There’s just something magical about pulling a tray of warm rolls out of the oven, isn’t there? That intoxicating smell of yeast and butter filling the whole house—that’s pure cooking joy right there! Now, if you’ve tried making dinner rolls before and ended up with something a little too tough, let me stop you right there. These sweet potato rolls are totally different. They are the softest, most tender rolls you are ever going to meet, and they’re incredibly easy to make even if you’re shaking in your boots around yeast. For me, finding this peace in the kitchen is everything—that’s why I started Pure Cooking Joy here. I truly believe great food shouldn’t be complicated, and these rolls prove that simple ingredients create something spectacular for any holiday table.

Why These Are the Best Sweet Potato Rolls Recipe You Need

I’ve served these rolls at every major family dinner for the last three years, and frankly, I am no longer allowed to host without them! People always ask me how I get them so incredibly soft. The secret, honestly, is that beautiful sweet potato puree giving the dough all that extra moisture. They bake up into the most stunning, slightly orange, fluffy sweet potato dinner rolls you’ve ever seen, and they aren’t overly sweet—perfect for serving alongside the main meal.

SAVE

The first time I brought them to a potluck, I was nervous, but they disappeared before the turkey was even carved! It was such a confidence boost. You can absolutely nail this recipe, I promise. When you’re looking for that amazing soft sweet potato rolls texture, this is the one that delivers every single time. I find that baking these makes any gathering feel more special, which is why I love sharing recipes for easy entertaining favorites like this one.

Key Attributes of Our Fluffy Sweet Potato Dinner Rolls

• Incredibly soft and tender crumb that stays moist for days.
• Naturally sweet flavor that complements savory dishes beautifully.
• They bake up gorgeous and golden, making them an excellent centerpiece for holiday dinner rolls side dish service.
• The yeast handling is straightforward, even though we are making them from scratch!

Gathering Ingredients for Perfect Sweet Potato Rolls

Okay, let’s talk about what you need before we even turn the oven on. Having everything measured out makes the whole process of creating these **sweet potato rolls** about as stress-free as possible. When you’re working with yeast, precision matters, so get those measuring cups ready! I’ve detailed everything below, from the yeast requirement to the exact amount of flour needed to get that perfect, tender dough.

Here goes the shopping list for a standard batch that makes about a dozen truly wonderful rolls:

• 1 cup mashed sweet potato (make sure you have about 2 medium potatoes ready to go!)
• 1/2 cup warm milk (and listen up here—it needs to be between 105–115°F—too hot kills the yeast, too cold makes it lazy!)
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted (use real butter, please!)
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting when we finally knead this magic up
• 1 large egg, beaten (this is just for brushing the tops later so they look gorgeous!)

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions for Sweet Potato Puree Baking

The mashed sweet potato is the heart of this recipe, so we need to treat it right. First and foremost: it needs to be cooled completely before it hits that warm milk and yeast mixture. If it’s still piping hot, you’ll shock those little yeast guys and they won’t foam up, and that means no rise!

Also, make sure your mash is as smooth as you can get it. If you have lumps, they can interfere with the gluten development during kneading. If you’re cooking from scratch, I always mash mine with a potato masher and then run them through a fine-mesh sieve just to be safe—it guarantees that smooth texture we’re aiming for. If you’re using canned puree, that’s totally fine, but you’ll notice it’s usually much wetter than fresh cooked ones. If you use canned, just scoop out what you need, but maybe drain off any extra liquid on top before measuring. We need that moisture for flavor, but not so much that it turns our dough into goo!

How to Make Sweet Potato Rolls From Scratch: Step-by-Step

Alright, this is where the real fun begins—turning simple ingredients into something legendary! We are treating these **sweet potato rolls** like a proper bake, so patience wins the day. Don’t rush that yeast, and don’t skip the rising times. That’s how we guarantee those restaurant-quality, fluffy bread recipes results! I have a whole section dedicated to deepening your bread knowledge over at my bread baking guides if you need a little extra confidence.

Activating Yeast and Mixing the Tender Sweet Potato Dough

First things first: yeast happy time! You need to gently combine your warm milk (remember that 105–115°F sweet spot!), the sugar, and the active dry yeast. Give that a little stir and just let it hang out for about five to ten minutes. If it gets nice and foamy on top, you’ve successfully revived your yeast—yay! If nothing happens, your milk was probably too hot or too cold, and we’ll need to start that step over.

Once the yeast is bubbly, we move to the bowl holding your cooled sweet potato, your melted butter, and the salt. Pour in that activated yeast mixture and mix everything gently. Then, we slowly start adding in your flour until things clump together into what looks like a shaggy mess. That’s exactly what we want right now!

Kneading and First Rise for Buttery Sweet Potato Rolls

Time to get your hands dirty! Turn that shaggy dough out onto a lightly floured surface. This kneading part is crucial for developing the structure that makes these **buttery sweet potato rolls** so tender. You want to knead with purpose for a solid 8 to 10 minutes. Seriously, keep going until you can feel the dough change—it needs to feel smooth and elastic under your palms. It should feel soft, but firm enough to hold its shape.

SAVE

After all that work, place the dough into a lightly oiled bowl, give it a little roll so it’s coated, and cover it up. Pop that bowl somewhere warm—near a sunny window or in a slightly warm oven that’s been turned off—and let it sit for an hour to an hour and a half. You’re looking for it to double in size; don’t cheat the rise!

Shaping and Second Proofing for Light Sweet Potato Rolls

Once it’s doubled, gently punch the air out—don’t deflate it completely, just ease the gas out softly. Now, divide that lovely dough into 12 equal pieces. I usually weigh mine out just so they all bake evenly, but eyeballing works if you’re good at splitting things fairly! Roll each piece into a nice, tight little ball.

Grease up that 9×13 inch baking pan really well, and snuggle those dough balls inside, leaving a little space between each one. They need a second chance to get puffy! Cover them again and let them rest in a warm spot for another 30 to 45 minutes. This is what gives you that gorgeous, pillowy look when they come out of the oven.

Baking and Achieving Golden Perfection on Your Sweet Potato Rolls

Get that oven heated up to 375°F (190°C) while the rolls get puffy during that second rise. Before they go in, grab that beaten egg—that’s your egg wash! Brush it lightly and evenly over the tops of the dough balls. This is what gives them that beautiful golden color.

SAVE

Bake them for about 15 to 20 minutes. Keep an eye on them because every oven is a little different, but you want that beautiful golden brown top. The second they come out, do the absolute best step: brush them immediately with a little extra melted butter. That’s the secret to insanely **buttery sweet potato rolls** that just beg to be pulled apart!

Tips for Success Making Soft Sweet Potato Rolls

You’ve got the dough mixed, you’ve kneaded it perfectly, and now you want to ensure that final product is nothing short of spectacular—I get it! The ultimate goal here is that soft, cloud-like interior we associate with the very **best sweet potato roll recipe**. I’ve gathered my crucial takeaways from years of baking these to make sure your rolls are everything you dreamed of.

First, let’s talk about the sweet potato itself, which is key to getting that light, airy crumb. If your sweet potato mash is too wet, it throws off the hydration balance, leading to a denser roll. Remember my note above about draining canned puree if you use it? That is non-negotiable for the softest results. For the absolute pinnacle of flavor, I highly recommend upgrading your butter to brown butter. It sounds fancy, but it’s just heating the butter until the milk solids toast up and smell nutty. You toss that rich, nutty butter into the dough mix instead of the melted butter called for, and wow—it adds a layer of complexity that makes these **tender sweet potato buns** taste absolutely gourmet.

Another thing cooks often rush is the kneading. When a recipe calls for kneading until ‘smooth and elastic,’ don’t eyeball the time—use your hands to feel the change! When you poke the dough, it should slowly spring back. If it tears right away, it needs more work to develop that gluten structure. This structure is what traps the gases from the yeast, giving you those beautiful, fluffy sweet potato dinner rolls.

Finally, don’t forget the warm environment for rising. Yeast hates a draft. If your kitchen is cool, wrap that bowl tightly in a couple of towels and pop it into the oven, making sure the oven is completely off! A slightly warm bowl gives those yeast friends the cozy environment they need to do their best work, leading directly to those light **homemade sweet potato buns** you’re aiming for.

Storing and Reheating Your Homemade Sweet Potato Buns

Nobody wants leftover rolls to turn stale, right? Thankfully, these **sweet potato rolls** are so rich in sweet potato puree that they actually stay quite soft! For eating within a couple of days, just store them airtight on the counter at room temperature. Don’t put them in the fridge unless you absolutely must, because chilling bread just makes it hard faster.

If you made a double batch for the holidays, freezing is your best friend. Once they are completely cool, toss them in a freezer-safe bag. They keep wonderfully for about three months!

To bring back that fresh-baked magic, forget the microwave which makes them chewy. Wrap them loosely in foil and pop them into a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes. It warms them through perfectly and restores all that beautiful, fluffy tenderness!

Serving Suggestions for Holiday Dinner Rolls Side Dish

Okay, you’ve got the platter of gorgeous, golden **sweet potato rolls** cooling on the rack—now what do you serve them with? This is where the planning really pays off! Because these rolls are only lightly sweet, they step right up to the plate alongside almost any savory main course. If you’re making a big holiday spread, these are truly the perfect holiday dinner rolls side dish.

For a Thanksgiving or Christmas feast, they are just unbeatable next to a big roasted turkey smothered in gravy or a hearty glazed ham. Honestly, those rolls just soak up every last bit of sauce, and the slight sweetness is such a lovely foil to all those rich, savory meats. They make my classic comfort food mains feel extra special.

SAVE

But don’t save them just for the main event! Because they are so soft and sturdy, I always make sure to have a few extra for leftovers. They transform beautifully into the **tender sweet potato buns** for the best mini-sandwiches the next day. Think leftover pulled pork or even just a slice of sharp cheddar cheese inside—perfection! They are sturdy enough to hold up without getting soggy, which is something you can’t say about every dinner roll out there.

If you’re serving them with soup or stew during those chilly fall evenings, have a stick of salted butter ready to go. Pulling apart a warm roll just before dipping it into a steaming bowl of chili? That’s how good memories are made in my kitchen.

Frequently Asked Questions About Sweet Potato Rolls

When you’re baking something new, questions always pop up! I’ve gathered some of the things I hear most often from folks trying this recipe for the first time. Don’t worry if you’ve never made **sweet potato yeast rolls** before; we’ll get you sorted out so you end up with the softest rolls possible.

Can I use canned sweet potato puree instead of fresh for these sweet potato rolls?

Absolutely, you can! That’s one of the great things about using canned puree—it saves you the trouble of baking and mashing potatoes first. Just one really important thing to watch out for: canned puree is generally wetter than what you get when you cook and mash a fresh sweet potato. If you pour that liquid right in, your dough might get too sticky and won’t knead properly. So, please, give that can a good look over. If there’s any standing liquid on the top, spoon it out before you measure your cup. We want the moisture inside the puree, not pooling on top!

How do I make these rolls without yeast if I want an easier sweet potato bread?

That’s a fair question if you’re looking for something super quick! I know there are some recipes out there floating around for what they call “2 ingredient sweet potato rolls.” Those are honestly more like a thick biscuit or quick bread—they are fast, but they don’t have that light, fluffy, pull-apart quality that we love in a true dinner roll. For this recipe, we rely on the yeast to give us that classic, airy texture. I stick to using the yeast because it makes the difference between a good roll and an amazing one! If you’re ready for the next step in baking, mastering this yeast workflow is worth it.

Are these sweet potato rolls supposed to be very sweet?

They are **lightly sweet dinner rolls**, which is intentional! The natural sweetness from the sweet potato puree blends beautifully with the sugar, giving them a warmth that tastes perfect next to savory dishes like gravy or turkey. They are not meant to be a dessert bread; you won’t be reaching for heavy frosting here! They have just enough sugar to balance out the savory notes of the meal, making them the ultimate accompaniment without overwhelming the main course.

Estimated Nutritional Data for Sweet Potato Rolls

Now, I know what some of you are thinking: does adding sweet potato mean these are somehow a health food? Well, they certainly use whole ingredients, which I love, but they are still rich, buttery rolls meant for celebration! For anyone tracking things, I always like to include the estimated nutritional breakdown for these **sweet potato rolls**. Remember, I’m a cook, not a nutritionist, so these numbers are based on my recipe ingredients and general averages in the food database.

This data is calculated based on yielding 12 gorgeous rolls:

• Serving Size: 1 roll
• Calories: 210
• Fat: 6g (with 3.5g of that being saturated fat—that butter is doing its job!)
• Carbohydrates: 35g
• Protein: 5g
• Sugar: 6g
• Sodium: 250mg

Just a little friendly heads-up: since we are making these entirely from scratch, the final numbers can shift a tiny bit depending on the exact brand of flour you use or how much butter you decide to brush on top after baking! But this gives you a really solid idea of what you’re enjoying when you pull apart these amazing **tender sweet potato buns** for dinner.

Share Your Fluffy Sweet Potato Rolls Experience

Well, we made it! You’ve navigated the yeast, you’ve kneaded the dough, and I bet your kitchen smells absolutely incredible right now. Creating something this wonderful **from scratch sweet potato rolls** takes a little love, but look what you’ve accomplished!

I truly hope these **sweet potato rolls** become a staple at your own table, whether it’s for a big holiday like Thanksgiving or just a Tuesday night when you need a little dose of happy comfort food. I always say that cooking connects us, so I’d absolutely love to hear how yours turned out!

Please, when you get a moment, leave a comment down below. Tell me how the texture felt, did you brush them with brown butter, or did you stick with the classic glaze? Your feedback helps me keep making these recipes better for everyone who visits Pure Cooking Joy here on the blog.

And don’t be shy about sharing pictures! Seeing you all enjoy these results just warms my heart more than anything. Tag me on social media with your golden-brown beauties. If you’re hanging out on Facebook, come say hi and show me your finished batch—I’m always over there checking in on my wonderful baking community over on Facebook!

Fluffy Sweet Potato Dinner Rolls

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Make these soft, buttery sweet potato rolls from scratch. They are tender, slightly sweet, and perfect for your holiday table or any family dinner.

• Author: purejoyalex
• Prep Time: 30 min
• Cook Time: 20 min
• Total Time: 2 hours 40 min
• Yield: 12 rolls 1x
• Category: Side Dish
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: American
• Diet: Vegetarian

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 cup mashed sweet potato (about 2 medium potatoes)
• 1/2 cup warm milk (105-115°F)
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 1 large egg, beaten (for egg wash)

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Instructions

1. Combine the warm milk, sugar, and yeast in a small bowl. Let this mixture sit for 5 to 10 minutes until it becomes foamy. This shows the yeast is active.
2. In a large bowl, mix the mashed sweet potato, melted butter, salt, and the yeast mixture. Stir until combined.
3. Add the egg and mix well. Gradually add the flour, mixing until a shaggy dough forms.
4. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for 8 to 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. You want a soft, tender dough.
5. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, turning to coat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel. Let the dough rise in a warm place for 1 to 1.5 hours, or until doubled in size.
6. Gently punch down the risen dough. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a smooth ball.
7. Arrange the dough balls in a greased 9×13 inch baking pan, leaving a small space between them. Cover the pan loosely and let the rolls rise again for 30 to 45 minutes, or until puffy.
8. Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Brush the tops of the rolls lightly with the beaten egg wash.
9. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown.
10. Remove the rolls from the oven. Brush the tops immediately with extra melted butter for a buttery finish. Serve warm.

Notes

• For the best texture, make sure your mashed sweet potato is cooled to room temperature before mixing it with the yeast.
• If you want a richer flavor, substitute the melted butter with brown butter.
• These rolls freeze well after baking. Cool completely, place in a freezer-safe bag, and freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat in the oven or microwave.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 roll
• Calories: 210
• Sugar: 6
• Sodium: 250
• Fat: 6
• Saturated Fat: 3.5
• Unsaturated Fat: 2.5
• Trans Fat: 0
• Carbohydrates: 35
• Fiber: 2
• Protein: 5
• Cholesterol: 25