These sweet potato rolls bake up soft and golden, with honey in the dough and a glossy honey butter finish. A sprinkle of flaky sea salt brings it all together- good luck stopping at just one!
Bonus, they are also fantastic as sandwich bread. Make leftovers into ham sandwiches, breakfast sandwiches or even a sweet grilled cheese.
Why You’ll Love These Sweet Potato Rolls
- Soft centers with a little something extra. Sweet potato puree brings moisture, gentle sweetness, and a beautiful golden-orange color to these homemade dinner rolls.
- Honey in every bite. There’s honey mixed into the dough and brushed over the warm rolls with melted butter, so the flavor goes beyond the topping.
- The sweet-and-salty finish. Flaky sea salt balances the honey butter, making these rolls just as welcome alongside roast turkey as a bowl of soup.
Ingredients for Sweet Potato Rolls
With just a handful of simple ingredients, you’re well on your way to making these rolls. A full list of ingredients with measurements for this recipe is available in the printable recipe card below.
- Whole milk: You want it to be warmed. It hydrates the dough and adds richness. Check the temperature with a thermometer before adding the yeast.
- Active dry yeast: Gives the rolls their rise. Bloom it in the warm milk with the sugar before mixing the dough.
- Granulated sugar: Two tablespoons lightly sweeten the dough and help you check the yeast’s activity during blooming.
- Sweet potato puree: It should be thick and spoonable, with no added milk, butter, sugar, or spices. Measure after cooking and mashing.
- Egg: One large egg adds richness and helps support the dough’s structure.
- Unsalted butter: You will use some melted, cooled butter in the dough. The rest you’ll use to make the topping. Let the dough butter cool until comfortably warm before mixing it with the yeast mixture.
- Honey: Some sweetens the dough, and the rest goes into the topping. A mild honey lets the sweet potato flavor come through.
- Coarse kosher salt: This seasons the dough and balances the sweetness. Kosher salt brands differ in density, so specify the brand used in your tested recipe.
- All-purpose flour: Spoon it into the measuring cup and level it off rather than scooping directly from the bag.
- Flaky sea salt: Sprinkle over the honey butter topping for a delicate crunch and salty finish. Start lightly- you can always add more.
How to Make Sweet Potato Rolls (Step-by-Step)
With these easy steps, you’re well on your way to making your new favorite rolls.
- Bloom the yeast. Stir together the warm milk, active dry yeast, and sugar in the stand mixer bowl. Let stand until foamy. If there is no activity, check your milk temperature and start again with fresh yeast.
- Mix the wet ingredients. Whisk in the room-temperature sweet potato puree, egg, cooled melted butter, honey, and kosher salt until mostly smooth.
- Knead the dough. Add the flour and mix with the dough hook on low speed. Knead until shiny, stretchy, and elastic. The dough will be sticky; avoid adding flour just to make it feel dry.
- Let it rise. Transfer to a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm, draft-free spot until roughly doubled, about 1 hour. Allow more time if needed.
- Divide and shape. Turn the dough onto a floured surface, using a bench scraper and enough flour on your hands and work surface to prevent sticking. Gently pat into a rectangle about 1 inch thick and divide into 12 equal portions. Fold each portion’s edges underneath, pinch the seam, and gently cup and roll into a ball.
- Let the rolls puff. Arrange seam-side down on a parchment-lined large baking sheet, about 1½ inches apart. Cover loosely. Begin checking after 15 minutes and allow more time if needed for the rolls to look noticeably puffy.
- Bake. Bake until golden brown and baked through. The bottoms should be set, and the rolls should sound hollow when gently tapped.
- Finish with honey butter. Melt the remaining butter and stir in honey. Brush over the warm rolls and sprinkle lightly with flaky sea salt.
How to Prepare the Sweet Potato Puree
Cook a plain sweet potato until completely tender, then remove the skin and mash the flesh until mostly smooth. Baking or microwaving avoids introducing extra cooking water. Let the puree cool to room temperature, then measure ¾ cup.
A few tiny bits of sweet potato are fine, but large chunks make it harder to mix and shape the dough evenly. Save any extra puree for another recipe.
Chef Tips
- Use a thermometer to measure the temperature of the milk and the butter before adding. Anything too hot will kill the yeast, preventing it from rising and being light and fluffy.
- Make sure the yeast is alive and activated before proceeding with the recipe. While I was testing I went through two packets of yeast (that weren’t expired) and both were duds.
- The biggest variable is the sweet potato puree. Homemade puree can contain more moisture than canned, so you might need more flour than called for, but add sparingly.
- Avoid adding too much flour. A slightly sticky dough gives you softer rolls. Only use enough that you are able to form them.
- For the smoothest dough, use plain sweet potato puree with no added butter, milk, sugar, or spices. If you’re using leftover mashed sweet potatoes that are already seasoned, reduce the salt and sugar accordingly.
What to Serve with Sweet Potato Rolls
What goes better with fresh, hot rolls than butter?? And sure, you could buy your favorite butter from the store, but making your own is so much more satisfying and delicious. Here are some of my favorites:
Storage and Freezing
Storage: Let the rolls cool completely, then store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Freezing: Wrap cooled rolls well and freeze in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. For the freshest finish, freeze before adding the honey butter and flaky salt, then add them after reheating.
Reheating: Thaw frozen rolls, cover loosely with foil, and warm in a 300°F oven until heated through. Start checking after about 10 minutes. Brush with honey butter and add flaky salt before serving.
FAQs
Use plain mashed sweet potatoes without added cream, butter, sugar, or seasonings. Sweet potato casserole and prepared sweetened mash can change the dough’s moisture, flavor, and texture.
Freshly cooked, thick puree gives you better control over moisture. Canned puree varies in consistency; a thin product can make the dough too wet. Use plain, unsweetened puree only, and avoid treating all canned products as an exact swap.
Instant yeast can generally be substituted for active dry yeast, but it may rise faster. Follow the product’s directions and judge the dough by its expansion rather than the clock. This recipe’s written method uses active dry yeast.
They have gentle sweetness from the sweet potato, sugar, and honey. The dough is seasoned with salt, and the flaky salt topping balances the honey butter. They fit right in with a savory dinner.
Inactive yeast, overly hot milk, or a cool kitchen can interfere with rising. Check that the yeast foams before mixing the dough, and let the covered dough rise somewhere comfortably warm. If the yeast was active and the dough is slowly expanding, give it more time.
More Homemade Breads
When it comes to breads and butter, you’ll never hear me saying no! Here are some of my favorites.
Sweet Potato Rolls Recipe with Honey
Ingredients
Sweet Potato Rolls:
- 3/4 cup warm whole milk , between 100–110°F
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (1 packet)
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 3/4 cup sweet potato puree , room temperature
- 1 large egg
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter , melted and cooled below 120°F
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
- 3 3/4 cups flour
Butter Topping:
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 2 teaspoons honey
- flaky sea salt , such as Maldon
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the bread hook, stir together the 3/4 cup warm whole milk, 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (1 packet), and 2 tablespoons sugarLet it bloom for 5–10 minutes, until foamy. If the mixture doesn't bloom, then the yeast is not activated. Find new yeast and start over.
- Whisk in the 3/4 cup sweet potato puree, 1 large egg cooled 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, 2 tablespoons honey and 2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt until mostly smooth. There might be a few bits if sweet potato, this is fine.
- Add the 3 3/4 cups flour and using the dough hook, knead for 8 minutes. The dough will be shiny and sticky, but also elastic. This is normal.
- Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm spot for 1 hour. The dough should be roughly doubled in size.
- Turn the dough onto a heavily floured surface, sprinkling more on top to help to make it easier to handle. Using your hands, form it into a rectangle about 1 inch thick. Using a pastry scraper, divide into 12 equal portions.
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Shape each section of dough into a roll, fold over the edges to meet and then roll it in your palm. Place on the baking sheet about 1 1/2 inches apart from each other. Let the rolls rise for another 15 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Bake for 18–20 minutes, until the tops are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped.
- Melt the 2 tablespoons unsalted butter in the microwave and stir in the 2 teaspoons honey .
- Brush the warm rolls with the melted butter mixture and sprinkle with the flaky sea salt.
- If you've tried this recipe, come back and let us know how they were in the comments or star ratings.
Notes
Nutrition
