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Mini Sweet Potato Cinnamon Rolls
Earthy sweet potato blends seamlessly into the soft, enriched yeast dough of these bite-sized pastries, keeping them incredibly tender. You'll roll the dough around a warm, spiced filling of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cardamom, and cloves for a deeply comforting flavor profile. They're finished with a simple, sweet glaze that melts beautifully into the warm swirls. It's a fun, miniature twist on a classic breakfast treat that won't leave you feeling overly stuffed.
Equipment
- Stand Mixer
- Muffin tin
- Oven
Ingredients
- 1½ to 1¾ cups all-purpose or bread flour
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1¼ teaspoons fast-acting dry yeast
- ¼ cup very warm milk (120°F to 130°F)
- 1 ⁄ 3 cup mashed cooked sweet potato, cooled
- 3 tablespoons butter, softened
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 tablespoons butter, softened
- 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 ⁄ 8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 to 2 teaspoons milk
- 1 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- 1In a large bowl, mix 1 cup of the flour, 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar, salt, 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon, and the yeast.
- 2Add the warm milk, mashed sweet potato, 3 tablespoons of softened butter, and the egg yolk. Beat on low speed for 1 minute, scraping the bowl frequently.
- 3Increase the mixer speed to medium for 1 minute. Gradually stir in the remaining flour, 1/4 cup at a time, until a manageable dough forms.
- 4Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead for 3 to 5 minutes until smooth and springy.
- 5Place the dough in a greased medium bowl, turning once to coat all sides. Cover loosely with greased plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm spot for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until doubled in size. A warm environment activates the yeast for a proper rise.
- 6While the dough rises, mix 1 tablespoon of softened butter with the brown sugar, 2 teaspoons of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cardamom, and cloves in a small bowl to make the filling.
- 7Grease the bottoms and sides of 24 mini muffin cups. Gently punch down the risen dough to release the air.
- 8On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a 12x9-inch rectangle, then cut it in half to create two 9x6-inch rectangles.
- 9Spread the remaining 1 tablespoon of softened butter over both rectangles. Sprinkle the spiced filling evenly across the surface, then roll each rectangle up tightly from the 9-inch side and pinch the seams closed.
- 10Stretch the rolled logs slightly to even them out. Use dental floss or a serrated knife to cut each log into twelve 3/4-inch slices. Dental floss cuts cleanly without squishing the delicate dough spirals.
- 11Place one slice, cut side up, into each prepared muffin cup. Cover loosely with greased plastic wrap and let rise in a warm area for 30 minutes.
- 12Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake the rolls for 10 to 12 minutes until light golden brown. Immediately transfer them from the pan to a wire cooling rack.
- 13For the glaze, whisk the melted butter, 1 tablespoon of milk, and powdered sugar together in a small bowl. Stir in additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until the mixture reaches the consistency of thick syrup.
- 14Drizzle the glaze over the warm rolls.
Notes
- Prep: To quickly cook the sweet potato, pierce it with a fork and microwave on high for 5 to 7 minutes until tender. Let it cool completely before peeling and mashing.
- Glazing tip: For a cleaner drizzle, transfer the prepared glaze to a small zip-top bag, snip off a tiny corner, and pipe it over the baked rolls.
- Storage: Keep leftover rolls in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerate for up to 4 days.
- Reheat: Warm individual rolls in the microwave for 10 to 15 seconds to soften the dough and melt the glaze slightly.