These fluffy sweet potato rolls are a delightful vegan, gluten-free addition to any meal! Always a crowd-pleaser, they’re light, airy, and packed with the natural sweetness of sweet potatoes.

Sweet potato roll cut in half on plate with cinnamon butter spread on top

Sweet potato recipes are some of my favourites, whether it’s vegan sweet potato pie or creamy mashed sweet potatoes. Still, I don’t think I was totally prepared for how much I’d love these sweet potato rolls. They are incredible, with the softest, fluffiest texture and that signature sweet, slightly earthy flavour of sweet potatoes.

A maple cinnamon butter spread makes these sweet potato rolls even sweeter, but if you want to pair them with a savoury meal—use them for sopping up one-pot Cajun gumbo, for example—you can skip the sweetened butter.

Why You’ll Love These Sweet Potato Rolls

Vegan and gluten-free. Which means everyone at the table can enjoy them!
Soft and fluffy texture. Thanks to the addition of mashed sweet potatoes in the dough, these rolls have a light and airy texture that practically melts in your mouth.
Versatile. With the cinnamon butter, these sweet potato rolls would be perfect for brunch, but you can also serve them as an everyday dinner side or as part of a holiday meal!

Overhead view of ingredients for sweet potato rolls with labels

Notes on Ingredients

Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.

Sweet potato puree
Soy milk – Make sure it’s unflavoured and unsweetened.
Water
Psyllium husk – This is used as a binder and adds structure to the dough.
Gluten-free all-purpose flour – I used King Arthur.
Sugar
Xanthan gum – This helps with the texture and structure of the rolls.
Baking powder
Kosher salt
Instant yeast – Make sure to use instant yeast, not active dry yeast.
Olive oil
Apple cider vinegar
Topping – Additional oil and sea salt flakes for topping.

Cinnamon butter:

Vegan butter – I like to use my homemade vegan butter.
Maple syrup – A dark, robust maple syrup will add a nice flavour in addition to sweetness.
Cinnamon

How to Make Sweet Potato Rolls

Overhead view of sweet potatoes in pot of water

Overhead view of sweet potatoes added to water and soy milk in blender

Boil the sweet potato. Peel and cut the sweet potato and place it in a pan with water. Bring to a boil, then simmer until the potato cubes are tender. Drain.
Make puree. Add the cooked potatoes, soy milk, and water to a high speed blender and puree until smooth.
Add the psyllium. Transfer the puree to a bowl, ensuring the temperature is around 115ºF. Stir in the psyllium husk and rest for 5 minutes.

Overhead view of dry ingredients for sweet potato rolls in mixing bowl

Overhead view of dry ingredients for sweet potato rolls in mixing bowl before stirring in yeast

Mix the dry ingredients. Whisk the gluten-free flour, sugar, xanthan gum, baking powder, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the yeast and stir again.
Knead. Add the oil, apple cider vinegar, and potato puree, then mix with the hook attachment on your stand mixer at low speed until everything is incorporated. Reduce the speed to medium-low and knead for 5 minutes. Rest for 5 minutes.

Overhead view of sweet potato roll dough in baking dish before rising

Overhead view of unbaked sweet potato rolls in baking dish

Form the rolls. Divide the dough into 12 equal portions and roll into balls. Place them in a greased baking dish. Cover with greased plastic wrap and rise for an hour, or until doubled in size.
Brush with oil. Remove the plastic wrap from the baking dish and brush the tops of the rolls with olive oil.
Bake. Place the rolls in an oven preheated to 350ºF and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the tops begin to turn golden brown.
Make the cinnamon butter. Combine the softened butter, maple syrup, and cinnamon in a small bowl.

Overhead view of sweet potato rolls in baking dish

Tips for Success

Enjoy them fresh. These rolls are best enjoyed right after they are baked. They will lose their soft texture if stored for too long.
Use instant yeast. If you want to use active dry yeast, you will need to proof it before adding it to the dough.
Measure ingredients carefully. For best results, make sure to measure all ingredients accurately. Weighing is better than measuring by volume.
The rising time may vary. When it’s warm out, it may take less time for the sweet potato rolls to double in bulk; in the winter, it can take a bit longer.

Side view of fluffy sweet potato roll on white plate

What to Serve With Sweet Potato Rolls

Soups and stews. These rolls are perfect for soaking up rich, hearty broth and vegan chili, or the potlikker from vegan collard greens.
Holiday meals. Serve them alongside roasted vegetables, mashed potatoes, and your favorite plant-based main courses for a vegan holiday feast.
Sliders. The next time I make these sweet potato rolls, I’m going to use them to make sliders with BBQ tofu!

How to Store

Store the sweet potato rolls in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. If the rolls start to harden, reheat them in a 300ºF oven until warmed through.

Can I Freeze This Recipe?

For longer storage, you can freeze sweet potato rolls. Allow them to cool completely after baking, then place them in a freezer-safe bag or container. They can be frozen for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to enjoy them, thaw the rolls at room temperature or reheat them in the microwave or a 300ºF oven.

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Sweet Potato Rolls

Homemade sweet potato rolls are always a crowd-pleaser! They’re light, airy, and packed with the natural sweetness of sweet potatoes.

Prep Time 1

Cook Time 35

Rising Time 1

Total Time 2 35

Servings rolls

Calories 221kcal

Ingredients

1 small/medium sweet potato 215 g
1 ¼ cup soy milk 285 g
⅓ cup water 80 g
1 ½ tablespoons psyllium husk 9 g
2 ¾ cup gluten free all purpose flour I used King Arthur, 440 g
3 tablespoon sugar 38 g
2 teaspoon xanthan gum 6 g
½ teaspoon baking powder 3 g
1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt
2 ¼ teaspoon instant yeast 9 g
¼ cup olive oil 46 g
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar 4 g
Additional oil and sea salt flakes for topping

Cinnamon butter:

¼ cup vegan butter room temperature 57 g
1 tablespoon maple syrup
½ – 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

Peel sweet potato and cut it into 1 inch cubes. Place the cut sweet potato in a saucepan and cover with cool water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then cover and reduce the heat to medium low. Cook until the potatoes are fork tender, about 10 minutes.
Drain the water from the cooked sweet potatoes. Then add the cooked potatoes, soy milk and water to a high speed blender. (If you want you can measure the water from the potato water instead of using fresh water). Blend the ingredients until smooth.
Pour the potato mixture into a bowl. Check the temperature to ensure it is about 115ºF/46ºC. Warm or cool the mixture as necessary to reach the desired temperature.
Add the psyllium husk to the potato mixture and stir well. Set the mixture aside to rest for 5 minutes.
Add the gluten free flour, sugar, xanthan gum, baking powder, and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer. Use a spatula or whisk to mix everything together.
Next add the yeast to the dry ingredients and stir it again.
Place the bowl on your stand mixer fitted with the hook attachment. Add the potato mixture, oil and apple cider vinegar. Stir on low speed until the dry ingredients are incorporated. You may need to scrape down the bowl a few times. Once the dry ingredients are mixed in, increase the speed to medium low and allow it to mix for 5 minutes.
Turn off the mixer and let the dough rest for 5 minutes. It will be like a sticky and thick batter.
Spray a 9×13 baking dish with non-stick spray.
Use a large ice cream scoop to divide the dough into 12 equal portions. You can use oil or water on your hands to avoid the dough sticking. Gently roll the dough into round balls then place them in the prepared baking dish. They should be barely touching.
Spray a sheet of plastic wrap and cover the baking dish. Place it in a warm place to rise for about an hour or until doubled in size.
Preheat the oven to 350ºF/176ºC.
Remove the plastic wrap from the baking dish and brush the tops of the rolls with a little bit of olive oil.
Place the rolls into the preheated oven and bake for 30-35 minutes or until the tops begin to turn golden brown. Remove from the oven and serve warm.

For the cinnamon butter:

Combine the softened butter, maple syrup and cinnamon and mix them together well using a spatula.

Notes

Rolls are best served right after they are baked. Store any leftover rolls in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days. Reheat in a 300ºF oven until warmed.
For longer storage, you can freeze sweet potato rolls. Allow them to cool completely after baking, then place them in a freezer-safe bag or container. They can be frozen for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to enjoy them, thaw the rolls at room temperature or reheat them in the microwave or a 300ºF oven.

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