For more Thanksgiving recipes, tips, menus, and inspiration, head to our 2025 Thanksgiving Hub.
Soft, pillowy, and beguilingly sweet, these golden sweet potato rolls are the perfect addition to any meal. A heaping wallop of mashed sweet potatoes gives the dough a warm orange glow and a tender, springy texture that makes each bite irresistible. The natural starches in the sweet potato act like a tangzhong, enriching the dough for extra softness—without the need for extra steps. Brush the tops of the rolls with melted butter straight from the oven and you’ve got dinner rolls that taste as good as they look. Make a double batch; these will disappear fast.
Tips for perfect sweet potato rolls
- Cook sweet potatoes the right way. Microwaving is fastest, steaming works too, but avoid boiling—they can get waterlogged, which makes dough too wet. Have a leftover baked sweet potato? That works too.
- Canned sweet potato also works. Use 235 g canned sweet potato (or pumpkin or butternut squash); the color of your dinner rolls will be less vibrant, but their flavor will still be delicious.
- Yeast matters. Instant yeast is our go-to for consistent results. Using active dry yeast? Expect longer rise times, but you can swap 1:1.
- Sugar swap. Brown sugar gives depth to this sweet potato roll recipe, but granulated sugar can stand in if needed.
- Mix it up. No stand mixer? You can still make these rolls! Just bring the dough together in a large bowl, then knead on a lightly floured surface until dough is smooth and soft. Kneading this dough by hand will take quite a bit of patience; you may want to enlist a kitchen companion to tap in once you tire out.
- Roll cold dough. Slightly chilled dough is easier to shape into uniform rolls—plus it helps the rolls keep their soft, structured rise.
- Serving ideas. Perfect alongside roast turkey, glazed ham, or any weeknight meal. Try brushing with maple or honey butter for a sweet finish. Serve the leftover rolls as the buns for a turkey slider the day after your Thanksgiving dinner.
- Make ahead & freeze. Cook sweet potatoes up to 3 days ahead. Rolls can be baked 24 hours in advance, or freeze baked rolls up to a month; reheat in 325° oven, brushing with butter before serving.
Recipe information
Total Time
1 hour (plus 2 hours for rising)
Yield
Makes about 20
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Cut 2–3 shallow slits along length of 1 large sweet potato (about 8 oz.), scrubbed. Place in a medium microwave-safe bowl; add ½ cup water. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and microwave until sweet potato is tender, about 15 minutes; drain. (Or, steam sweet potato in a steamer basket set over a pot of simmering water until tender, 20–22 minutes.) Let sit until cool enough to handle. Peel; smash flesh to a coarse purée.
Step 2
Transfer 1 cup (packed; 235 g) purée to the bowl of a stand mixer. Add ½ cup (packed; 100 g) light brown sugar, ¼ cup whole milk, one ¼-oz. envelope instant yeast (about 2¼ tsp.), 2 large eggs, ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted, and 1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 2¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt; mix with a fork to combine. Add 3 cups (375 g) bread flour, fit mixer with dough hook, and beat on medium-low speed until a soft, smooth dough forms (it may stick to bottom of bowl but should mostly come away from sides), 12–15 minutes.
Step 3
Turn dough out onto a surface (unfloured) and shape into a ball. Lightly coat mixer bowl with vegetable oil. Return dough to bowl, cover tightly with a plate or plastic wrap, and let sit in a warm, draft-free spot until nearly doubled in size, about 2 hours. (For optimal flavor, let dough rise at room temperature 30 minutes, then chill 12 hours to proof slowly.)
Step 4
Transfer dough to a clean surface (no need to bring to room temperature if chilled; cold dough is easier to work with). Using a bench scraper or paring knife, cut dough into 20 portions (about 43 g each). Working one at a time, cup your hand over dough and drag across surface, moving your hand in a rapid circular motion, to form dough into a tight ball (rolling into balls on an unfloured, ungreased surface creates friction and helps the shaping process). Brush a 13x9" baking pan with butter and arrange rolls in pan. Cover with plastic wrap; let sit in a warm, draft-free spot until nearly doubled in size and puffy, about 2 hours. Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 350°. Whisk remaining 1 large egg and a large pinch of kosher salt in a small bowl to blend. Gently brush tops of rolls with egg. Bake until deep golden brown on top and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of a roll registers 190°, 30–35 minutes.
Step 5
Generously brush hot rolls with melted butter; sprinkle lightly with flaky sea salt if desired. Let cool at least 15 minutes before serving.
Do Ahead: Sweet potato can be puréed 3 days ahead; transfer to an airtight container. Cover and chill. Rolls (without butter and sea salt) can be baked 1 day ahead; store airtight at room temperature. Reheat, loosely covered in foil, in a 325° oven until warmed through, about 10 minutes. Alternatively, freeze rolls up to 1 month ahead. Let cool; wrap pan tightly in plastic, then foil. Thaw, wrapped, in fridge 12 hours. Remove foil and plastic wrap, re-cover loosely with foil, and reheat in a 325° oven until warmed through, about 15 minutes. Generously brush rolls with butter and sprinkle lightly with sea salt if desired.
Recipe notes
Back to topSee Related Recipes and Cooking Tips
All the Recipes From *Bon Appétit’s* Thanksgiving Issue
We’ve got sweet potato rolls, pumpkin chili, and the garlickiest mashed potatoes.
