Cinnamon Rolls With Potato Dough

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Potato cinnamon rolls have the perfect soft and fluffy texture. The potato in the dough may sound strange, but I promise they are delicious. The centers are just a bit gooey, and the outside is airy, making perfect cinnamon rolls.

These potato dough cinnamon rolls are so soft and delicious.  They make waking up something you will look forward to!

If you like Cinnabon cinnamon rolls, you are going to love this recipe. And if you have never used some potatoes in a yeast dough, you are just going to have to go with it for a second.

I know it sounds really strange, but I promise you the mashed potatoes don’t add any strange flavor or texture. In fact, they make the texture extra amazing.

The yeast loves that potato starch, and I think it helps to keep the cinnamon rolls soft even longer. It works in a very similar way to making potato rolls or buying potato bread.

They are the best breakfast or brunch treat you can ask for.  You absolutely have to make a batch to find out for yourself!

About the Recipe

This recipe came from Maida Heatter’s Cakes. We fell in love with this recipe back in 2015, and we still love it all these years later.

They do take a little bit of time, but no more than most recipes that include yeast. And just wait until you see the yeast react with the water you used to boil the potatoes.

They get so happy and bubbly. It is amazing to watch them go to town.

You can boil a potato or two just to make the mashed potatoes, or you can save a little water from making mashed potatoes for dinner. Then, pull a cup of plain mashed potatoes before you season them up for the meal.

Use those potatoes and the water to make the best cinnamon rolls of your life. It is totally worth the effort!

Once you have made them once, you won’t ever question it again. You will be buying potatoes just to make cinnamon rolls!

Making the Best Potato Cinnamon Rolls

The dough is really soft. That is normal and part of having the potatoes mixed in.

You want to add enough flour so that it comes together, but not so much that it makes an actual ball of dough. Take a look at the picture of the dough in the mixer for an idea of the correct texture.

It should still be a little bit tacky but will mostly hold its shape. You will need to use a spatula to get it all out of the mixer bowl and off the dough hook.

Put the dough in a greased bowl so that you can get it out later. Then, cover it with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let it double in size.

The dough is really soft and easy to work with because the gluten isn’t too tight. Punch it down and let it rest for a few minutes before rolling or patting it out into a square.

Now brush it with melted butter and sprinkle it with cinnamon, nutmeg, and sugar. Now roll it up, using a bench scrape to help as needed.

Cut it into twelve equal pieces. I like to use a measuring tape to cut it into fourths, then I just eyeball cutting each of the four pieces into three smaller pieces.

That should get you twelve pretty close to equal cinnamon rolls. Put them on a greased sheet pan and cover them with a dish towel or greased plastic wrap.

Make sure the cover is loose so they can expand again. Once they have doubled in size, go ahead and pop them in the oven.

They are done when the tops are golden brown. Go ahead and make the icing while they are hot.

That way, it can kind of melt down between the layers of the cinnamon roll. That helps to make those centers even gooier and more delicious.

The hardest part is waiting for them to cool. They are wonderful warm, but Maida suggested they are even better if you let them sit for a couple of hours.

Frosting Your Cinnamon Rolls

The icing recipe included in the recipe card below is a double batch of the frosting Maida suggested in her cookbook. We like a lot of icing, so double feels a little bit like restraint.

You can make half if you don’t like a ton of icing.

You can also mix up the flavor profile. Sometimes, I add maple extract instead of the almond for maple cinnamon rolls.

Every once in a while, I add a few Tablespoons of cream cheese to the icing. It is delicious, but adding cream cheese means you should technically refrigerate the leftovers.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you store homemade cinnamon rolls?

You can store potato dough cinnamon rolls at room temperature for 3-5 days. Just keep them wrapped or in an airtight container so they don’t dry out.

You can also freeze them for up to 3 months. I generally don’t recommend refrigerating baked goods unless they frosting you use requires it, as the refrigerator can dry them out and make them go stale more quickly.

Can these cinnamon rolls be made the night before?

Yes. You can either go ahead and complete them the night before and just warm them a bit in the morning.

Or, you can take them to the point where you cut the log of dough into cinnamon rolls and place them on a greased pan. Then, wrap them with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator overnight.

In the morning, remove them from the oven and loosen up the cover. Allow them to sit out for about an hour before preheating the oven.

Once they have risen, go ahead and bake them as normal. They will be fabulous, and it will make the morning go a lot easier.

What effect does adding potato to the dough have?

The starch in the potatoes contributes to the structure of the dough and holds more moisture than just wheat flour. Plus, it works without developing more gluten. So the end product turns out nice and light and tender.

More Sweet Breakfast Recipes

I liked these mashed potato cinnamon rolls so much that I used the recipe as the base for my coffee and cream cinnamon buns and they were a smashing success. If you want to try a twist, check out that recipe.

At Christmastime, I like to make a cinnamon roll wreath. It feels really festive and extra fun for the holidays.

We also like stuffed cresecent rolls with cream cheese for an easy breakfast. Or try making a peach coffee cake for a little bit of fruit.

You can check out my collection of cinnamon roll recipes for more breakfast treats!

Thanks for sharing!