Yukon Gold Cinnamon Rolls with Perfect Icing {Step-by-Step Tutorial}
These Yukon Gold potato cinnamon rolls are fluffy and delicious, and the simple mashed potato mixture is worth the {easy} extra step. It keeps the dough so soft and moist for days!
I know I say this a lot, but I had no intention of posting another cinnamon roll recipe. In December of all times. The month notorious for overloading all of us with Christmas cookies and decadent treats.
But in honor of special holiday breakfasts AND general cinnamon roll cravings AND the ongoing desire to provide you with the best of the best of the best, you should probably sit up and take note of this cinnamon roll recipe.
I understand that for many of you, trying a new cinnamon roll recipe feels very traitor-ish, especially if you’ve already found “the one” in Gloria’s perfect cinnamon rolls (that have quite the cult following).
Or maybe your cinnamon roll love is these vanilla pudding cinnamon rolls or these buttermilk cinnamon rolls or these crazy delicious biscuit cinnamon rolls. Each one of those recipes, respectively, has a set of very loyal fans.
As one who sincerely adores each of those recipes mentioned above, it takes a lot (a lot, a lot) to rock my cinnamon roll-loving life. And these Yukon Gold potato cinnamon rolls have done just that.
Anna, a MKC reader, emailed me telling me that I should definitely try these cinnamon rolls to add to my already overflowing cinnamon roll recipe library. When she told me they were THE SOFTEST cinnamon rolls she had ever had in her life, I knew I had to try them.
And…Well, what can I say, I’ve made them five or six times in the last month and a half. They are amazing. Amazing, amazing, amazing.
If you’ve ever used a mashed potato mixture in bread dough before (these unreal buttermilk potato dinner rolls come to mind), you’ll know that it yields an incredibly soft texture in the dough.
And these Yukon Gold cinnamon rolls are no exception. The dough is luxuriously soft and so easy to work with (see notes in the recipe about flouring the dough just right!). Even after baking, the rolls stay amazingly soft and fresh for much longer than any other cinnamon roll recipe I’ve ever made.
A couple other key changes to these cinnamon rolls (other than the mashed potatoes):
Theres a little bit of flour mixed in with the cinnamon and sugar. Kind of weird, I know!
But I actually really liked the effect! I get tons and tons of comments and questions about why cinnamon rolls sometimes gap after they are baked and cooled. Has that happened to you?
There are a lot of factors that can contribute to this. But a few things I’ve stumbled on in my research (cinnamon roll research is a very worthwhile endeavor, FYI) is that using too much butter in the filling can cause gappage. As well as rolling them up too tightly (stretching the dough along the way) – this causes the dough to shrink as the rolls cool, and that’s when those gaps appear.
Another factor is the amount of brown sugar/cinnamon used in the filling (using granulated sugar can reduce gappiness, but I don’t like the flavor as much as brown sugar).
For this Yukon Gold potato cinnamon roll recipe, I think the addition of flour to that cinnamon and brown sugar filling helps with the gapping (I’ve never thought of adding it before now) so the rolls stay tight and picture perfect.
The second change is the cinnamon roll icing.
Each of the cinnamon roll recipes I have on my site have a slightly different cinnamon roll icing variation. And I love them all for different reasons (that maple frosting is to-die for).
But in my quest to…well…reinvent the wheel…I’ve been wanting to find a perfect, go-to cinnamon roll icing. One that is the perfect balance between a frosting and a glaze with a taste that is both creamy and sweet (without an overpowering cream cheese flavor).
Anyway, I suppose not everyone is as excited about these kinds of details as I am, but I’m happy to report that the frosting on these Yukon Gold potato cinnamon rolls is IT. Like, the one. The best cinnamon roll icing ever.
Not to get all super cinnamon roll nerdy on you or anything, but the key is to let the cinnamon rolls cool for, oh, maybe 15-20 minutes and then slather on the icing. The touch of warmth left in the cinnamon rolls ensures that the delectable icing melts down into all the nooks and crannies while still staying thick and creamy on top of the rolls.
Seriously, these cinnamon rolls are perfection.
Also, just like most cinnamon rolls, they can easily be made ahead of time! Make them, shape them, and pop them on a baking tray. Cover and refrigerate overnight, and then take them out in time to puff and rise and then bake.
I’m guessing they would also freeze well, too (I share another great freezing tip in the directions of this recipe).
How to make these cinnamon rolls ahead of time
This post on making cinnamon rolls ahead of time applies perfectly to any sweet roll!
One Year Ago: Sticky Toffee Pudding Cake
Two Years Ago: Streusel-Topped Cranberry White Chocolate Bread
Three Years Ago: Maple-Spice Cashew Brittle {Super Easy Microwave Version}
Four Years Ago: Roasted Cauliflower and White Cheddar Soup
Five Years Ago: Toffee Crunch Cupcakes
Yukon Gold Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
Dough:
- 1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, about 3-4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2 cups water
- 1 tablespoon coarse, kosher salt
- ½ cup (113 g) salted butter
- 3 large eggs
- 5 ½ to 7 cups all-purpose flour, divided, meaning you’ll use 1 cup first and the rest later (see note for UPDATE)
- ½ cup warm water
- ¼ cup (53 g) sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoons instant or active dry yeast
Filling:
- 1 cup (212 g) light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (113 g) salted butter, very soft
Icing:
- 2 ounces (57 g) cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup (113 g) salted butter, softened
- Pinch salt
- 2 tablespoons milk or heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cups (200 g) powdered sugar
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, combine the potatoes, water, and salt. Bring to a boil and simmer, uncovered, over medium heat until the potatoes are very tender, 15-16 minutes. Do not drain. There should be about 2 1/4 cups of water/potato mixture after boiling (UPDATE: If you have more than this, drain off a little water or mash the mixture together and measure out 2 1/4 cups).
- Off the heat, mash the potatoes with the water until coarsely mashed. Add the butter and mash until the butter is melted and the potatoes are fairly evenly mashed and smooth.
- Whisk in 1 cup of the flour and the eggs until smooth (a few lumps are ok, as long as they are small). Set aside and cool until room temperature (a slight warmth is ok, but room temp is best otherwise the mixture will absorb more flour).
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the 1/2 cup warm water, sugar, and yeast. Let the mixture stand until foamy (only needed if you are using active dry yeast, no need to proof if using instant yeast).
- Add the potato mixture and start gradually adding flour while mixing until the dough clears the bottom and sides of the bowl. It will be very soft and elastic. Knead for 3-4 minutes (it’s ok if you have to continue adding a bit more flour if the dough starts sticking to the sides and bottom while kneading). Don’t worry so much about the exact amount of flour as you do about the texture of the dough.
- Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover with greased plastic wrap, and let rise until doubled, 1-2 hours.
- On a lightly floured or greased countertop, roll or pat the soft dough into a 20X12-inch rectangle (doesn’t have to be exact).
- Spread the softened butter evenly on the dough.
- Combine the filling ingredients in a bowl until evenly mixed. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the butter and pat lightly.
- Roll up the dough, starting with one long edge, and pinch the seam to seal (I often don’t do this because I tuck the loose end under the roll on the pan).
- Using unflavored dentil floss, thread, or a serrated knife, slice the roll into 1-inch or slightly larger sections.
- Place the rolls on a parchment-lined baking sheet, about 1- to 2-inches apart, tucking the loose end under the roll, if desired. Cover with greased plastic wrap and let rise until puffy and almost doubled, an hour or so.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Bake the rolls for 18-20 minutes until no longer doughy in the middle (but take care not to overbake!). Remove the rolls from the oven and let cool until warm.
- While they cool, prepare the icing by adding the cream cheese and butter to a medium bowl. Whip with a handheld (or stand) mixer until creamy. Add the salt, milk or cream, and vanilla. Mix again. Add the powdered sugar and whip until light and creamy.
- Spread the slightly warm rolls evenly with the icing. Serve immediately or let cool completely and serve at room temperature (or warm lightly before serving).
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: cinnamon rolls adapted from this Bon Appetit recipe (after a reader, Anna, emailed me telling me I needed to try it!), icing slightly adapted from AllRecipes
190 Comments on “Yukon Gold Cinnamon Rolls with Perfect Icing {Step-by-Step Tutorial}”
I have had these cinnamon rolls saved on my Pinterest since the start of the pandemic. Every once and a while I’ll look at it longingly, because I love Yukon gold potatoes and cinnamon buns, but I am a horrible baker. Yesterday I finally made them. OMG their so good! So easy to follow because of the picture. That really helped me. The only issue I had was I did not oil my counter enough and they stuck a little, so they were kind of ugly, but thats on me. I gave some to my parents, sisters, grandparent, grandpas friend and 3 coworkers. Everyone love them. My grandfather who is a strict guy about his cinnamon buns said they were soooo good. (Thumbs up too.) Its safe to say this recipe is printed and will be on repeat from now on.
I should mention that I can’t eat dairy, so I used dairy substitute everywhere it called for dairy and you could not tell! I also added raisins!!!!
The texture of the dough is amazing. It just isn’t a very sweet dough. I feel like this recipe somehow mixed with Cheryl’s cinnamon rolls would be the perfect cinnamon roll. Frosting was delicious.
I haven’t made your recipe yet, but was wondering if 1 tablespoon salt is correct. It seems like a lot of salt for the amount of ingredients listed. Is it possible there was a typing error, and it’s suppose to be 1 teaspoon salt?
Yes, it’s correct. As noted in the recipe, it calls for coarse, kosher salt. If you are using table salt, you’ll want to use less (maybe 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons).
Have you ever made this recipe using gluten free flour? If so, what brand of gluten free flour do you recommend? Working with gluten free dough can be challenging. Any advice you can offer would be greatly appreciated!
I haven’t – I’m sorry! I don’t think this recipe would fare really well doing a 1:1 sub of gluten free flour for the all-purpose flour. I think it would need other tweaks.
Favorite cinnamon roll recipe!!
Question though, could I replace the 1/2 cup of water for milk in the yeast mixture? Thank you!
You could definitely try that, Morgan!
These are delish! I make a quick cinnamon roll usually, only 1 raise time because I add baking powder. But, for a full 2 raise cinnamon roll these are wonderful. My husband is an avid gardener and raises hundreds of pounds of potatoes every year. Now I have another item to use them for
Ok…these are THE BEST cinnamon rolls! They were my first attempt at truly homemade-(I had only used frozen bead dough for my rolls in the past…sorry)! I will now be unable to go back. What a tasty Valentines Day treat❣️
I am wondering if these can be baked in an 8″ x 8″ cake pan with a 2″ height? I send them home with my kids to bake for their Christmas morning with their families. Or are they better if I use a baking sheet with a lower side? I made these once before and the recipe is amazing and my whole family is waiting for their Christmas morning cinnamon rolls – they are delicious.
Thanks
Lucky kids!! 🙂 yes you can bake them in smaller pans with higher sides, no problem.
These are so unbelievably good, especially considering I haven’t quite “mastered” them. Question—why do my layers separate and I end up with gaping crevices between all the folds?
That can happen for several reason – if the cinnamon roll log is rolled up too tightly and the dough is stretched, it can cause gaps while baking. Opening the oven during baking to check on the rolls can also cause gaps.
Awesome, thanks for the tip!!!!
By the way, I’ve been meaning to message you saying I used your recipes for ALL of my Thanksgiving dishes except one. As it was my first Thanksgiving not getting together with family (#Covid), I was really feeling the pressure. But Mel saved the day and it all came off without a hitch! You’re the best!
Oh, thank you so much, Celia! So proud of you!
Hey Mel! Quick question: What’s the reason for changing the temp from 425 (original Bon Appetit recipe) to 350? P.S. this is a genuine question for my own knowledge as I strive for cinnamon-roll greatness
Mostly because I’ve found in my oven that cooking my cinnamon rolls at super high temps resulted in dark brown edges and doughy centers so I reduced the temp so they’d bake more evenly. 🙂
These are the most tender and flavorful cinnamon rolls ever! I will definitely be making these again! I might even experiment with different fillings.
Mel……………. OMG! These are TO DIE FOR!! SO SOFT and delicious! My oldest son is an absolute stickler for cinnamon rolls and these delivered!! They are decadent.. not bready… so soft!!
I resisted the urge to add more flour. The dough IS VERY SOFT. But I refrigerated the dough overnight and let it rise there. It made rolling out the soft dough very easy. I also liberally floured the countertop so the soft sticky dough didn’t get stuck.
I think our regular vanilla pudding recipe (that I’ve used for almost 20 years!) has just been replaced with these…. WOW!
Hi,
I came across your recipe and it combines aspects of the flour for the filling and potatoes for the dough that I have wanted to incorporate (it seems like I am forever on the search for an even better cinnamon roll). I am excited to try your recipe. Do you think the dough would keep well enough in the fridge overnight after the first proof (if I wanted to do a bulk of the work the night before), or would making the rolls and letting them rise in the fridge overnight be better?
My preference would be to shape the rolls and let them rise in the refrigerator overnight.
Hey Mel- First off, my mom and I are HUGE fans and love everything you do! But we have a question! I’ve made this recipe before and think it’s by far the best cinnamon roll recipe out there, but do you think I could do the second rise in the fridge? Like an overnight version at step 14? Thank you so much!
Yes absolutely! Should work great.
Made these rolls! I was a little intimidated by cinnamon rolls, but I did it! It did take half a day with all the rise time included. But I got tons of compliments on the rolls, and they were SO soft! I also doubled the frosting and liked how much frosting that made. Great recipe if you have the time to make it 🙂
This has become the recipe I’m known for (I always give you credit!). My son is home from college this weekend and he requested “Mom’s Cinnamon Rolls” – which of course are yours. I’m so happy he has a recipe that means home to him, what a gift your website is!! I have made these at least 50 times (and I always double the recipe and freeze) and they have never failed. I have never had to alter recipe – it is perfect. I often teach friends baking and they have also had great outcomes with these cinnamon rolls (and Darcy’s sandwich bread). Thank you for a great recipe! A recipe I’m known for, and that my college boy comes home for! 🙂
Your comment made my day, Tammy!!
Hi!
Do you freeze after you bake and frost? or do you freeze after 2nd rise? I would love to give some to my family and any tips on freezing and then thawing and reheating tips would be greatly appreciated! I read Mel’s post about freezing rolls, but wonder what has worked for you and these specific rolls! TIA
Catherine,
I freeze after I cut the rolls – I’ve done in the pan and flash freezed on trays and then put in ziplock bags and both have worked great. I let them defrost and rise in refrigerator overnight (sometimes 2 nights if schedule changes) and then put on counter while I preheat oven. I add a few minutes to the cooking time – just watch them. Hope this helps! I’m making 3 double batches today to freeze and deliver Christmas Eve to friends for their Christmas morning.
-Tammy
Just wanted to say these are the BEST cinnamon rolls I’ve ever made! So soft and delicious!! And the frosting just puts them over the top! Gotta make these.
The only problem I have is that when I’m rolling out the dough, I find some small pieces of potato that didn’t get mixed in thoroughly so I pick them out. I almost wonder if I should use my hand mixer to mix them. Right now, I’m mashing them with a potato masher, then mixing the dough with my Bosch. When we cook them, you could never tell there is potato in them and they are fabulous! Just wondering on that though. It’s happened both times I’ve made them.
I actually throw the potato mixture, the butter, the eggs and the first cup of flour into my food processor and make it super smooth. That has worked well for me except then I have another appliance to wash, ha, ha. These are such good cinnamon rolls.
I have a flat potato masher. If you look at it from the side it is shaped like an “L.” It has a flat bottom with holes in it. There are no lumps in the potato mixture when I make these (works for super smooth mashed potatoes too and awesome for refried beans).
I like to use a ricer for my Yukon gold potatoes. I add butter after I rice them. Should I still stay at 2 1/4 cups?
Yes, I think so (but I don’t know how the added butter might affect the recipe)
I could not find Yukon gold potatoes at the grocery store I went to so instead bought yellow potatoes, but I don’t want to ruin the cinnamon rolls. Do you think that will still work?
Yes, I think they are the same thing.
These cinnamon rolls are the BEST EVER!! This is my second time making them. This time for company I had in town over the weekend and they loved them. Their son said Sunday morning he was hoping to get more of my cinnamon rolls for breakfast. And his mom asked how I learned to cook so well after trying them! Great recipes like this one!
The cinnamon rolls are light and soft and so delicious! I’d give it a 6 star rating if possible! I’ve tried several recipes before this one and they often were dry and more like bread than a bakery type cinnamon roll. I like that this recipe also has the amount of cinnamon and brown sugar just right for the filling! And my guests said the frosting is perfect (and it is)! Soo delicious!!
I’m so happy these cinnamon rolls are THE ONE! Thanks for the review, Linda!
AWESOME!!!!
Oh man. I’m going to get fat because of you. My mom discovered this recipe and now she makes them ALL the time. It’s just her and my dad at home so they eat a few and drop the rest off at my house. I know, it’s a pretty great deal. These cinnamon rolls are amazing. I’ve never made them because as soon as I get a hankering for them a batch shows up at my doorstep like magic. I’m so glad I introduced my mom to your blog because I’m digging this arrangement. Thanks!
Haha, you are one lucky daughter! 🙂
I’ve made a lot of cinnamon rolls in my day. This is definitely the best I’ve ever made. Seems to be hit and miss on the texture of the dough though. Maybe the temperature of the potato mixture when I add it to the yeast/water/sugar has something to do with that. Gonna try again today. My co-workers also think these are the best roles they’ve ever eaten. Thank you for the recipe!!
This is THE perfect cinnamon roll I’ve been searching for. Dense, moist, heavy, but springy – seriously amazing! The frosting is also the best I’ve made yet. I’m usually more cream cheese less butter but switching those measurements around made for the best icing I’ve had. I remember my moms making rolls/bread with mashed potatoes so when I saw this I KNEW that was what was going to give me the texture I’ve been searching for. Can’t recommend these enough!!!
Yum! I really wanted to try this recipe when it posted and I just got around to it. The dough is so soft, it almost melts in your mouth. I will definitely make these again-they are worth the extra steps.
I didn’t measure my potatoes before I boiled them (I used 2 large Yukon potatoes), but I did measure out the 2 1/4 c of mashed potatoes as the notes suggested. They turned out Awesome!!!!
Thanks for another great cinnamon roll recipe, there can never be too many of those in the world.
Oh my goodness! We all just died! The whole family is literally dead from eating them until we burst (figuratively speaking). These are so good. Frosting was perfect, although we didn’t wait the requisite 15 minutes because the smell insisted we begin consumption before they had cooled. The texture of the roll was so light and fluffy I fully intend to follow the links above to the dinner rolls.
Had no trouble with the flour quantity–6.5 cups about nailed it. I cut them to one inch and they spread out nicely but next time I’m going to give them a bit more height. The short stature had me believing I could muscle down a second helping and I really shouldn’t have.
Thanks so much for the report, Russell!
We have a cooking group that Russels’ wife is a part of and Russel came over and made these cinnamon rolls for all of us while we were cooking. WOW! I mean WOW! These were the best cinnamon rolls I’ve ever had, and I’ve consumed many a cinnamon roll . I immediately came to your site to check this recipe out, I can’t wait to make them! Thanks for sharing.
Made these tonight…they turned out great! In fact, my 15 year old said “I hope that I can find a wife who will be like you…and cook stuff like this!” I didn’t get too picky with measuring the potatoes. I just peeled and boiled 3 of them with the 2 cups water and then when I thought they were boiling too hard I turned down the temperature and when they were soft I mashed them with what water was left and didn’t measure. I added enough flour so it wasn’t sticking to the sides of the bowl and they turned out perfectly! I had a little harder time cutting them then my usual go to cinnamon roll recipe because the dough was a little stickier, but they still turned out beautiful and rose well enough that you couldn’t tell I had a harder time cutting them. I can’t wait to have another one in the morning and see how soft they are after sitting overnight!
Do you weight the potatoes before or after you peel them?
I weigh them before I peel them.
These were the most delicious cinnamon rolls I have made. I’m glad you added more details with your retesting because I felt like I should add more flour but didn’t know when to stop. Do you have a good tip for when it’s ready to stop when using the Bosch? Also, my husband wants me to bring some to work now that they’re so good, but he wants a mini version. Should I roll the dough out then cut it lengthwise in half then roll it? I’m wondering if I do that how long to bake them for? Have you ever made mini cinnamon rolls? I’m a new fan of your website and cooking! Love your fun commentary on each post!
Hi Linda! Thanks for your report on these rolls. Glad you enjoyed them! For the Bosch, my main rule of thumb is to stop adding flour once the dough clears the sides of the bowl and doesn’t cling in a sticky manner to the center (or sides). Hopefully the pictures in the post help with that a little. If not, feel free to ask for more details. For a mini version, I’d split the dough into three pieces, I think, and then roll out a smaller rectangle and make them that way. I’d probably check after about 10-11 minutes of baking?? Good luck!
Well….these rolls were an epic fail! I read all of the comments with tips and such….followed the recipe to a T measuring the potato mixture. I stopped adding flour at 7 cups so as NOT to over-flour. Dough was hard to handle, not as silky as i had anticipated. I premade them and put them in the fridge overnight. Well, that was a big mistake. It took 3+ hours to get to double in size. The flavor was nothing exciting. I will go back to Gloria’s recipe as they have never failed me. I think the extra effort of the potato mixture is overrated. Baked them Superbowl Sunday and by Tuesday they were not good. I will try again as I have a bag of Yukon Golds to use. Maybe a little practice will make them perfect! 🙂
Darn – sorry you didn’t love these!
I am looking forward to making these rolls. My favorite icing recipe calls for “browning” the butter. It makes all the difference in the flavor of the icing. I sometimes use coffee as the liquid in the icing. Gives it a whole new depth of flavor. 8 T. (1 stick) of butter browned, 4 c. powdered sugar, 2 tsp. vanilla, black coffee or milk to make spreading consistency.
For your icing, do you let the browned butter firm back up or use it while melted? Sounds yummy.
These were the best cinnamon rolls I’ve had. I made them egg & dairy-free, by using flax “eggs”, vegan butter, and vegan cream cheese. I made sure to measure the potatoes & water and allow the potato mixture to cool completely. They were so big, soft, and delicious. Thanks for the recipe!
Just one question I am using instant yeast so do I still add a half cup of warm water and the sugar
Hi Lorraine – yes, I still proof even when using instant yeast just for this recipe.
UPDATE: Ok, you guys, after many comments saying you had to add over 8 cups flour to the dough, I ran back into the kitchen to see what’s happening. For a bit of history, I’ve made this recipe probably 7-9 times and never had to add more than 6 1/2 cups flour (total). But there’s obviously some factor causing a lot of you to need to add extra flour, and I think I’ve figured it out.
First of all, it’s important to measure the potato/water mixture and ensure it doesn’t measure more than the recommended amount in the recipe (about 2 1/4 cups). Simmering vigorously at a high temp will reduce the water more – conversely, a lower simmer will leave more water with the potatoes. Keep it at a medium simmer and make sure the potatoes and water aren’t too far below or above the 2 1/4 cup amount.
Secondly, it is imperative that the potato/water mixture cools (almost completely or to a very lightly warm temp). I tested side-by-side batches of these and in the batch where I used the potato/water mixture right away, the dough absorbed quite a bit more flour (several cups). However, when I let the potato/water mixture cool (per the recipe; I’ve included a few more details about that in the directions), I stayed right around the 6 1/2 cups flour amount (that includes the 1 cup added to the potato/water mix). I’ve edited the recipe ingredients to indicate this, since the original flour amount was throwing people off. Mostly, keep an eye on the texture of the dough, like I describe in the paragraph above. This dough is going to be much softer than other yeast/cinnamon roll doughs, but it should definitely clean the sides of the bowl without leaving a lot of residue on your fingers (so even if you have to add 7-8 cups flour TOTAL, it’ll be fine as long as the dough isn’t overfloured – many factors, aside from the potato/water temp will contribute to flour amount, like humidity and elevation).
When adding flour to the recipe, it’s also important to let it mix fully before adding more – high moisture doughs benefit from a longer mix to fully absorb the flour (before needing to add additional). Thanks to Liz, a frequent commenter, for helping me troubleshoot that portion!
You’re awesome—you didn’t have to re-make these, as they’ve worked countless times for you (and other commenters as well), but you did anyway. Thank you!
hi Mel! How do you recommend these are stored? 🙂
I usually store them covered at room temp for a day or so (any longer and I pop them in the fridge, but they’ll definitely benefit from being lightly warmed up before serving).
Thanks so much! ps I have been using your recipes now since before my first was born and now he’s almost 6 and baby #4 almost here! Thanks for doing what you do!, Mel!
I love that you’ve been here for so long, Chelsea!
These are so, so good. I’ve made them twice now, and like other reviewers, both times I used 8+ cups of flour (I measured my potato/water gloop to make sure it was correct and cooled my mash) So glad you posted a picture of what the dough was supposed to look like, or I may have been tempted by the recipe’s suggested amount of flour to use less! My baking time was also quite a bit longer, probably because my rolls were monster-sized.
However, taste and texture were perfection and my mother-in-law is convinced I should open a bakery. Definite win, and will be made over and over again. Maybe my New Year’s resolution should have been “eat more cinnamon rolls” rather than to get in shape! Thanks for yet another delicious bake!
Haha, that would be a pretty rad new year’s resolution. Glad you like the recipe – your feedback is helpful. Thank you!
Does it work with russet potatoes? I make the Yukon gold version and they were amazing!! I don’t have any more Yukon golds so I wondered what difference russets would make.
That’s a great question – I think the answer is yes, but I haven’t tried it myself. I have to imagine it would work pretty well.
I tried a bread recipe last week that used potato flakes. I am thinking of trying it with these? (I’m trying to rotate food storage and use some potato flakes up.) Do you think it would be possible to use them in this recipe as well? What kind of consistency do I need to have the potato flakes/ water/butter mixture? Consistency of applesauce? Soup?
I would say the texture needs to be like thick applesauce.
It worked beautifully! Thanks for another great recipe!
Thanks, Megan!
Hi Mel! What potato masher do you use? I’m on the market for a new one. Thank you!
Hi Angela – I have the Zyliss potato masher (snagged it off Amazon).
Wow! These are amazing! I made on Christmas Eve and as tradition in our house delivered to several friends for them to enjoy on Christmas morning – I made 2 batches. Everyone I delivered to and my family rated these the best they every had. I followed the directions as written and they came out perfect. Next time I’m going to see if I can freeze the roll dough after cutting but before baking. I let them rise overnight in frig. I’m an experienced baker, but after rave reviews from friends, have taught novice bakers this recipe with no problems.
Thanks for the report, Tammy! So happy these cinnamon rolls have been such a hit!
These truly are the best cinnamon rolls ever!
Everyone wants the recipe.
Hi, Mel. I wish I would have read the reviews before making these today, as I had similar issues. I added over 8 cups of flour, and the KA couldn’t handle it—I am certain I didn’t get it quite smooth and elastic by hand, but I did my best.
I measured the potato/water mixture before adding and had a little over 2 cups. Since that portion came out perfectly, I decided to add the additional 1/2 cup of water (even though I half thought to skip it)—needless to say, it looked soupy, but I charged ahead as written. Next time I will definitely forgo the additional liquid.
Because I have made so many of your recipes (including your other cinnamon roll recipes) successfully, I’m curious if the real difference could be in the actual variety of potato? I used baby golds—-could that have had anything to do with it? 8-9 cups of flour when the recipe calls for 5 1/2 can’t be due to weather or flour choice, etc.
I’m really not upset to have an extra pan of cinnamon rolls to freeze, but figured I’d share my experience so others may benefit. You’re great and I’m grateful for all your work. You really do have incredibly reliable recipes—this is the first time I’ve ever had an issue.
Hey Kaime, thanks for checking in on this recipe. I’m making them again this week to try and get a grip on why some people have had to add so much extra flour and others haven’t. I’ll keep you posted! The variety of potato might make a difference…I’ll investigate and let you know what I find! I’ll also add some extra notes to the recipe.
Hi, Mel. I read this recipe over and over and finally noticed something—I didn’t allow the potato mixture to cool….in fact, when I was kneading, it was quite warm (though not enough to kill the yeast). This is the only variance, other than the potatoes used, that I can find. But, I’m thinking that could have been where I went wrong. Looking forward to reading your additional notes for success, as I plan to try these again.
Mel, I too had to add 8+ cups of flour! They ended up a little dry but still tasted delicious. Please update us on your findings! 🙂
Oh…and I might also add that I had to use baby yellow potatoes since I couldnt find yukon gold. I weighed them out exactly to make sure that it was accurate though!
Hi Mel! I don’t comment hardly ever, but I am a loyal follower of your blog. I love every recipe I have made from this site – and I have made a lot! I am excited to try this recipe. I have some leftover mashed potatoes in the fridge and am wondering if you’ve ever tried making them with mashed potatoes and if you have how much mashed potatoes do you put in? 2 1/4 – 2 1/2 c? And do you need to make any other adjustments? Thanks!
Hey Melissa – I haven’t ever made them with straight mashed potatoes. Do they have a lot of add-ins (like sour cream or butter)? If they are pretty basic, I’d probably add some water to thin out the consistency and then measure out about 2 cups. Good luck if you try it!
Easy (for cinnamon rolls) and absolutely perfect. I mean perfect. Best cinnamon rolls I have ever made
I had the exact amount of Yukon gold potatoes in my fridge and decided to try these. When I measured my potato water after simmering I only had 1/2 cup. I should’ve used my better judgement, but in the interest of following the recipe I added more water (enough to make 1 3/4 c water because I was anticipating having to add extra flour based on other reviews). In the end I did add 7+ c flour. It made a total mess and was too much for my kitchen aid to handle and there was dough everywhere. I guess it needed a good cleaning anyway! I was also feeling frustrated at having to use more than half a bag of flour (KA isn’t cheap). My recipe made 20 VERY large rolls. In the end they turned out fluffy, soft, and super delicious, just as you described them. Next time (and there will be a next time ) I plan to half the recipe.
Nancy – the potato water AND the potatoes should measure 2 1/4 to 2 1/2 cups (not just the potato water). Does that help at all? Sorry the process was a little frustrating!
Shoot, I misunderstood the directions! I thought it looked right before adding the extra water. Oh well, everything turned out in the end. I brought some of them to school today and left them in the teachers lounge….needless to say they were a hit. Thanks for taking time to clarify, and to post such deliciousness. Your recipes are the reason my family (and fellow teachers!) are well fed!
Hi Mel,
Love your blog and I have never had a failure with one of your recipes, but the potato cinnamon buns…. the dough is rising, (maybe), but after adding the 9th, yes 9th cup of flour and the dough was still sticky and definitely not cleaning the bowl, I stopped and slept fate take over! I have never had a bread or roll recipe take double the flour called for? I followed the recipe exactly, (I use a scale when baking). It is cold out but it is dry. Any ideas. I make bread, muffins, rolls, croissant often, this is a new one for me! Ideas?
Hi Chris – how did they turn out? Lots of people are having to add extra flour. It’s a little surprising to me since I tested the recipe so many times – I’m going to make them again this week just to be sure. Did you measure the potato/water mixture after it had boiled and before you added it to the dough?
Mel,
They are delicious! I did not measure out the potato mixture, I just assumed it was the correct amount… I did weigh the potatoes going in, but just assumed that the
Potato Choux was the correct amount as I was precise on potatoes, water, eggs, flour. It didn’t look like it was more than 2.5 cups? But we all know what happens when we “assume”, thank you Felix Unger, LOL! Happy New Year!
Glad they still worked out, Chris! Thanks for the report back!
Suuuuper yum.
I haven’t made these yet, but plan to! I’m also going to attempt and play around to make a gluten free version. If you’ve already got one, please share! I found a “cinnamon roll” bread recipe we used for Christmas morning and the kids enjoyed it.
Thanks!
I was honestly (surprisingly) a little disappointed in these cinnamon rolls 🙁 I thought these sounded like the holy grail of cinnamon rolls – soft, pillowy, goodness! – and they were good, don’t get me wrong, just not as good as I was expecting. Maybe I set my sights too high or maybe it was the struggle I had with the dough that weighed heavily into my disappointment.
The major issue I had was I needed A LOT more flour than the recipe indicated – I ended up using 8-9 cups of flour total, which means that I spent a lot of time adding and adding (and adding!) flour and then I ended up with a TON of dough (and flour everywhere, ha!) I’m not a novice bread (or cinnamon roll 🙂 ) maker and when I started out with the 4 1/2 cups of flour it seemed way low to me, which turned out to be the case. And I think I had the appropriate amount of potatoes/liquid to start after boiling them too (of course I was eyeballing that).
After my struggle to get the dough to the appropriate texture the dough did rise beautifully and was easy to work with and I ended up with 15 HUGE, perfect looking cinnamon rolls. Visually they were great, taste-wise they were good. The dough was much more earthy than I was thinking (very in line with a potato bread, and not off-putting, just not quite what I was expecting). I was hoping for more of a soft, elastic, yeasty, lightly sweet dough and this just wasn’t quite it.
All that to say, I’m glad I tried this variation (I’ve made many cinnamon rolls, but never a potato dough based roll), but this likely won’t be my go-to recipe even though our family of 4 did happy polish off all 15 giant rolls over several days time 😀 I just wanted to provide feedback so people know that they maybe end up needing a lot more flour than the recipe indicates and will therefore end up with a lot of dough in the end!
Thanks for the recipe, it was an interesting variation and I’m glad we gave it a try!
Oh, and P.S., the frosting was perfection! You’re definitely right about that! I was a little skeptical of the butter/cream cheese ratio and was worried it would be too glazey, but it was just perfect. Great flavor, perfect texture to sink down into the spirals, but not too melty. A+ on that for sure!
Sorry you didn’t love them. I’m curious to know if anyone who has had to add that much flour measured the potato/water mixture to make sure it was right around 2 1/2 cups. That’s a pretty key piece for the recipe, I think. Thanks for your feedback!
YES…the recipe HAS to have more flour than Mel says. I am going to tweek it a little next time. Like someone said, they really are not a very sweet dough. Still good.
I didn’t measure and went by feel of dough so I don’t know how much I added.
Hi Mel, Love all of your recipes! Question on the rolls: I cooked the potatoes but did not have 2 cups of potato water mixture after cooking so do I put the mixture in a measuring cup and add more water to bring the total mixture up to 2 cups?
Hey Pamela, sorry for the late response. Did these work out? You’ll have to let me know what you ended up doing. If it were me, yes, I would have added a bit water to get at least up to that 2 cup mark.
Hi Mel,
I ended up using the potato mixture in some homemade turkey soup that ended up being the best I ever made. Then, I started over and ended up with the right amount of potato and water mixture. Made the rolls………. Delicious!
These rolls were delicious I think I needed to add more flour to rolls, the dough was very soft and they spread a lot. I did meeasure my potatoes and water after cooking and mashing and I had 2 1/4 cups. I also added about 1 1/2 cups extra flour. So about 7 cups flour total. I was scared to add more but they were delicious and the frosting was great! I will add more flour next time to see if they hold their shape better.
Thanks for letting me know, Nita!
We made these on Christmas Eve and popped them into the fridge. In the morning they were HUGE and so I put them straight into the oven. My husband had asked for cinnamon rolls for Christmas morning and these ones were so delicious. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe.
Glad you loved them, Marcella!
Made them a year ago for the holiday and loved them. Are they safe to freeze? Not sure if I’ll have time the day before to make them but still want the family to have our traditional cinnamon rolls Christmas morning.
Yes, they freeze really well.
Wonderful!!! Big hit…. and my hubby kept telling everyone about the secret ingredient (Yukon Gold potatoes) !!! Thanks for sharing!!
Haha, he’s not supposed to spill the beans! 🙂
I made these for Christmas Eve this year and they are the best cinnamon rolls I have ever made by far! I have never made a cinnamon roll that I LOVED, until NOW! They are so soft and yummy.
I did not measure how much potato mash I had and I think I let it boil a bit too long because my potatoes were much dryer once I mashed them, so I added a 1/4 cup water to them after mashing so they looked like Mel’s. That was probably a mistake, because I ended up adding so much extra flour as a result! But, thats ok, they still turned out perfectly! My dough was a bit soft too(I got tired of adding flour and called it quits) so next time I won’t add extra water, Mel always knows best, and I should have been more exact with her very clear directions!
I think because my dough was on the softer side, after shaping I put them in the refrigerator, but they doubled in the refrigerator! SO, this morning I took them out and put them straight into the preheated oven and they were perfect!
I will make these anytime we want cinnamon roll and especially every Christmas Eve!
Thanks for letting me know what you thought of these, Mel! I agree, they are a special cinnamon roll. Glad you loved them as much as I did!
I’ve never been that happy with my cinnamon rolls. But I wasn’t using a Mel’s recipe, that must have been my problem. These made me feel like a rock star. I followed the recipe exactly. The softest rolls I’ve ever had!! We had them for Christmas Eve breakfast and everyone was raving. Wonderful!
Yay, yay!
I had to add significantly more flour but these were the most delicious cinnamon rolls ever! I didn’t frost them and didn’t miss it at all. So chewy. Almost like a yeast donut? Thanks for the delicious recipe! Four stars due to being scared about the 2.5-3c of extra flour needed!
Thanks for letting me know how they worked out for you, Karen!
I wanted so badly to love these rolls. I made them Christmas Eve for the morning, and they are currently rising from being taken out of the fridge. So far my experience with them has been terrible. I think I must have done something wrong with the potato mash; I must have had too much liquid. I didn’t measure the amount before adding the eggs and first cup of flour because the recipe didn’t say that I had to; it just said how much I should have if I had done the proportions right, which I had. Anyway, when I got to the stage that I added flour, I on lost count of how much I had added and there is no way the flavor will be right anymore. I am hoping the icing on top will save them. I ended up halving the dough into two separate bowls for the first rise and I had so much dough that I threw half away because I just didn’t have the energy to mess with it. I kneaded the remaining half with a ton more flour- just kept dumping until I could actually knead it properly. And my rolls look more like blobs. I am so disappointed.
Oh, Jenn – sorry to hear this. Hope they baked up well despite your disappointment!
These babies are chilling in my fridge now! So excited to try them for Christmas morning. I added more flour & it made a ton of cinnamon rolls. The dough was so soft and easy to work with. (Sending some to the firehouse with my hubby for the guys to enjoy, since they have to work Christmas Day)
Thank you for the recipe!
Perfect “present” for those hard-working firefighters! Thanks for checking in to let me know your experience – hope they baked up well!
I thought I was crazy to try this recipe for the first time on Christmas Eve, but for a change, I wasn’t disappointed. They were fantastic and basically easy to make. I did make partly in my Zojirushi bread machine (2 lb capacity machine). After reading the comments, I knew I had to make some changes as I couldn’t add more than 2 cups liquid and 5 cups flour b/f it would overflow and I sure didn’t want that to happen. I held my breath, and made the following changes for those who might like to try it using a bread machine.
NOTES FOR BREAD MACHINE:
*Follow steps 1 – 3 for potato mixture. Measure 2 ½ – 3 cups of completed potato mixture and pour in bread pan once it has cooled.
*In Step 4, omit water and add ¼ cup sugar, sprinkling on top of potato mixture.
*Sprinkle 3 cups flour across potato mixture in the bread pan.
*Make a little indentation and add SAF Instant yeast on top of the flour (in the indentation).
*Set bread machine for the dough cycle and walk away till it’s complete (1 1/2 hour on my machine)
*Complete steps 7 – 14 as written by Mel and enjoy!
FANTASTIC – only cinnamon roll recipe I’d try a second time and super simple in bread machine! Our family wanted a bit less icing but that isn’t unusual for any cinnamon roll recipe.
Thank you so much for taking the time to write such a detailed review and give feedback for the bread machine. Thank you!
I’m in the middle of making this recipe right now and had to report. So, I typically have to add more flour to all MKC bread recipes, I believe because of the high humidity in my area. However, with this recipe I had to add SO much flour to get it to clear the sides and bottom of the bowl that it essentially doubled the recipe. I measured all the ingredients, exactly one pound of potatoes and 2 c water to boil, but for whatever reason it just didn’t work as expected. I stopped counting how much extra flour after a while, but I wish I had written it down now. I ended up with one sheet pan of 20 regular size cinnamon rolls and one sheet pan of 12 huge cinnamon rolls. I am letting the smaller ones rise to bake tonight and leaving the larger ones in the fridge over night. The dough is fantastically soft and so easy to work with…but I’m super concerned that the end result is going to be off because there’s double the flour and not double salt/sugar, etc. I’m going to cross my fingers that they taste as good as they look right now.
Hey Megan – how did the rolls turn out? Did you measure the potato/water mixture after it had boiled? Just curious as it seems like many people had to use extra flour…and I’m wondering if the extra flour is needed even after measuring the 2 1/4 cups potato/water mixture.
Took me forever to reply, sorry! The rolls turned out good, not great. Like a perfectly reasonable cinnamon roll, but not mind blowing. Like some others, I didn’t measure after boiling since I was precise before boiling. I really want to try these again and will measure post boiling to make sure I don’t have too much. I want to get the results you describe!!
Mel…help please…. I made these tonight and I am so glad I tested them before Christmas! I had the most difficult time rolling the dough. I floured my counter (really well) but the dough still seemed to stick and it ripped holes when I was trying to roll it up. It ended up being a very loose roll and they all spread out and looked terrible when baked. They taste wonderful and the icing is by far the best icing I have had on cinnamon rolls ( or any other sweet bread). I would love to make these for my extended family Christmas this coming weekend so any advice on how to better roll these up would be great! Thank you!
Time’s a wastin’ and it is Christmas Eve Day so I’m going to be a buttinsky in case Mel is wrapped up in Christmas stuff ….
Jessica, typically, if a dough is tearing, it is because the gluten has not developed. And I’m guessing maybe the dough was under floured and maybe not given enough rise time.
If you have time, maybe make 1/3 recipe so you see if you get better results. And don’t pay as much attention to how much flour as to the texture of the dough (see Mel’s notes), i.e. knead and add flour watching for the texture/consistency in Mel’s photos. Kneading it by hand or mixer – long enough – and then allowing time for the rises is what allows the gluten to develop. Rise time – again … allow to rise to the specified amount – not over or under (too much) as long/short as it takes in your kitchen.
I made this recipe twice and while typically the flour I use and my conditions … I use less than Mel’s range, this recipe I used more.
Jessica, I am not Mel but think I have an idea. When dough tears, it typically means the gluten is not developed – maybe under floured and/or under kneaded/mixed.
If you have time, maybe make 1/3 recipe so you feel comfortable with result. Add flour and knead to point of consistency in photos and Mel’s notes. I made this recipe twice. Typically I use less of my flour than Mel’s range and for this recipe I used more.
Oh and rise time … allow to rise to amount specified in Mel’s instruction. Not over/under too much but the rise is when the gluten develops from adequate flour/kneading.
Hey Jessica – sorry for the delay in responding (thanks, Liz, for jumping in). Did you end up making them again? It’s a common theme in the comments that most people had to use more flour, which is probably due to the variable of how much water is left in the pan after boiling the potatoes. It might help next time to halve the recipe – a smaller batch helps keep a closer eye on the flour amount (so they aren’t over or under floured). Let me know if you made them again and how they turned out (and if you have other questions!)
Hi Mel! I am trying to find a good overnight cinnamon roll recipe for Christmas morning, do you think I could refrigerate these at some point in the recipe overnight, or would that ruin them? Thank you for all of your wonderful recipes!!
Yes! This recipe works great for that (and actually, all the cinnamon rolls on my site could work). Just take them out in time the morning of to rise/puff/double before baking.
I have made Cinnamon Rolls all my life. I have used my Mother’s recipe for years. Then I found another I liked better and have switched back and forth. Making one , “Rolls with Oil,” for years. I made these this week and WOW…I am totally HOOKED and IMPRESSED !!!!!!!! The Yukon gold potatoes are the bomb. I have used potato mash before in bread so I knew it was going to be terrific. The dough is the softest dough I have ever worked with. I did have to use way more flour than the recipe called for. I used a good 2 1/2 cup of the mashed potato mash. So I ended up using 7 1/2 cups of flour. (I use Hudson Cream Flour, sifted!) I still had a very hard time rolling the dough up. Next time I will add a little more flour so I can roll the dough up better. The rolls taste fantastic. They are pillow soft and so much better than any recipe I have ever used. THANKS for sharing. I will be making these again. The extra steps are well worth the effort. My rolls turned out to be Bakery style. This recipe would truly be wonderful for a Bakery if they had the time to do the potatoes. One recipe for me made 26 rolls, very large ones!!!!!
Thanks so much for reporting back with your results, Shirley!
We’ve made cinnamon rolls this way for as long as I can remember!
A fun and odd addition is xanthum gum to the cinnamon and sugar. It gives it that sticky ooey gooey like cinnabon rolls.
Oh, and have you done donuts with potatoes? Those are the best because no egg required!
I grew up with my mom making potato doughnuts – the best!
These look delicious! Unfortunately I don’t have a mixer. Do you think there’s any way to make these in a bread machine?
Enjoy a blessed Christmas
Suzanne
I’m not sure how the quantity of dough compares to the capacity of the bread machine but as long as you can check that (so it doesn’t overflow), it’s probably worth a try!
I made these tonight for our Christmas celebration tomorrow! It makes a TON, so I’m freezing about half, too! Thanks for the great recipe, I’m very excited for the morning!
Glad you loved it, Mariah – thank you!
Hi Mel. I was just wondering if you could share a link to the recipe you use for doughnuts? Could you use this dough maybe? Or one of your other bread doughs? Thanks, and Merry Christmas!
Hi Kathryn – hmmm, you may be on to something about using this dough for doughnuts (probably need a touch more flour so they are sturdier than the cinnamon rolls). I love the potato doughnuts from the Bravetart cookbook. That’s the recipe I’ve been using!
How do you think sweet potatoes would work in this? I have some that need to be used up.
I actually think they’d probably work great!
Mel, I made these to share with neighbors for the holidays and they were fab! They were gone before I thought about pictures.
I always look forward to your recipes and appreciate all the time, photos and details you provide us. You are a trusted source, thank you!
I gave these a 5, but the fifth star did not fill out – better, even, than a 4 1/2 stars!
Thanks, Nelda!
Now I NEED to try these! I love cinnamon rolls. Thanks!!
Okaaaay, so this is THE BEST cinnamon bun recipe I ever did make! This is seriously the first time I ever had cinnamon buns turn out good on me! And I got Rave reviews from those I shared them with!
I can’t stop eating them!!!
Thanks so much for sharing this recipe, Mel!!
So happy to hear this, Stephanie! Thank you!
Hello!! I’m so excited to try this recipe but I only have a hand mixer is that a deal breaker!! Thanks for all your amazing recipes!!
– Abby
Hey Abby – you can probably make the dough by hand in a large bowl – just make sure not to overflour!
This is the recipe my mom has made for years. We used to make it by hand, and wih a hand mixer with no problems. Just going slower than with a mixer.
Hi Mel! I’m so excited to make this recipe! I’ve never refrigerated dough before and am excited to try with this recipe! Do you think it is ok to make the dough 2 days in advance? I’m hoping to make the recipe for Christmas morning and may not have time to make the dough on Christmas Eve. I am hoping to make them on the 23rd but wasn’t sure if they can be in the refrigerator for that long and rise properly later on.
Thank you as always for sharing your amazing recipes!!!
That’s a good question, Haley. I *think* it will be fine, but I haven’t made it quite that far in advance. The dough might take on a stronger yeast flavor, but I think it should probably work out ok!
Cinnamon Rolls just got added to our Christmas morning menu! Yummm. If I make these the night before and refrigerate them – how long should I allow for the second rise in the morning before baking them?
I usually plan for about 3-4 hours, but sometimes I do it the cheater way and pop the pan straight from the fridge into the oven while it preheats. I prefer letting them rise on their own because they are a little lighter and fluffier but that quick hack has saved me a time or two as well.
Since I love fresh baked rolls, is it possible to freeze the rolls before baking?
I haven’t frozen this particular cinnamon roll recipe prior to baking, but I have others, and it usually works great.
Thank you Mel!! I made these today as soon as I saw the recipe. They are AMAZING!! My husband and sons thought they were divine! I shared some with my sister and our good friends next door, and they all rated them a perfect 10! You are like one of the family here in our home! Your name comes up practically every day! I love reading your posts and making your recipes! Thank you for being you! Merry Christmas!!!
This made me so happy! Thank you!
Can you cook the potatoes in the instant pot? Maybe there won’t be enough water left over if you do it that way?
Yeah, great question. I tried that once and there was too much water leftover (didn’t evaporate while cooking like it does on the stove) so you probably could but I’d either reduce the water before cooking or after, measure the cooked potatoes and add enough of the cooking liquid to equal about 2 1/2 cups and discard the rest.
I feel like I might be judged for this comment, ha, but can I make these with instant potatoes without losing the softness and results? Impatience and shortcuts to make things faster is always the theme of Christmas meals at our house!
Haha, no judging! I actually don’t know the answer to that since I haven’t ever tried it. Sorry! Definitely worth experimenting, though!
These look amazing! Any chance you have tried to make these gluten free? I know gluten is such important part in getting the dough texture just right, but hoping if I add extra yeast, they will still rise well.
I haven’t tried that, Jena – I’m sorry!
Jena, have you tried to make them yet? I was just scanning the comments hoping someone had tried it. We usually use Pamela’s Baking Mix when we bake. I wonder if that would work?
I tried them gluten-free and they were a disaster. I am crushed. GF flours (and I used King Arthur Flour’s GF Measure for Measure – the good stuff) simply don’t have the stretch that cinnamon rolls need. (knead?)
What a waste of good flour and good butter.
The dough did come together, and it did rise, but I could not roll it, nor did the butter spread. I couldn’t even make a roll into it. I tried to make a monkey bread out of it, but the dough simply didn’t respond. Utter fail. The dough was salty and disappointing.
So, I’ve never made any sweet treats with potatoes… Can you taste the potatoes? I can’t put the two tastes together in my brain, !
Nope, you can’t taste the potatoes at all! They just help with the texture. 🙂
Do you prefer instant or active yeast? Does your opinion change if I’m making the night before?
We make cinnamon rolls on New Year’s Eve as family and these will be the recipe this year. Crazy that most recipes I wouldn’t trust to make for the first time for a family function…but if you say it’s good, I believe you. After countless meals and treats you’ve never let me down!!
Hey Bryn – I always use instant yeast, because that’s what I buy and keep on hand. I think you can use either (even if they are made ahead of time). I hope you love them! Comment or email me if you have questions while making them. The key with this recipe is to hit that sweet spot of a perfectly floured dough that’s not overfloured but also not too sticky. You’ll do great!
I am convinced that all bread, rolls and cinnamon rolls need to have potatoes in them. Mashed or flakes work for me. I love the flavor. We have sweet rolls every Sunday (because Sunday is a sweet day for us). I can’t wait to try these!
I’m starting to think the same thing – potatoes do magical things to bread!
Great Post !!! Love your blog and posts !!!!!
My gracious these look amazing! I have a rather crazy question… it’s just my husband and I (and our baby… but she can’t eat cinnamon rolls. Haha) for Christmas this year, and I don’t want to be up to my eyeballs in cinnamon rolls! Have you ever halved a cinnamon roll recipe? Any tips or tricks?
I am jumping in here because I cook for 1 – me and I almost always halve/third or quarter Mel’s recipes. For this recipe, I’m going to make 1/3 because 3 eggs/3 = 1 egg. Still, I often split eggs by whisking them/it and pouring out 1/2 or whatever.
For these rolls, because you want them side by side, for 1/3 I’m going to use an 8×4 foil bread pan as I’m thinking I’ll have 6-7 rolls and that will work for them. Everything else, I divide by 2 or 3 and although I’m an expert at math and fractions … really – love them!!, I often use the calculator on my phone to check myself.
There are various thoughts on yeast when reducing or increasing a recipe. I have always just divided same as the other ingredients.
NOW … on the other hand, these will freeze. So, if you have freezer space, make the entire recipe and freeze in packs of 4 or whatever suits you. I freeze per Mel’s tips in Aunt Gloria’s recipe.
Hey Hannah – Liz’s comment probably helped more than I can, but I agree with her – you can definitely halve the recipe or cut it down! And at the end of the day, you can make the full batch and freeze the baked and frosted cinnamon rolls. After they’ve cooled and been frosted, I slide them invidiually into quart-sized ziplocs and freeze that way. They reheat wonderfully well!
Gah!!! So are these better than Gloria’s??? I’m intrigued. I’m on cinnamon roll duty for Christmas. How long do they generally need to rise after coming out of the fridge in the morning?
Oh my goodness these rolls look perfect! Thanks for sharing the recipe, Mel!
Thanks, Deb!
Well I was skeptical when I saw the post because I LOVE Gloria’s cinnamon rolls, but after reading it through, I’m sold 🙂 Can’t wait to try! Have you tried freezing these, Mel? individually or as a batch? Thanks!
Hey Natalie! I hope you love them. I love Gloria’s recipe, too – I think this one is equally as amazing (neither one is better, if that makes sense – just different!). I haven’t tried freezing them yet, but I’m pretty confident they’ll freeze just fine!
All I can say is that I am SO VERY happy that I saw this post before heading out to the grocery … I have a weather window between freezing rain (yesterday) and forecast 8-15 inches of snow (tonight -Wed). I am, of course, going to muck with the recipe and make them with wild yeast and a long ferment.
Also, looked at the week planner – somehow I missed that instant pot smoky honey cilantro chicken so getting what I need for that also so double YAY!
Oh my goodness, stay safe in the snow! My boys are getting seriously ticked off that we have only had a light skiff of snow. They’ll be jealous! Let me know what you think of these cinnamon rolls. The dough is very, very soft, and I look forward to your input on just the right amount of flouring to make them workable but not overfloured! I bet you’ll love that IP smoky chicken…it’s probably in my top 3 IP faves ever.
Thanks, Mel – it was a safe to and fro and we are in for the duration with plenty of food and supplies.
I’ll report back here when I make the rolls and on the IP chicken recipe when I make that.
Will send a wish for snow your way 🙂
Please report back on how this recipe converts to using wild yeast! I’d love to hear what works for you!
Hi Ann! If you are the Ann who gave me info on Kenwood mixer some time back. I did buy the Chef Major 5 quart and am VERY happy with it.
I’m going to assume you are a wild yeast baker … I typically do an overnight levain of 1 Tbl starter (100% hydration white flour), 75 grams flour and 75 grams water. So when making this recipe, I then used that in step 4 in place of the yeast and water. Since there was the potato water and then adding flour just to the point of proper consistency, I did NOT add any water with starter and sugar, but you could add 1/4 cup here.
Step 6 … At about 2 hours, the dough was puffy so I did a few stretch and fold rounds and then put it in the refrigerator overnight for a long, cold ferment.
Next day, let the dough warm up and continue.
I also made this recipe as written with yeast because I was not blown away by the first attempt …. good, but for me, not worth the potato step. I felt the same with the instant yeast version. Not that they are bad at all, I just did not like the mess of the potato water step(s).
I love and make often Mel’s buttermilk version, particularly the lemon and I add blueberries. AND, I sometimes add potato FLOUR to sandwich bread recipes. So, did an experiment adding 1 T potato flour for each cup flour using the buttermilk recipe and I felt I got an extra fluffy roll using an easier method.
With the buttermilk, I do pretty much the same: overnight levain, long cold ferment after first rise.
The other thing – my starter is very active and strong, but it is not very “sour”. I think because of how I feed. At any rate, being mild, I don’t taste any sour in the final roll.