Potato cinnamon rolls are made with mashed potatoes for soft, tender dough. They’re the perfect way to turn leftover mashed potatoes into a tasty, homemade treat everyone will love!
If you’ve ever wondered what to do with leftover mashed potatoes, these Potato Cinnamon Rolls are the answer! As with potato rolls, the mashed potatoes in the dough give these rolls an unbelievably soft texture and help keep them moist for days.
The dough comes together easily and rolls out beautifully, making it great for beginner bakers. Once baked, the rolls are golden on the outside and pillowy soft inside — the perfect match for a rich cinnamon-sugar filling and creamy cinnamon glaze.
Whether you’re making them for a weekend brunch, a special holiday breakfast, or just because, these cinnamon rolls are sure to become a new favorite.
Ingredient notes and substitutions
- Milk: You can use anything from skim to whole milk. Using whole milk will give you a dough that’s a little softer and a little richer.
- Yeast: You can use either instant yeast or active dry yeast. Just make sure that if you use active dry yeast that the yeast foams. If the yeast doesn’t foam, start over as the rolls won’t rise if it doesn’t foam.
- Butter: I use salted butter in this recipe. You can use unsalted butter if you prefer. To use unsalted butter, increase the salt in the dough by 1/4 teaspoon and add a pinch or two of salt to the filling.
- Mashed potato: 1 medium baking potato will yield about 8 ounces of mashed potato. You can also reconstitute mashed potato flakes and use 1 cup of the prepared mashed potatoes.
- Brown sugar: Light brown sugar or dark brown sugar will work.
How to make potato cinnamon rolls
Here you’ll find instructions and step-by-step photos showing how to make this recipe. The full recipe, including ingredients, is given below.
Step 1: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large bowl if mixing by hand), dissolve yeast and 1 tablespoon sugar in warm water. Let yeast mixture stand 5-10 minutes, or until foamy.
Step 2: Add remaining sugar, cornstarch, mashed potatoes, milk, butter, egg, salt, vanilla; stir to combine.
Step 3: Stir in 2 cups flour until incorporated. Add enough of the remaining flour to form a soft dough.
If mixing with the stand mixer, switch to the dough hook and knead for 4-5 minutes. If mixing by hand, knead until smooth and elastic on a lightly floured surface for about 6-8 minutes.
Step 4: Place in a greased bowl, and cover. Let rise until double, about 1-1 ½ hours.
Step 5: On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a 13×9-inch rectangle.
Step 6: Brush dough with melted 3 tablespoons of melted butter.
Step 7: For the filling, stir together sugars and cinnamon, and sprinkle cinnamon-sugar mixture over melted butter.
Step 8: Roll dough up, starting with a long side.
Step 9: Cut into 12 pieces.
Step 10: Place cinnamon roll slices, cut side down, in prepared pan.
Step 11: Cover, and let cinnamon rolls rise for 45 minutes – 1 hour. Toward the end of the second rising time, preheat oven to 350 F.
Step 12: Bake cinnamon rolls for about 20-30 minutes, or until light golden brown.
Step 13: Remove the cinnamon rolls from the oven, and let them cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 10 minutes. While the cinnamon rolls are cooling, prepare the icing, if using.
Step 14: In a medium bowl, stir together icing ingredients.
Step 15: Drizzle over cinnamon rolls, and serve warm.
Recipe Tips!
- Use leftover mashed potatoes: Make sure they’re plain and avoid garlic or savory versions.
- Don’t overheat the milk or butter: Warm liquids help activate the yeast. However, if they’re too hot, they can kill it.
- Check the dough texture: The dough should be soft and slightly tacky but not sticky. Add extra flour 1 tablespoon at a time if needed.
- For best flavor: Let the rolls rise fully before baking, which will help them stay extra light and fluffy.
- Icing: For plain icing, omit the cinnamon.
Storage
Store any leftover cinnamon rolls in an airtight container at room temperature. They will keep for -3 days when properly stored.
More cinnamon roll recipes!
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Potato Cinnamon Rolls
Equipment
Ingredients
Dough
- 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
- ½ cup granulated sugar divided
- ¼ cup warm water about 105 F
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- ½ cup plain mashed potatoes at room temperature, about 70F
- 1 cup warm milk about 105 F
- ⅓ cup butter melted
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4-5 cups all-purpose flour
Filling
- 3 tablespoons butter melted
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Icing
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large bowl if mixing by hand), dissolve yeast and 1 tablespoon sugar in warm water. Let yeast mixture stand 5-10 minutes, or until foamy.2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast, ¼ cup warm water
- Add remaining sugar, cornstarch, mashed potatoes, milk, butter, egg, salt, vanilla; stir to combine.½ cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon cornstarch, ½ cup plain mashed potatoes, 1 cup warm milk, ⅓ cup butter, 1 large egg, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Stir in 2 cups flour until incorporated.
- Add enough of the remaining flour to form a soft dough.
- If mixing with the stand mixer, switch to the dough hook and knead for 4-5 minutes. If mixing by hand, knead until smooth and elastic on a lightly floured surface for about 6-8 minutes.
- Place in a greased bowl, and cover.
- Let rise until double, about 1-1 ½ hours.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a 13×9-inch rectangle.
- Brush dough with melted butter.3 tablespoons butter
- For the filling, stir together sugars and cinnamon, and sprinkle cinnamon-sugar mixture over melted butter.½ cup packed brown sugar, ¼ cup granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- Roll dough up, starting with a long side.
- Cut into 12 pieces.
- Place cinnamon roll slices, cut side down, in prepared pan.
- Cover, and let cinnamon rolls rise for 45 minutes – 1 hour.
- Toward the end of the second rising time, preheat oven to 350 F.
- Bake cinnamon rolls for about 20-30 minutes, or until light golden brown.
- Remove the cinnamon rolls from the oven, and let them cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 10 minutes.
- While the cinnamon rolls are cooling, prepare the icing, if using.
- In a medium bowl, stir together icing ingredients.1 cup powdered sugar, 2-3 tablespoons milk, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Drizzle over cinnamon rolls, and serve warm.
Notes
- Milk: You can use anything from skim to whole milk. Using whole milk will give you a dough that’s a little softer and a little richer.
- Yeast: You can use either instant yeast or active dry yeast. Just make sure that if you use active dry yeast that the yeast foams. If the yeast doesn’t foam, start over as the rolls won’t rise if it doesn’t foam.
- Butter: I use salted butter in this recipe. You can use unsalted butter if you prefer. To use unsalted butter, increase the salt in the dough by 1/4 teaspoon and add a pinch or two of salt to the filling.
- Mashed potato: 1 medium baking potato will yield about 8 ounces of mashed potato. You can also reconstitute mashed potato flakes and use 1 cup of the prepared mashed potatoes.
- Brown sugar: Light brown sugar or dark brown sugar will work.
- Nutrition values are estimates.
Nutrition
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