Honey Butter & Sage Sweet Potato Dinner Rolls

Nothing completes a holiday table quite like a batch of freshly baked, pillowy-soft dinner rolls—and these Honey Butter & Sage Sweet Potato Dinner Rolls are about to steal the spotlight from the turkey.

Packed with real baked sweet potato, a hint of cozy warm spices, and fragrant fresh sage, these rolls are shockingly tender, rich, and slightly sweet. Finishing them with a brush of warm honey butter and a crunch of flaky sea salt takes them straight into showstopper territory.

Why You’ll Love These Rolls

• Unbelievably Soft & Pillowy: The moisture from the sweet potato puree combined with high-protein bread flour gives these rolls an incredibly plush, tender crumb that stays soft for days.
• Balanced Flavor Profile: Earthy sage, subtle warming spices (ginger, nutmeg, and cardamom), and natural honey sweetness complement rich holiday mains like roasted turkey or glazed ham.
• Stunning Visual Appeal: A small fresh sage leaf baked right on top creates a gorgeous herb-imprinted crust that looks like it came straight from an artisan bakery.

Baker’s Tips for Success

• Watch the Moisture: Sweet potatoes vary in water content. If your dough feels overly sticky after kneading in the butter, add extra bread flour 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough clears the sides of the bowl.
• Don’t Rush the Second Proof: Waiting until the dough balls are touching and visibly puffy ensures that melt-in-your-mouth structure after baking.
• Make-Ahead Friendly: You can shape the rolls, place them in the pan, cover tightly, and refrigerate overnight for their second proof. Simply bring them to room temperature for 30-45 minutes the next morning before brushing and baking.

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Honey Butter & Sage Sweet Potato Dinner Rolls

Created by Sue Mun

Makes 15 rolls in a 9×13 inch baking pan

Ingredients:

For the Baked Sweet Potato:

• 3 small to medium sweet potato

For the Sweet Potato Sage Dough:

• 3/4 cup (180 ml) whole milk
• 2 ½ tsp active dry yeast, (1 packet)
• 2 Tbsp honey for activating the yeast
• 1 cup (230 g) mashed sweet potatoes, slightly warm or room temperature
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 2 large egg yolks, room temperature
• 2 tbsp honey
• 4 1/4 cups (550 g) bread flour, plus additional as needed, divided
• 1 1/2 tsps dried sage or 2 tbsp chopped Fresh Sage
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/8 tsp ground cardamom
• 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
• 2 tsp salt
• 8 tbsp (113g) unsalted butter, softened

Egg Wash and Sage Topping:

• 1 large egg plus 1 tsp water
• Fresh Sage Small leaves for laying on top or chopped

Honey Butter Topping:

• 2 tbsp Unsalted Butter melted
• 1 tbsp honey
• Flaky Sea Salt

Instructions:

Prepare the Baked Sweet Potato:

1. Preheat the oven to 375F. Rub the washed sweet potato with olive oil. Place the sweet potatoes on an aluminum foil lined baking sheet and bake for about 1 hour.
2. Take the baked sweet potato out of the oven and remove the skins and mash them into a puree in a bowl using a fork or blend them in a food processor until completely smooth before measuring it to 1 cup (230g) for the recipe. Set aside to cool off.

Make the Sweet Potato Sage Dough:

1. Whisk the warm milk, yeast, and 2 Tablespoons of honey together in the bowl of your stand mixer. Cover and allow to sit for 5 minutes to bloom the yeast.
2. Add in the remaining honey, egg, egg yolk, mashed sweet potato, fresh chopped sage or dried sage, ginger, nutmeg, cardamom, salt, and the flour to the yeast mixture. Knead for 5 minutes.
3. Add in the softened butter and keep kneading for 10 minutes until it passes the windowpane test and the dough is smooth and elastic.
4. Lightly grease a large bowl with oil or nonstick spray. Place the dough in the bowl, turning it to coat all sides in the oil. Cover the bowl and allow the dough to rise in a relatively warm environment for 1–2 hours or until double in size.
5. Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan.

Shape and Bake:

1. When the dough is done proofing, punch it down to release the air. Divide the dough into 15 equal pieces, about 75-80g each (doesn’t need to be exact!). Shape each piece into a smooth round ball and arrange them in the prepared baking pan.
2. Cover and proof again for about 30 to 45 minutes until puffy and each dough ball is finally touching each other.
3. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C).
4. Brush the rolls with some egg wash and place a small fresh sage leaf on top of each roll (optional).
5. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown on top (internal temperature if taken with an instant-read thermometer should be 190°F), rotating the pan halfway through. If you notice the tops browning too quickly, loosely tent the pan with aluminum foil (I usually add it after 20 minutes).
6. Meanwhile, melt the butter and the honey together in a small bowl in the microwave for about 20 seconds. Mix together until smooth so you have it ready to go when the rolls are done baking.
7. Remove the baked rolls from the oven, brush with melted honey butter and sprinkle with flaky sea salt, and allow rolls to cool for about 15-20 minutes before serving.
8. Enjoy!