Mashed potatoes are the secret ingredient to making these absolutely super fluffy and airy Mashed Potato Cinnamon Rolls with the perfect flavor and texture!
Calling all cinnamon lovers to try my Cinnamon Roll Cheesecake Bars, Overnight Cinnamon Roll French Toast Casserole, and Cinnamon Roll Ups!
It’s NOVEMBER. I don’t know how it happened, but October just vanished into thin air and I’m freaking out a tiny bit about the fact that Halloween has come and gone and now it’s time to get ready for Thanksgiving. And when I say freaking out, I mean that in multiple ways. Freaking out in a bad way because I am dearly going to miss October – my favorite month of the year. And also freaking out in a good way because HELLO! Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving means potatoes. And potatoes mean cinnamon rolls.
Are you confused?? It’s okay I was too. This is my mother in law’s recipe. With a few tweaks. For the longest time I was completely baffled why my mother in law only made cinnamon rolls the day after she served roast and potatoes for Sunday dinner. It was like clock work. And I never made the connection on my own until one day she said “I made mashed potatoes for dinner because I was really craving cinnamon rolls”.
Me: Ummmmmm. I don’t get it.
Then she told me. Her cinnamon roll recipe calls for a cup of mashed potatoes. I’m sure I would have been fairly grossed out if I hadn’t tried her cinnamon rolls before which taste a lot like Cinnabon only… lighter and fluffier and wonderful-er.
Look at that dough – it has mashed potatoes in it. Crazy huh?? I know it seems weird but I swear it works. They don’t give the cinnamon rolls a weird flavor or texture – in fact they make the cinnamon rolls extra fluffy and airy, it’s pretty much the most amazing trick EVER.
And since turkey + potato day is coming up in a few short weeks, I thought I’d share it in time for you to plan on starting a new tradition: mashed potato cinnamon rolls the day after Thanksgiving. Genius right?!
You know you’re going to have hoards of leftover mashed potatoes and while everyone has their ideas for what to do with your leftover turkey, there are only so many ways to eat leftover mashed potatoes you know? So while I’m a huge fan of re-heating potatoes and gravy the next day, I am advocating something different here. And that something is cinnamon rolls. Topped with frosting. Not gravy.
No offense gravy, but you wouldn’t taste awesome on a cinnamon roll. It’s nothing personal.
Would get a load of these beauties?! Oh oh oh, I almost forgot to mention that they only require 45 minutes of rising time so this isn’t a whole-day affair. They’re a cinch to make and the flavor and texture is perfect. So if you’re wondering what to do with all of those Thanksgiving leftovers – here’s your answer… Perfect, fluffy, cinnamon rolls!
What people are saying about these Mashed Potato Cinnamon Rolls
“I have tried many, many cinnamon roll recipes and these are really the best I have ever had! )this includes recipes from Food and Wine and Peter Reinhart. Thank you for sharing.” – Shannon
“I just made them, and they are so far the best cinnamon rolls I have ever had!! <3 Thanks so much.” – Kate
Mashed Potato Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
- 2 cups hot milk
- ½ cup butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup finely mashed potatoes - (see note)
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 4 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast - (2 packets)
- ½ cup warm water
- 2 eggs - lightly beaten
- 7 – 8 ½ cups flour
Filling
- 4 tablespoons butter - softened
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Frosting
- 2 ounces cream cheese - softened
- 2 tablespoons butter - softened
- 5 tablespoons milk
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Place the 1/2 cup butter in the bowl of a stand mixer or large bowl. Pour hot milk over butter. Add sugar, mashed potatoes, and salt. Allow to cool slightly while you do the next step.
- Dissolve yeast in the 1/2 cup warm water. Add to milk mixture with eggs and 4 cups of the flour. Beat until smooth and well blended.
- Add remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time until a soft dough forms. When dough comes together, transfer to a clean, well-floured surface and knead for 1-2 minutes by hand. Place in a lightly greased large bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to rise for 45 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease a baking sheet or large casserole dish.
- Roll dough into a large rectangle about 1/2 inch thick. For the filling, spread the softened butter onto the dough. Mix together sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon and sprinkle over buttered dough. Tightly roll one long side to the other long side and pinch the seam to seal. Use a pizza cutter or sharp knife to cut into about 16 sections.
- Place sections swirl-side-up/down onto your greased casserole dish or baking sheet. (see note) Bake for 20-30 minutes until golden and cooked through.
- Prepare the frosting. Cream together cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add milk, powdered sugar, and vanilla and mix again for 2-3 minutes until smooth. Drizzle or spread over warm cinnamon rolls and serve.
Do you ever use a standing mixer or is it all by hand.
Can’t wait to try these❤️
I use a stand mixer but you can mix them either way 🙂 hope you enjoy them!
Made the rolls today. They came out nicely. Using mashed potatoes in rolls is not new to me. I live in Amish country PA, and have made potato rolls and bread before. I allowed the initial mix with the 4 cups of flour to autolyse for about 30 minutes before continuing to add the remaining flour. It took about 8 cups to get the dough to a consistency for kneading. I heavily floured my workspace and hands before beginning. Still needed my dough scraper at first, but the dough eventually strengthened and I could make it into a ball to place in the oiled bowl. I used my microwave as my proofing cabinet and allowed an hour for a good rise.
I cut the rolls using dental floss—works like a charm! Then I preheated the oven once the rolls were in the pans.
Preheating took 30 minutes to make sure the oven was at 350. This also allowed for a brief 2nd rise—which I thought was needed. Baked for 20 minutes then rotated the pans. Baked 10 minutes more. Tested temp—188 plus, so they were done.
Light, fluffy, tasty!
The only thing I would add is a little salt in the icing. That would make it a little less sweet.
Can you freeze them. If so before or after frosting?
Baked rolls can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and warm up before enjoying. 🙂
Did you prove the rolls a second time? After they’ve been rolled and cut?
No, you don’t need to but some readers have proofed them again and they said they enjoyed them! 🙂
When u do the instant potatoes, do you actually make them or do you just put the dry ingredient in the mixture? Thank you!
You make them according to the instructions. Just don’t add any seasoning 🙂
If using instant mashed potatoes, prepare them with milk and butter as instructions on the box?
Yes 🙂 just don’t add any salt or any other seasoning