Craving a sweet potato and chocolate treat? These Sweet Potato Chocolate Rolls deliver that cozy autumn flavor in a surprising, delicious pastry. Sweet potatoes and chocolate are a comforting pairing, and this recipe builds on that combination to create something soft, chewy, and slightly unexpected.
The idea for these rolls grew from an earlier sweet potato and chocolate dessert on the blog. Revisiting that flavor profile inspired a roll dough that uses sweet potato puree for moisture and a gentle sweetness. If you have leftover sweet potato mash, this is a great way to use it.
These rolls aren’t trying to be a cinnamon bun, so expect something different: a pliable, cinnamony sweet potato pastry ribboned with chocolate and finished with a rich toffee-style sauce. The texture and flavors may remind you of some delicate Asian pastries—soft, slightly chewy, and comforting—but the profile here is its own thing. Note: in this recipe, “sweet potatoes” refers to the common orange-fleshed varieties often labeled “yams” in supermarkets.
The filling is simple: melted dairy-free chocolate sweetened to a spreadable consistency and lightly salted to balance the sweetness. While baking, I made a small toffee-style sauce based on sweet potato puree, maple syrup, molasses, and a touch of carob powder to mimic caramel notes. That sauce amplifies the autumnal flavors and ties the rolls together beautifully.
These rolls are excellent warm for breakfast or brunch with a cup of coffee or tea. They reheat well in a toaster or oven, and they’re also enjoyable chilled. Because they’re grain-free and made with almond and coconut flours, they’re surprisingly filling despite being oil-free. Slicing them into smaller portions makes them easier to enjoy—halves or smaller pieces are satisfying without being too heavy.
They travel well too—these rolls make a handy on-the-go snack for road trips or packed breakfasts. The dough stays tender, and the toffee sauce can be added just before serving if you prefer to keep them tidy while transporting.
Sweet Potato Chocolate Rolls
5 from 2 reviews
A soft, chewy gluten-free cinnamon pastry accented by a chocolate swirl and topped with a dairy-free toffee caramel drizzle.
- Author: Audrey @ Unconventional Baker
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 10 rolls (or 6 large ones)
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Dessert
Ingredients
Roll:
- 2 cups sweet potato puree (about 2 large sweet potatoes, skins included)
- ½ cup maple syrup (or agave, coconut nectar, etc.)
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- ⅛ tsp salt
- ½ cup coconut sugar
- ½ cup tapioca starch
- 1¾ cup almond flour
- 1 cup coconut flour
Filling:
- 1⅓ cups melted dairy-free chocolate chips or chunks
- 2–3 tbsp maple syrup
- dash of salt
Toffee Sauce:
- 4 tbsp sweet potato puree
- 6 tbsp maple syrup (or liquid sweetener of choice)
- 1 tbsp unsulphured blackstrap molasses
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 tsp carob powder (for toffee-like flavor)
- dash of salt
- 3–4 tbsp non-dairy milk (to adjust thickness)
- Optional: coconut milk powder for dusting (ensure it’s dairy-free)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Oil or line a 9″ pie plate or an oven-safe baking dish and set aside.
- Combine sweet potato puree, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. Blend until smooth with an immersion blender, hand mixer, or food processor. Add the remaining roll ingredients except the coconut flour and mix to combine.
- Add the coconut flour ¼ cup at a time, kneading between additions until a ball forms. The dough should be moist and pliable. Adjust with more coconut flour if too wet or a bit more liquid sweetener if too dry.
- Flatten the dough into a disk, place between two large sheets of parchment, and roll into a rectangle about ¼” thick. Trim edges to create a neat rectangle.
- Melt the chocolate (double boiler or short microwave bursts), stir in maple syrup and a pinch of salt until spreadable. Spread the chocolate over the dough, leaving about 1″ unfrosted around the edges.
- Lift the parchment and roll the dough tightly from one wide side, separating it from the parchment as you roll. Trim the ends and cut into 10 sections (or 6 larger pieces if preferred). Place rolls in the prepared pan and bake for 35 minutes. Cool on a rack.
- While baking, blend all toffee sauce ingredients until smooth. Drizzle the sauce over the rolls before serving. Refrigerate leftovers.