Mashed Potato Cinnamon Rolls

From an old family recipe, these mashed potato cinnamon rolls taste best the same day they are baked. We like to make a batch on school-cancelled snow days to eat and share with our neighbors.

• Preparation Time: 45 mins
• Cooking Time: 10 mins
• Total Time: 55 mins
• Calories: 282 Calories

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• ½ cup milk
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• ⅔ cup shortening
• 1 cup butter, melted
• ⅔ cup white sugar
• 2 tablespoons active dry yeast
• 2 cups warm milk
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 1 cup mashed potatoes
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, or to taste
• 2 tablespoons milk, or as needed
• ½ cup brown sugar, or as needed
• ½ cup raisins, or to taste (Optional)
• 7 ½ cups all-purpose flour, or as needed
• 3 cups confectioners' sugar, or more as needed

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Step 2

Mix warm milk, mashed potatoes, shortening, white sugar, eggs, and salt together using an electric mixer in a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle yeast over mixture and stir gently until yeast is dissolved and well mixed.

Step 3

Add flour 2 cups at a time to milk mixture using an electric mixer until dough becomes thick. Set aside mixer and add flour gradually, kneading dough on a work surface by hand until it is smooth and no longer wet and sticky. Place dough back into the mixing bowl and cover with a wet cloth. Set in a warm place until dough has doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Step 4

Roll 1/2 of the dough out onto a floured surface into a rectangle shape, about 1/2-inch thick. Repeat with remaining dough. Mix brown sugar and enough milk to make a paste together in a small bowl. Smooth paste evenly across both dough rectangles and sprinkle generously with cinnamon. Sprinkle with raisins.

Step 5

Roll dough rectangles up and slice into 1 1/2-inch sections. Place rolls into 7 greased pie pans, gently pressing down using your fingers to squish into pans. Set rolls in a warm place until puffy, 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Step 6

Bake rolls in the preheated oven until light brown, 10 to 15 minutes.

Step 7

Meanwhile, bring brown sugar and butter to a boil over low heat in a saucepan, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Stir in milk and return to a boil. Remove from heat and let cool to lukewarm temperature, about 5 minutes. Gradually add powdered sugar until thickened. Beat using an electric mixer until it reaches a spreading consistency, adding warm water or additional milk if frosting gets stiff.

Step 8

Remove rolls from the oven and let cool, 10 to 15 minutes. Frost and serve.