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Coconut Cream Sweet Rolls

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Sweet coconut goodness in a cinnamon roll-like package. These sweet rolls are loaded with coconut and are the perfect breakfast or brunch treat for Easter or any day!

Large coconut cream sweet roll topped with glaze and lightly toasted coconut.

 Soft pillowy bread wrapped around loads of sweet, creamy coconut goodness. Now drizzle those in glaze and finish them with some lightly toasted coconut.

The results are a thing of beauty, for sure. Get your forks ready, these coconut cream sweet rolls are coming at you!

I don’t know why, but coconut makes me think of Easter.  Maybe it’s because of the traditional lamb cake that was present at so many of our Easter celebrations.

Shaggy sweet roll dough on dough hook in stand mixer.

So when I was thinking of sweets that scream spring, coconut was on my brain. Something that evokes the feelings of coconut cream pie, but I also wanted it to be something completely different.

The other thing Easter makes me think of is brunch, so it seemed fitting to marry those two trains of thought together into something delicious. That, my friends, is how these coconut cream sweet rolls were born.

sweet roll dough brushed with a layer of melted coconut oil and sprinkled with sugar and coconut flakes.

Ever since I made my first batch of knock your socks off cinnamon buns, I have been hooked on using potato dough for sweet rolls. It just makes the softest, most delicious cinnamon rolls I have ever had!

The bread almost melts in your mouth and the centers have that soft almost gooey texture that makes my mouth water just thinking about it!  Oh. My. Word.

I am not one for reinventing the wheel when you already have a base you love.  So I whipped up some of that dough to get these started.

coconut cinnamon rolls in pan and ready to rise.

But instead of a cinnamon sugar center, these babies are absolutely loaded to the gills with coconut. Instead of butter, I used coconut oil in the center to reinforce the coconut flavor.

Now I knew all of that sugar, coconut and coconut oil had a chance of getting a little crazy in there where it was getting all gooey and scrumptious. So I was really happy to have my new Swiss Diamond roasting pan to bake these in.

pan full of coconut sweet rolls fresh from the oven.

I’ve told you before, but I just love my Swiss Diamond Skillets and especially my saute pan. The finish is amazing and things just wipe right off.

So I knew these little beauties would pop right out of this pan as well.  Plus clean up would be a breeze.  Luckily I was right on both counts!

The rolls looks amazing when they came out of the oven.  My frosting loving heart couldn’t leave them like that though. Of course not!!

coconut sweet roll served with raspberries in front of pan of rolls

So I whipped up a glaze and toasted some coconut in a skillet. Spread that glaze over the rolls while they are still hot.

That is where the magic happens! It melts down in those cracks and crevices and helps bring it all together. Ummmm!

The toasted coconut helps you to advertise what you have. Sweet, scrumptious, coconut goodness wrapped up in a pretty little package.

first bite of coconut sweet roll on fork.

I am telling you, if you are a coconut fan you have to give these a go. Just make sure you have some guests over so you don’t eat the whole pan. It is so tempting!

Love this recipe? Give it a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review in the recipe card below!

Large coconut cream sweet roll topped with glaze and lightly toasted coconut.

Coconut Cream Sweet Rolls

Carlee
Sweet coconut goodness in a cinnamon roll-like package. These sweet rolls are loaded with coconut and are the perfect breakfast or brunch treat for Easter or any day!
5 from 7 ratings
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Additional Time 2 hours
Total Time 3 hours 5 minutes
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Servings 12 Servings
Calories 539 kcal

Ingredients
 

Dough

  • 1 large potato
  • 1 cup milk
  • ½ cup + 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 4 Tablespoons butter
  • teaspoon active dry yeast
  • 1 egg beaten
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla exract
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour plus more for rolling

Filling

  • cup coconut oil
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 cups shredded coconut

Glaze

  • 1 Tablespoon butter
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 pinch salt
  • a drop or two of vanilla and/or coconut extract
  • 3 Tablespoons heavy cream
  • 1 cup lightly toasted coconut

Instructions
 

  • First get your potato ready. A large potato or a couple of medium potatoes would work. Peel and cut the potatoes, cut into cubes and boil until it’s soft. Pour ¼ cup of that water into a small bowl or measuring cup to proof the yeast. Drain the rest of the water and return the potato cubes to the saucepan. Mash until smooth.
    1 large potato
  • Once water is about 110°F, add the Tablespoon of sugar and the yeast. Set aside while it activates.
    2½ teaspoon active dry yeast
  • Add the milk, butter, salt and ½ cup of sugar to the potatoes. Stir and warm over low heat until warmed through.
    1 cup milk, ½ teaspoon salt, 4 Tablespoons butter
  • Butter a large mixing bowl and set aside. 
  • Place the warm potato mixture in the bowl of your mixer. Stir in the egg, vanilla and yeast mixture. 
    1 egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla exract
  • Slowly add in the flour. Stop adding more flour while the dough is still sticky, but it should at least come together into a dough. Use the dough attachment, allow your mixer to knead the dough for about 5 minutes. Add a little more flour if needed, but don’t add any more than you have to.  It should be loose, but it should come together into a dough. 
    4 cups all-purpose flour
  • Turn the dough into the buttered bowl, being sure to scrape the bowl out all the goodness. Cover and allow to rise to at least double its size, about an hour to an hour and a half. 
  • Punch down the dough and give it a couple of quick kneads to make sure it is deflated.
  • Place on a lightly floured surface. Let rest for about 10 minutes, then roll into a 18″ square. 
  • Grease a 10×15 pan or a half sheet pan.
  • Brush with melted coconut oil and sprinkle with sugar and coconut flakes. 
    ⅓ cup coconut oil, 1 cup sugar, 2 cups shredded coconut
  • Roll dough into a log and cut into 12 equal pieces. Place in greased baking dish. Cover loosely with a towel and let rise for another hour.
  • Preheat oven to 375°F. Bake for 20 minutes, rotating pan half way through. The tops should be light golden down. 
  • Let sit for about 5 minutes, then put together the glaze.
  • In a small bowl, beat together the glaze ingredients together. You want it to be thick, just barely thin enough to pour.
    1 Tablespoon butter, 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 pinch salt, a drop or two of vanilla and/or coconut extract, 3 Tablespoons heavy cream
  • Drizzle glaze all over warm sweet rolls. Sprinkle with toasted coconut. Devour!
    1 cup lightly toasted coconut

Nutrition

Serving: 1ServingCalories: 539kcalCarbohydrates: 80gProtein: 7gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 17gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 34mgSodium: 239mgFiber: 5gSugar: 39g
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Recipe Rating




Amy

Tuesday 2nd of April 2019

Coconut sounds so delicious in a sweet roll. I always make cinnamon rolls around this time of year, but I would love to try these instead. Thanks for sharing your yummy recipe!

Big Rigs 'n Lil' Cookies

Saturday 30th of March 2019

What a fun "spring" twist on a sweet roll! They sound so good!

Carlee

Tuesday 2nd of April 2019

They really are! Thank you!

April

Friday 29th of March 2019

I love homemade sweet rolls. I've been wanting to make some potato bread for quite awhile, and here you use it as the dough for sweet rolls. Now I HAVE to make some! :)

Carlee

Tuesday 2nd of April 2019

I love using it for sweet rolls, the results are so soft and scrumptious!

Karen

Thursday 28th of March 2019

Using coconut cream sounds amazing. These rolls are gorgeous.

Carlee

Tuesday 2nd of April 2019

Thank you!

Jan

Thursday 28th of March 2019

You keep killin' it with your sweet rolls!!! Delish!

Carlee

Tuesday 2nd of April 2019

Thank you!