Chinese PastryDessert

Purple Sweet Potato, Pumpkin & Cheese Rolls — Gone the Minute They Came Out

Name: Purple Sweet Potato, Pumpkin & Cheese Rolls
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 2 rolls, about 16 pieces
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 4¼ cups (500 g) all-purpose flour; 1¾ tsp (5 g) instant yeast; ¾ cup + 2 tbsp to 1 cup (200–230 ml) water; 1 purple sweet potato; 1 small kabocha squash; cooked chestnuts, as needed; cheese, as needed

2026-09-29

By Vivian

How good are these?! They were gone the minute they came out of the steamer!

Why You'll Love It

These purple sweet potato, pumpkin and cheese rolls are so pretty. I put the plate on the table and within minutes the family had finished the whole thing — even the kid who normally won't touch a steamed bun ate two. And there's no sugar and no oil in them, so they suit anyone cutting back.

If you're a whole-grains person, this kind of everything-in-one roll is impossible to walk past. Soft dough wrapped around plenty of purple sweet potato, chestnut, kabocha squash, and cheese — the melted cheese hides a gentle dairy richness, and the sweetness is very low. So good.

Ingredients

Dough
4¼ cups (500 g) all-purpose flour	1¾ tsp (5 g) instant yeast
¾ cup + 2 tbsp to 1 cup (200–230 ml) water

Filling
1 purple sweet potato	1 small kabocha squash
cooked chestnuts, as needed	cheese, as needed

Ingredient Notes

Kabocha is sweeter and drier than regular pumpkin, which makes it better for rolls.
Pick a deeply colored purple sweet potato, and let the mash cool completely before spreading it.
Break the chestnuts into small pieces instead of mashing them — you want that texture.
Use mozzarella if you want stretch, or cream cheese if you want more flavor. One or the other.
No sugar needed; the sweetness comes from the squash and sweet potato. Add 2½–5 tsp (10–20 g) only if you have a sweet tooth.

Instructions

1

Cut the squash into small pieces, peel and slice the purple sweet potato, and steam them with the chestnuts for 20 minutes over medium heat once the water boils, until a chopstick goes through easily.
Mash the sweet potato and let it cool; break the chestnuts into small pieces so they keep some texture.
2

Add the yeast to the flour and pour in the water while stirring with chopsticks, then knead into a smooth dough. Go by how your flour drinks — don't add all the water at once.
3

Roll the dough into a rectangle, lay on the squash, sweet potato, and cheese, and roll it up slowly from one end. Roll it tight so there are no air gaps, finishing with a cylinder.
4

Cut it into pieces and let them rise in the steamer to 1½ times — a light press should spring back easily.
Once risen, bring the water to a boil over high heat, drop to medium and steam 16 minutes. Turn off the heat and rest 3 minutes before opening.
5

There's no sugar at all in these — all the sweetness comes from the squash and sweet potato, backed by the richness of the cheese. Nourishing and wholesome.
I always steam a few extra. Once cooled I seal them and keep them in the fridge; 5 minutes back in the steamer brings the softness right back. Perfect for breakfast or a snack, and if you have kids, you have to try them.

Recipe Notes