Yam & Black Sesame Rolls with Sweet Potato and Jujube — The Little Buns Everyone Loves
By Vivian
Why You'll Love It
Cool weather calls for something warm and soft, and this roll needs no added sugar whatsoever — all the sweetness comes from the sweet potato and jujube. Every bite is full of grain aroma, and the Chinese yam and toasted black sesame give it both softness and depth. Rich in texture and genuinely wholesome.
Not a grain of sugar, just the natural sweetness of sweet potato and red dates. One bite and it's fragrant and sweet without being cloying. Pair it with a bowl of millet congee and you have a proper dinner — good for adults and kids alike, clean carbs with no guilt. Make some soon!
My kid grabbed one the moment they came out of the steamer. With millet congee it's a nourishing dinner, and everyone from grandparents to little ones can eat it — clean carbs that don't weigh you down. Go make a batch!
Ingredients
| Dough | |
|---|---|
| 1⅔ cups (200 g) all-purpose flour | 7 oz (200 g) Chinese yam |
| 3 tbsp (25 g) black sesame seeds | ¾ tsp (2 g) instant yeast |
| Sweet Potato & Jujube Filling | |
|---|---|
| 9 oz (250 g) sweet potato | dried red dates (jujubes), as needed |
Ingredient Notes
- Use the thin 'iron-stick' Chinese yam if you can get it — starchy, low in water, and the most reliable for dough.
- Wear gloves when peeling the yam; the slime makes your hands itch.
- Toast and grind the sesame fresh — pre-ground sesame goes rancid and bitter.
- Just pit and chop the jujubes; don't soak them, or they'll add water.
- No sugar anywhere in this one. Pick a very sweet variety of sweet potato.
Instructions
-
1
Peel and wash the yam and sweet potato, cut them into pieces and steam until tender. Weigh out the sesame seeds and yeast.
-
2
Wash the red dates, pit them, and chop.
-
3
Mash the hot yam in a large bowl with a splash of water until smooth, add the remaining dough ingredients, stir with chopsticks until shaggy, then knead into a smooth dough. Add a little water if it's too dry.
-
4
Cover and leave it somewhere warm to relax for 15 minutes. Meanwhile mash the steamed sweet potato while hot and mix in the chopped dates to make the filling.
-
5
Put the relaxed dough on a lightly floured board, roll it out thin, and spread the sweet potato and jujube filling evenly over it.
-
6
Roll it up tightly from the top, pinch the seam closed, roll into a cylinder, and cut into even pieces with a bench scraper.
-
7
Line the steamer with parchment or brush it lightly with oil, and space the pieces about two fingers apart — they expand while rising and will stick together otherwise.
Let them rise somewhere warm to 1½ times. If the room is cold, set the tray over a basin of warm water. Go by the dough, not the clock: when a finger press springs back slowly and the dough feels light in your hand, it's ready.
-
8
Steam over medium heat for 15 minutes once the water boils. When the time is up, don't open the lid right away — rest 3 minutes (the sudden drop in temperature dries and shrinks the surface).
Take them out and let them cool to just warm. They stay soft even when fully cooled.
Recipe Notes
Yam & Black Sesame Rolls with Sweet Potato and Jujube
Chinese yam and black sesame rolls filled with mashed sweet potato and chopped jujube: no sugar at all, just the natural sweetness of sweet potato and red dates. Clean, gentle carbs with nothing heavy about them.
Time Needed
Prep Ahead
- Steam and mash the yam and sweet potato ahead of time and let them cool to just warm before kneading.
- Pit and chop the red dates in advance — one less thing to do with dough on your hands.
- 【Yield】1⅔ cups (200 g) flour plus 7 oz (200 g) yam makes one roll cut into 8 pieces; 9 oz (250 g) sweet potato is exactly enough filling.
- 【Key ratios】The yam purée carries its own moisture, so you rarely need extra water — add 2–4 tsp (10–20 ml) only if it's dry. Yeast: ¾ tsp (2 g).
- 【Heat】Steam the yam and sweet potato until a chopstick slides through. Steam the rolls over medium for 15 minutes, then rest 3 minutes.
- 【Rising】Relax 15 minutes after kneading; rise the shaped pieces to 1½ times, over a basin of warm water if it's cold.
- 【Storage & reheating】Refrigerate 2 days, freeze 2 weeks; re-steam 8 minutes.
- 【Common problems】Sticky dough means wet yam — add a little flour. Runny sweet potato filling should be cooked down or thickened with more chopped dates.
Nutrition (per 100 g, estimated)
| Calories | about 248 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | about 7 g |
| Fat | about 4 g |
| Carbohydrates | about 46 g |
| of which sugars | about 8 g |
| Fiber | about 2 g |
| Sodium | about 45 mg |
Estimated from the ingredient amounts, not lab tested. One piece is about 2.8 oz (80 g), roughly 198 kcal, calculated at 4 / 9 / 4 kcal per g of protein / fat / carbs.