Introduction: Grain-free Sticky Buns Made With Sweet Potatoes (but You Can't Taste Them!!)

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About: Just a Disney loving, book reading, kitchen explorer.

Because of an autoimmune disease, I can't eat a traditional diet but that doesn't mean that I want to skip dessert. These sticky buns hit the sweet spot-without grains, refined sugars or dairy!

Supplies

For sticky bun dough:

  • 2 large Murasaki/Japanese sweet potatoes Or 4 medium Murasaki sweet potatoes.
  • 2/3 cup cassava flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Note: You can only use Murasaki sweet potatoes. Yams or regular sweet potatoes will not work for this recipe

For the filling:

  • 1/2 cup coconut sugar
  • 2 1/2 Tablespoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup melted coconut oil
  • 1 3/4 cup pecan halves, divided.

For the honey glaze

  • 1/4 cup ghee (can substitute butter)
  • 1/2 cup coconut sugar
  • 1/3 cup honey
  • pinch of salt

Other:

  • round cake pan
  • cutting board
  • knife for chopping
  • two pieces of 9 x 13 parchment paper
  • rubber spatula
  • saucepan
  • rolling pin

Step 1: Prepare Sweet Potatoes for Dough

  • Wash and peel sweet potatoes
  • Cut into 1/2 inch cubes and place into a saucepan
  • Cover sweet potato cubes with water
  • Place saucepan on stove and turn to medium-high heat
  • Boil until sweet potatoes are fork tender, about 15-20 minutes
  • Once potatoes are cooked, drain with a colander and set aside to cool

Step 2: Prepare Pecans

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit
  • Arrange 1 3/4 cup pecan halves on a cookie sheet
  • Roast Pecans for ten minutes until slightly brown and fragrant
  • Remove from oven
  • When pecans are cool to touch, chop finely into pieces

Step 3: Make Glaze

While the sweet potatoes are cooling you can make the glaze

  • Add 1/4 cup of ghee to a saucepan over medium heat
  • Once ghee has melted, add in the coconut sugar, honey and a pinch of salt
  • Stir mixture with a rubber spatula and bring to a boil
  • Immediately after mixture comes to a boil, reduce it to a simmer.
  • Simmer for about 4 minutes, until the mixture is glossy and dark
  • Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly

Note: The mixture may still seem fairly thin when you remove it from the heat. As it cools, it will become slightly thicker.

Step 4: Prepare Pan for Rolls

  • Generously grease a round cake pan. I used olive oil but you can also use ghee
  • Collect 3/4 cup of glaze from the saucepan
  • Pour the 3/4 cup glaze into the cake pan. Save the remaining glaze to be put on before baking.
  • Spread out 1/2 cup of the chopped pecans into the bottom of the pan
  • Set aside

Step 5: Make Dough

  • Place the cooled sweet potatoes into a bowl and mash with a potato masher
  • Add the Cassava flour and the salt to the bowl
  • Stir mixture with a spoon until it begins to come together
  • At this point, use your hands to mix until the dough forms a ball. It will feel a little bit like playdough


Step 6: Roll Out the Dough

  • Place a 9 x 13 sheet of parchment paper on a table
  • Place sweet potato dough on top of parchment paper in a rough rectangular shape
  • Place a second piece of parchment paper on top of the dough
  • Using a rolling pin, roll the dough to the same size and shape as the bottom piece of parchment paper
  • The dough will be in 9 x 13 rectangle. Set aside while you prepare the filling.

Step 7: Prepare the Filling

  • Place the melted coconut oil, vanilla extract, coconut sugar and cinnamon in a bowl
  • Mix until the mixture is uniform

Step 8: Fill the Dough

  • Using a spoon, spread dollops of filling at even intervals on the rolled out dough
  • Use a rubber spatula to spread out the cinnamon sugar mixture over the entire surface of the dough
  • Spread 1 cup of the chopped nuts over the cinnamon sugar filling

Step 9: Roll the Filled Dough Into a Log

The dough is very soft and must be rolled with care

  • Take the edge of the parchment paper furthest from you and gently roll the dough into a log using the parchment paper
  • Take care not to let the parchment paper get rolled inside the log

The dough might crack a little while you roll it into a log. You can use your fingers to gently press it together

Step 10: Cut Log and Place Into Prepared Pan

  • Using a very sharp knife, cut the dough log into 1/2 inch slices.
  • If the slices are not tightly rolled and there is space in the center, you can use your hands to smash the edges together so there is no gap in the center
  • Place the cut slices into the glazed pan. The sticky buns won't rise, so you can fill in all the space. Extra rolls can be placed on a lined cookie sheet and baked at the same time as the sticky rolls.
  • Once the pan is full, add the remaining 1/4 cup chopped pecans to the top and cover with the remaining glaze.

Step 11: Bake and Invert

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit
  • Place sticky buns into the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes, until the buns are brown and the center seems set. Check at the halfway point. If the buns are browning too quickly, you can cover them with tinfoil to prevent burning.
  • After the buns are removed from the oven, allow the pan to sit for 10 minutes before inverting onto a plate.
  • Buns can be served warm or cool.
  • Enjoy!
  • Leftovers can be stored in a covered container on the counter.