This vegetarian sweet potato sushi roll recipe is made with sushi rice, roasted sweet potatoes, nori, and a creamy spicy sriracha mayo sauce. They are super easy to make and you will end up with perfect sushi rolls that are great for a snack, lunch, or dinner.
I really love Japanese food such as sushi like avocado sushi rolls and tekka maki as well as sauces like tobiko sauce. You may think that making sushi at home might be difficult but it is not at all and it is cheaper than just buying it at a Japanese restaurant.

What is Sweet Potato Sushi Rolls?
Sweet potato sushi rolls consist of roasted sweet potato alongside any other vegetables of choice and sushi rice then wrapped in a nori seaweed sheet, it is typically served with various sauces such as spicy mayo, eel sauce, or even maple syrup mixed with soy sauce.
Tips for Making This Recipe:
- When making sweet potato sushi rolls, consider using fluffy sushi rice for a healthy and filling vegetarian snack or meal.
- You can drizzle your rolls with delicious eel sauce, masago sauce, chili crisp sauce, or bang bang sauce.
- Either white or black rice works really well in this sweet potato sushi roll recipe.
- You can serve this sushi roll recipe to vegetarians, vegans, or your meat-eating friends.
- You can also add different pickled vegetables like Yamagobo or sliced avocado if you want to mix up the fillings.
Are Sweet Potato Sushi Rolls Healthy?
Yes, sweet potato sushi rolls are healthy and are a great option for either vegans or vegetarians. The sweet potato in the recipe is roasted rather than fried, which means it has lower calories and is lower in fat. Sweet potatoes are also packed with nutrition.
Ingredients in this Sweet Potato Sushi Roll Recipe
- Sweet Potatoes: Roasting your sweet potatoes in the oven is the best option as it will build in extra flavor. However, if you don't have much time, you can just microwave them instead before slicing them.
- Sushi Rice: The best brands to use in your sushi rolls are Lundberg Organic California Sushi Rice, Botan Calrose Rice, and Nishiki Premium Grade Rice.
- Nori Seaweed Paper: Nori seaweed sheets can be purchased from most grocery stores in the Asian section. Additionally, you can buy them online from Amazon.
- Sesame Seeds: You can either use black or white sesame seeds in these sushi rolls or even both at the same time for some contrasting color.
Sushi Dipping Sauces:
- Eel Sauce: Eel sauce has a salty and sweet flavor with deep umami. You can use it with your favorite sushi roll, or on meat and vegetables, and with Japanese tempura.
- Chili Crisp Sauce: Chili crisp sauce is a spicy chili oil with garlic and chili peppers that is rich in umami flavor.
- Tobiko Sauce: if you a fan of caviar, this Japanese caviar sauce will definitely blow your mind. You can use it with many other dishes as well.
- Bang Bang Sauce: Bang Bang Sauce is sweet and spicy with a creamy texture. It is perfect for drizzling or using as a dipping sauce with seafood, meat, or vegetables.
How to Make Sushi Rice
Sushi rice is usually medium-grain white rice, although you could use brown rice or black forbidden rice if you like. After cooking the sushi rice, you mix it with some rice vinegar.
Storing Your Sweet Potato Sushi Rolls
If you have any sweet potato sushi roll leftovers that you want to keep for later, you can store them in the fridge.
Here's how to store your sweet potato sushi rolls in the fridge.
- Wrap the sweet potato sushi roll leftovers with plastic wrap.
- Then, place the sushi rolls into a container with an airtight lid and put them into the refrigerator immediately.
- Properly stored, sweet potato sushi roll leftovers can last for 5 days in the fridge.
Keep in mind that the sweet potato in the sushi rolls will lose its texture as it sits.

Sweet Potato Sushi Roll FAQ
What are the healthiest sushi rolls?
This sweet potato sushi roll is considered one of the healthiest sushi rolls that you can have, although California rolls, avocado rolls, or cucumber rolls are considered very healthy as well.
What are the calories in sweet potato sushi rolls?
The calories in sweet potato sushi rolls actually depend on the way you prepare them (whether you roast or deep fry the sweet potatoes), what fillings you used, and what sauce you chose.
What is in sweet potato sushi rolls?
Sweet potato sushi rolls include sweet potatoes and sushi rice that are wrapped in nori seaweed. However, this recipe is flexible in that you can cook the sweet potato with different methods such as oven-roasting it, coating it in tempura batter and frying it, or cooking it in the microwave. You can also add pickles such as Yamagobo or raw vegetables, avocado, and various sauces to your sweet potato sushi rolls.
What should I serve with sweet potato sushi rolls?
You can serve the sushi rolls with a variety of sauces for dipping or drizzling if you like:
- Chili Crisp sauce
- Masago Sauce
- Tobiko Sauce
- Bang Bang Sauce
- Yum Yum Sauce
Can I add other vegetables to the sushi rolls?
What I love about this sweet potato sushi roll recipe is that you can add or omit any ingredients you like. Carrots, cabbage, or scallions would all be delicious!
Sweet Potato Sushi Roll Ingredients
Sushi Rice
- 1 cup small or medium-grain white rice
- 1 cup + 1 tablespoon water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
Sweet Potato Sushi Rolls
- 1 sheet nori
- ½ teaspoon white or black sesame seeds
- ¼ cup julienne roasted sweet potatoes
- Pickled ginger, optional
- Wasabi, optional
Optional Sauces
- Tobiko sauce
- Spicy sriracha mayo
- Yum yum sauce
- Eel sauce
- Masago sauce
Sweet Potato Roll Sushi Instructions
How to Make the Sushi Rice
- Rinse the rice in a fine-mesh strainer in order to remove any excess starch until the water runs clean. Shake off the excess water.
- Place the rinsed rice in an Instant Pot with the water and salt. Pressure cook the rice on high for 6 minutes, allowing the pressure to naturally release at the end of the cooking time.
- When the rice is cooked, transfer the rice to a bowl and drizzle the rice vinegar over top evenly.
- Gently stir the rice vinegar into the rice, being careful not to break up the rice.
How to Bake the Sweet Potato
- Peel the sweet potato and cut it lengthwise into approximately ½-inch thick strips.
- Coat the sweet potato strips with olive oil and bake them in the oven at 425 F for about 15 to 25 minutes or until tender.
- When cooked, allow the sweet potato strips to cool down before preparing the sweet potato sushi rolls.
How to Assemble the Sweet Potato Sushi Rolls
- Place a bamboo sushi mat on a clean surface and cover it with plastic wrap.
- Arrange the sheet of nori on top of the bamboo mat.
- Dip your hands in water and ensure you keep a small bowl of water near you along with a towel.
- Take 1 cup of the cooked rice and spread it across the nori in an even layer.
- Sprinkle the sesame seeds over the top.
- Flip the nori over so that the rice is facing down and the nori is facing up.
- Arrange 3 to 4 thin sweet potato strips lengthwise about 1-inch from the bottom.
- Using your bamboo mat, roll the edges up and over the filling and then continue to roll until the entire roll is enclosed.
- Remove the bamboo mat and shape your sweet potato sushi roll if needed.
- Move the sweet potato sushi roll to a cutting board. Cut it in half and then cut each half into 3 segments, making sure you wipe your knife with a wet towel after each slice.
Recipe Tips
- Sushi Vinegar Substitute: If you don’t have sushi vinegar, you can replace it with a mixture of white vinegar, sugar, and salt.
- Cooking the Perfect Sushi Rice: For the best results, I recommend using high-quality short-grain Japanese rice for this recipe.
- Prevent the Rice From Sticking to Your Hands: Tezu is a hand-dipping liquid that will prevent the rice from sticking to your hands. You can make it by mixing ¼ cup water with 2 teaspoon rice vinegar.
- Prevent Sushi Rolls From Falling Apart: Make sure to give the roll a gentle squeeze while rolling. Then, once you are finished, place the bamboo mat over the sushi roll and gently squeeze the roll again.

How to Make Sweet Potato Sushi Rolls
This vegetarian sweet potato sushi roll recipe is made with sushi rice, roasted sweet potatoes, nori, and a creamy spicy sriracha mayo sauce. They are super easy to make and you will end up with perfect sushi rolls that are great for a snack, lunch, or dinner.
Ingredients
Sushi Rice
- 1 cup small or medium-grain white rice
- 1 cup + 1 tablespoon water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
Sweet Potato Sushi Rolls
- 1 sheet nori
- ½ teaspoon white or black sesame seeds
- ¼ cup julienne roasted sweet potatoes
- Pickled ginger, optional
- Wasabi, optional
Optional Sauces
- Tobiko sauce
- Spicy sriracha mayo
- Yum yum sauce
- Eel sauce
- Masago sauce
Instructions
How to Make the Sushi Rice
- Rinse the rice in a fine-mesh strainer in order to remove any excess starch until the water runs clean. Shake off the excess water.
- Place the rinsed rice in an Instant Pot with the water and salt. Pressure cook the rice on high for 6 minutes, allowing the pressure to naturally release at the end of the cooking time.
- When the rice is cooked, transfer the rice to a bowl and drizzle the rice vinegar over top evenly.
- Gently stir the rice vinegar into the rice, being careful not to break up the rice.
How to Bake the Sweet Potato
- Peel the sweet potato and cut it lengthwise into approximately ½-inch thick strips.
- Coat the sweet potato strips with olive oil and bake them in the oven at 425 F for about 15 to 25 minutes or until tender.
- When cooked, allow the sweet potato strips to cool down before preparing the sweet potato sushi rolls.
How to Assemble the Sweet Potato Sushi Rolls
- Place a bamboo sushi mat on a clean surface and cover it with plastic wrap.
- Arrange the sheet of nori on top of the bamboo mat.
- Dip your hands in water and ensure you keep a small bowl of water near you along with a towel.
- Take 1 cup of the cooked rice and spread it across the nori in an even layer.
- Sprinkle the sesame seeds over the top.
- Flip the nori over so that the rice is facing down and the nori is facing up.
- Arrange 3 to 4 thin sweet potato strips lengthwise about 1-inch from the bottom.
- Using your bamboo mat, roll the edges up and over the filling and then continue to roll until the entire roll is enclosed.
- Remove the bamboo mat and shape your sweet potato sushi roll if needed.
- Move the sweet potato sushi roll to a cutting board. Cut it in half and then cut each half into 3 segments, making sure you wipe your knife with a wet towel after each slice.
Notes
- Sushi Vinegar Substitute: If you don’t have sushi vinegar, you can replace it with a mixture of white vinegar, sugar, and salt.
- Cooking the Perfect Sushi Rice: For the best results, I recommend using high-quality short-grain Japanese rice for this recipe.
- Prevent the Rice From Sticking to Your Hands: Tezu is a hand-dipping liquid that will prevent the rice from sticking to your hands. You can make it by mixing ¼ cup water with 2 teaspoon rice vinegar.
- Prevent Sushi Rolls From Falling Apart: Make sure to give the roll a gentle squeeze while rolling. Then, once you
are finished, place the bamboo mat over the sushi roll and gently squeeze the roll again.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 1 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving:Calories: 700Total Fat: 22gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 119mgSodium: 5260mgCarbohydrates: 103gFiber: 11gSugar: 34gProtein: 19g
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