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These Apple Cinnamon Rolls, filled with chunks of apple and loads of cinnamon flavor, are the ultimate expression of fall. Perfect to make the night before a special day, these rolls are so fluffy and flavorful, youโll find yourself turning to them at all times of the year. Serve this with a classic pumpkin spice latte for a delicious morning.
The minute fall hits, all I want to do is bake for my friends, family, and yes, of course, myself. Thereโs something about the cozy chill in the air that makes for the best baking experience. And I love apple desserts. See: my easy apple cobbler and homemade apple pie.
And those two are my all-time favorites but I was craving the flavors of apple pie in a cinnamon roll. So, here we are with these Apple Cinnamon Rolls!
Ingredients for Apple Cinnamon Rolls
- Butter – This adds the richness and softness that we know and love in a cinnamon rolls.
- Eggs – By adding eggs, we’re enriching the dough and making it soft and rich. It adds a lot of body to the dough.
- Flour – all-purpose is best here. You could probably get away with adding bread flour but they might be too tough.
- Apples – I used honey crisp; they’re my go-to because they’re so delicious and easy to find at most grocery stores.
- Spices – apples and spices go hand in hand. In this case, we’re keeping it simple and just using cinnamon.
- Brown sugar – the hints of molasses in brown sugar complement apples and spices. If you’re in need for a How to Soften Brown sugar guide, look no further!
For the rest of the ingredients, please refer to the recipe card below!
Quick Apple Pie Filling
The secret to the intense apple flavor in my Apple Cinnamon Rolls is a quick apple pie filling. It starts with finely diced fresh apple heated with bright lemon juice, a touch of vanilla some cinnamon, sugar, a pinch of salt, and a bit of cornstarch to thicken it all. What youโre left with is an apple pie-worthy filling thatโs sturdy enough to easily roll up into your roll.
Perfect Fluffy Dough
This is my go-to enriched dough for all my favorite sweet rolls. These Apple Cinnamon Rolls are very similar to my Overnight Cinnamon Roll, Mocha Morning Buns and Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls.
The dough comes together quickly and is perfectly buttery with a hint of sweetness that makes for the perfect vehicle for any filling your heart desires.
How to Make Apple Cinnamon Rolls
- Make the dough by mixing the flour, sugar, instant yeast, and kosher salt together, then add in the warm milk and mix to incorporate. Next, add in the eggs, beaten with the vanilla extract, and mix until incorporated. Add in the butter, a few cubes at a time and knead until smooth. Let the dough rise.
- Make the cinnamon filling by mixing butter, cinnamon, brown sugar, white sugar, vanilla, and kosher salt together until smooth.
- Make the apple filling by cooking the apples, granulated sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch, ground cinnamon, and kosher salt together in a small saucepan on medium heat for about 5 minutes or until the juices have thickened.
- Assemble the rolls by rolling out the dough on a lightly floured work surface into a โ -inch thick rectangle measuring 15-inches by 22-inches. Spread the cinnamon filling evenly and then spread the apple filling evenly over that. Roll the dough into a tight log, horizontally. Slice into 12 even pieces and place them in a greased 9 by 13-inch baking pan. Cover and let rise for 45 minutes then back for 28 to 30 minutes in a 350 degree F oven.
- Make the cream cheese glaze by mixing the butter with cream cheese then adding in the powdered sugar, vanilla, kosher salt, and heavy cream and mix until smooth. Spread the icing all over the rolls and serve warm!
Recipe FAQs
Yes, I think pears would do great in this recipe. I would stick to good baking pears like d’anjou, bartlett and bosc.
Yes! You can definitely do that. It’ll result in a richer roll. This has gotten really popular on TikTok; feel free to do that if you like.
I would wrap them in foil and stick them in a 300F preheated oven for about 5-7 minutes. This will warm them up without drying them out or toasting them.
Tips and Tricks
Slicing the rolls – If youโve had trouble slicing your rolls in the past, try using waxed, unflavored floss to cut the dough. It helps you get those picture-perfect clean cuts.
Room temperature butter is your best friend when it comes to incorporating it into your dough as well as making the cinnamon filling and cream cheese glaze.
Make ahead – You can make the apple pie filling in advance to break up some of the steps. You can also make the dough up to 24 hours ahead of shaping.
More Cozy Fall Recipes
Breakfast
Pumpkin Pancakes
Breakfast
Olive Oil Fried Eggs
Fall Recipes
Iced Pumpkin Spice Latte
Soups
Lasagna Soup
If you tried this Apple Cinnamon Rolls or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Apple Cinnamon Rolls
Video
Ingredients
Dough:
- 3 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon instant yeast (also known as Baker's yeast)
- 1 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup lukewarm milk
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature, cubed
Apple Filling:
- 2 large apples, peeled, cored, and finely diced
- ยผ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ยผ teaspoon kosher salt
Cinnamon Filling:
- ยพ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- โ cup granulated sugar
- โ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ยผ teaspoon kosher salt
Cream Cheese Glaze:
- 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 ยฝ cups powdered sugar, sifted
- ยผ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream
Instructions
To Make the Dough:
- To the bowl of a stand-up mixer fitted with a dough hook (alternatively, you can do this in a large bowl by hand), mix the flour, sugar, instant yeast, and kosher salt. Add the warm milk and mix on low for 20 to 30 seconds. While thatโs mixing, in a small bowl, beat the eggs with the vanilla extract. Add this mixture to the flour mixture and mix until most of the flour has been incorporated and the dough becomes cohesive. With the mixer running on low, slowly add the cubes of butter, a few at a time.
- Knead on medium speed for about 5 to 7 minutes or until the dough looks smooth and supple, and mostly pulls away from the bowl. Alternatively, if youโre doing this by hand, youโll need to knead the dough for about 10 to 15 minutes. The dough will go from crumbly and separate to completely cohesive and smooth. The dough shouldnโt be stickyโif it is, add flour, a couple of tablespoons at a time, until itโs no longer sticky. Be careful not to add too much flour, as that will result in a dry roll. Remove the dough from the hook and the bowl and form it into a ball.
- Transfer the ball of dough to a clean, lightly greased bowl (I used the flour bowl and just wiped it clean with a kitchen towel and then greased it). Cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and transfer to the fridge to rise for at least 2 hours or overnight.
To Make the Cinnamon Filling:
- To the bowl of a stand-up mixer (with the paddle attachment) or using a medium bowl and a fork, add the butter, cinnamon, brown sugar, white sugar, vanilla, and kosher salt. Mix and mash until the filling is completely smooth.
- *If youโre looking to save yourself a step in the morning, you can make this filling and let it sit on the counter overnight so it stays softened.
To Make the Apple Pie Filling:
- To a saucepan set over medium-low heat, mix the apples, granulated sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch, ground cinnamon, and kosher salt with a spatula and cook for about 5 to 7 minutes or until the released juices start to thicken. Set aside to cool to room temperature and then transfer to an airtight container to chill until ready to use.
To Assemble the Rolls:
- The following morning (or after the 2-hour mark), remove the dough from the fridge. Lightly flour your work surface and place the dough into the center. Lightly flour your rolling pin and roll the dough into a 1/8-inch thick rectangle that measures 15-inches by 22-inches. If itโs not a perfect rectangle, thatโs totally ok.
- Spread the cinnamon filling in an even, thin layer, using a butter knife or offset spatula. I smeared the filling pretty close to the edges. Next, spread the apple filling in an even, thin layer, giving a little more of a border, as the apples will spread as you roll. Starting from the edge furthest from you, roll the dough towards you, horizontally, into a tight, firm log.
- Using a bread knife (or any serrated knife), slice the dough into two and carefully transfer them to a cutting board. Place them in the freezer to chill for 10 minutes. I find that slicing cold dough is WAY easier.
- Remove from the freezer and trim off the edges. Slice the rolls into 6 pieces each roll for a total of 12 pieces, about 1 ยฝ-inches thick. Alternatively, you can use a piece of waxed, unflavored dental floss to cut the rolls. I find this is the easiest way to make clean cuts without smashing the dough.
- Transfer to a greased 9 x 13 baking sheet (or something comparable). Cover with a kitchen towel and allow to rise for an additional 45 minutes, or until doubled in size.
- *If your house is particularly cold, it may take longer for the rolls to rise. I like to place my cinnamon rolls near the oven because it’s usually warmer in that part of my house.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake for 28 to 30 minutes or until the tops of the rolls are golden brown.
To Make the Cream Cheese Icing:
- To the bowl of a stand-up mixer (or a large bowl) with the paddle attachment, mix together the butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, kosher salt, and heavy cream. Beat for about 20 seconds.
To Serve:
- When the cinnamon rolls come out of the oven, in an even layer, spread the icing all over the cinnamon rolls, essentially smothering them with icing.
Notes
- If youโve had trouble slicing your rolls in the past, try using waxed, unflavored floss to cut the dough. It helps you get those picture-perfect clean cuts.ย
- Alternatively, you could also cut the log in half and transfer them to the freezer to chill for 10 minutes. This will help with getting clean slices. It will take some additional time for the rolls to rise since theyโll be super cold.
- Room temperature butter is your best friend when it comes to incorporating it into your dough as well as making the cinnamon filling and cream cheese glaze.
- You can make the apple pie filling in advance to break up some of the steps. You can also make the dough up to 24 hours ahead of shaping.ย
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I made these for Christmas. This was my first time to make homemade cinnamon rolls, and they came out great! I’m so glad I found this recipe!
Love the tip about the brief freezing to make it easier to cut clean rolls. What’s the reason for cutting the rolled-up log into two sections before putting it in the freezer–to make it easier to handle? I’m likely to do this work on parchment so I’d have something I could use to slide it onto a cookie sheet.
i halve it because it’s easier to fit on a cutting board to put it in the freezer. but if you have a huge freezer, feel free to skip that step!
These are incredible! Theyโre quintessential fall flavors and fluff up so nicely. I made the dough and apples the night before, and it made the morning prep simple and quick. Making these rolls has become a new fall tradition!
Hello, I really like this recipe and I want to make it for my October apple prostart challenge of the month. I have to split this process into three days. I was thinking making the dough and cinnamon filling day 1. Making the apple filling and assembling the cinnamon rolls day 2. Finally, baking the rolls and making the cream cheese glaze day 3. I was wondering if it was okay to leave the cinnamon rolls in the 9×13 pan in the fridge overnight instead of 45 mins (Day 2 to Day 3) Please answer asap if you can.
this sounds great. you can definitely leave the cinnamon rolls in the fridge overnight. But the next day you’ll want to remove them from the fridge and let them rise. this might take like two hours.
I would give these 10 stars if I could! The brioche dough for these rolls produces the softest most beautifully tender rolls I have ever made. The Apple Cinnamon filling is incredible as well. I noticed the icing recipe is missing the vanilla amount to add, so I guessed. I can’t wait to try other roll variations. Your recipes never dissapoint!
These are amazing! Made them this week and Iโm obsessed! The dough is absolutely perfect, super soft and light. I thought the dough looked too buttery adding in the butter but trust the process itโs perfect!
wonderful to hear! i love this dough so much. so glad you loved it too ๐
I have just made this cinnamon rolls, it was so delicious
love hearing this! glad they worked out ๐