Fall brings with it the ripening of one of nature’s greatest treasures: the apple. Delicious, nutritious, hardy, and endlessly versatile, apples enhance every pastry they come in contact with. Cinnamon rolls are no exception to this! Soft, fluffy, and sweet, if you’re used to baking bread from scratch, cinnamon rolls aren’t much of a stretch! Apple pie cinnamon rolls combine the tart goodness of apple pie with the decadent softness of cinnamon rolls into the ultimate autumnal treat!
Note: this recipe contains affiliate links, meaning I may receive a small commission from a purchase, but I never link things I don’t recommend.
Tips for Making Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls
Pie Filling vs. Fresh Apples
In the recipe below, I outline how to make these rolls from fresh apples. I prefer Granny Smith for their tart crunch, but you can you any type of apples you like. If you’re running short on time (or simply want to save yourself the labor), you can use a 20 oz can of apple pie filling in place of the homemade option. However, you will want to cut down the apples in the pie filling so the cinnamon rolls are easier to roll and the filling spreads more evenly.
Cream Cheese Cinnamon Roll Frosting
This recipe has cream cheese frosting, but if you prefer something lighter for the apples to really shine through, try a simpler recipe. Powdered sugar mixed with whole milk or cream and a touch of vanilla makes a thinner, drizze-able frosting. Add more powdered sugar to make it thicker, and more milk or cream to make it thinner.
Timing Your Cinnamon Rolls
For maximum efficiency, I have written the recipe below to make the apple pie filling while the dough is rising, condensing it down into the project of an afternoon. However, if you need to fit it into your life a bit more, you can make the apple pie filling ahead of time and store it in the fridge. Speed up the proofing process (like I did in my Breville Smart Oven). I find that when I put my oven on super convection and proof at 100 degrees, it cuts the proofing time in half.
How to Make Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls
Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
For the Rolls
- ¾ c whole milk
- 2 ¼ tsp instant (quick-rise) yeast 1 packet
- ¼ c granulated sugar
- 4 Tbs salted butter melted
- 1 large egg and 1 large egg yolk room temperature
- 3 c bread flour plus more for dusting
- ¾ tsp salt
- 2 Tbs olive oil (to grease the bowl)
For the Filling
- 4 c tart apples, peeled and sliced very small measured AFTER peeling & slicing
- ½ cup packed dark brown sugar
- 2 tsp apple pie spice OR 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, 1/4 tsp clove, 1/4 tsp cardamom
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 4 Tbs salted butter softened
For the Frosting
- 4 oz cream cheese softened
- ¾ cup powdered (confectioner's) sugar
- 3 Tbs butter softened
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Prepare the Dough
- Warm the milk in the microwave until it feels pleasantly warm but not hot (115℉ is the goal).¾ c whole milk
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl), pour in the milk and sprinkle with instant yeast and sugar.2 ¼ tsp instant (quick-rise) yeast, ¼ c granulated sugar
- Add the melted butter, egg, and egg yolk and mix until well-combined.4 Tbs salted butter, 1 large egg and 1 large egg yolk
- Carefully stir in the flour and salt until a rough dough starts to take shape.3 c bread flour, ¾ tsp salt
- Change your mixer attachment to a dough hook, and mix on medium speed until it comes together and is nice and soft – about 8-10 minutes. Add a tablespoon or so of flour if the dough seems too sticky.
- Pour the olive oil into a bowl at least 2x the size of your dough ball, and swirl it around to coat all of the sides and bottom of the bowl with oil. Pour out any excess.2 Tbs olive oil
- Transfer the dough to the bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap, and then a clean kitchen towel. If your kitchen is cold, warm the towel in the dryer for a few minutes. Allow to rise for 1 to 1 ½ hours, or until doubled in size. To test the dough, poke in your finger and if it doesn't bounce back right away, it's ready.
Make the Filling
- While the dough is rising, prepare your apple pie filling.
- Add the apples, brown sugar, lemon juice and apple pie spice to a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the sugar has all melted and the apples are evenly coated in sugar and spices.4 c tart apples, peeled and sliced very small, ½ cup packed dark brown sugar, 2 tsp apple pie spice, 1 tsp lemon juice
- Turn the heat down to medium low and continue to cook until the apples are softer but not mushy – around 7-9 minutes. Set aside to cool, uncovered.
Assemble & Bake the Rolls
- Line a 9×13" baking dish with parchment paper, making sure to completely cover the bottom and sides.
- Flour a clean, flat surface and a rolling pin well with bread flour. Roll out the dough ball into a rectangle approximately 10 inches by 14 inches. Arrange it so that it's vertical, with one of the short edges facing you.
- Spread 4 Tbs of butter across the entire surface of the dough, leaving at least ½ of an inch of room at the top (the narrow side farthest away from you).4 Tbs salted butter
- Spoon the apple filling (once it has cooled!) all over the butter. If there is excess juice from the cooking process, strain some of it out before spreading. Don't be afraid to re-arrange it to distribute it as evenly as possible!
- Starting from the bottom (the short edge closest to you), carefully and tightly roll the dough into a log. Some apple pie filling may spill out – it's messy but it's just fine! Press the unbuttered end into the rest of the log firmly to "seal" the rolls.
- Using a serrated knife such as a bread knife, carefully saw off the ends of the roll and discard (or save to bake as cast-offs). Cut the rest of the log into sections approximately 1-inch wide (this gave me 10 cinnamon rolls; you may have more or less depending on the size of your rectangle).
- Place each roll, swirly side up, into your lined 9×13" pan. Leave at least 1 inch between each roll to give them room to rise. If you don't have room, prepare another smaller pan with parchment paper and add leftover rolls to that pan. Cover once again with plastic wrap and a towel and rise until doubled, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Once the dough has risen, put the rolls in the oven and bake until puffed up and golden brown (about 20-25 minutes). Don't overbake or the rolls will be dry!
Make the Frosting
- While the rolls are baking, cream together the cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Mix on low to combine, then bump up the speed to medium for 2 minutes to make the icing fluffy and spreadable.
- Spread the frosting over the cinnamon rolls RIGHT out of the oven so it melts slightly and gets down into the crevices of the rolls. Allow to cool in the pan as long as you can stand it.
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