Cinnamon rolls filled with Sweet n tangy caramelized apples and topped with cream cheese icing. These cinnamon rolls make the perfect fall treat and will remind you of apple pie but in a cinnamon roll form.
Watch out Cinnabon there’s a new kid in town! If you love apple pie or cinnamon rolls you are going to fall in love with these apple pie cinnamon rolls – These rolls are the best of both worlds. I really can not even explain how good these apple pie cinnamon rolls are! They are super moist and filled with a delicious caramelized cinnamon spice apple filling that just melts in your mouth.
I love making cinnamon rolls because they can be made in big batches and stored in the fridge or freezer. I’m going to admit I’ve had days where I wake up 7 am and attempt to bake cinnamon rolls before the kids wake up but never finish in time! They usually end up taking a few hours and we end up eating something else instead while they rise. Now I bake them the night before and store them in the fridge and then pop them in the oven or microwave in the morning.
One of the secrets to making perfect cinnamon rolls is to use warm water and milk. Not hot, just a little hotter than lukewarm. It helps them rise and makes the dough very easy to spread.
This recipe calls for 4 and 1/4 cups flour so the dough might seem a bit on the hard side at first but once you knead it will soften up. Be sure to use all the flour or the dough will become loose and get very messy when trying to roll.
I used a cream cheese icing for these rolls but they can also be eaten without frosting at all although I highly recommend the icing!
Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Icing
Ingredients
For the dough
- 1 package yeast, about 2 & 1/4 teaspoons
- 1/2 cup lukewarm water
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup warm milk
- 1/3 cup melted butter
- 1 egg, room temperature
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
For the Apple Pie Filling:
- 5 granny smith apples, peeled and diced
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 5 tablespoons melted butter
- 2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon apple spice, optional
For the Cream Cheese Icing:
- 4 tablespoons butter, room temperature
- 1/4 cup cream cheese, softened
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
To make the dough
- Combine lukewarm water, 1/4 cup sugar, and yeast in a small bowl; set aside for 5-6 minutes or the mixture begins to bubble and the yeast has begun to activate.In a large bowl whisk the melted butter, egg, warm milk, and salt. Add the yeast mixture and then slowly whisk in 1 cup of flour then another cup. The mixture will begin to thicken, switch from the whisk to a wooden spoon, gradually add the rest of the flour, and continue mixing until the flour is fully combined. Turn the dough onto turn dough to a floured surface and knead for 5 minutes. Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap, place in the microwave or oven ( turned off) for 90 minutes. Begin working on apple filling.When the dough has risen, remove the cover and punch it down then remove it from the bowl. Roll out on a floured surface into a 16×24 inch rectangle. Spread the 2 tablespoons of butter at room temperature evenly over the dough keeping 1/2 inch from the edges. Mix the brown sugar with the cinnamon and sprinkle evenly across the butter. Spread the apple mixture over the brown sugar as evenly as you can. Roll into a log, starting from one end to the other, lengthwise, so the log is 24 inches. Cut 2-inch slices, this will give you 12 cinnamon rolls or 3-inch slices for 8 big cinnamon rolls. Line a 9×13 baking pan with parchment paper and place the rolls on the paper about 1 inch apart. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise for 1 hour. About 20 minutes before the rolls are done rising heat the oven to 375 degrees. Bake the rolls for 20 minutes or until the edges are golden in color. Allow the rolls to cool for at least 15 minutes then top with cream cheese frosting and serve warm!
To make Apple pie Filling:
- While the dough is rising begin working on the apple filling. Heat a large skillet to medium/high heat and add 5 tablespoons of butter and stir until melted. Add the apples and sugar and saute until the apples are lightly caramelized. Remove the skillet from heat and set aside until you are ready to use.
To make Cream Cheese Frosting:
- Mix cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt together with an electric or stand mixer on medium speed until the icing is light and fluffy.
Equipment
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Can these be baked 2 days ahead and stored in fridge till needed?
These directions are horrible. You should reorganize the directions, mainly because of the filling that you say to put in then two paragraphs later mention what the filling actually is. I didn’t realize at first that the filling was cooked until I read comments. But you also don’t say how long to cook the filling. Mine came out terrible, I over cooked the filling which made it impossible to wrap up because it was basically apple sauce, and the gaps are huge in these rolls now and they are just a disaster. The only saving grace is they taste good. I could’ve made these better if I winged it instead of trying this recipe.
How does instructions change if I only have active dry yeast?
Omg!!! I have now made these 3 times. They last about 4 or 5 hours n gone. My neighbors are my best pals on roll day…they are the best and only cin n. Roll I will eat or bake.. Thanks for the RECEIPE…wonderful and amazing.
It seems like tons of butter on second rise it all came out almost done we will see but they smell good
Oh, no…
Made a dbl batch and they are sooo good! I frozen one batch unbaked for future because they take awhile to make so why not make 2 batches??
These look incredible
Many UNANSWERED questions belOw, would be helpful FoR others if answers were given. Do yoU freeze rolls baked or unbaked? Im guessing unbaked but since you mention you freeze them, let us know what works best. do you thaw before baking? For how long? When do you add apple pie spice? Add To cooked apples or to brown sugar? There are some typos in your recipe, you may waNt to fix. Thanks for sharing!
any recommendations for the egg substitute for allergy reasons?
These look yummy but, Directions for filling and assembly are a bit lacking and confusing. When am i using the room temp butter? How am i assembling the roLls. How many rolls should i get?
Thanks!
Looks like 2 T of room temperature butter as spread on the dough after it is rolled out to size. You would then sprinkle your brown sugar mixture on top of that then add your apple mixture on top of that. You would then roll it lengthwise (longest) into a log then cut them into 8 even pieces.
Heerlik gaan dit probeer
I would really love to make these,,,they look delish but in the sugar. yeast and lukewarm water instruction. are you suppose to mix for 8-10 mins or mix and let sit for 8-10 mins? please reply asap…thanx
Hey Cindy, I’m sorry I didn’t see your comment earlier. I’ve updated the post to make it easier to understand. You would first combine the sugar yeast and water and then set them aside for a few minutes or until the mixture is bubbly. Hope that helps! 🙂
Step #4 is missing
Can they be frozen before or after baking?
I’m baking these tomorrow, can I use instant yeast?
Yes, you can!