Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls

Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls are pretty much the perfect fall weekend bake- they’ve got all the warm cozy fall vibes, lots of cream cheese frosting, and they taste truly amazing.

All cinnamon roll recipes are a bit of a project but I think it’s one of the most satisfying things you can make yourself at home. These ones are stuffed with a brown sugar cinnamon apple pie filling and topped with the dreamiest frosting. It’s a bit of a project bake- let’s get to it!

How to Make Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls

There’s three main components to this recipe- the dough, the filling, and the frosting. We’re starting with the dough- first up is to bloom the yeast and cook a flour paste mixture that goes into the dough to make things extra fluffy. Then mix together your yeast mixture, flour paste, an egg, and some softened butter. Then it’s time to work in the flour and salt.

I find that most enriched doughs are easier to make in a stand mixer if you have one, but definitely still doable by hand. You’ll want to knead the dough for about double the time if you’re making it by hand, and pay attention to the visual cues.

Once the dough is kneaded and feels elastic and fairly smooth, cover it with plastic wrap and let it rise for about 30 minutes to 1 hour, or until it’s doubled in size.

Meanwhile, it’s time to make the cooked apple filling. Chopped up apples, plus brown sugar, cinnamon, and a little bit of salt. You want to cook the apples until they are softened, and then drain out the remaining liquid. Stir in the remaining brown sugar and cinnamon until you have a thick paste, and let it cool until it’s time to fill the rolls.

I’m not going to lie, filling these rolls gets a little bit messy. Just know that they don’t have to look perfect (mine certainly don’t). I would have looked into re-working the filling recipe to be easier to work with at this stage if they hadn’t turned out so incredibly delicious as is. Just go with it!

Let the rolls rise once more before popping them into the oven to bake until they are lightly golden brown all over.

The icing is a super simple cream cheese frosting, and you can simply whisk everything together until you have a thick frosting to spread all over the warm rolls. Enjoy them while they’re still warm for the best fall treat ever!

Tips & Tricks for Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls

Here are all my tips to help you along the way!

• What’s with the cooked flour paste? This cooked flour paste should be pretty thick, but don’t worry, it will still mix into the dough easily. It helps contribute to a super fluffy texture in the end and I would not skip it!
• How do I know when the dough is finished kneading? The dough should be slightly tacky, and it should feel very elastic when you try to pull a chunk away. Everything should be well incorporated at this stage.
• How do I know when the dough is finished rising? You want the dough to almost double in size during the first rise. For me this only takes about 30-45 minutes, but it depends on how warm your house is and your altitude. Just watch the size primarily. I usually take a quick picture on my phone of the dough before rising so it’s easier to see how far it’s come.
• Why do I drain the liquid from the apples? If you don’t drain the liquid, you’ll have a serious mess on your hands. You want the filling mixture to be fairly thick and spreadable here- we don’t need the excess liquid that the apples put out when you cook them.
• What if my rolls are really messy when I slice them? Don’t worry about this- they don’t have to be perfect here. Regardless of how neat they look, they will bake up looking absolutely delightful, I promise.
• How do I know when the rolls are finished baking? The rolls should be a light golden brown all over, and they should feel somewhat set if you gently press in the center of a roll.
• I’m at about 5,000 ft. above sea level, and I find that most people who live between about 3,000-7,000 ft. above sea level do not need to make any adjustments to my recipes.

Enjoy!

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Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls

Servings 9 rolls

Ingredients

For the rolls:

• 3/4 cup whole milk plus 3 tbs separated
• 3 tbs. brown sugar
• 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup softened butter
• 3-4 cups all-purpose flour plus 2 tbs separated
• 1 tsp. salt

For the filing:

• 2 large apples
• 1/4 cup softened butter
• 1/4 cup + 1/4 cup brown sugar separated
• 2 tbs white sugar
• 1 tbs plus 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt

For the frosting:

• 4 oz softened cream cheese
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tbs. milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. salt

Instructions

For the rolls:

1. In a small saucepan over low-medium heat, cook together 3 tablespoons milk with 2 tablespoons of flour, whisking constantly, until a thick paste forms. Remove and cool completely. In a microwave safe bowl, heat together the remaining 3/4 cup whole milk with the brown sugar until it is about 110 degrees, or warm to the touch. Stir in the yeast, and set aside until puffy and bloomed.
2. In the bowl of your stand mixer, mix together the egg and softened butter, and then stir in the bloomed yeast mixture. Then add in 3 cups flour and the salt, and stir until a shaggy dough forms. Add in the cooked flour paste and begin to knead the dough.
3. Knead the dough with the dough hook for about 10 minutes or until the dough is soft and smooth. It should be still a little tacky, and may stick to the bottom of your bowl slightly while kneading. Avoid adding too much flour, but you can add a bit more if it’s just globbing entirely on the bottom of the bowl.
4. Scrape the dough into a ball, and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise for about 30 minutes, or until it has almost doubled in size.

For the filling:

1. Peel and chop your apples into bite-sized chunks. Place the apples in a medium sauce pan along with 1/4 cup brown sugar and 1 tsp. cinnamon, stirring until everything is coated. Cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apples have softened
2. Grease a 9×9 square pan or a round 9 inch cake pan and set aside. In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar, sugar, cinnamon, and salt until combined. Roll out the risen dough into a large rectangle. It should be about 12-14 inches long. Spread the butter evenly over the entire dough. Once the apple filling is cooled, drain out the extra liquid from the bottom of the pan. Stir in the additional brown sugar and cinnamon until everything is well coated. Evenly spread the apple mixture over the butter mixture in your rolls.
3. Gently roll the dough lengthwise into a long log. This process might be a little messy, but they do not have to be perfect so don’t stress it.
4. Slice the ends of the log off, and then slice the log into 9 even rolls. The dough is soft to work with, so you may find the rolls get a little messy or unraveled, but you can re-roll them individually if needed. Place into your prepared baking pan, and cover with plastic wrap to let them rise for about 20 minutes, or until puffed.
5. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Bake the risen rolls for about 25-30 minutes, or until they are light golden brown on top.

For the frosting:

1. Beat together the cream cheese, powdered sugar, milk, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and salt until a thick, smooth frosting is formed. Spread generously on top of the rolls once they have cooled for about 5 minutes. Enjoy the frosted rolls warm!

Dough-Eyed

Hello and welcome! My name is Nicole, and Dough-eyed is a food blog for people who want to bake for their family and friends in high-altitude areas. Think of me as a friendly voice there with you in the kitchen, here to give you confidence when you’re baking, and to help you with the struggles of baking at high-altitude. Come back every week for new recipes, tips, and advice on high-altitude baking!