Make these apple cinnamon rolls for the perfect fall-inspired dessert! Soft and fluffy sweet buns filled with sweet cinnamon sugar, butter, soft caramelized apples, and pecans baked to perfection and topped with homemade brown sugar icing.
Skip the apple pie flavor and make homemade classic cinnamon rolls instead!
APPLE CINNAMON ROLLS
These warm and gooey apple cinnamon rolls are going to become your new favorite dessert, especially during the fall season! Soft, fluffy dough filled with sweet cinnamon sugar, butter, caramelized apples and pecans, baked to perfection then topped with homemade brown sugar cinnamon roll icing. Make a small batch or a large batch of these cinnamon rolls with apple pie filling for any occasion. These gooey apple cinnamon rolls are perfect for breakfast, brunch or as a dessert after dinner. Top with the brown sugar icing to elevate and bring the sweet rolls together.
LARGE BATCH & SMALL BATCH
What I love about this recipe is that you can make a large batch of 12 cinnamon rolls for a crowd, or a small batch of 6 rolls when you don’t need as many. Make these overnight and bake in the morning, perfect for breakfast or brunch!
WHAT YOU NEED-
- Heavy Cream– Pouring heavy whipping cream over the apple cinnamon rolls before baking, helps them to be extra soft and gooey.
SWEET BUNS
- Flour– You want to use good quality all-purpose flour to get the best sweet buns. My go-to is Bob’s Red Mill All-Purpose flour.
- Sugar– To sweeten the sweet buns this recipe calls for granulated sugar.
- Yeast– The key to getting fluffy dough, you want to make sure that you use fresh and active yeast! This recipe calls for rapid-rise (instant) yeast, this makes for a quicker rise.
- Milk– Whole milk helps create soft, fluffy rolls with a richer texture.
- Butter– Unsalted butter is best since it enriches the flavor and keeps the buns tender. If you only have salted butter, be sure to leave out the added salt in the recipe.
- Egg– The egg works as a binder in the dough, and it also adds richness to the dough.
- Salt– A little salt balances the sweetness and enhances all the flavors. If you are using salted butter, skip the salt.
APPLE PIE FILLING
- Apples– The apple pie filling is best when you use a variety of sweet and tart apples! Some of the best options for baking include Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Gala, Fuji, Pink Lady, Jonathan, Braeburn, or really any of your favorites.
- Butter– Salted or unsalted butter works great, it helps create that rich, gooey, caramelized apple filling.
- Sugar– To sweeten the apples, you can use granulated sugar, brown sugar, maple syrup or even honey. You do not want to over sweeten the apples, since the cinnamon rolls still have the cinnamon sugar filling.
- Vanilla– A splash of vanilla extract adds a wonderful depth of flavor to the filling.
- Cinnamon– Ground cinnamon is a must for the apple filling. You can also swap for pumpkin pie spice or apple pie spice.
- Cornstarch– You can’t forget to add the cornstarch! This helps thicken the juices in the apple pie filling.
- Water– Adding a bit of water helps you get thick and gooey apple pie filling.
CINNAMON ROLL FILLING
- Butter– The key to any good cinnamon roll is the gooey swirl, and butter is key! You want to use unsalted butter for the best results; be sure it’s softened for easy spreading.
- Cinnamon– Ground cinnamon is essential for that classic warm spice flavor.
- Sugar– Brown sugar (light or dark) gives the filling its rich sweetness. You can swap with granulated sugar if needed.
- Pecans– For a crunch, adding chopped pecans or walnuts will totally elevate these apple cinnamon rolls! The added chopped nuts are totally optional.
HOW TO MAKE CINNAMON ROLLS WITH APPLE PIE FILLING
Don’t let the number of steps intimidate you out of trying these soft and fluffy apple cinnamon rolls!
- Sweet Bun Dough– Sift together flour, sugar, and salt.
- Melt butter, stir in warm milk (under 110°F), then add yeast. Let it sit until bubbly.
- Mix with dry ingredients and egg, then knead until smooth.
- Cover and let rise for 1 hour, or until doubled.
- Meanwhile, prepare the apple pie filling and brown sugar icing.
- Apple Pie Filling– Cook the apple pie filling over medium heat for about 10 minutes, until tender and thickened.
- Allow the apple filling to cool. (You can make this apple filling up to 1-2 days ahead of time, just store in the fridge.)
- Assemble Apple Cinnamon Rolls– Line a baking pan (9×13 for large batch, 8×8 for small).
- Roll out dough into a 9×11 rectangle. Spread with butter, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, then top with cooled apple filling and nuts.
- Roll tightly, divide and cut into even rolls. (Cut into 6 rolls for a small batch and 12 for a large batch.)
- Carefully place the rolls into the lined pan, cover and let rise for 1 hour.
- Bake Cinnamon Rolls– Preheat the oven. Pour the heavy cream over the cinnamon rolls and bake until golden.
- Cool the rolls for 15 minutes, then top with icing and serve warm.
BROWN SUGAR FROSTING
- Cream Cheese– You can use classic or low-fat cream cheese; just be sure it is softened for easier mixing.
- Butter– Either unsalted or salted butter can be used for the cinnamon roll icing.
- Vanilla– Adding vanilla extract to the icing gives warm and bold flavors. You can also use vanilla bean paste or vanilla powder.
- Powdered Sugar– To sweeten the icing, you want to use confections sugar, also known as powder sugar. You can adjust the sweetness level of the icing, depending on preference.
- Brown Sugar– Use either light or brown sugar to get rich and flavorful brown sugar icing.
CINNAMON ROLL ICING
There are several different types of frosting that you can use for your cinnamon buns! You can buy store-bought icing or make a classic cream cheese icing instead of brown sugar icing.
- In a large bowl, mix the cream cheese and butter until creamy.
- Add the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and brown sugar and mix again to combine.
- Use immediately or store in the fridge until ready to use.
PREPPING ICING AHEAD OF TIME-
You can make the cinnamon roll brown sugar icing up to 2 weeks ahead of time and store it in the fridge until you are ready to ice your cinnamon rolls! Store in an airtight container or piping bag. Just allow it to come to room temp before using it.
OVERNIGHT CINNAMON ROLLS OPTION
These warm apple cinnamon rolls can totally be overnight cinnamon rolls! I tested and created the perfect schedule to have the perfect overnight cinnamon rolls recipe!
- Once the apple cinnamon rolls are assembled, transfer the rolls to your baking sheet, cover, and refrigerate overnight (up to 12 hours).
- Remove from the fridge and let rise for 30 minutes or up to 1 hour at room temp, or in a warm space.
- Bake until golden and let cool. Top with frosting and enjoy!
OVERNIGHT APPLE CINNAMON ROLLS SCHEDULE-
Follow this tested schedule to get the perfect cinnamon buns when prepping the night before.
Night Before:
- 6:30 pm– Prepare the cinnamon roll dough and apple pie filling.
- 6:45 pm– Allow the dough to rise for an hour, or until doubled in size.
- 7:45 pm– Assemble the buns.
- 8 pm– Cover the assembled rolls and place in the fridge until morning baking time. Keep them in the fridge for no longer than 12 hours.
Next Morning:
- 8 am– Remove from the fridge and let rest at room temperature for 1 hour. Pour with heavy cream.
- 9 am– Bake for 28-30 minutes.
- 9:45 am– Top the cinnamon rolls with frosting and enjoy your hard work!
QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE:
No, there is a difference! Instant yeast, also known as rapid rise yeast, works fast, so it requires less time to rise in recipes.
Yes, you can use active dry yeast instead of instant or rapid. Just be sure to add 30-40 extra minutes to your rise time.
If your dough hasn’t doubled or risen at all, that means your yeast is old or you killed it from the milk and butter being too hot. Sometimes rise time may take a little longer, so you may need to just add more time to let the dough rise.
Yes, although the adding the apple pie filling gives you added gooier cinnamon rolls, you can also just sprinkle finely chopped fresh apples.
Be sure to chop up the apples into even sized pieces. Cube them into no greater than ½ inch thick cubes.
No, adding the chopped nuts is totally optional.
This typically happens when you ice the buns when they are still too hot. You must be sure to allow the cinnamon rolls to cool for at least 10-15 minutes before adding the icing and serving.
Once the apple cinnamon rolls are cooled, stored in an airtight container, or covered in room temp for 2 days. Or in the fridge for 4-5 days.
Yes! Reheat in the microwave or in the oven. Bake at 350°F, covered in foil for about 10 minutes or until warmed.
OTHER APPLE DESSERT RECIPES-
Apple season calls for delicious apple desserts! Try these other great recipes with apples:
Apple Cinnamon Rolls (with Brown Sugar Frosting)
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
Dough-
- 1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour sifted
- 2 ½ Tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 ½ tsp instant yeast
- ⅛ tsp salt
- ⅓ cup warm whole milk 110-115°F
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter melted
- 1 egg
Cinnamon Sugar Filling-
- 3 Tbsp unsalted butter softened
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
Apple Pie Filling-
- 2 medium apples finely chopped
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 3 tsp cornstarch
- 1/4 cup water
Cinnamon Roll Frosting-
- 2 oz cream cheese softened
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter softened
- 2 ½ Tbsp brown sugar
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Make the Dough-
- Sift together the all-purpose flour, sugar and salt. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine warm milk, melted butter, and yeast. (Be sure the milk and butter mixture is not over 110F, or you will kill the yeast.)
- Cover and allow the mixture to sit for 10 minutes, allowing the yeast to proof and become bubbly.
- Once the yeast is bubbly, pour the mixture into the dry ingredients along with the whisked egg.
- Knead the dough until combined, for easier kneading, knead on the lightly dusted counter. The dough will be sticky to the touch, but it should not stick to your hands when pinching it.
- Add the dough back to the bowl, cover with a towel and let it rise in a warm place for 1 hour, or until the dough doubles in size.
- Meanwhile, prepare the apple pie filling and brown sugar icing.
Apple Pie Filling-
- In a saucepan, add chopped apples, unsalted butter, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, cornstarch and water.
- Bring it to a simmer and then cook on medium heat for 10 minutes, or until the apples are tender and sauce thickens.
- Remove the apple pie filling from the heat and allow it to cool before adding to the cinnamon rolls. (You can make this 1-2 days ahead of time, before making apple cinnamon rolls.)
Brown Sugar Icing-
- With a mixer, beat together the softened cream cheese and butter until smooth.
- Add powdered sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract. Mix again until well combined.
- Cover and store it in the fridge until ready to use. (You can make this up to 2 weeks ahead of time.)
Assemble the Cinnamon Rolls-
- Line a baking pan or casserole dish with parchment paper. (For a large batch use a 9×13 pan and for a small batch use an 8×8 pan.)
- Dust the counter with flour and transfer the dough to the workspace. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough to a large 10×12-inch rectangle. Be sure that the dough is evenly thick and smooth all over. (For a large batch, roll out to a 12×18-inch rectangle.)
- Using a spatula or butter knife, spread the softened butter over the entire surface of the dough.
- In a small bowl, combine cinnamon and brown sugar. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture over the butter, covering the entire surface.
- Spread the cooled apple pie filling over the cinnamon sugar and sprinkle with chopped nuts.
- Starting with the long (12-inch) side of the dough, roll it up tightly into a log.
- Using a sharp knife, gently divide the log into 6 even pieces for a small batch, 12 pieces for a regular batch. (Be sure the knife is sharp and avoid pushing down on the dough so as to not squish the rolls.)
- Carefully transfer the cinnamon rolls to the lined baking sheet. Cover and let them rise for another hour at room temperature.
Bake the Apple Cinnamon Rolls-
- After the rolls rise, they should be bigger and fluffier in the baking sheet, which means they are ready to bake!
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Carefully pour the heavy whipping cream evenly over all the apple pie cinnamon rolls.
- Bake at 350°F for 28-30 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown. Remove buns from the oven and cool for 15 minutes.
- Using a spatula or spoon, spread the icing over the tops and crevasses of the warm cinnamon rolls.
- Serve while warm!
Notes
Overnight Cinnamon Rolls-
- Once the cinnamon rolls are assembled, transfer the rolls to the baking sheet, cover the baking sheet with a towel and place in the fridge overnight for up to 12 hours.
- When ready to bake, remove from the fridge and allow to rise an hour at room temp.
- Bake at 350℉ for 28-30 minutes or until golden.
- Remove and allow to cool for 10-15 minutes.
- Top with frosting and enjoy!
Large Batch Measurements (12 Cinnamon Rolls)-
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2 2/3 cup all-purpose flour sifted**
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2/3 cup warm whole milk (110-115°F)
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter melted
- 3 tsp instant yeast
- 2 eggs
- 6 Tbsp unsalted butter softened
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp ground cinnamon
- 1/3 cup chopped pecans
- 4 apples, finely chopped
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 3 tsp cornstarch
- Pinch of salt
- 1/4 cup water
- 4 oz cream cheese softened
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter softened
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
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