Nothing says fall like gooey cinnamon rolls. That's why we created these delicious Apple Cinnamon Rolls to help you celebrate the season. They're made with homemade dough and filled with cinnamon sugar and apple chunks.
You can even make them ahead of time, so that all you have to do is pop them in the oven when you wake up.
Making homemade cinnamon rolls is a fun and delicious way to start the day, but it can be time consuming. The good news is that it won't take you all morning to make these apple cinnamon rolls.
We've simplified the process by using rapid rise yeast to make the sweet roll dough even easier. Our apple cinnamon roll recipe only require one rise time before baking, so they're ready for breakfast or brunch in no time at all. Simply roll out the homemade dough, fill it with cinnamon sugar and apple chunks, and roll up.
What Makes these Cinnamon Rolls Perfect
Your house will smell amazing while these easy homemade apple cinnamon rolls are baking. Enjoy them warm with melted glaze on top while they are still fresh from the oven.
They are the perfect breakfast on a chilly fall morning, but they are also great any time of year. After all, who doesn't love fresh baked cinnamon rolls?
If you love apple pie and love cinnamon rolls, you are going to love these easy sweet rolls. This recipe will quickly become your favorite way to enjoy apple season.
- Soft fluffy homemade dough.
- Spiced brown sugar filling with fresh apples.
- Sweet buttery glaze that melts into the gooey filling.
Ingredients Needed
These homemade cinnamon rolls come together quickly with regular pantry items and a few extra special ingredients. The apple pie spice and fresh apples give these rolls a delicious fall flavor.
This homemade dough is also perfect for apple cinnamon pull apart bread and mini monkey bread.
- Butter - Adds flavor to the dough. We like to use unsalted butter in our recipes. If all you have is salted butter, cut back on the amount of salt in the recipe.
- Milk - This warm liquid is what activates the yeast. The higher the fat content in the milk, the richer the dough will be. Low fat milk or non dairy milks will also work.
- All Purpose Flour - Provides structure to the dough. Read our tutorial on how to measure flour, so you do not add extra flour.
- Sugar - Regular granulated sugar sweetens the dough and feeds the yeast. Brown sugar makes the filling extra delicious.
- Yeast - Using a rapid rise yeast speeds up the rise time in this dough.
- Apple Pie Spice - Gives these rolls a delicious fall flavor. You can also use a mixture of cinnamon and nutmeg, if you like.
- Apples - Use peeled and finely diced apples, so they bake quickly as the rolls bake. We love using Gala apples for our baking, but you can also use Fuji, Honeycrisp, or Granny Smith.
How to make Apple Cinnamon Rolls
There is nothing quite like the flavor and texture of homemade cinnamon rolls. They are easy to make and taste delicious. Just follow our step-by-step instructions, and you can have a batch of warm, gooey apple cinnamon rolls in no time.
Step One: Dough
- In a small sauce pan heat milk and butter over low heat until melted.
- Remove and let the mixture cool to 110-115 degrees.
- Stir together the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
- Add the butter mixture and use a dough hook to mix the ingredients until a soft dough forms.
- Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead 10 times or until dough is smooth. Let the dough rest for 5-10 minutes.
Step Two: Filling
- Peel and dice the apples while the dough is resting.
- Stir together dark brown sugar and apple pie spice in a small bowl.
- Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface until it is a 10x18 rectangle.
- Spread the dough with softened butter, sprinkle with brown sugar mixture, and top with apple chunks.
- Roll the log up from the longest side, making sure to roll tightly.
Step Three: Proof and Bake
- Use unflavored dental floss to cut the dough log into 12 even rolls.
- Place the rolls in a greased baking dish, cover with foil, and place in a warm place to rise.
- Once the rolls are doubled in size, bake until golden brown.
To Serve
Let the apple rolls cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then spread a sweet glaze on top.
Serve the warm glazed rolls with a hot caramel mocha latte and enjoy.
Recipe Tips
- Use your oven to proof the dough. Preheat your oven to 100 degrees before you start making the dough. Once the rolls are in the pan, turn the oven off. Place the pan in the warm oven.
- Don't want to peel the apples? No problem. You can leave it on and they will bake just fine.
- Variations - Add ½ cup raisins or your favorite chopped nuts along with the apple chunks for a delicious flavor.
- Bake these the night before and reheat in the microwave the next day.
- I frosted our rolls with a sweet buttery glaze. You can eat them plain or top them with any other frosting. Maple frosting, caramel frosting, or cream cheese frosting would be delicious too.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make these ahead of time?
Yes, these are great overnight rolls. Prepare the rolls. Do not let them rise. Place the un-proofed rolls in a covered pan in the refrigerator.
When ready to bake the next day, remove the pan from the refrigerator and place in a warm place to rise for about 30-60 minutes. Once risen, preheat the oven and bake the rolls.
How do you know when cinnamon rolls are done?
Test the internal temperature of the dough using an instant read thermometer. The end temperature should be around 190°. Make sure the tip is in the dough and not the filling.
How do you store cinnamon rolls?
Keep these apple cinnamon rolls in a covered air tight container at room temperature for 2-3 days.
Place the cooled baked rolls in a freezer safe bag or container and freeze for 2-3 months. Remove and defrost before serving.
Freeze unbaked rolls for 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then remove and let the rolls rise before baking the next day.
More Apple Breakfast Recipes
- Apple Bread Pudding
- Apple Pecan Muffins
- Traditional Apple Butter recipe
- Apple Granola Bars
- Apple Cinnamon Donuts
- Caramel Apple Scones
- Apple Waffles
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Recipe
Apple Cinnamon Rolls
It's hard to get any tastier than an ooey, gooey cinnamon roll – but somehow, we did! These Apple Cinnamon Rolls take a regular cinnamon roll to the next level with the addition of a sugar and spice apple filling.
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 1 ¼ cups 2% or whole milk
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- 4 cups all-purpose flour*
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 packet (¼ oz) quick rise yeast
Apple Filling
- 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 4 teaspoons apple pie spice
- 2 medium or large apples
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
Apple Cider Glaze
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons apple cider
Instructions
- Place milk and butter in saucepan over low-medium heat. Stir until melted. Remove from heat and cool to 110°.
- Combine flour, sugar, salt, yeast, and warm milk in a mixer bowl. Beat with a dough hook until combined and a dough ball forms.
- Place dough ball on floured surface and knead 10 times. Let dough rest 5-10 minutes.
- Stir together brown sugar and apple pie spice. Peel and chop apples into small bite sized pieces.
- Roll out dough on a floured surface into an 18 x 9-inch rectangle. Spread softened butter on top.
- Sprinkle brown sugar mixture on top and spread out evenly. Place diced apples on top of sugar.
- Roll dough up from long side. Use a piece of plain dental floss to cut log into 12 even rolls.
- Place rolls in greased 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Cover with foil.
- Place dish in warm spot to proof/rise for 30 minutes.**
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Uncover rolls and bake for 25-28 minutes or until tops are golden brown.
- Remove and cool 10 minutes.
- While rolls are cooling, mix together butter, powdered sugar, and apple cider.
- Spread evenly on top of cinnamon rolls.
Notes
*Spoon & Sweep method: Use a spoon to fill measuring cup with flour until required amount is obtained. Scooping measuring cup directly into flour bag will firmly pack flour resulting in too much flour required for recipe.
**Preheat oven to 100°F while making dough. Turn oven off and use the warm oven to proof rolls.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 470Total Fat: 17gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 43mgSodium: 110mgCarbohydrates: 76gFiber: 2gSugar: 42gProtein: 6g
Nutrition facts are an estimate and are not guaranteed to be accurate. If you need special diet advice, please see a registered dietician.
Tammy
could i use substitute apple cider in the dough for the liquid?
Jocelyn
You could, but it might affect the texture of the dough. I used whole milk which adds fat and richness to the dough. If you really wanted to try it, I would do half milk, half apple cider, just so you still have some of the fat from the milk. Keep me posted how they turn out for you.
Supriya Kutty
I tried making this recipe for my kids and they really loved it a lot. Everyone in the family appreciated me and have requested me to make it another time for them.