Ooey, gooey, sweet, and filled with tender apples, these Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls blend the best apple flavors with tender and delicious cinnamon rolls. Impressive and not hard to make, be the kitchen hero today and make a batch – everyone will want more!
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There’s nothing quite like a fresh-from-the-oven cinnamon roll, but when you add apples, it is even better! There’s apple in the filling, and you can spoon perfectly sweetened tender chunks of apple over the top for a dessert that’s even more fabulous!
What you’ll love about this recipe
- There’s apple inside and on top!
- Ooey gooey cream cheese icing!
- Not too sweet with plenty of apple flavor!
Tools You’ll Need to Make Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients to Make Apple Pie Cinnamon Roll
For the apple-cinnamon roll dough:
- Milk – warm to the touch
- Instant yeast (1 packet)
- Large eggs – at room temperature
- Butter – unsalted
- Granulated sugar
- All-purpose flour
- Salt
For the filling:
- Butter
- Light brown sugar
- Powdered cinnamon
- Freeze-dried cinnamon apple slices (see my notes below)
- Heavy whipping cream – warmed
For the frosting:
- Cream cheese – softened
- Powdered sugar
- Heavy whipping cream
- Vanilla extract
For the apple topping:
- Granny Smith apple – cored and chopped
- Vanilla extract
- Light brown sugar
- Butter – unsalted
How To Make Cinnamon Rolls with Apple
These homemade cinnamon rolls with apples are a labor of love, and the effort is so worth it! For a full list of ingredients and instructions, please scroll down to the recipe at the bottom of this page.
- Add the yeast, warm milk, eggs, melted butter, and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer and mix together.
- Add the salt and 4 cups of all-purpose flour and mix until just blended.
- Let sit for 5 minutes for the flour to absorb all the liquid.
- Change the paddle to a dough hook and knead the dough on medium speed for 5-7 minutes.
- Spray a large bowl with nonstick spray and pop the dough into it. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let the dough rise for 30-40 minutes or until doubled.
- Meanwhile, make the filling by adding the butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, freeze-dried apples, and cream to a small bowl. Mix well.
- Turn the risen dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a 24 x 15 rectangle.
- Spread the filling evenly over the dough and roll it up jelly-roll style, starting with the long end.
- Cut into 12 slices and put into a pan sprayed with nonstick spray. Cover and let rise for another 20 minutes or until nearly doubled in size.
- Pour cream over the rolls and bake at 375-F for 20-25 minutes or until golden-brown and cooked through.
- Prepare the frosting: blend the cream cheese, powdered sugar, cream, and vanilla until smooth and fluffy.
- To make the topping: add the chopped apples, butter, brown sugar, and vanilla to a sacuepan. Boil then simmer until the sugar is dissolved. Let cool.
To assemble your apple cinnamon rolls:
- Let the cinnamon rolls cool in their pan for 10 minutes.
- Spread the icing over the top of the warm rolls and serve with a generous spoonful of apple topping.
Variations
This apple cinnamon roll recipe is pretty much perfect, but you can jazz it up with a few additions:
- Add pecans or raisins to the apple filling or even add them to the topping
- Add a touch of maple syrup to the frosting
Chef Jenn’s Tips
- This is not a quick recipe. With the rising and baking time, expect to spend several hours on these. However, the smell of the baking Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls will have everyone in the house drooling and waiting for them to be done!
- Freeze-dried apples can be found in the snack or heathy section of your grocery store. You can use a food processor to chop them up.
- You can make the cream cheese frosting and apple topping ahead of time. Keep them tightly covered in the fridge until you’re baking the cinnamon rolls, then let them warm up on the counter.
- You can make the dough the day before and assemble the cinnamon rolls. Cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and pop them into the fridge. Then, just let them warm up on the counter for 20 minutes before baking.
Can I Freeze Apple Cinnamon Rolls?
You can freeze the cinnamon rolls, either iced or uniced. But the apple topping won’t freeze well. I recommend freezing the apple cinnamon rolls but make the apple topping when you need it.
You can thaw the cinnamon rolls overnight in the fridge, then warm them up in the oven or microwave.
Frequently Asked Questions About How To Make Apple Cinnamon Rolls
This easy dessert recipe will take 20-25 minutes to bake if your oven is 375-F. You know they’re done when golden brown and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
They’re not hard, but there are a few steps to the process, and you have to allow time for the dough to rise. So be patient! I’ve included some suggestions on what you can do to prep this recipe ahead of time.
Ya, not so much. They’re baked with butter, there’s sugar everywhere, and even cream and cream cheese. I guess you could say that the apples are healthy!
They are vegetarian, but not vegan.
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Step by Step Process
Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls
Equipment
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 1 cup milk warmed but not hot
- 1 packet instant yeast
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter melted
- 1/2 cup granulated white sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour divided
Filling:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon powdered cinnamon
- 1 package freeze-dried apples a 1.25 ounce bag
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
Frosting
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Topping
- 1 granny smith apple peeled, cored and chopped
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Instructions
To make the dough:
- Add yeast and warm milk to the bowl of a stand mixer, then add the eggs, melted butter (make sure its not HOT) and sugar to the bowl. Use the paddle attachment to combine.
- Add in the salt and four cups of flour, using the paddle to mix until just blended. Let this mixture sit for 5 minutes so the flour absorbs all the liquid.
- Change from the paddle to the dough hook and knead on medium speed for 5-7 mins. The dough will still stick to the sides of the bowl, but should still hold shape. If it does not, add in the reserved flour, a few spoonfuls at a time until it the dough starts to come together into a ball.
- Spray a large bowl with nonstick spray, add the dough to it and cover with a cloth. Allow the dough to rise in a warm place for 35-40 mins (or until doubled in size.)
To make the filling:
- Add the melted butter, light brown sugar, cinnamon, apples, and cream to a small bowl and mix well.
- Turn the dough out on a lightly floured surface and roll the dough to a 24 x 15-inch rectangle.
- Drop dollops of the filling all over the dough, then spread it evenly over the top surface of the dough.
- Starting on the long end, roll the dough up tightly jelly-roll style. Cut into 12 slices and place into the baking dish that's been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Cover with plastic wrap and let the rolls rise for 20 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 375-F.
- Pour 1/2 cup heavy cream over the rolls right before baking. Bake for 20-25 mins until the rolls are lightly golden brown and the center is cooked through.
To make the frosting and topping:
- In a large bowl, blend softened cream cheese until smooth. Add the powdered sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla. Beat until combined.
- In a small saucepan add butter, apples, brown sugar, and vanilla. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Once all the sugar is completely melted, pour it into a bowl and let cool.
To assemble your amazing Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls:
- Remove the rolls from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Top with the cream cheese frosting, allowing it to melt over the top. Serve with a generous spoonful of apple topping and enjoy while still warm.
Notes
Chef Jenn’s Tips
- This is not a quick recipe. With the rising and baking time, expect to spend several hours on these. However, the smell of the baking Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls will have everyone in the house drooling and waiting for them to be done!
- Freeze-dried apples can be found in the snack or healthy section of your grocery store. You can use a food processor to chop them up.
- You can make the cream cheese frosting and apple topping ahead of time. Keep them tightly covered in the fridge until you’re baking the cinnamon rolls, then let them warm up on the counter.
- You can make the dough the day before and assemble the cinnamon rolls. Cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and pop them into the fridge. Then, just let them warm up on the counter for 20 minutes before baking.
Nutrition
A Note on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for this recipe is provided as a courtesy and is calculated based on available online ingredient information. It is only an approximate value. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site cannot be guaranteed.
