Apple Cinnamon Rolls
Apple cinnamon rolls are soft, gooey, and built for indulgence with a buttery yeast dough, a layer of sweet spiced apples, and a finish of vanilla bean cream cheese frosting. Start to finish, plan on about two and a half hours between rising, baking, and icing (most of it hands-off), or break it into a two-day project with the overnight version below.
From Scratch and Worth the Time
Decadent. Gooey. Delicious. There are a lot of words we can use to describe just how great these apple cinnamon rolls are, but neither quick nor easy apply. That’s probably why I save these rolls for holidays, birthdays, and other special occasions when I can carve out the time to put in the work.
Before you get started, you should know that the most time-consuming part is making the brioche. While we can speed things up a little bit by using a mixer to do the kneading and proofing in your oven, the truth is that you have to wait for the yeast to do its job, not just once, but twice. Then the rolls have to bake. But once you get a taste of the brioche mixed with the apples, cinnamon, and frosting, you’ll agree that the time and effort were well spent.
Sound like a lot work first thing in the morning? I agree, which is why I tend to make mine with an overnight proof in the fridge. Put in the effort and time during the evening, then slide the whole thing into the fridge to rest for anywhere between 8 – 14 hours. In the morning, let them come up to room temp and do their final rise before baking.
What You’ll Need for Apple Cinnamon Rolls with Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting
For the dough you need milk, eggs, butter, AP flour, sugar, salt, and yeast. The filling is made of butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, and apples. The frosting is cream cheese, sugar, butter, and vanilla bean paste. (Anyone else notice a butter and sugar trend here??)
If you have a stand mixer with a dough hook, it will speed up the process, but it’s not a requirement. Hand mixing and hand kneading will get you there, but it just requires a bit more physical effort. You’ll also need a rolling pin, a measuring tape, and a 9″ by 13″ pan for baking.
Apples for Baking
While you can technically bake with any apple, some hold their texture a lot better than others. It’s not about how they taste once baked, it’s about whether they hold their shape or turn to mush. Granny smith, braeburn, and jonagold are all standard baking apples for that reason.
My original go-to was honeycrisp, for its tart-but-sweet balance against the brown sugar filling. These days I reach for Cosmic Crisp instead. They don’t oxidize nearly as fast, so I can build the filling while the dough finishes proofing without losing color or flavor.
If you are looking for more ways to use baking apples, try my Butterscotch Apple Crisp, Mini Apple Pies, or Pork Chops and Applesauce with Blackberries.
How to Make Apple Cinnamon Rolls
This recipe breaks down into three parts: the dough, the filling, and the frosting. We’ll walk through each one together, one piece at a time, starting with the dough.
Brioche Dough
The dough is a modified version of my brioche rolls. Egg and butter give it a rich texture that makes these rolls taste more indulgent than a standard cinnamon roll.
We are working with instant yeast for these rolls, which doesn’t technically need proofing, but I proof it anyway. If it’s too old or was stored wrong, I’d rather find out in five minutes than after mixing, kneading, and waiting an hour to see if it was ever going to rise.
Kneading by hand is doable if you don’t have a stand mixer; it just costs you extra time and effort. Either way, you’re looking for the same result: smooth, not sticky, and bouncing back when you touch it.
Apple and Spiced Brown Sugar Filling
While the dough is rising, you can go ahead and prep the filling. Mix the brown sugar with the cinnamon and spices, let the butter soften on the counter, and chop the apples last so they don’t have time to brown. Once the dough is rolled out, you’ll layer the butter, spiced brown sugar, and apples (in that order), but that’s the next step.
Shaping the Cinnamon Rolls
Once the dough has risen, it’s time to roll it out and assemble everything together into apple cinnamon rolls. Lightly flour your work surface to make sure nothing sticks, and grab your rolling pin.
Overnight Cinnamon Rolls
Bake today or bake tomorrow? Now that the hard part is done, you get to decide which path you are on. If you want to rise and bake them today, keep going, but if you want to put it off, now is your chance.
The how is simple. If you want to bake them tomorrow, cover the pan and place the assembled rolls into the refrigerator to proof overnight, anywhere from 8 to 14 hours. About an hour before baking, pull the pan from the fridge, trade the lid for a kitchen towel, and allow the pan to sit at room temperature so the rolls have a chance to warm up and rise.
Why would you do this? Well, flavor plays a part. The cold slows the yeast down, and some bakers (like me) swear it deepens the dough’s flavor the way an overnight pizza dough does. My other reason is that I’m always the last to sleep and the last to wake in my family. I can make these rolls while everyone else is in bed, surprising them with morning cinnamon rolls fresh from the oven without sacrificing my sleep schedule.
Second Dough Rise
If you are baking today, cover the pan with a clean kitchen towel, set in a warm spot like your oven with the internal light left on, and let them rise 30 to 60 minutes. Want to speed it up further? Use your oven’s proofing setting if it has one (200ºF), or heat it to its lowest setting, around 250ºF, turn it off, then set the pan inside. Either trick roughly cuts the wait in half, but you will need to watch them carefully.
Baking the Apple Cinnamon Rolls
However you got here, once the rolls have risen and filled the pan, bake at 350ºF until the tops are golden brown and the kitchen smells like a bakery. It should take about 25 – 30 minutes.
Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting
I think that a good cream cheese icing makes the difference between a good cinnamon roll and a decadently over the top special occasion cinnamon roll, like this one. Both the butter and the cream cheese must be at room temperature for smooth and fluffy frosting, so place them on the counter while the rolls are on their second rise at the latest. You can then make the icing while the rolls bake or the night before if I’m doing the overnight version.
Not a cream cheese icing person? A drizzle of bourbon butterscotch sauce, a powdered sugar glaze, or a plain dusting of powdered sugar all work. Your call.
How to Store and Reheat Your Cinnamon Rolls
Since the icing contains cream cheese and butter, once iced, it’s safest to store these in the fridge for about 3 days. Fridge storage can make the rolls feel a bit stale, but heating them for 15 to 30 seconds in the microwave will warm them up and soften the bread, making them almost as good as new. Alternatively, you can ice them as you eat them, storing the baked rolls on the counter for 2 to 3 days and keeping the icing separately in an airtight container in the fridge.
Apple Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
The Dough
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 1/4 teaspoon instant yeast (1 packet)
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup butter – melted
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 4 – 4 1/2 cups flour
The Filling
- 5 tablespoons butter – softened
- 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon cardamom
- 2 large apples* – diced
The Icing
- 6 oz cream cheese
- 5 tablespoons butter
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
Instructions
- Warm milk to between 105º to 110ºF. Sprinkle yeast on top and let it proof for 5 – 10 minutes. Yeast should foam up. If it doesn't start over with fresh yeast.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer whisk together the eggs and salt. Add the yeast mixture, melted butter, sugar, and 4 cups of flour.
- With the dough hook attachment, mix on low to combine, stopping to scrape the sides at least twice. About 3 minutes.
- The dough should be soft and wet. Add the remaining flour 1/4 cup or less at a time, mixing each addition until combined completely. You may not need it all, you'll know it's enough when the dough no longer sticks to the bowl.
- When the dough is shaggy and no longer sticking to the bowl, knead the dough with the mixer or by hand.
- To knead with the mixer: run the mixer on the lowest setting for 5 – 7 minutes, stopping at least twice to push the dough back down and off the dough hook. To knead by hand: turn the dough out onto a clean, well floured work surface. Knead for 10 – 15 minutes. The dough should be smooth, not sticky, and bounce back to the touch.
- Shape the dough into a ball and place it into a large oiled bowl. Turn the dough over to coat with oil, then cover with a clean kitchen towel and allow to rise 1 – 2 hours or until doubled in size.
- While the dough is proofing, prepare the filling.
- On a well floured surface, use a rolling pin to shape the dough into a large rectangle. Approximately 18" x 12" and 1/4" thick.
- Spread the softened butter on the dough. In a small bowl combine the brown sugar and spices, then sprinkle on top of the butter. Follow with the diced apple chunks.
- Starting with the long side of the rectangle, gently roll the dough towards you so that you have a roughly 18" long log.
- Place the seam side of the roll down and trim any uneven ends. Slice the log into 12 equal pieces by slicing the roll in half, then half again, then dividing the quarters into thirds.
- Place each roll on it's end in a buttered 9" x 13" pan. Keep the smaller rolls towards the center to prevent burning.
- Cover with a clean kitchen towel, place in a warm spot, and allow to rise for 30 – 90 minutes or until the rolls have doubled in size.
- Bake uncovered in a 350 degree oven for 25 – 30 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.
- Cream Cheese Icing
- In a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whip the softened cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy.
- Add the powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time, mixing to combine completely and scraping down the sides of the bowl between additions.
- After the last addition, with the mixer running add the vanilla bean paste (or equal parts vanilla extract) and combine completely.
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Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and is for general information purposes only. For the most accurate information, calculate using your select brands and exact measurements.
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AMAZING
Muffin 🧁 Sweet Shop
Las Vegas Nevada
The Bakers team enjoyed making The Best Apple 🍏 Cinnamon Rolls what a wonderful recipe.. The customers enjoyed the homemade cinnamon rolls..
Sincerely yours,
The Bakers Team
Love this!! Thank you for letting me know.
– Renee
Oh my gosh, these sound fantastic and are totally going on my list!
Let me know how they turn out!
These look amazing! Cinnamon rolls are a family favorite.
Thanks! I think that goes for my family too!
Substituted apple butter for Apple chunks…. held over night and baked the next morning for Christmas Outstanding!!! Already on the permanent Christmas brunch request list, lol
I think I found my new favorite go-to holiday breakfast!
They are perfect for Thanksgiving morning!