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 Effort

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, which is 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 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 they 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 too much work for a breakfast treat? 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 – 12 hours. In the morning, let them come up to room temp and do their final rise before baking.

What You’ll Need

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.

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.

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.

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.

Do you trust your yeast? Instant yeast 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.

Filling

While the dough is on its second rise, 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 Rolls

Once the dough has finished its second rise, it’s time to roll it out and bring everything together. Lightly flour your work surface to make sure nothing sticks, and grab your rolling pin.

Rising: Today or Tomorrow

Once the rolls are in the pan, decide which path you’re on.

Baking today: cover with a clean towel, set in a warm spot, and let them rise 30 to 60 minutes. That’s faster than the first rise since the dough’s already warm. 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, and set the pan inside. Either trick roughly cuts the wait in half.

Baking tomorrow: cover the pan and refrigerate overnight instead. Pull it out in the morning and let it rise about an hour at room temperature before baking. The cold slows the yeast down, and some bakers swear it deepens the dough’s flavor the way an overnight pizza dough does. I haven’t run a side by side to confirm that myself, but I’ve held mine in the fridge 12 to 14 hours with good results either way.

Baking

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.

Icing

Room temperature cream cheese and butter make the difference between a fluffy frosting and a stiff one, so pull both out early. I make the icing while the rolls bake, or the night before if I’m doing the overnight version, so there’s less to do in the morning.

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.

Serving Suggestions

Best served warm, straight out of the oven, icing still soft. These are built for a slow morning rather than a grab and go breakfast. Set the pan out and let people serve themselves.

How to Store and Reheat

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

Made for fall weekends, holiday mornings, and special occasions, these apple cinnamon rolls with fresh apples and cream cheese frosting are an upgrade on classic homemade cinnamon rolls.

4.9 stars (11 ratings)

prep: 30 minutes minutes

cook: 35 minutes minutes

Proofing Time: 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

total: 2 hours hours 35 minutes minutes

servings: 12

author: Renee N Gardner

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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.

Recommended Kitchen Tools

3-quart glass baking pan 13" by 9"

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Notes

*Any apples of your choice will work. My favorites are honeycrisp, granny smith, braeburn, and jonagolds.

Overnight Cinnamon Rolls:

To make these into overnight cinnamon rolls, follow the directions through step 13. Cover the baking dish with a lid or with foil and place in the fridge overnight.

Remove early and let rise at room temperature for 1 – 2 hours. To speed this up, use the proof settings on your oven or preheat the oven to 200ºF, turn it off, then place the rolls inside for 30 minutes to an hour to rise.

Once the rolls have doubled in size, bake according to step 15.

Nutrition

Serving: 1rollCalories: 523kcalCarbohydrates: 76gProtein: 7gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 13gPolyunsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 86mgSodium: 332mgFiber: 3gSugar: 42g

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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