Apple cinnamon rolls

These homemade apple cinnamon rolls, with apple cinnamon filling and soft, fluffy, and buttery dough, create the perfect sweet breakfast that you can enjoy with a cup of coffee or tea during the fall season.

Why you should try this apple cinnamon roll recipe

• Perfectly sweetened –  Just like these homemade Cinnamon rolls, these apple pie rolls are perfectly sweetened, striking the ideal balance between the sugary goodness of cinnamon and apple filling and the buttery richness of the dough.
• The dough can be made the day before baking – One of the best things about this recipe is that you can prepare the dough a day in advance. This time-saving feature means you can have fresh, warm apple cinnamon rolls ready for breakfast or brunch with minimal effort in the morning.

What apples to choose

Crisp and tart apples like Granny Smiths add a contrast to the sweet brown sugar filling. Their tartness pairs beautifully with the cinnamon and sugar, creating an amazing flavor.

On the other hand, sweeter apples like Honeycrisp or Pink Lady can also work well, offering a milder, fruity sweetness that complements the overall taste. Ultimately, the choice of apple variety depends on your personal preference, whether you prefer a zesty kick or a sweeter note in your rolls.

Are you looking for more apple desserts? Look no further! Check out this Apple turnover recipe, or these Apple cinnamon muffins that are quick and easy to make. Or try this Apple Tarte Tatin if you want to wow your guests with a stunning-looking dessert.

Ingredients you will need

For the apple cinnamon roll dough

• Flour – You will need bread flour to make an apple cinnamon rolls recipe.
• Yeast – I use instant yeast, but you can replace it with active dry yeast, or fresh yeast. Keen to learn more about different yeast types and when to swap them? Check out our article on 'Types of Yeast and How to Use Them in Baking'!
• Ground cinnamon 
• White granulated sugar 
• Salt
• Large egg
• Whole milk
• Butter – Use softened unsalted butter so it combines with the dough easily.

For the apple pie filling

• 3-4 firm apples – I used 4 small apples (450g) but you can adjust the amount according to the size of apples you use.
• Unsalted butter
• White granulated sugar – You can replace it with the same amount of brown sugar if you want.
• Ground cinnamon
• Vanilla extract

For cinnamon sugar filling

• Sugar – I use a mix of white and brown sugar.
• Cinnamon
• Unsalted butter – It’s important that you use a very soft butter so it is easy to spread on top of the surface of the dough.

Cooking tips and tricks

• Use a digital kitchen scale. When it comes to bread and buns, you should use a kitchen scale to measure your ingredients for accuracy and to get consistent results every single time.
• Chill the dough before rolling it out. After your dough has been proofed, it will be warm, silky, smooth, and soft. Such dough can be difficult to work with. However, if you chill it in the freezer, the butter inside the dough will solidify, making it easier to roll and shape it into a log.
• Check the inside temperature for doneness. If it's challenging to determine if your cinnamon rolls with apple pie filling are fully baked, use an instant-read thermometer. The temperature inside the dough should reach at least 195F (90C).

How to make apple cinnamon rolls

Prepare the dough

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment combine the flour, yeast, sugar, cinnamon, and salt. 
2. Add the egg and milk and knead on medium-low for 3 minutes. Then switch to medium and knead for 5 minutes, or until the dough has formed but still sticks to your hands.
3. Add the butter one tablespoon at a time and knead until fully incorporated. Don’t add the next portion of butter unless the previous one was completely incorporated.
4. Knead the dough for 7-10 minutes, or until you can stretch a small piece of the dough into a square, creating a film thin enough for light to pass through (windowpane test). 
5. Leave the dough to proof for one hour in a warm, draft-free place, until it has doubled in size. 
6. Punch the dough down and place it on top of a piece of plastic wrap. Form a rectangle and close the plastic wrap. Place into the freezer for 30-60 minutes or until well chilled and not soft but still pliable.

Make the brown sugar filling and apple filling

1. Into a skillet, add all the apple filling ingredients, and mix well.
2. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until the apples are soft and the sauce has caramelized.
3. Remove the skillet from the heat and separate the syrup and the apple cubes using a strainer into two separate bowls. 
4. For the sugar filling, combine the brown sugar, white sugar, and cinnamon in a bowl and take the butter out from the fridge to soften, or heat it in a microwave for 5-10 seconds at a time until very soft but not melted.

Making the apple rolls and baking them

1. When the dough has chilled, place it onto a lightly floured surface. Sprinkle the top with flour and roll it into a 13" by 20" (33cm by 50cm) rectangle. 
2. Spread the soft butter for the sugar filling over the surface, leaving ½ inch at one long end of the rectangle untouched. Sprinkle with the prepared sugar and cinnamon mixture and press gently. Then, spread the apple cubes on top.
3. Roll up lengthwise, starting with the end that is covered with filling, so you have one big log. Take the end of the rectangle that is not covered with the fillings and pinch it into the rest of the log to form a seam. Roll the log so the seam is on the bottom.
4. Cut the log into 12 slices using a sharp knife or dental floss and place them into a 9" by 13" (22cm by 33cm) deep pan greased with butter. Cover with a kitchen towel for 30-40 minutes to proof.
5. Preheat the oven to 375F (190C).
6. Bake the rolls on the middle rack for 25 minutes or until golden brown on top and risen. Remove from the oven and let cool down until just warm.
7. Brush the warm rolls with apple syrup leftover from cooking the apple cubes, and serve.

Possible variations

• Cream cheese frosting – The creamy and slightly tangy frosting on top of cinnamon apple rolls complements the sweet and spiced apple filling, creating a delicious contrast of flavors.
• Salted caramel – Caramel and apples sound delicious! That’s why you are free to go all in and drizzle some homemade Salted caramel on top of your apple cinnamon buns.
• Nuts – Consider incorporating chopped nuts into your apple cinnamon rolls. Whether you choose pecans, walnuts, or almonds, the nuts will provide some contrast to the soft and gooey filling.

FAQ

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Recipe card

Apple cinnamon rolls

These homemade apple cinnamon rolls, with apple cinnamon filling and soft, fluffy, and buttery dough, create the perfect sweet breakfast that you can enjoy with a cup of coffee or tea during the fall season.

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour

Proofing and chilling the dough: 2 hours hours

Total Time: 3 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Servings: 12 rolls

Calories: 370kcal

Author: Anna

Equipment

• Digital kitchen scale
• Stand mixer with a hook attachment or a hand mixer with hook attachments
• Skillet
• Rolling Pin
• 9" by 13" (22cm by 33cm) deep baking pan

Ingredients

For the dough

• 450 g bread flour
• 7 g instant yeast
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 80 g white granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg at room temperature
• 240 ml whole milk at room temperature
• 80 g unsalted butter softened

For the apple filling

• 3-4 firm apples peeled, cored, and diced into ¼” cubes
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 40 g white granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the sugar-filling

• 70 g unsalted butter softened
• 70 g white granulated sugar
• 70 g brown sugar
• 2 tablespoon cinnamon

US CustomaryMetric

Instructions

For the dough

• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment (or use a hand mixer with hook attachments and a large mixing bowl), combine the flour, yeast, sugar, cinnamon, and salt.
• Add the egg and milk and knead on medium-low for 3 minutes. Then switch to medium and knead for 5 minutes, or until the dough has formed but still sticks to your hands.
• Add the butter one tablespoon at a time and knead until fully incorporated. Don’t add the next portion of butter unless the previous one was completely incorporated.
• When all butter is in, switch to medium and knead for 7 minutes, or until you can stretch a small piece of the dough into a square, creating a film thin enough for light to pass through (windowpane test). The dough won’t be that sticky anymore and it will look hydrated, silky, and smooth.
• Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave it in a warm place to proof for one hour (I use an oven with the lights on). Or, you can place the dough in the fridge to proof overnight.
• (Skip this step if you proofed your dough in the fridge overnight!) When the dough has risen, punch it down and place it on top of a piece of plastic wrap. Form a small rectangle and close the plastic wrap. Place into the freezer for 30-60 minutes or until well chilled and not soft but still pliable.

For the apple filling

• Into a skillet, add all the apple filling ingredients, and mix well.
• Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until the apples are soft and the sauce has caramelized.
• Remove the skillet from the heat and separate the syrup and the apple cubes using a strainer into two separate bowls.

For the sugar-filling

• Combine the brown sugar, white sugar, and cinnamon in a bowl and take the butter out from the fridge to soften, or heat it in a microwave for 5-10 seconds at a time until very soft but not melted.

Shape and bake the rolls

• When the dough has chilled, place it onto a floured surface. Sprinkle the top with flour and roll it into a 13" by 20" (33cm by 50cm) rectangle. Add more flour when needed.
• Spread the soft butter for the sugar filling over the surface, leaving ½ inch at one long end of the rectangle untouched. Sprinkle with the prepared sugar and cinnamon mixture and press gently. Then, spread the apple cubes on top.
• Roll up lengthwise, starting with the end that is covered with filling, so you have one big log. Take the end of the rectangle that is not covered with the fillings and pinch it into the rest of the log to form a seam. Roll the log so the seam is on the bottom.
• Cut the log into 12 slices using a sharp knife or dental floss. Place them into a 9" by 13" (22cm by 33cm) deep pan greased with butter and cover with a kitchen towel for 30-40 minutes to proof.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375C (190F).
• Bake the rolls on the middle rack for 25 minutes or until golden brown on top and risen. The internal temperature of the dough should be 195C (90F) if you check it with an instant-read thermometer. Remove from the oven and let cool down until just warm.
• Brush the rolls with the apple syrup from cooking apple cubes and serve.

Video

Notes

Store apple cinnamon rolls in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2-3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to a week. 

Freeze baked cinnamon rolls for up to 2 months.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Apple cinnamon rolls

Serving Size

 

1 roll

Amount per Serving

Calories

370

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

13

g

20

%

Saturated Fat

 

8

g

50

%

Trans Fat

 

0.5

g

Polyunsaturated Fat

 

1

g

Monounsaturated Fat

 

3

g

Cholesterol

 

45

mg

15

%

Sodium

 

229

mg

10

%

Potassium

 

141

mg

4

%

Carbohydrates

 

58

g

19

%

Fiber

 

2

g

8

%

Sugar

 

28

g

31

%

Protein

 

6

g

12

%

Vitamin A

 

421

IU

8

%

Vitamin C

 

2

mg

2

%

Calcium

 

48

mg

5

%

Iron

 

1

mg

6

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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