These apple cinnamon rolls are basically what would happen if gooey apple pie and soft, buttery cinnamon rolls had a baby! They’re swirled with warm cinnamon sugar, spiced apple pie filling, and a little apple butter to boost the flavor.
Once they come out of the oven golden brown and gooey, I slather on cream cheese frosting and serve them straight from the pan. This apple version might just rival my pumpkin pie cinnamon rolls as the ultimate cozy fall treat!
If you’re all about the gooey center, my cinnamon twist sticks are for you. They’re basically the softest, stickiest part of the roll, just stretched out and extra fun to dunk and eat!
Table of Contents
Step by Step Instructions
1
Make the apple filling. You want to cook the apples, apple butter, and spices until it has a sticky, jam-like texture.
2
Make the tangzhong. This quick flour-and-water paste might sound fancy, but it’s super simple! Just cook them together until it thickens up like mashed potatoes. It helps make the dough extra soft and pillowy.
3
Mix the wet and dry ingredients and knead into a dough ball in a stand mixer bowl. The softened butter gets kneaded in last, and while it might seem a little messy at first, just keep going. After a few minutes, you’ll have a smooth, elastic dough that’s soft to the touch.
4
Let the dough rest. Once the dough is smooth and elastic, shape it into a ball and place it back into the bowl. Cover it with plastic wrap and let it rest while the gluten relaxes
P.S. If you’ve never made cinnamon rolls with brown butter, you’ve got to try it. My brown butter cinnamon rolls are somehow even cozier than this version!
5
Roll out the dough into a large rectangle. I like to keep the long side closest to me. It makes filling and rolling easier in the next step!
6
Spread the cinnamon sugar mixture. Go edge to edge except for a 1-inch strip along the top. Leaving that border clean helps the dough seal when you roll it up.
7
Spread the apples on top. Spoon the cooked apple pie filling over the cinnamon sugar layer and spread it out evenly. It doesn’t have to be perfect, just try to get a little apple in every bite!
8
Cut the dough into strips, then roll them up and place them into a 9×13 baking pan. You’ll get 12 rolls!
9
Let the rolls rise until doubled in size. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and let the rolls rise until they’re puffy and doubled in size. This usually takes about an hour.
10
While the rolls are still warm, spread on the cream cheese frosting so it melts into all the swirls. Finish with a spoonful of apple butter on top for an extra bite of apple-spice goodness!
If you love sweet and salty together, you’ve got to check out my maple bacon cinnamon rolls. They’re buttery, sticky, and packed with maple flavor and crispy bacon bits.
Best Apples for Cinnamon Rolls
- Sweet red apples: Use Gala, Honeycrisp, or Envy apples for a sweet apple flavor.
- Tart apples: For a more tart filling, opt for Granny Smith or Pink Lady apples.
- Use half and half: For a slightly sweet yet tart flavor, use both green and red apples.
Want a cake version of this flavor combo? My family-secret apple cinnamon cake is packed with warm spices and soft baked apples… definitely one to bookmark!
If you tried this or any other recipe on my website, please let me know how it went in the comments; I love hearing from you! Also, please leave a star rating while you’re there! You can also tag me on Instagram or Facebook so I can check it out!
Apple Cinnamon Rolls with Apple Pie Filling
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Apple Pie Filling
- 1 2/3 cups diced Gala apple
- 1/4 cup apple butter
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 teaspoons water
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
For the Tangzhong
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup bread flour
For the Cinnamon Roll Dough
- 3 2/3 cups bread flour, *See notes below for measuring*
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons instant yeast
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/3 cup whole milk, room temperature
- 1/3 cup heavy cream, room temperature
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Tangzhong, from recipe above
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
Cinnamon Sugar Filling
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2/3 cup brown sugar, packed
- 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 tablespoon unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 1/2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons apple butter
Instructions
Make the Apple Filling
- In a pot, cook diced apples, apple butter, sugar, water, lemon juice, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt over medium heat. After 12-13 minutes, mash the mixture to create a jammy consistency (with some apple chunks remaining). Combine water and cornstarch, stir it in, and cook for 1 more minute. Transfer the filling to a bowl and let it cool.1 2/3 cups (200 g) diced Gala apple, 1/4 cup (65 g) apple butter, 2 tablespoons (30 g) granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons water, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt, 2 teaspoons water, 1 teaspoon cornstarch
Make the Cinnamon Rolls
- In a small pot, whisk the water and all-purpose flour together. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, for 4-5 minutes until the mixture is thick and paste-like. Scrape it into a bowl and set it aside.3/4 cup (155 g) water, 1/4 cup (32 g) bread flour
- In a stand mixer bowl, mix the flour, sugar, yeast, and salt. Add the cream, milk, egg, vanilla, and tangzhong to the bowl. Knead on low speed with the dough hook for 2-3 minutes until it forms a rough dough ball.3 2/3 cups (485 g) bread flour, 1/3 cup (66 g) granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons instant yeast, 1 teaspoon fine sea salt, 1/3 cup (78 g) whole milk, 1 (55 g) large egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, Tangzhong, 1/3 cup (78 g) heavy cream
- With the mixer running on low, add the softened butter one tablespoon at a time, letting it fully incorporate before adding more. Then, continue kneading for an additional 8-10 minutes, or until the dough appears smooth and elastic.6 tablespoons (84 g) unsalted butter
- Remove the dough from the bowl and pull the sides into the bottom to create a smooth round ball. Place it seam-side down back into the mixing bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the cinnamon sugar filling. In a medium bowl with a spoon or in a mixer bowl, combine the brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon until smooth. Set aside.1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter, 2/3 cup (133 g) brown sugar, 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Then, line a metal 9×13 baking pan with parchment paper.
- Place the rested dough on a lightly floured surface. Roll it out into a 15×21 rectangle, with the longest side closest to you. Spread the brown sugar filling across the surface of the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border clean at the top. Then spread the apple pie filling on top in the same way.
- Use a pizza cutter to cut twelve 1 3/4-inch strips. Roll each strip away from you, then place each one into the prepared baking pan.
- Cover the pan with plastic wrap and set it aside to rise for 1-2 hours, or until the rolls have doubled in size. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 325°F (162 °C).
- Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the internal temperature of the center rolls reaches 185°F. Once baked, let the rolls cool while you make the frosting.
- Mix together the cream cheese, butter, and powdered sugar with a spoon until smooth. Then whisk in the heavy cream and apple butter. Spoon the glaze over the warm rolls and swirl with more apple butter if desired!4 tablespoon (56 g) unsalted butter, 2 ounces (2 oz) cream cheese, 1 cup (115 g) powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons apple butter, 2 1/2 tablespoons heavy cream
Video
Notes
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment below & tag @cambreabakes on social!
Please tell me how much yeast is there in grams?
It’s roughly 6 grams of yeast!
Hi! I would like to make these now for Thanksgiving. Can I put in the freezer before the rise? and then on Thanksgiving day, let them rise and bake?
Hi Lisa! You definitely could do that. Hope you enjoy them!
These are delicious!!! They are the perfect combination of fall and cinnamon rolls!! Huge plus is they make the house smell amazing!!!
I made these and legitimately are the best thing I’ve ever baked 👏👏👏