This Apple Cinnamon Rolls recipe is delicious warm with a spread of sweet maple frosting and make the perfect breakfast or brunch.
Jump to:
❤️ Why you'll love it
- Apple fans will love the warm apple pie like filling between layers of sweet dough in these homemade cinnamon rolls.
- They are the best of apple pie and cinnamon rolls together in one pan!
- The apple filling and cinnamon sugar keeps these gooey cinnamon rolls moist and they don't dry out like regular cinnamon rolls can.
🥘 Ingredients
Milk: I used reduced fat milk, but whole milk, fat free milk, or non dairy milk will work also. The milk should be warm (not hot) so heat in a small saucepan on log heat until about 95 degrees. The warm milk helps to activate the yeast.
Instant yeast, this will do a rapid rise on the rolls.
Large eggs: these should be at room temperature.
Fresh apples: good ones to choose from are honeycrisp apples, mcintosh, or granny smith.
Butter: I use unsalted butter, if you use salted, be sure to cut the amount of salt in half.
Walnuts (optional)
Cooking spray
🔪 Instructions
For the Dough
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment, add flour, sugar, salt and yeast. Stir to combine.
- Add eggs and warm milk and mix on low speed until well incorporated. Continue to add a little bit of flour until dough no longer sticks to sides of the bowl and a soft dough forms.
- Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead a few times. Set aside in oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and set in a warm place let dough rise until doubled. (about 1 hour)
For the Apple Filling
- While the dough rests, in a large saucepan, saute sugar and butter until bubbly. Add apples and cinnamon, toss to coat. Stir in water and lemon juice. Bring to a boil then turn heat down to a simmer.
- Simmer until most of the liquid has absorbed and filling is thickened. Set aside.
Sugar Filling
- In a small bowl, mix the sugar and cinnamon. Set aside. The butter will be used in assembly.
To assemble the rolls
- Preheat oven to 350. When dough is ready, punch down dough to deflate. Using a rolling pin, oll dough out onto lightly floured surface into a rectangle shape (about 16x2").
- Spread softened butter over top of dough. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture.
- Top cinnamon sugar mixture with apple filling.
- Roll dough into a cylinder along the long sides. Pinch seams together. Cut using a sharp knife or a piece of unwaxed dental floss, slide the floss under the roll and slice it in half by bringing the floss together and crossing it over. Slice each half again, then slice each quarter into 3 portions.
- Place rolls in 9x13 baking dish that has been coated with cooking spray. Let rise until doubled in size (about 30 minutes).
- Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and cool.
For the Maple Frosting:
- Mix together maple syrup and powdered sugar. Frost cooled rolls with the icing and sprinkle with walnuts.
🥄 Equipment
Stand Mixer (or mix by hand using a large bowl and wooden spoon)
Small bowl
Rolling pin
Spreader
Dental floss (unwaxed)
9x13 Baking dish
🥫Storage
Store any leftover rolls in an airtight container the fridge or counter up to 5 days. If storing in the fridge, reheat in the microwave for 10-15 seconds to take the chill off.
📖 Variations
- Substitute canned apple pie filling, or Mom's Apple Pie in a Jar for the apple filling
- For a deeper caramel flavor, substitute dark brown sugar for granulated sugar for the sugar layer in the cinnamon rolls.
- Make the frosting with apple cider and powdered sugar instead of the maple syrup.
- Use this cream cheese frosting recipe in place of the maple frosting.
- Substitute apple pie spice for the ground cinnamon.
💭 Tips
- Wash the mixing bowl after the dough is made and use it for the rising of the dough as well.
- If you forget to take the eggs out ahead of time, you can bring them to room temperature by placing the whole egg in a bowl filled with very warm water (not hot) for 5 minutes.
📚 Related Recipes
🍽 Serve with...
Serve warm cinnamon rolls with a hot cup of coffee, tea, or milk. Or, serve as dessert with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!
🏫 The last word
Apple filled cinnamon rolls are one of my favorite cinnamon roll recipes to enjoy in the fall when fresh apples are in supply and the temperatures begin to drop. This means my favorite season (fall) is on it's way!
Don't forget to check out my Amazon storefront for some of my favorite products!
When you make this recipe, please comment below and let me know what you think. I'd love it if you tag me on Instagram @grumpyshoneybunch or #grumpyshoneybunch so I can see your photos!
If you love this recipe, please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating
📖 Recipe
Apple Cinnamon Rolls
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Ingredients
For the Dough:
- ⅞ cup milk , warmed
- 3½ cups all purpose flour
- 4 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 packet instant yeast
- 2 large eggs , beaten
For the Apple Filling:
- 4 cups chopped apples
- 2 lemons , juiced
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ cup granulated sugar
Sugar Filling
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 4 tablespoons butter , softened
For the Glaze
- 1½ cups powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- ½ cup walnuts , chopped
Instructions
For the Dough
- In large mixing bowl (or KitchenAid) add flour, sugar, salt and yeast. Stir to combine.
- Add eggs and milk and mix until well incorporated. Continue to add a little bit of flour until dough no longer sticks to sides of bowl.
- Turn out onto floured surface and knead a few times. Set aside in oiled bowl and let rise until doubled. (about 1 hour)
For the Apple Filling
- In a large saucepan, saute sugar and butter until bubbly. Add apples and cinnamon, toss to coat. Stir in water and lemon juice. Bring to a boil then turn heat down to a simmer.
- Simmer until most of the liquid has absorbed and filling is thickened. Set aside.
Sugar Filling
- In a small bowl, mix the sugar and cinnamon. Set aside. The butter will be used in assembly.
To assemble the rolls
- Preheat oven to 350. When dough is ready, punch down dough to deflate. Roll dough out onto lightly floured surface into a rectangle shape (about 16x2").
- Spread softened butter over top of dough. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture.
- Top cinnamon sugar mixture with apple filling.
- Roll dough into a cylinder along the long side. Pinch seams together. Using a piece of unwaxed dental floss, slide it under the roll and slice it in half by bringing the floss together and crossing it over. Slice each half again, then slice 3 more pieces.
- Place rolls in 9x13 greased baking dish. Let rise until doubled in size (about 30 minutes).
- Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and cool.
For the Maple Frosting:
- Mix together maple syrup and powdered sugar. Frost cooled rolls with the icing and sprinkle with walnuts.
Lisa says
Nowhere in the recipe ingredients can I find a mention of how much water to add to the filling along with the lemon juice. Am I missing it? I really want to try these rolls.
Shelby Law Ruttan says
Hi Lisa, add enough water to just cover the apples for the filling. I will have this fixed on my recipe card asap.
Lisa says
Thank you for the quick response. One more question~how much butter to mix with the sugar when making the apple filling?
Sherri Jo says
Perfect for fall! All the apples are so good right now and this sounds simply divine! Thanks Shelby!
Patsy K says
You have me drooling and wishing I had one right now! Delicious!
Sandy Smith says
These look fantastic. Pinned them for the future!
marye says
Yum! Pinned!
Maggie Burgdorf Roush says
Apples make cinnamon rolls healthy, right?! I can't wait to try these. They sound so amazing.
honeyb says
Thanks Maggie 🙂
Anonymous says
I hope I can make the cinnamon rolls.
Christy Davis says
Oh my gosh!! These sound absolutely delicious!!! Can't wait to try these!!
Christy
Sarah says
oh wow--will definitely try these soon 🙂
Camilla Mann says
Wow! Those look amazingly delicious...and decadent. Thanks for sharing with the SRC. I will definitely make these once apple season is in full swing.
Anna Hagen says
I made cinnamon rolls with an apple pecan filling this weekend. They were good, but I like the sound of your filling better. I'm going to have to try that next time. These look amazing!!
(Who takes just half a cinnamon roll? You were just asking for someone to take that other half.)
Kate | Food Babbles says
Oh my goodness, those look insanely good!! Love the apple in there and that maple walnut frosting sounds amazing. Great pick!!
Sara says
This looks fantastic! I am also a huge cinnamon roll fan and the apple filling sounds SO good! 🙂
Jersey Girl Cooks says
Wish i had one of these with the cup of coffee I am drinking. Going to check out the other recipes too.
Jess @ Flying on Jess Fuel says
Yum! These sound delicious! I've never made cinnamon rolls because all the waiting around for rising sounds like a pain... but I may have to try for these ones!
Isabelle @ Crumb says
What a fantastic pick. These look aaaaamazing! With apple season just getting started, I'm sure there's a batch (or two.... or three) of these rolls in my future. 🙂
Noelle says
GREAT choice! Love that you made that apple filling. Now I have to try your version. YUM. Thank you for the kind words. 🙂
honeyb says
My family LOVES cinnamon rolls, too. Love the idea of adding apple filling. I want.