These apple cinnamon rolls with apple pie filling are soft and gooey in the center and topped with cream cheese frosting.
These cinnamon rolls are a combination of apple pie and cinnamon rolls! They are perfect for a holiday breakfast, brunch, or a decadent dessert!
The warm, gooey cinnamon rolls are filled with a sweet and tangy apple pie mixture, creating a mouthwatering combination of flavors.
Whether enjoyed fresh out of the oven or reheated later, these cinnamon rolls are sure to satisfy any sweet tooth.
For more apple desserts, check out my apple crumble cake, apple fritters, apple crumble muffins, easy apple cake, apple crumble pie, and apple turnovers!
Jump to:
Why this recipe works
- Apple pie filling- these are filled with homemade apple pie filling which is perfectly spiced!
- Gooey rolls- these rolls have a gooey and soft texture thanks to the cinnamon filling, soft dough, and apple pie filling.
- Ease- this recipe is very easy to make if you follow the instructions correctly.
- Cream cheese frosting- these apple pie cinnamon rolls are topped with the most delicious cream cheese frosting it melts into the rolls and make them irresistible.
- Stays fresh and soft for 3 days- these rolls stay deliciously fresh, soft, and gooey for up to 3 days at room temperature!
Ingredients
Before you start to make this recipe, measure and prepare your ingredients so the cooking process will go smoothly and easily.
Full measurements are in the recipe card below.
For the dough
Flour– we used all-purpose flour for this recipe, bread flour is even better.
Yeast- we used instant yeast for this recipe. make sure that your yeast isn't expired.
Sugar- we used granulated sugar for this recipe. You can use caster sugar as well.
Eggs- you will need 1 large egg for this recipe. Make sure that you use room-temperature eggs in this recipe.
Melted butter- we used unsalted butter for this recipe. If you want to use salted butter, skip the salt in this recipe.
Vanilla extract- adds extra flavor.
Kosher salt- you will need 1 teaspoon of kosher salt for this recipe.
Milk- use whole milk in this recipe. you will need ¾ a cup.
For the apple pie filling
Apples- we like to use green apples for this recipe, they are a little bit less sweet, but any kind of your favorite apples will work!
Brown sugar- we use brown sugar for this recipe. Brown sugar adds a caramelly flavor. You can use dark brown sugar as well.
Butter- you will need 25 g of butter for this recipe.
Lemon- helps to balance the sweet flavor.
Cinnamon and nutmeg- give a delicious flavor and compliments the apples perfectly.
Cornstarch- to thicken up the mixture so it will be easy to work with.
Kosher salt and water- you will need water to cook the apples and a pinch of salt to balance the flavors.
For the cinnamon filling
Soften butter– leave the butter in the room temperate for 1 hour, or until it softens.
Brown sugar– we like using light brown sugar for the filling.
Cinnamon– You will need 1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon for the filling.
For the icing
Cream cheese– you will need to get your cream cheese to room temperature. Use full-fat cream cheese for this.
Powder sugar- you will need powder sugar for the outer layer of these cookies in this recipe.
you don’t have to buy powdered sugar, you can simply make it at home by blending granulated sugar in a blender or food processor.
Instructions
Make the apple pie filling
Peel and cut the apples into small cubes. In a medium-sized pan, melt the butter over medium heat and add the cinnamon. Mix well.
Add the apples, brown sugar, vanilla extract, lemon juice, nutmeg, kosher salt, and water, and mix until well combined.
Reduce to medium-low heat, cover, and simmer for about 5 minutes.
Add the cornstarch and mix until there are no lumps of cornstarch visible. Set aside to cool.
In a bowl of a stand mixer, add the flour, dry yeast, and granulated sugar. Mix with a spoon until combined. Add the salt, and mix until combined.
Add the eggs, room temperature milk, vanilla extract, and cooled melted butter. Start mixing on low until the dough forms.
Increase the speed to medium and mix for at least 8 minutes or until the dough is smooth and silky.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise at room temperature for 1-2 hours or until it’s doubled in size (or even tripled in size).
Punch the dough down and transfer it to a clean floured surface. Sprinkle flour generously on the dough and roll it into a ¼-inch thick rectangle, making sure that the bottom of the dough doesn’t stick to the surface.
Spread an even layer of room-temperature butter (super soft). Top the butter with brown sugar and spread it evenly using your clean hands.
Sprinkle cinnamon on top of the brown sugar and spread it evenly using your hands.
Top it with the cooled apple pie filling and spread evenly it out with a spoon. Roll the dough tightly into a log and pinch the edges of the dough to keep the roll sealed tightly.
Use a serrated knife or unflavored dental floss and cut the rolls into 12 even rolls.
Place the rolls in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking pan, cover with a towel, and let the rolls rise until doubled in size.
Remove the towel, and bake the rolls in a 180c (350f) oven for 20-25 minutes or until the tops of the rolls are a bit browned. Don't overbake these so they won't dry out.
Make the glaze
In a medium-sized bowl, add the softened cream cheese, softened butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Mix with a spoon or a tiny whisk until creamy and smooth.
Top the warm rolls with the cream cheese glaze and serve!
Expert Tips
- Use room temperature ingredients. When your eggs, milk, and butter are at room temp, they blend into the dough more smoothly and evenly. This helps your dough rise properly and bake up soft and fluffy.
- Measure your flour the right way. Don’t scoop the flour straight from the bag with your measuring cup. It packs it down and gives you too much. Instead, fluff the flour with a spoon, spoon it into the cup, and level it off with the back of a knife.
- Don’t overheat the milk. If your milk is too hot (over 110°F / 43°C), it can kill the yeast. Warm milk should feel like a comfy bath—just slightly warm to the touch.
- Check that your yeast is active. If you’re unsure about your yeast, test it by mixing 1 teaspoon of yeast with ¼ cup of warm water and a pinch of sugar. If it gets bubbly after 10 minutes, it’s good to go.
- Be patient with the rise. Give the dough time to rise until it’s doubled (or even tripled) in size. This step is key to making the rolls light and airy.
- Flour your surface, not the dough. When rolling out your dough, lightly flour your surface to prevent sticking, but avoid adding too much flour to the dough itself, or it can become dense.
- Use super soft butter for the filling. The butter should be spreadable but not melted. This helps coat the dough evenly and keeps the cinnamon-sugar filling from leaking out.
- Roll the dough evenly and snug. Roll it up tightly but gently so the cinnamon swirl stays inside and the rolls bake evenly. Pinch the edge to seal the log before slicing.
- Cut the rolls with floss. Use unflavored dental floss or a serrated knife to cut your rolls cleanly without squishing them out of shape.
- Don’t overbake. Take the rolls out when they’re golden on top but still soft in the center. Overbaking will dry them out—go for gooey and tender instead!
Faq's
You can knead the dough by hand! Start by mixing the ingredients in a big mixing bowl, then transfer the dough to a clean floured surface and knead the dough for at least 10 minutes, or until the dough is super smooth and elastic.
The milk should be warm to the touch. We suggest using whole milk for this recipe.
If you warm up your milk too much, it can kill the yeast, so either use room temperature milk or measure the temperature of the milk with a thermometer, it shouldn't go past 100f.
The best flour for cinnamon rolls and for yeast dough is bread flour. It contains a higher percentage of gluten which is the protein in the flour that makes the dough silky, stretchy, and smooth.
All-purpose flour works great for this recipe as well.
Storing
It’s okay to store these cinnamon rolls at room temperature for up to 2 days. Make sure that you store the rolls in an airtight container so they won’t dry out.
After 2 days, store them in the fridge in an airtight container for another 2 days.
Freezing
Freeze these after they cooled completely in an airtight freezer-friendly container for up to 3 months.
We suggest removing the rolls from the pan and placing them in an airtight container or wrapping them with a few layers of plastic wrap.
Thaw in the fridge overnight or at room temperature for a few hours and reheat it in a 180c (350f) preheated oven for 5-10 minutes.
Overnight cinnamon rolls instructions
After you roll and cut your rolls and place them into your baking pan, cover them with plastic wrap, and place them in the fridge.
The next day, remove them from the fridge and let them come to room temperature (for about an hour) before baking. Then, bake according to the instructions.
Reheating
Place the cinnamon rolls on a plate and reheat in the microwave for 20 seconds, these warm-up great and taste amazing for 4 days.
Substitutions
Dairy-free- you can make this dairy-free by replacing the milk with vegan milk and the butter with vegan butter.
Fruit- you can swap the apples with pears and turn these into pear cinnamon rolls.
Variations
Add-ins- make this recipe your own and add your favorite add-ins: chocolate chips, chopped walnuts, pecans, etc.
Toppings- these can be topped with cream cheese frosting, cinnamon cream cheese frosting, or maple cream cheese frosting. Use your favorite toppings that you like to make the most.
Spices- add your favorite spices for cinnamon-spiced desserts! Like nutmeg, cloves, pumpkin spice, ginger, etc.
Equipment
More cinnamon roll recipes
Homemade cinnamon rolls- These homemade cinnamon rolls are soft, gooey, incredibly light, and fluffy. They are filled with a cinnamon filling and are topped with cream cheese glaze.
Pumpkin cinnamon rolls- These pumpkin cinnamon rolls are soft, made with pumpkin puree and fall spices in the dough, filled with cinnamon filling, and topped with maple cream cheese icing. These are a dream!
TikTok Cinnamon Rolls With Heavy Cream- These TikTok cinnamon rolls with heavy cream are ooey gooey, fluffy, and moist, and are topped with homemade cream cheese icing.
If you tried this recipe, don’t forget to leave a rating and a comment below. We love hearing from you.
If you liked this recipe
- Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.
- Share/pin this recipe to Pinterest.
- Leave a comment down below!
📖 Recipe
Apple Cinnamon Rolls With Apple Pie Filling
Ingredients
The dough
- 5 ½ cups Flour
- 1 tablespoon Instant yeast
- ⅓ cup Granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cups Milk
- 2 Eggs room temp
- ¼ cup Butter melted and cooled, unsalted
Cinnamon filling
- ½ cup Butter softened, unsalted
- 2 tablespoon Cinnamon
- 1 cup Brown sugar
Cream cheese frosting
- ¼ cup Butter unsalted, room temp
- 4 oz Cream cheese room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 2 cups Powder sugar
Apple pie filling
- ¼ cup Butter unsalted
- ½ teaspoon Cinnamon
- 3 Apples peeled and chopped
- 1 tablespoon Lemon juice
- ⅓ cup Brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon Nutmeg
- 2 tablespoon Water
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 2 teaspoon Cornstarch
Instructions
Make the apple pie filling
- Peel and cut the apples into small cubes. In a medium-sized pan, melt the butter over medium heat and add the cinnamon. Mix well.
- Add the apples, brown sugar, vanilla extract, lemon juice, nutmeg, kosher salt, and water, and mix until well combined.
- Reduce to medium-low heat, cover, and simmer for about 5 minutes.
- Add the cornstarch and mix until there are no lumps of cornstarch visible. Set aside to cool.
- In a bowl of a stand mixer, add the flour, dry yeast, and granulated sugar. Mix with a spoon until combined. Add the salt, and mix until combined.
- Add the eggs, room temperature milk, vanilla extract, and cooled melted butter. Start mixing on low until the dough forms.
- Increase the speed to medium and mix for at least 8 minutes or until the dough is smooth and silky.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise at room temperature for 1-2 hours or until it’s doubled in size (or even tripled in size).
- Punch the dough down and transfer it to a clean floured surface. Sprinkle flour generously on the dough and roll it into a ¼-inch thick rectangle, making sure that the bottom of the dough doesn’t stick to the surface.
- Spread an even layer of room-temperature butter (super soft). Top the butter with brown sugar and spread it evenly using your clean hands.
- Sprinkle cinnamon on top of the brown sugar and spread it evenly using your hands.
- Top it with the cooled apple pie filling and spread evenly it out with a spoon. Roll the dough tightly into a log and pinch the edges of the dough to keep the roll sealed tightly.
- Use a serrated knife or unflavored dental floss and cut the rolls into 12 even rolls.
- Place the rolls in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking pan, cover with a towel and let the rolls rise until doubled in size.
- Remove the towel, and bake the rolls in a 180c (350f) oven for 20-25 minutes or until the tops of the rolls are a bit browned. Don't overbake these so they won't dry out.
Make the glaze
- In a medium-sized bowl, add the softened cream cheese, softened butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Mix with a spoon or a tiny whisk until creamy and smooth.
- Top the warm rolls with the cream cheese glaze and serve!
Notes
- Use room temperature ingredients. When your eggs, milk, and butter are at room temp, they blend into the dough more smoothly and evenly. This helps your dough rise properly and bake up soft and fluffy.
- Measure your flour the right way. Don’t scoop the flour straight from the bag with your measuring cup. It packs it down and gives you too much. Instead, fluff the flour with a spoon, spoon it into the cup, and level it off with the back of a knife.
- Don’t overheat the milk. If your milk is too hot (over 110°F / 43°C), it can kill the yeast. Warm milk should feel like a comfy bath—just slightly warm to the touch.
- Check that your yeast is active. If you’re unsure about your yeast, test it by mixing 1 teaspoon of yeast with ¼ cup of warm water and a pinch of sugar. If it gets bubbly after 10 minutes, it’s good to go.
- Be patient with the rise. Give the dough time to rise until it’s doubled (or even tripled) in size. This step is key to making the rolls light and airy.
- Flour your surface, not the dough. When rolling out your dough, lightly flour your surface to prevent sticking, but avoid adding too much flour to the dough itself, or it can become dense.
- Use super soft butter for the filling. The butter should be spreadable but not melted. This helps coat the dough evenly and keeps the cinnamon-sugar filling from leaking out.
- Roll the dough evenly and snug. Roll it up tightly but gently so the cinnamon swirl stays inside and the rolls bake evenly. Pinch the edge to seal the log before slicing.
- Cut the rolls with floss. Use unflavored dental floss or a serrated knife to cut your rolls cleanly without squishing them out of shape.
- Don’t overbake. Take the rolls out when they’re golden on top but still soft in the center. Overbaking will dry them out—go for gooey and tender instead!
Comments
No Comments