Apple Cinnamon Rolls With Apple Pie Filling
These apple cinnamon rolls with apple pie filling are soft and gooey in the center and topped with cream cheese frosting.
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!
Nutrition
Calories: 577kcalCarbohydrates: 104gProtein: 9gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 14gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 89mgSodium: 496mgPotassium: 222mgFiber: 4gSugar: 36gVitamin A: 806IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 97mgIron: 3mg
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