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Apple Cinnamon Rolls

Apple cinnamon rolls made with a soft, risen yeast dough and a caramelized apple filling. Rolled into spirals, baked until golden, then finished with a tangy cream cheese glaze drizzle.
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Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
rising 2 hours
Total Time 3 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Calories: 340
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the dough
  • 0.75 cup warm milk 110F
  • 2.25 tsp active dry yeast
  • 0.25 cup granulated sugar
  • 0.33 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp salt
For the apple filling
  • 3 medium apples, peeled and finely diced
  • 0.5 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.25 tsp nutmeg
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
For cream cheese glaze
  • 4 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 3 tbsp milk
  • 0.5 tsp vanilla extract

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 cast iron skillet
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Bloom and mix the dough
  1. Combine warm milk and active dry yeast, then let sit 5 minutes until foamy, at room temperature.
  2. Add granulated sugar, melted butter, eggs, and vanilla extract, and mix to combine before incorporating all-purpose flour and salt until a soft dough forms.
Knead and rise
  1. Knead the dough for 8 minutes until smooth, then place it in a greased bowl and cover.
  2. Let the dough rise for 1 hour until doubled in size before continuing.
Cook and cool the apple filling
  1. Cook diced apples with unsalted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a skillet for 5-7 minutes until softened and caramelized.
  2. Cool the caramelized apple filling completely so it doesn’t melt the dough when assembled.
Shape and final rise
  1. Roll the dough into a 12x18 inch rectangle and spread the apple filling evenly over the surface.
  2. Roll tightly from the long side, then cut into 12 equal rolls.
  3. Arrange the rolls in a greased 9x13 baking dish, cover, and rise for 45 minutes until puffy.
Bake and glaze
  1. Bake at 375F for 22-25 minutes until golden, using a visible golden color cue at the edges.
  2. Beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth, then drizzle over warm rolls.

Notes

For clean slicing, trim any uneven ends before cutting and use a gentle sawing motion. Store covered at room temperature up to 2 days or refrigerate up to 5 days; rewarm 10-15 minutes in a 325F oven. Freeze baked rolls (glaze after thawing) up to 2 months. For a lighter option, swap half the powdered sugar in the glaze with powdered sugar substitute while keeping the texture smooth.