Indulge in the ultimate comfort food with these apple cinnamon rolls. Imagine soft, pillowy dough swirled with a generous layer of brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon, then studded with chunks of tart tender Granny Smith apples. Once baked to golden perfection, these delectable treats are bathed in a luscious apple cider frosting that adds a touch of tangy indulgence.
But what makes these Apple Cinnamon Rolls truly special is the homemade apple filling. It's a simple mixture of diced apples, butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon, but it packs a punch of flavor that elevates these rolls to a whole new level. The Granny Smith apples add a delightful tartness that balances the sweetness of the cinnamon sugar, and touch of complexity to the cinnamon roll.
This recipe is inspired by my Pecan Cinnamon Roll recipe, which is made with an enriched dough containing butter and eggs in addition to the whole milk. The combination of those ingredients creates an exceptionally soft and tender cinnamon roll dough.
Apple Cinnamon Roll Ingredients
- Unbleached All-Purpose Flour: Flour provides the dough structure. All-purpose flour is best for these cinnamon rolls. Do not use cake flour as it does not have enough protein. I have not tested these cinnamon rolls with bread flour, so I recommend not using it.
- Active Dry Yeast: Yeast is what causes the dough to rise. If you haven’t made a yeast bread in a while check the expiration date on your package. See my recipe notes below on how to check if the yeast is still good. I have not tried this recipe with instant yeat.
- Unsalted Butter: This is an enriched dough, meaning it has fat that adds flavor and helps guarantee softness. Salted butter can make the dough too salty, so make sure to use unsalted butter.
- Heavy Cream: Heavy cream is poured over the cinnamon rolls right before they go in the oven. As the cinnamon rolls bake the cream combines with the cinnamon filling to create an extra gooey filling.
- Cinnamon Roll Filling: The cinnamon roll filling is a classic combination of butter, cinnamon and sugar. I use a lot of cinnamon in my recipe because I want that flavor to come through. If you can find it, use Ceylon cinnamon which has a distinctive taste.
- Apple Filling: The apple filling is the other great part of this recipe. The fillling is made with a combination of cooked Granny Smith Apples, unsalted butter, dark brown sugar, ground cardamom, and lots of ground cinnamon. The apples are cooked in the butter, sugar, and spices before adding it to the dough. Cooking the apples first allows me to infuse them with flavor and the texture matches the soft dogh. I prefer Granny Smith because the tart taste goes really well with the sweet filling and the enriched dough.
Full ingredients, measurements, and instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How to Make Apple Cinnamon Rolls
Start by making the apple filling so that it is completely cooled by the time they're added to the cinnamon roll filling. The apple filling can be made up to 1 week in advance.
Step 1: Peel and chop the apples into small chunks. Use Granny Smith apples or another type of tart apple such as Honey crisp.
Step 2: Cook the apples in a combination of butter and brown sugar until all the liquid has cooked off and the apples have started to brown.
The apples are cooked before adding them to the cinnamon roll filling because apples have a lot of water and we want to cook off that water before adding them to the filling.
If the apples weren't cooked first then the water would cooked off while the cinnamon rolls were baking and it would take longer for the center of the rolls to properly cook.
Cooking the apples first also allows us to add flavor to the apples (cinnamon and nutmeg) and ensure that the final texture of the apples is similar to the texture of the dough.
Step 3: Remove the apples from the heat and pour them into a bowl. Let the apples cool to room temperature before adding them to the cinnamon roll dough.
Step 4: Measure out all the cinnamon roll ingredients before you start mixing the dough. This step will ensure you don’t mismeasure and once you start the mixer you won’t have to stop to measure out an ingredient.
Step 5: Over medium heat, heat your milk to 180 degrees F in a small saucepan. Once it reaches temperature, remove it from the heat and add the butter and gently stir together until the butter melts. Cool the milk mixture to 120 to 130 degrees F.
Step 6: While the milk is cooling place half the flour, all of the sugar, yeast, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk together.
Step 7: With the mixer on low speed and using the paddle attachment, slowly add the warm milk to the dry ingredients.
Step 8: Next add the eggs and mix until the eggs are incorporated. Add the remaining flour and mix until that flour is incorporated.
Step 9: Switch to the dough hook and knead the dough on low speed until it is soft, and elastic (springs back when poked with your finger), and the dough passes the window pan test.
Windowpane Test
Take a small piece of dough, about 2 tablespoons, or the size of a golf ball. Slowly stretch the dough into a square, until the dough is thin enough for light to pass through. If you can stretch the dough this thin without tearing, then the dough has been kneaded enough and is ready for its first rise.
Step 10: Remove the dough from the bowl and knead it for 30 seconds into a smooth round bowl. Place it in a lightly oiled ceramic bowl or glass bowl.
Step 11: Let the dough rise until doubled in bulk, about 60-90 minutes. When the dough has doubled, punch it down with your first.
Step 12: On a lightly floured surface roll the dough out to a 12x19-inch rectangle. Use your hands to gently pull the corners of the dough outward into a square shape.
Step 13: Spread the cinnamon-sugar mixture over the dough, then spread the cooked apples on top of the cinnamon-sugar filling.
Step 14: Roll the dough into a cylinder. Trim the ends, then cut the cylinder into 12 even pieces.
Step 15: Place the cinnamon rolls into the prepared baking pan. Cover the pan with plastic wrap, and let the cinnamon rolls rise until almost doubled in size.
Step 16: When the cinnamon rolls are ready, preheat the oven, and pour the warm heavy cream over the rolls.
Before adding the heavy cream to the rolls, warm the cream to 90°F, which is about 30 seconds in the microwave. Don't pour cold cream over the cinnamon rolls. The cream and dough should be near the same temperature when they go into the oven.
Step 17: Bake the cinnamon rolls until they are dark golden brown, have risen, and the internal temperature of one of the rolls in the center registers 190°F (88°C) using an instant-read thermometer.
Remove the rolls from the oven, and put them on a wire rack. Let the cinnamon rolls cool for 15 minutes then spread the cinnamon roll icing over the warm rolls.
Step 18: While the cinnamon rolls are baking make your cinnamon roll icing. You can make this icing by hand or with a handheld mixer.
Step 19: Add half the frosting to the rolls after the cinnamon rolls come out of the oven. Wait for the rolls to slightly cool and add the remaining frosting.
Why Heavy Cream Makes Cinnamon Rolls Ooey Gooey
The trick to making these cinnamon rolls extra tender is the addition of heavy cream right before baking the cinnamon rolls.
As the cinnamon rolls bake, the cream heats up and soaks into the rolls, adding moisture and making them more tender. The remaining fat and sugar in the cream, caramelizes and mixes with the cinnamon filling to create a sticky syrup that coats the bottom of the rolls.
Pro Tips for Making This Recipe
- Use a kitchen scale: Use a scale to measure your flour to ensure you're adding the right amount. Too much flour will result in dry cinnamon rolls and too little flour the dough will be too soft and not hold its shape.
- Don't kill the yeast: If your milk/butter mixture is too hot, it will kill the yeast and you won’t really notice until you’re far into the recipe and the rolls don't rise! Use an instant-read thermometer to make sure the milk/butter temperature is 120–130°F (49–54°C).
- Use a sharp knife to cut the rolls, so they don’t squish down. Cut slowly through the rolls using a sawing motion.
- Instant-Read Thermometer: This tool is so helpful for checking the temperature of the milk, but also for ensuring the cinnamon rolls are done. An instant-read thermometer is a handy tool for this baking recipe and many others.
If you make these delicious cinnamon rolls please leave a rating and a comment below.
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Soft Gooey Apple Cinnamon Rolls with Tart Apple Filling
Equipment
- Instant-read thermometer
Ingredients
Apple Filling
- 4 or 5 large Granny Smith apples about 800 grams before peeling and chopping
- 2 tablespoons (28 grams) unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons (38 grams) packed dark brown sugar
- 1-1/2 teaspoons (4 grams) ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
Cinnamon Roll Dough
- 5 cups (625 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour divided
- 1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon (10 grams) active dry yeast
- 1/3 cup (63 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (240 ml) whole milk
- 1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter plus 1 tablespoon for buttering the baking dish
- 3 large (150 grams) eggs room temperature
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) heavy cream
Cinnamon Filling
- 1 1/2 cups (300 grams) packed dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons (16 grams) ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 12 tablespoons (169 grams) unsalted butter softened (70-75°F)
Cinnamon Roll Icing
- 1 cup (240 ml) apple cider
- 1-1/2 cups (170 grams) powdered sugar sifted
- 8 tablespoons (113 grams) unsalted butter softened (70-75°F)
Instructions
Make the Apple Filling
- Peel the apples. With the apples in the upright position and the stem pointing skyward, cut down and around the cores to remove the flesh in 4 lobes (you’ll be left with a square-shaped core). Cut the lobes into 1-inch chunks.
- Melt the butter in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add all the apples and sprinkle the brown sugar on top of the apples. Increase the heat to high heat and stir the sugar into the apples. Let the apples come to a boil and let them boil until the all the juice from the apples has evaporated. If the apples begin to brown before the liquid has boiled off, reduce the heat to medium-high.
- Once the liquid has boiled off, reduce the heat to medium-high and cook the apples until they begin to caramelize, and they turn light brown from the caramelization. When about half the apples are caramelized, reduce the heat to low and sprinkle the cinnamon and cardamom over the apples. Stir the spices into the apples and cook the apples for 1 minute.
- Pour the apples into a heatproof container, making sure to scrape all the bottom of the skillet to get all the juices. Cool to room temperature before adding them to the cinnamon roll filling.
- The apple filling can be made up to a week in advance. If not using the filling the same day it is made, refrigerate it in an airtight container, and bring to room temperature before adding it to the cinnamon roll filling.
Make the Cinnamon Roll Dough
- Butter the bottom and sides of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon of butter. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper. If you’re using a USA Pan baking pan or a similar pan with nonstick coating, you won’t need to line it with parchment.
- Cut the remaining butter into 8 pieces. Heat the milk in a small saucepan to 180°F (82℃). Remove the saucepan from the heat, add the butter and gently stir until the butter is almost completely melted and there are just 1 or 2 small pieces left. Pour the mixture into a 1 cup measuring cup and cool it to 120–130°F (49-54°C).
- Crack the eggs into a small bowl and whisk them together.
- Place 2-1/2 cups of the flour, the salt, yeast, and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. When you add the yeast and salt to the bowl, make sure to add them on opposite sides of the bowl. You don’t want the yeast and salt to come in direct contact. Whisk the ingredients together.
- With the paddle attachment and the mixer on low speed (speed 2 on a KitchenAid mixer) slowly add the warm milk to the dry ingredients. When all the milk is added slowly pour the eggs into the bowl as the mixer is running.
- When the eggs are fully incorporated and there are no bits of flour left, add the remaining flour in 5 batches. You can use a large spoon or a measuring cup for this step. As soon as all the flour is mixed in, switch to the dough hook. Make sure to remove as much dough as possible from the paddle attachment.
- With the dough hook knead the dough on low speed (speed 2 on a KitchenAid) until the dough is smooth, elastic and clears the sides of the bowl, 13-15 minutes. The dough should not stick to your finger when you poke it with your finger, and it should pass the windowpane test.
- For the windowpane test, take a small piece of dough, about the size of a golf ball and gently stretch it into a square. Keep on stretching it until it becomes a thin enough for light to pass through it without tearing. If the dough tears, knead for 2 more minutes and perform the windowpane test again.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly floured counter and knead by hand to form a smooth, round ball, about 30 seconds. Lightly spray a large bowl or an 8-cup glass measuring cup with non-stick spray or brush it with vegetable oil. Place the dough seam side down in the oiled container and cover tightly with plastic wrap.
- Place the dough in a warm spot let it rise until doubled in volume, about 60-90 minutes. If you kitchen is cold see my note below for creating your own proofing box.
- NOTE: I recommend using the 8-cup measuring cup because the markings on the side are a good indicator of when the dough has doubled.
- When the dough has risen gently turn the dough onto a floured surface. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a 12 x 19-inch rectangle. As you roll out the dough roll it out from the center, so the dough is even thickness throughout. If the dough keeps springing back on you and is difficult to roll out, let it rest for 10 minutes and then try rolling it out again. Use your hands to gently stretch the corners of the dough so they are as square as possible.
- Use an offset spatula spread the cinnamon-sugar filling across the dough and leave an 1/2-inch border. Spread the cooled cooked apples over the cinnamon filling. With the long side of the dough square facing you, roll the dough into a tight cylinder. Roll the dough until the seam is face down. Trim the ends so the cylinder is 18 inches long.
- Use a ruler to mark the dough and with a sharp knife cut 12 rolls 1 1/2-inches wide each.
- Place the rolls in the buttered pan evenly spaced from each other and the sides of the pan. Cover the rolls with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour. If your kitchen is still cool you can recreate the proofing box in your oven.
- When the rolls look doubled in size check them by gently and lightly poking a puffy corner with the knuckle of your index finger. If the dough springs back it is ready.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180℃). Right before the rolls are placed in the oven, heat 1/2 cup of heavy cream in the microwave until it is about 90°F (32℃). With a pastry brush, brush the top of the rolls with the cream. Slowly pour the remaining cream over the rolls. The cream mixture will settle on the bottom of the pan.
- Bake the cinnamon rolls for 30-35 minutes until the cinnamon rolls have risen and they are dark golden brown. Use an instant-read thermometer to check the internal temperature of one of the rolls in the center. It should register 190℉ (88℃).
- Remove the cinnamon rolls from the oven and place the pan on a wire rack to cool.
- While the rolls are cooling make the cinnamon roll glaze (see the recipe below). Let the rolls cool for 15 minutes, then spread the glaze over the rolls while they are still warm.
Cinnamon Roll Filling
- For the cinnamon roll filling the butter needs to really soft. Your finger will make an imprint with zero resistance.
- Place the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a large bowl and whisk the ingredients together. Break up any clumps of brown sugar with your fingers.
- Cut the butter into 8 pieces and add it to the dry ingredients. With a fork or your fingers mix the butter into the sugar-cinnamon mixture until the ingredients are well combined.
Cinnamon Roll Icing
- Pour the cider into a small saucepan, bring it to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-high, and cook until it is reduced to 3 tablespoons. Pour the cider into a heatproof container (cup or bowl) and let it cool to room temperature before using it in the icing.
- Place the powdered sugar, unsalted butter, and 2 tablespoons of the reduced apple cider in large bowl. With a handheld mixer, mix the ingredient first on low speed then on medium speed until the ingredients are combined and glaze is smooth.
- While the rolls are baking. Place the powdered sugar and the freeze-dried apples in the food processor bowl. Process until the freeze-dried apples are reduced to fine bits. You might need to rub the powdered sugar mixture between your fingers to check the size of the apple pieces. Scrape it into the bowl, add the butter and use a fork to combine the butter and the powdered sugar mixture. Add the cream 4 tablespoons at a time until the glaze has a smooth and thick consistency.
- Spread half of the mixture over the cinnamon rolls 10 minutes after they come out of the oven. The glaze will melt into the cinnamon rolls. When the rolls have cooled (but still slightly warm) spread the remaining icing on the rolls.
- Serve the rolls warms or at room temperature.
Storage
- Room Temperature: The cinnamon rolls are good at room temperature for up to 2 days. Cover the pan with plastic wrap or place the rolls in a large container with a lid.
- Refrigerator: The cinnamon rolls can be stored in the refrigerator for up 1 week in an airtight container. Don’t place the rolls uncovered in the refrigerator or they’ll dry out.
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