With a tender and flaky homemade dough, easy Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls are your new favorite fall baked good. Top them with a sweet and decadent icing for a delicious treat that's perfect for the season!
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Combining two classic desserts, these apple cinnamon rolls are all the deliciousness of American apple pie in an indulgent iced pastry.
And if you can't get enough fantastic fall treats, try my Apple Cinnamon Roll Casserole or a batch of classic Apple Cider Donuts.
Why This Recipe Works
If you're searching for the perfect fall dessert, these incredible apple pie cinnamon rolls are the obvious choice! This recipe includes a super easy homemade pastry dough, nostalgic apple filling, and sweet icing.
The result is a fantastic mashup of two incredible baked treats. Great for fall baking or to serve as a super special sweet brunch, these homemade cinnamon rolls are worth getting your hands a little sticky!
And if you can't get enough fantastic fall treats, try my Apple Cinnamon Roll Casserole or a batch of classic Apple Cider Donu
Ingredients Needed
For the Dough
- Milk: Whole milk works well, but feel free to try a dairy-free substitute as well.
- Apple Cider: I recommend using the real stuff.
- Active Dry Yeast: Using instant yeast makes homemade dough a breeze!
- Egg: Adds the perfect texture and consistency to the dough.
- Granulated Sugar: Adds sweetness and feeds the yeast.
- Butter: Both salted and unsalted will work.
- All Purpose Flour: You could also substitute pastry flour or whole wheat flour if you want a slightly healthier result.
- Salt: Balances out the sweetness.
- Apples: Granny Smith apples tend to be the best for baking, but you can try another variety if you prefer.
- Brown Sugar: I use dark.
- Cinnamon: Adds the perfect punch of flavor!
- Cream Cheese: Softened to room temperature.
- Vanilla Extract
- Powdered Sugar: Note, this is different than the white sugar you'll be using for the dough!
How to Make Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls
- Step 1: Combine the milk and cider in a small saucepan and heat to 110 degrees (use a digital thermometer for accuracy).
- Step 2: Pour the liquid into the bowl of a stand mixer and add yeast and sugar, then let the mixture sit.
- Step 3: Once the dough has started to foam, add remaining sugar, softened butter, and egg. Mix using the dough hook attachment at low speed for a minute or so.
- Step 4: Add dry ingredients (flour and salt) and mix for about 5 minutes, until the dough forms a single mixture.
- Step 5: Transfer the dough to a large bowl that's been oiled or sprayed with cooking spray. Cover with a kitchen towel and allow the dough to rise until it's doubled in size.
- Step 6: Punch down the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll it out to about 12 inches by 18 inches.
- Step 7: In a separate mixing bowl, combine diced apples, brown sugar, and cinnamon.
- Step 8: Spread softened butter over the cinnamon roll dough, then top with the apple mixture.
- Step 9: Roll the dough into a log and use a sharp knife to cut into 12 even pieces.
- Step 10: Arrange the cinnamon rolls in a large skillet (a cast iron skillet works well) and allow the dough to do a second rise for another half hour, then bake.
- Step 11: Meanwhile, combine all of the ingredients for the frosting in another large mixing bowl.
- Step 12: Once the cinnamon rolls come out of the oven, allow them to cool slightly then top with icing and enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- For more even cutting, first cut the rolled dough right in the middle. Then make five cuts on either side to create two sets of six. You can trim the ends if you want a cleaner edge.
- Be sure to give your dough plenty of time to rise--don't skip that step! It can turn out overly dense or gummy in the middle if it doesn't develop properly.
- Covered in a towel or some plastic wrap, your cinnamon roll dough will rise without any help. Keeping it in a slightly warmer place might help speed up the process a little bit.
- I recommend enjoying these on the day you make them, but they can be stored in an airtight container for 3 days or so in the fridge.
Recipe FAQ's
I love the tart and sweet flavor of Granny Smith apples for baking, but some other great options include Honeycrisp, golden delicious, pink lady, or red delicious.
This is an additional ingredient that isn't at all necessary for delicious cinnamon rolls! Adding a bit of heavy cream to the bottom of the skillet can result in a softer and more decadent end product, but if you add too much they may also turn out soggy.
The most common reason is they didn't have enough time to rise.
More Fall Baking Recipes
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Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls
Equipment
Ingredients
For the dough
- ¾ cup milk
- ¼ cup apple cider or juice if cider is not available
- One package of instant rise yeast
- ¼ cup granulated sugar divided
- ¼ cup butter unsalted room temperature
- 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt table
For the filling
- 3 cups Granny Smith apples finely chopped
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 6 tablespoons butter unsalted room temperature
For the Frosting
- 6 tablespoons butter unsalted room temperature
- 4 oz cream cheese room temperature
- 2 tablespoons milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, heat the milk and apple cider to 110 degrees over medium low heat, then pour them into the bowl of a stand mixer with the hook attachment.
- Add 2 tablespoons of the granulated sugar and the yeast package. Let the mixture sit until it starts to foam, about 5 minutes.
- Add the remaining sugar, softened butter, and egg and mix at low speed for about 1 minute.
- Add the flour and salt to the mixture and mix until the dough comes together for about 2-3 minutes.
- Continue to mix/knead for another 5 minutes. The dough should be soft and a bit tacky but not stick to the sides of the bowl. If the dough is too sticky, add one teaspoon of flour.
- Remove the dough from the bowl and shape it into a ball. Place in a large bowl that has been lightly oiled (no more than 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in the bow). Cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and let rise at room temperature until doubled in size, which could take 1 ½ to 2 hours, depending on the weather.
- Grease the bottom of a large cast iron pan or 9x13 baking dish.
- Punch down the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out until it is about ½” thick and about a 12” x 18” rectangle.
- Mix the brown sugar, cinnamon, and chopped apple in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Spread the softened butter over the dough, then top it with the apple sugar mixture, leaving a small amount of space along the long edge of the dough to start the roll.
- Roll up the dough tightly and then cut into 12 pieces.
- Arrange the rolls in the greased cast iron skillet or baking dish, loosely top with plastic, and let rise for about 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees while the dough is rising.
- Bake for 28-30 minutes until they are lightly browned on top.
- While baking, mix the icing by placing the butter and cream cheese in a bowl and mix with an electric mixer until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add in the milk, vanilla. Then, slowly add the powdered sugar until smooth and fluffy.
- Let the cinnamon rolls cool for 10 minutes, then spread icing over the rolls and serve warm.
Notes
- Pro tip: Cut your rolled dough in half, then cut each half section five times for one dozen cinnamon rolls. If you wish, you can trim the ends off slightly so each roll is clean-cut.
- The cinnamon rolls are best enjoyed the day they are baked, but leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- If you don't have a stand mixer stir the ingredients together with a wooden spoon and knead for 5 minutes by hand.
- To make these the day before follow the directions up to step 12. The next morning remove from the refrigerator and allow to rise in a warm place for 1-2 hours then bake.
Yay so happy you enjoyed them Pam 🙂
I made these today. They turned out very good. I put them into a 9x13 pan. It was hard to roll the dough with the apples. Great recipe!