Cinnamon Rolls with Apple Pie Filing
Pillowy cinnamon rolls with apple pie filling, and topped with a perfect vanilla buttercream frosting. They're irresistibly soft, and even better with the cinnamon sugar apple inside.
Ingredients
Apple Pie Filling
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 3 medium apples peeled and diced very small
- ¼ cup (55 g) brown sugar
- 2 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) nutmeg
Cinnamon Roll Dough
- ½ cup (122 g) milk warm
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon yeast I use active dry yeast
- 2 large eggs room temp
- 6 tablespoon butter softened
- ¾ teaspoon (0.75 teaspoon) salt
- 2½-3 cups (343.75 g) bread flour all-purpose can be used also
For the Filling
- 2-3 tablespoon (2 tablespoon) butter softened
- ½ cup (110 g) light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
- 4 tablespoon butter softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1½ cups (180 g) powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoon cream or milk
- pinch of salt
Instructions
Apple Pie Filling
- To make filling, add butter to a medium saucepan and heat over medium heat until melted. Add apples, brown sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg and stir to combine.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool. Place in an airtight container and stick in the fridge until ready to use.
Cinnamon Rolls
- Pour milk, sugar and yeast into a large mixing bowl, stir together with a wooden spoon or dough whisk and let sit 10-15 minutes or until yeast is bubbly.
- Add butter and eggs and mix together again.
- Add salt and 2 cups of flour and mix. Continue adding flour in ½ cup increments until dough forms a ball and pulls away from sides of the bowl.
- Pour dough out onto a floured surface and knead for 3- 5 minutes, incorporating more flour if needed. Dough should not be sticky, but more of a soft and tacky feel.
- Place dough in greased bowl, cover with a cloth and let rise until doubled in size, about 1½ hours.
- Punch dough down and roll onto a floured surface. I try for a rectangle thats about 14x18.
- Spread the room temperature butter into a thin and even layer, leaving about ½ inch on the bottom of the dough untouched so it can hold together.
- Sprinkle with the brown sugar, being careful for to tear the dough while you spread it. Then top with cinnamon.
- Remove apple pie filling and place the apples on top of the brown sugar/cinnamon.
- Working from the long 18 inch end of the dough, tightly roll it up into a log. Place your hands at each end of the side and give it a gentle squeeze to help compact the dough. It may have stretched out a bit during the rolling process so this brings it back together.
- Cut the dough into 12 rolls total. I like to make little marking first to help make sure they are all about the same size.
- Place the rolls in a greased 9×13 pan (you could also use two 9″ round pans, placing 6 rolls in each). It’s OK if all of the rolls are touching. *If wanting to bake the following day read notes down below for instructions.
- Place in a warm spot, cover and let rise again until doubled in size. This takes about 45-60 minutes depending on how warm it is. You can always put them in your oven with the light on to help with warmth, but make sure you take them out to preheat your oven.
- Preheat oven to 375 F.
- Bake for 14-18 minutes or until the tops are a light golden brown. While they cool, make the frosting.
To make the frosting:
- Mix all frosting ingredients together until smooth and creamy. You might need to add a little bit more powdered sugar or milk to get your desired consistency.
- Let rolls cool a bit before frosting or it will melt.
Notes
You can used canned apple pie filling if preferred. Just drain off most of the liquid filling and dice the apples very small.
OVERNIGHT CINNAMON ROLLS – After cutting and placing the rolls in the pan, cover in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator overnight. Before baking the next day, allow the rolls to rest at room temperature (covered) for about 45 minutes. They may not puff up but that’s OK. Follow the same baking instructions. I love doing this to have fresh rolls the morning of a holiday.
If you want to bake the rolls the night before you want to eat them, rewarm in the oven at 275 F for about 8-10 minutes.
I have used water instead of milk before and it works too. Not as rich of a dough, but great none the less.
I have given both cups and grams as measurements. Grams will be more precise, especially when measuring flour. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, no problem! Just lightly spoon flour into your measuring cup to insure its not packed in there. Light and fluffy is the key.
Nutrition
Calories: 396kcalCarbohydrates: 62gProtein: 5gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 68mgSodium: 273mgPotassium: 138mgFiber: 2gSugar: 38gVitamin A: 501IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 51mgIron: 1mg
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