Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls

These cinnamon rolls with apple pie filling are soft, gooey, and delicious. These enriched rolls are filled with the traditional brown sugar cinnamon roll filling, with a cooked apple pie filling, and topped with a cream cheese frosting.

I love a cinnamon roll and love apple pie filling - so an apple cinnamon roll is the perfect marriage of these two classics. And if you are a fan of blueberries - I have a great blueberry cinnamon roll recipe as well.

Ingredients

Here are some notes on the ingredients used in this recipe. Please see the recipe card for quantities.

Apples - I like to use an apple with a bit of tartness. My favorite is Pink Lady's or Braebrun apples.

The filling and bread dough are sweetened with white granulated sugar. You can substitute this with brown sugar if you want.

Light brown sugar or dark brown sugar for the cinnamon filling.

Corn starch thickens the apple pie filling, making sure it doesn't just sit in the bottom of the baking dish. This is also known as corn flour or maizena.

Butter adds richness and flavor to the bread dough, the apple pie filling as well as the cinnamon filling. I use New Zealand butter which is similar to European butter.

Bread flour (high-grade flour or strong flour) is used for the bread dough, but this can be replaced with a good all-purpose flour.

Active dry yeast gives these sweet yeasted cinnamon rolls their lift. This can be replaced with instant yeast.

Eggs add richness and flavor to the cinnamon rolls. I use a size 6 egg which is a medium US/Euro egg and a large Aus/SA egg.

Milk also adds richness to the bread dough. I typically use whole milk or full-fat milk, but you can get away with a lower-fat version. 

Cream cheese (I use Philadephia block cream cheese, full-fat) for all my cream cheese frostings.

Ground cinnamon gives the warm flavors to the apple pie filling and the cinnamon sugar. I also like to add a bit of mixed spice (or a pumpkin spice mix) to add a bit of depth to the flavor.

Icing sugar or powdered sugar for the frosting or icing.

Salt is a crucial ingredient in all baked goods. I use table salt in all my recipes. One teaspoon of table salt equals 1.5 teaspoons of Morton Kosher Salt equals 2 teaspoons of Diamond Crystal.

Reduced-Sugar Variation

These apple cinnamon rolls do contain a fair amount of sugar. And if you were going to reduce the sugar, I would half the frosting.

Small-Batch Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls

For 6 apple cinnamon rolls, simply half the recipe using the "½x" button on the recipe card. I usually use a 7"x10" (26cmx 18cm) casserole dish for a half batch of apple pie cinnamon rolls.

Step-By-Step Instructions

Step 1 - Warm up the milk until it is lukewarm. Add in the sugar and yeast and mix until the sugar is completely dissolved. Once the mixture is foamy, the yeast is alive.

Step 2 - Combine the flour and salt in a bowl of a stand mixer. Mix the salt through the flour.

Step 3 - Add the milk mixture and melted butter to the flour. Mix on a low speed with the dough hook for 10 minutes until the dough passes the window pan test. Take a small piece of dough and stretch it out until the dough is thin and you can see light through it. If the dough tears easily, it needs to be kneaded further.

Step 4 - Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and allow to proof for an hour to an hour and a half, or until the dough has risen at least 50% in size.

Step 6 - For the brown sugar filling, combine the brown sugar, spices, and butter in a heat-proof bowl and microwave until the butter has melted. Whisk until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is smooth and shiny. Set aside and allow to cool.

Step 7 - To make the apple pie filling, combine the peeled and diced apples, sugar, butter, salt, cinnamon, and mixed spice in a skillet or large frying pan. Cook over medium heat until the apples are tender. Add in the cornstarch and stir until combined and the mixture is nice and thick. Set aside to cool.

Step 8 - Once the dough has been proofed, roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle about 35cm by 50cm big.

Step 9 - Spread the brown sugar filling over the dough using a spatula or the back of a spoon. 

Step 10 - Spread the apple pie filling over the dough.

Step 11 - Beginning on the long side of the dough, roll the dough up tightly. Pinch the seams together to seal in the filling along the length of the dough. Cut the roll into 12 equal portions using a sharp knife, or bench scraper.

Step 12 - Place the rolls cut side down into your baking dish (9"x13" -23cm x 33cm- rectangular cake tin) leaving about 2 - 3 cm of space between the rolls to allow them to rise.

Step 13 - Cover the rolls with a tea towel and allow to proof for 30 to 60 minutes. Preheat the oven to 180°C/355F. Bake the rolls for 25 - 30 minutes.

Step 14 - While the buns are baking, let the butter and cream cheese come to room temperature, you may need to pop them into the microwave for 10 seconds if they are too cold for creaming.

Step 15 - Add the icing sugar and lemon juice, and whip until well combined using either a stand mixer, electric mixer, or whisk. If the icing sugar is too thick, add 1-2 tablespoons of milk if needed.

Step 16 - The cinnamon rolls with apple pie filling can be frosted as soon as they come out of the oven or they can be cooled first.

Step 17 - Serve warm or at room temp! Enjoy.

Pro Tips for this Recipe

• You can make the apple pie filling, cinnamon sugar filling, and the frosting the day before you make the cinnamon rolls with apple pie filling.
• Cover your hands with a touch of vegetable oil before handling the dough, preventing it from sticking to your hands.
• Rising and proof times depend on how warm the environment of the bread is. If it's chilly, place the bread dough somewhere warm to rise. Keep in mind that using a stand mixer to knead the dough will result in warmer dough overall and will accelerate the first rise.
• Make sure your oven is fully preheated!

BTW - this apple pie filling would make a great pancake filling!