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oval baking dish with 6 cinnamon rolls in it, half with icing half without

Fluffy Cinnamon Rolls with Apple Pie Filling

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This recipe is simply the best of both worlds. Light, fluffy and gooey Cinnamon Rolls with an Apple Pie Filling. What more could you want... really? These cinnamon buns are cozy, comforting, and smothered with a creamy icing that takes this breakfast treat to the next level. Plus, I’ve included my tips for making the best cinnamon rolls with yeast.
Course Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert
Cuisine American
Diet Vegetarian
Keyword Apple, Apple Pie, Cinnamon Roll
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Resting Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 5 minutes
Servings 6 rolls
Author Marley Goldin

Ingredients

Cinnamon Rolls

  • ¼ cup warm water
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast 2 ¼ teaspoons usually = 1 packet
  • 2 ¾ cup all-purpose flour + more for flouring the surface to knead
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • ½ cup milk any unsweetened, unflavored
  • 1 large egg

Apple Pie Filling

Icing

  • 1 cup powdered sugar confectioner's sugar
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 tablespoons milk any unsweetened, unflavored

Instructions

Cinnamon Rolls

  • In a small mixing bowl, whisk together warm water, brown sugar, and yeast. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and set aside to activate. You will know your yeast is activated when little bubbles appear on the surface of the mixture.
    ¼ cup warm water, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast
    Activating yeast in warm water
  • In a separate large mixing bowl, stir together flour, sugar, salt, butter, milk, and egg.
    2 ¾ cup all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, ½ teaspoon salt, 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, ½ cup milk, 1 large egg
    Adding cinnamon roll ingredients to a large mixing bowl
  • Once your yeast is activated, add it to the large mixing bowl with the other ingredients and stir until it comes together. You may need to use your hands.
    Adding activated yeast mixture to cinnamon roll dough
  • Cover a clean, flat surface with flour, and knead your dough for 3 minutes. Your dough will be sticky, continue to add flour to your hands and the surface as needed.
    kneading cinnamon roll dough on a floured surface
  • Place your dough back in the bowl and cover with a clean kitchen towel to rise for about ten minutes. Meanwhile, make your apple pie filling.
    Covering cinnamon roll dough with clean kitchen towel to rise

Apple Pie Filling

  • In a medium-sized mixing bowl, use a whisk or hand mixer to cream together butter, sugar, and cinnamon.
    3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, ¼ cup brown sugar, 1 tablespoon cinnamon
    Creaming together butter, sugar, and cinnamon
  • Peel and cut your apples around the core, then dice them into small pieces. Fold the apple bits into your butter/sugar/cinnamon mixture, and stir until evenly coated.
    2 large apples, peeled and diced
    Apple pie filling ready for cinnamon rolls
  • Once your dough has doubled in size, add more flour to your surface and use a floured rolling pin to roll the dough out into a rectangular shape, roughly 9 x 12 inches.
    rolling out cinnamon roll dough into rectangle
  • Pour your apple pie filling onto your dough and use a spatula to spread it out evenly over the surface, leaving about 1/2 inch margin on all sides.
    Pouring apple pie filling onto cinnamon roll dough
  • Working from the shorter side, use two hands to start to tightly roll your dough away from you, until you're left with a cylinder, about 12 inches long.
    Tightly rolling up cinnamon buns
  • Slice your cylinder into 6 equal parts, about 2 inches wide to create 6 individual cinnamon rolls.
    Slicing individual cinnamon rolls
  • Add your cinnamon rolls to a baking dish (I used a 13.5-inch oval, but you can also use an 11.5-inch square or 13 x 9-inch rectangular dish), leaving about an inch in between each roll.
    Adding cinnamon rolls to baking dish to rise
  • Cover with a clean kitchen towel and allow the rolls to rest for about 90 minutes or until they double in size. Note: You will notice some liquid in your pan from the juice in the apples, but that's okay! It will add moisture to your cinnamon rolls when the dough soaks it up. This should not cause them to be soggy.
    Cinnamon rolls doubling in size
  • Preheat your oven to 375°F and bake for 15-25 minutes until the tops of your rolls are golden brown.

Icing

  • In a medium-sized mixing bowl, add your powdered sugar and vanilla extract and use a whisk or hand mixer to combine.
    1 cup powdered sugar, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
    Sifting powdered sugar to make apple pie cinnamon roll glaze
  • While you are mixing, slowly start to add in your milk until your form a thick glaze. You want it to easily run off of your whisk without being too liquidy. Note: you may not need all 3 tablespoons of milk.
    3 tablespoons milk
    Checking consistency of cinnamon roll icing
  • Allow your cinnamon rolls with apple pie filling to cool for about 10 minutes before adding your icing. Enjoy!
    Pouring glaze over apple pie cinnamon rolls

Video

Notes

  • Any type of apple will work in this recipe, but my favorites are more tart apples, like Granny Smith or Pink Lady.
  • Apple Pie fan? You'll love this Mouth-Watering Drunken Apple Pie recipe with Bourbon Drizzle!