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Apple Cinnamon Rolls Recipe From Scratch [Video]

Shadi HasanzadeNemati

5 from 7 votes

Apr 30, 2019, Updated Jan 21, 2020

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Soft and fluffy apple cinnamon rolls made from scratch. These cinnamon rolls have delicious apples in every bite and they’re great for snacking. 

Love apples as much as we do? Then you’re going to love today’s recipe! We love having apples for breakfast such as apple cinnamon french toast bake or apple pie crepes. They’re also perfect for desserts like cinnamon apply monkey bread or caramel apple cobbler served with so much bubbling caramel. 

Soft and fluffy cinnamon rolls with a tasty filling

These fluffy and soft cinnamon rolls are made with a delicious apple filling. This is a combination of two favorite desserts in one. Apple pie meets cinnamon rolls to make a tasty dessert that feels like heaven in every bite. 

These easy cinnamon apple rolls are perfect for breakfast with a cup of coffee or some tea. It’s a great after school snack and if you’d like to make it for a party or gathering, I’m sure everyone will love it. 

Ingredients for cinnamon rolls recipe with apple

To make a delicious and fluffy apple cinnamon roll recipe, you need a few ingredients:

• Apple, brown sugar and cinnamon 
• Flour, sugar and instant yeast 
• Milk, water, butter and an egg

Easy and simple, this recipe for apple cinnamon rolls is going to be your favorite. It’s all very simple and straightforward. The only thing that you should keep in mind is to keep all the ingredients at room temperature and not use them straight from the fridge. 

How to make apple cinnamon rolls

Start by making the cinnamon roll filling. In a bowl, mix chopped apples with brown sugar and cinnamon. Set aside and start making the dough. Mix flour, sugar and instant active dry yeast in a large bowl. In a sauce pan, pour milk and water and add chunks of butter. Place the sauce pan over medium heat and stir gently until the butter is almost melted. Whisk the egg in a small bowl and add it to the milk and butter mixture while whisking it constantly. 

If the mixture is too hot, let it sit for a few minutes and then add it to the flour mixture. Mix using a wooden spoon until it comes together and then start kneading. If the dough is too sticky then add more flour, one tablespoon at a time. Make sure not to add too much flour. It’s okay if the dough sticks a bit. 

Cover the dough with a clean towel and place it in a warm place to rise for 25 minutes. After 25 minutes, transfer the dough to your working surface that you’ve already sprinkled some flour on and roll it out using a rolling pin into a 12×19 inch rectangle. Place a few chunks of butter on the dough and spread it using a butter knife or a spatula. 

Spread the apples on the dough evenly and in a single layer. Make sure you’re not adding the liquid that the apples released. I like using a lot of apples for this recipe but you can easily use half of this apple mixture and sprinkle some more brown sugar. Roll the dough from the side closest to you and pinch and seal the dough. Using a knife, cut the dough into 12-16 pieces and place each piece in a baking pan coasted with non stick spray or lined with parchment paper. Cover the rolls with a kitchen towel and let them rise for 45 minutes. 

After 30 minutes, preheat the dough to 350°F and once 45 minutes is up, bake the apple cinnamon rolls in the oven for 30 minutes until fully cooked and golden.

You can serve cinnamon rolls with a delicious cream cheese glaze. Let the rolls cool completely before glazing them. 

How long do cinnamon rolls keep?

These cinnamon rolls keep for up to two days at room temperature. You can refrigerate them for up to five days. I like to heat them briefly in the oven before serving them. 

Can I freeze apple cinnamon rolls?

You can freeze the apple cinnamon rolls if they’re not frosted. Cover the pan completely using plastic wrap and freeze for up to a month. To serve, thaw in the fridge and heat in the oven for a few minutes for them to be nice and warm and then frost if needed. 

Notes and tips to make cinnamon rolls with apple

• Have the milk, butter and egg at the room temperature before you start baking. Having every ingredient at room temperature will help them combine better. 
• You can make the dough either in a stand mixer using the dough hook or in a bowl using a spoon and then your hands. 
• Knead the dough for about 7 minutes to make sure it’s in a good shape before the fist rise. 
• When covering the dough will apple and brown sugar, make sure not to use the liquid the apples released as they will make the dough soggy. 
• You can use melted butter instead of soft butter for the filling. 
• As for the dough to rise, I usually put the bowl with the dough in the oven when it’s off and let it sit there for the time. You can also place it in an off microwave or just on the counter. 

5 from 7 votes

Apple cinnamon rolls

By Shadi HasanzadeNemati

Soft and fluffy apple cinnamon rolls made from scratch. These cinnamon rolls have delicious apples in every bite and they’re great for snacking.

Prep: 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Cook: 30 minutes mins

Total: 1 hour hr 40 minutes mins

Servings: 16

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Ingredients 

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Dough:

• ▢ 3-3 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1/4 cup white sugar
• ▢ 1 packet instant active dry yeast
• ▢ 1/2 cup milk
• ▢ 1/2 cup water
• ▢ 4 tbsp. unsalted butter
• ▢ 1 egg, lightly beaten

Filling:

• ▢ 5 tbsp. unsalted butter
• ▢ 1 cup brown sugar
• ▢ 3 granny smith apples, peeled and chopped into small chunks
• ▢ 2 tbsp. cinnamon

US Customary - Metric

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Instructions 

• Mix 2 cups of flour, sugar, yeast and in a big mixing bowl.
• Microwave milk, water and butter (4 tbsp.) until it’s almost melted. About 1:30 minutes)
• Mix the egg into the milk mixture.
• Add the wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix until incorporated.
• Add one more cup of flour and a bit more so the dough forms into a ball.
• Knead for 7 minutes.
• Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a towel. Let the dough rise for 25 minutes.
• Coat one big baking pan or 2-3 smaller ones with non-stick spray.
• After 25 minutes, roll out the dough into a big rectangle, not so thick and not so thin.
• Spread the butter all over the dough up to the edges.
• Mix apples with cinnamon.
• Spread brown sugar, apples and more cinnamon if desired.
• Roll the dough and cut it in half, and each half into half and again into half. You will have 16 pieces.
• Place the rolls in the pan/pans.
• Cover loosely with a towel and let the rolls rise for 45 minutes.
• After 30 minutes preheat the oven to 180C or 350F.
• Bake the rolls for 25-30 minutes.
• Serve warm.

Video

Notes

• Have the milk, butter and egg at the room temperature before you start baking. Having every ingredient at room temperature will help them combine better. 
• You can make the dough either in a stand mixer using the dough hook or in a bowl using a spoon and then your hands. 
• Knead the dough for about 7 minutes to make sure it's in a good shape before the fist rise. 
• When covering the dough will apple and brown sugar, make sure not to use the liquid the apples released as they will make the dough soggy. 
• You can use melted butter instead of soft butter for the filling. 
• As for the dough to rise, I usually put the bowl with the dough in the oven when it's off and let it sit there for the time. You can also place it in an off microwave or just on the counter. 

Nutrition

Calories: 254kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 29mg | Sodium: 13mg | Potassium: 106mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 259IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 48mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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