Description
These Apple Cinnamon Rolls are warm, gooey, and packed with tender chopped apples, cinnamon, and a luscious caramel icing drizzle. Perfect for a comforting fall breakfast or dessert, they combine soft homemade dough with a flavorful spiced filling and a silky sweet topping that delights every palate.
Ingredients
Scale
Dough
- 1 cup (240ml) whole milk, warmed to about 100°F (38°C)
- 2/3 cup (135g) granulated sugar, divided
- 1 and 1/2 Tablespoons (14g) Platinum Yeast from Red Star (2 standard–size packets)
- 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature and cut into 4 pieces
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 and 1/2 cups (563g) all-purpose flour or bread flour (spoon & leveled), plus more as needed
Filling
- 6 Tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1 and 1/2 Tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 2 cups (250g) peeled chopped apples (about 2 medium apples)
Icing
- 1 cup (120g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 Tablespoons milk
- 2 Tablespoons warmed salted caramel
Instructions
- Activate the Yeast: Whisk the warm milk, 2 Tablespoons of sugar, and the yeast together in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a dough hook or paddle attachment. Cover and allow the mixture to sit for about 5 minutes or until foamy on top, indicating the yeast is active.
- Mix the Dough: On medium speed, beat in the remaining sugar (1/2 cup), and the softened butter until slightly broken up. Add the eggs and salt, beating on medium speed until combined. Then reduce speed to low and gradually add flour one cup at a time, ensuring full incorporation before adding the next. After adding all flour, beat until the dough pulls away from the bowl sides, about 3 minutes. The dough will be soft.
- Knead the Dough: Keep the dough in the mixer and knead for an additional 5 minutes, or knead by hand on a lightly floured surface for 5 minutes. Adjust flour slightly if dough is too sticky, aiming for a soft, slightly tacky dough. Perform the windowpane test to confirm proper kneading.
- First Rise: Lightly grease a large bowl. Place the dough in the bowl, turning to coat all sides with oil. Cover with foil, plastic wrap, or a kitchen towel, and let it rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 2 hours.
- Prepare the Pan: Grease the bottom and sides of a 9×13-inch baking dish or line it with parchment paper.
- Shape the Rolls: Punch down the dough to release air and place it on a floured surface. Roll it into a 12×18-inch rectangle evenly. If dough shrinks, rest it for 10 minutes. Spread softened butter evenly over the dough. In a small bowl, mix brown sugar and cinnamon, then sprinkle evenly over the buttered dough. Top with chopped apples.
- Roll and Cut: Tightly roll up the dough lengthwise into an 18-inch log. Cut into 12 equal rolls and arrange them in the prepared baking pan. Cover tightly with aluminum foil.
- Second Rise: Let the rolls rise covered until puffy, about 45-60 minutes, or opt for an overnight rise option to develop deeper flavor.
- Preheat Oven and Bake: Preheat your oven to 375°F (191°C). Bake the rolls for about 25 minutes until lightly browned on top. Halfway through baking, tent with foil to prevent excessive browning.
- Cool and Prepare Icing: Remove the pan from oven and let the rolls cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Whisk together confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, milk, and warmed salted caramel until smooth.
- Serve: Drizzle the icing over the warm rolls and serve immediately. Store leftover rolls tightly covered at room temperature up to 2 days or refrigerate for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Warm and gooey apple cinnamon rolls with delicious caramel icing on top make a perfect fall breakfast or dessert.
- If the dough shrinks during rolling, let it rest to relax the gluten for easier shaping.
- You can let the shaped rolls rise overnight in the refrigerator for more complex flavor and bake the next morning.
- Covering the rolls with foil halfway during baking prevents over-browning while allowing the rolls to bake fully.
- Store frosted or unfrosted rolls tightly covered at room temperature or in the refrigerator to maintain freshness.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 roll
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 18 g
- Sodium: 180 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg
