Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls with Easy Homemade Apple Filling

Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls with Easy Apple Filling

If you love a warm slice of apple pie and a gooey cinnamon roll, this recipe hands you both in one pan.

Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls start with a soft yeasted dough, the same style of dough used for classic cinnamon rolls, and they hide a proper homemade apple pie filling in the center instead of a plain cinnamon sugar spread.

The filling comes together on the stove with peeled apples, brown sugar, cinnamon and cornstarch, and it is genuinely easy to make.

The result is gooey, soft, fluffy and sticky all at once. One batch makes 10 cinnamon rolls. Prep takes about 30 minutes and baking takes about 40 minutes, with proofing time on top of that.

The recipe comes from the original apple pie cinnamon rolls recipe at Cravings Journal, and this guide walks you through every stage in plain, practical steps.

How to make apple pie cinnamon rolls

The flow is simple once you see it end to end.

1. Make the dough by mixing the wet ingredients, the dry ingredients and then everything together in one bowl.
2. Cover the sticky dough and let it proof for 1 hour in a warm place.
3. Cook the apple pie filling on the stove until the apples soften and the sauce thickens.
4. Let the filling cool to room temperature, then reserve one quarter of it for the baked rolls.
5. Roll the dough into a large rectangle, spread the filling, roll it into a spiral and cut the buns.
6. Give the buns a second rise of 30 minutes, then bake until light golden brown.

The dough is a yeasted dough with minimum kneading, and it stays sticky on purpose. The filling is cooked with brown sugar, cinnamon and cornstarch so it thickens into something closer to pie filling than a thin sauce.

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The original recipe card also includes an overnight version that is suggested for Christmas morning, with the details tucked into the notes of the card.

Cinnamon roll dough

This dough is what makes the rolls fluffy rather than bready. It is an enriched dough, which simply means it contains fat from milk, melted butter and an egg. That fat softens the crumb, keeps the dough from drying out and adds flavor.

Here is what each ingredient does:

• All purpose flour. Bread flour has more gluten, which gives more structure and a harder crust. All purpose flour keeps these rolls soft and gooey, which is the whole point.
• Salt. Essential in all baked goods, and here it balances the sweetness of the apple pie filling.
• Sugar. It flavors the dough and feeds the yeast, which produces CO2 and makes the bread rise.
• Instant yeast or active dry yeast. Both are preferred over fresh yeast because they last longer and do not need to be activated first.
• Milk. Whole milk, nonfat milk or dairy free milk all give a very similar result. The milk must be warm so the yeast wakes up and becomes more active.
• Butter. Melted and cooled to room temperature, it gives a softer texture, keeps the dough from being dry and adds flavor.
• Egg. At room temperature, it helps the dough puff up more as it bakes and adds moisture from the fat in the yolk.
• Vanilla extract or essence. The two can be used interchangeably, though extract is preferred because it comes from natural vanilla pods while essence is a mix of artificial flavorings. Homemade vanilla extract works too.

If you already bake cinnamon rolls often, this is the same style of dough used for these soft and fluffy cinnamon rolls, so the technique will feel familiar. The recipe card includes a toggle between metric and US cups if you prefer measuring by volume.

Mixing and kneading the dough

Mix the lukewarm milk, the egg, the vanilla extract and the melted butter first. In a separate bowl, mix all of the dry ingredients, make a hole in the center and pour the wet ingredients into it. Then mix everything until you have a uniform dough.

The dough will be really sticky, and that is exactly how it should be. Do not panic and do not keep adding flour to fix it. That stickiness is what makes the rolls gooey at the end instead of bready and hard.

When you turn the dough out, knead on a clean surface only until it comes together, and no longer. Extra kneading develops gluten and works against the fluffy texture you are after. If you prefer a stand mixer, put everything in the bowl and knead on medium speed with the dough hook until the dough is homogeneous, then stop.

Cover the sticky dough with cling film or plastic wrap and let it proof for 1 hour, or until it doubles in size. If your kitchen is too cold, place the bowl in the oven with the light on and no temperature setting.

The apple pie filling

You could buy a canned apple pie filling, but the original recipe strongly recommends making this easy apple pie filling at home. Homemade takes a little longer and is worth it, because you control the flavor and the spices.

Peel the apples, remove the core and cut them into small cubes. Cook the apples with the rest of the ingredients in a large saucepan until the apples are soft and the sauce thickens. That should take about 10 to 15 minutes.

Then let the filling cool down completely to room temperature before it goes anywhere near the dough. Reserve one quarter of the filling to spoon over the rolls once they are baked, and use the rest as the filling.

A few notes on the ingredients:

• Apples. The original recipe favors Pink Lady, with Fuji or Royal Gala as good alternatives.
• Brown sugar. This is where the caramel taste comes from.
• Ground cinnamon. Essential to both apple pie and cinnamon rolls. An apple pie spice mix with ground ginger, allspice, ground cloves or even cardamom can be added for variety.
• Butter. A small amount gives the filling a velvety sensation.
• Salt. It balances the sweetness.
• Cornstarch. The thickening agent, and it also makes the filling look nice and shiny.
• Water. It helps everything come together in the pan.

If it is apple season, make extra filling and freeze it for up to 3 months, so the next batch of rolls is even quicker to assemble.

Apple pie vs. apple cinnamon rolls

The blog also has a much simpler apple cinnamon roll recipe, where the apples are cooked briefly in butter and spread over a classic cinnamon roll dough. This version is different. Here you get a proper apple pie filling at the center, thick, glossy and spiced like pie.

Which one is better is hard to say, and the author says as much. For anyone who wants the easier option, the simpler apple cinnamon roll recipe is the way to go. If you enjoy baking with apples and cinnamon, this apple cinnamon bread recipe is another cozy option to keep in your rotation.

Shaping and baking

Dust flour on a clean tabletop and roll the dough out with a rolling pin. Every couple of rolls, check whether it is sticking and dust more flour underneath and on top. Work until you have a 12 by 16 inch rectangle, about 40 by 30 centimeters, and try to keep it as rectangular as you can.

Spread the room temperature apple pie filling evenly over the dough using a spatula. Then roll it up starting from the long side, rolling carefully and tightly at first. Once you have the first two complete rolls, you can push it, still firmly, so it rolls to the end.

Cut the individual buns with a sharp knife. The original rolls were cut about 3 fingers thick. Lift them carefully into a square pan or baking dish lined with parchment paper, keeping a couple of fingers of space between them so they can rise without turning square.

Let the buns sit for 30 minutes for a second rise, then bake in a preheated oven at 180C or 350F for 20 to 30 minutes, or until they are light golden brown on top.

Tips for great cinnamon rolls

These rolls are straightforward, but a few things deserve your full attention.

• Do not over knead. Kneading too long develops gluten in the all purpose flour and gives a tougher exterior instead of fluffy rolls. Knead only until the dough comes completely together and is homogeneous, usually about 2 minutes.
• Do not overbake. Overbaking is enemy number one for gooey cinnamon rolls because it dries the dough out. Remove them from the oven as soon as a light golden color appears on top.
• Use homemade apple filling. It has only natural ingredients, lets you control the flavor and the spices, and it is satisfying to make. In apple season, make extra and freeze it for up to 3 months.

If you like seeing how other bakers handle this style of bake, this apple pie cinnamon rolls recipe takes a similar approach, while the version here follows the original card closely.

How to keep apple pie cinnamon rolls

Baked rolls keep well at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5 days. They also freeze really well. Once baked, portion them into an airtight container or bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat in a low temperature oven or even in an air fryer on low heat, and they come back soft and gooey.

If you plan ahead, the overnight version in the original recipe card makes the morning itself much easier, and it is described as perfect for Christmas morning.

Frosting vs. ice cream

These rolls do not need any type of frosting, because the extra apple pie filling spooned over the top serves that purpose. If you do want frosting, a homemade cream cheese frosting for cinnamon rolls can be spread over each roll with the extra apples placed on top.

Because these rolls are a hybrid between bread and dessert, vanilla ice cream is another serving option, especially while the rolls are still warm.

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Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls

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Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls with Easy Apple Filling If you love a warm slice of apple pie and a gooey cinnamon roll, this recipe hands you both in one pan. Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls start with a soft yeasted dough, the same style of dough used for classic cinnamon rolls, and they hide a proper homemade apple pie filling in the center instead of a plain cinnamon sugar spread.

• Yield: 10 cinnamon rolls 1x

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For the dough
500 g all-purpose flour
1½ tsp salt
2¼ tsp instant dry yeast
120 g sugar
240 ml lukewarm milk
60 g unsalted melted butter, cooled to room temperature
1 egg, at room temperature
½ tsp vanilla extract or essence

For the apple pie filling
900 g apples, I like to use Pink Lady, Fuji or Royal Gala
60 g unsalted butter
170 g brown sugar
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp cornstarch
¼ tsp salt
2 tbsp water

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Instructions

For the dough
1-Mix the lukewarm milk, eggs, vanilla extract: Mix the lukewarm milk, eggs, vanilla extract and melted butter.
2-Mix all the dry ingredients in a: Mix all the dry ingredients in a separate bowl and make a hole in the centre and add all the wet ingredients in the center.
3-Mix everything until you have a uniform: Mix everything until you have a uniform dough. It’s really sticky so don’t worry, that’s just the way this dough is ? That makes them gooey at the end instead of bread-y and hard.
4-Let the dough rest to proof for: Let the dough rest to proof for 1 hour covered in cling film or until it doubles in size. If it’s too cold, place it in the oven with the light on and no temperature setting.

For the apple pie filling
5-Peel the apples and remove the core: Peel the apples and remove the core. Cut the apples into small cubes.
6-Cook the apples with the rest of: Cook the apples with the rest of the ingredients in a saucepan until the apples are soft and the sauce thickens. It should take 10-15 minutes.
7-Let the filling cool down completely to: Let the filling cool down completely to room temperature and reserve ¼ of it which we will use once they’re baked.

Assembly
8-Dust flour on a clean tabletop and: Dust flour on a clean tabletop and roll the dough. Every couple of rolls make sure it’s not sticking and dust more flour underneath and on top. Roll it out until you have a 40×30 cm/12×16-inch rectangle. Try to keep it as rectangular as you can. At the very end make sure it’s not stuck and dust more flour if necessary so you can roll it with ease.
9-Spread the apple pie filling onto the: Spread the apple pie filling onto the dough using a spatula.
10-Start rolling: Start rolling: first, do it carefully so it’s nice and tight and once you have the first 2 complete rolls, you can just push it (still very tightly) so it rolls to the end.
11-Cut the rolls (I did mine 3: Cut the rolls (I did mine 3 fingers thick) and place them on a baking pan lined with baking paper at the bottom (this will help later so the sugar doesn’t stick, you’ll thank me!) and arrange them nicely. Keep a couple of fingers’ distance between them so that they can rise during proofing and after in the oven without becoming square.
12-Let them sit for 30min*** (again, it: Let them sit for 30min*** (again, it helps if they’re in a warm environment) and then they go in the oven at 180°C/350°F for 20-30min or until they’re light golden brown on top.

Last Step:

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Notes

Preparation: 30 min. Cooking: 40 min. Allow time for every resting, cooling and chilling step in the instructions. Additional time: follow the resting and cooling steps (90 min).

• Method: mix