Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls

These apple pie cinnamon rolls are soft, fluffy dough swirled with apple pie filling, brown sugar, and cinnamon, and topped with cream cheese icing.

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Keyword cinnamon rolls recipes

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 35

Total Time 1 5

Servings rolls

Calories 478kcal

Author Kathleen

Ingredients

For The Dough:

4-4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (480-540g), divided
2 1/4 teaspoons dry active yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups 2% milk
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

For The Filling:

1 (20-ounce) can apple pie filling
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup light brown sugar packed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter

For The Icing:

1/2 cup cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1-2 tablespoons 2% milk as needed to thin out the icing

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

For The Dough:

In a large mixing bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook), stir together 2 cups of flour, the yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons), and salt (1/2 teaspoon). Set aside.
In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, warm the milk (1 1/2 cups), sugar (1/4 cup), and butter (1/4 cup) until the butter is just starting to melt and the mixture reaches about 110°F (warm but not hot to the touch). Stir to dissolve the sugar.
Use a spatula or whisk to incorporate sugar with the milk and allow the butter to start melting. Warm the butter mixture no higher than 110°F (43°C) (Note: It should be warm but not hot. If the temperature is higher than 110°F (43ºC), the yeast can burn and your dough won’t rise.
Once the milk mixture has come to temperature and the butter is just starting to melt, (you can check the temperature with a thermometer) pour the mixture into the bowl with the flour. If using a stand mixer, use the dough hook and stir to combine. You’ll need to stop and use a spatula to scrape the edges and bottom of the bowl to allow all of the flour to become fully incorporated into the milk. The mixture will be wet at this point.
Mix the dough on medium speed, adding 1/4 cup of the flour at a time until all of the flour is added and the dough is pulling away from the sides of the bowl. (Note: Slowly incorporating the flour will result in a softer dough and will prevent you from adding too much flour. See notes about flour measurements.)
Once the dough has formed, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and shape it into a ball. Grease a large mixing bowl with nonstick baking spray or a drizzle of oil and place the dough into the bowl.
Cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and allow it to rise until the dough has doubled in size (about 1 ½ hours).
When the dough has doubled in size, grease a 9x13 casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside. (Note: If food tends to stick to your casserole dish, you can add a layer of parchment paper to the bottom of your casserole dish).

For The Filling:

In a medium-sized bowl, use a spoon or rubber spatula to combine the cinnamon (1 teaspoon), brown sugar (1/2 cup) and salt (1/2 teaspoon).
Add the apple pie filling (1 can) and stir to fully combine and set aside. If your apple pie filling has sliced apples instead of diced, use a pair of kitchen shears to cut the apples into small pieces. Flour your surface to prevent sticking and turn the dough out, sprinkling more flour onto the top of the dough.
Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a large rectangle about ¼ inch thick and slightly larger than double the size of your casserole dish.
Use a pastry brush to brush the dough with the melted butter (1/4 cup).
Spoon the apple pie filling mixture onto the rolled out dough. Using a spatula, evenly distribute the filling so there’s a thin layer over the entire dough.
Preheat the oven to 350°F (177ºC).
Using a pizza cutter, cut the dough into 12 even strips and roll them up to make 12 even rolls. Transfer the rolls into your prepared baking dish. Cover the dish with a piece of plastic wrap or a damp towel and allow it to sit for 30 minutes.
Bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown. When baked, remove the dish and place it on a wire baking rack and allow to cool for 20 minutes before icing.

Make The Icing:

Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, add the softened cream cheese (1/2 cup), butter (1/4 cup), powdered sugar (2 1/2 cups), and vanilla extract (1/2 teaspoon), and mix for 3 minutes until well combined and fluffy. Spoon the icing over the top of the apple pie cinnamon rolls, and serve.

Notes

Sweetness Check: Apple pie filling is already sweet! For balance, reduce the brown sugar in the filling to ¼–⅓ cup instead of ½ cup.
Give Dough Room: Don’t roll the log too tightly — the dough needs space to expand while baking. If the rolls pop up in the pan, they were rolled too snugly.
Alternate Shaping Tip: Instead of cutting the dough into strips and rolling each one individually, roll the whole rectangle up jelly-roll style into one big log. Slice into 12 even rolls with plain, unflavored dental floss or a serrated knife. It’s quicker, less messy, and gives you beautifully even spirals.
Clean Cuts (if using the jelly-roll method): For picture-perfect spirals, use plain, unflavored dental floss. It slices cleanly without squishing the dough. (Avoid waxed or flavored floss, which can leave a residue or odd taste.)
Done Test: Rolls are ready when they’re golden, sound hollow when tapped, and pull apart easily without any doughy centers. If they still look gooey in the middle, bake another 5 minutes.

Nutrition