A delicious new take on an old favorite, these caramel apple cinnamon rolls are perfect for sharing (or not!)
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This recipe was born when we got new neighbors.
Being the neighborly sort, I thought a pan of warm, soft, delicious-smelling cinnamon rolls were just the way to welcome them to their new home and our neighborhood.
I got up early on a Saturday, got these going, and then knocked on the door with a pan in hand. These warm rolls smell amazing, and were very well received!
I’ve been making them every year ever since, and not just during Fall. Caramel and apples just seem made for each other, right?
This is my regular (and awesome) cinnamon roll recipe, with some apples added in before rolling them up, and a caramel frosting in place of the original.
Why this recipe works:
- You can make these with a bread machine OR stand mixer – I have written instructions for both!
Throwback to 2016. H was 4, almost 5 and C was 2.
H devoured his, and C… well… C was fixated solely on the apple itself. Can’t say I’m unhappy with that, though!
Kylee’s Notes & FAQs
I recommend using bread flour vs all purpose flour. The gluten content in bread flour is what makes these rolls super soft and fluffy.
Room temperature eggs do best in this recipe
What kind of apples to use?
I use whatever I have but particularly like both gala and granny smith apples.
Apple pie filling will work, but the filling tends to ooze so go easy!
What does “warm but not hot mean”?
It means about 110 degrees F. We don’t want to kill the yeast, but we want the milk warm enough to activate it.
Cutting the rolls
Use a sharp serrated knife to cut the rolls for a clean edge (don’t press down and squish!
The BEST way to slice cinnamon rolls is using dental floss. Place a piece of (plain, unflavored) dental floss under the rolled dough, 1 inch from the end. Bring the floss up around the dough and cross it over the top, cutting through the dough and filling. Repeat at 1-inch intervals.
Bread Machine Instructions
Place dough ingredients in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select dough cycle; press Start. After the dough cycle is done, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Continue the recipe from the Filling Step.
Ingredients:
Full, printable recipe below – just scroll down to the recipe card!
How to make this recipe:
Full, printable recipe below – just scroll down to the recipe card!
Make the Dough
Combine the milk and sugar in a bowl and heat in the microwave until the temp is reached. We’re looking for around 114 degrees F. it’s supposed to be lukewarm, not hot.
Sprinkle yeast over the surface, and let it sit for 5-10 minutes until foamy.
(Tiny bubbles should begin to appear on the surface or around the edge of the container and it should start to smell yeasty).
Add the yeast mixture to the bowl of your electric mixer with the dough hook attached.
Add the flour, salt, eggs, and butter and knead for 8-10 minutes. It should form a ball, and be relatively smooth.
Let sit in a warm place, until doubled in size (about an hour?). Punch down.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface (keep 1/4 cup of flour on hand in case of stickiness), cover and let rest for 10 minutes – this is an important step, don’t skip!
Make the Filling
Dice (and peel if you wish) the apple.
In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon and set aside
Rolling dough, filling and rolling up
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll dough into a 16×21-inch rectangle.
Spread dough with melted butter and sprinkle evenly with sugar/cinnamon mixture, then sprinkle the diced apple over the top.
Roll up dough into a log.
Cut, final rise
Cut into 12 rolls about an inch thick.. I use (plain, unflavoured) dental floss to do this.
Place a piece of dental floss under the rolled dough, 1 inch from the end. Bring the floss up around the dough and cross it over the top, cutting through the dough and filling. Repeat at 1-inch intervals.
Place rolls in a lightly greased 9×13 inch baking dish. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Bake rolls in oven until golden brown, about 15-25 minutes.
Frosting
While rolls are baking, beat together caramel sauce, powdered sugar, cream cheese, salt and milk.
Drizzle/spread frosting on warm rolls before serving.
Want more rolls?
Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls. Scrumptious Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls filled with pumpkin pie stuffed flavor, rolled and baked, then slathered with a spice-spiked cream cheese frosting. Hello, Fall!
Raspberry Sweet Rolls. Soft, pillowy rolls, stuffed with raspberries (and a little lemon zest and sugar), and drizzled with cream cheese frosting – these will delight everyone!
- Cannoli Cinnamon Rolls from Snappy Gourmet
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Caramel Apple Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 cup warm milk (110°F/45°C)
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 2 1/2 teaspoons yeast
- 4 1/2 cups bread flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs (room temperature)
- 1/3 cup butter (melted)
Filling
- 1 cup dark brown sugar (packed)
- 2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 1/3 cup melted butter
- 1 large apple (diced)
Frosting
- 1/4 cup caramel sauce
- 1 cup powdered sugar (4 ounces)
- 4 ounces softened cream cheese
- pinch salt
- 1 tablespoon milk
Directions
- Combine 1 cup warm milk and 1/2 cup white sugar in a bowl, and put in microwave until the temp is reached (it’s supposed to be lukewarm, not hot).
- Sprinkle 2 1/2 teaspoons yeast over the surface, and let it sit for 5-10 minutes until foamy.
- Tiny bubbles should begin to appear on the surface or around the edge of the container and it should start to smell yeasty).
- Add the yeast mixture to the bowl of your stand mixer with the dough hook attached.
- Add 4 1/2 cups bread flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 large eggs and 1/3 cup butter and knead for 8-10 minutes. It should form a ball, and be relatively smooth.
- Let sit in a warm place, until doubled in size (about an hour?). Punch down.
- In a small bowl, combine 1 cup dark brown sugar and 2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon.
- Roll dough into a 16×21-inch rectangle.
- Spread dough with 1/3 cup melted butter and sprinkle evenly with sugar/cinnamon mixture.
- Sprinkle the 1 large apple (diced) over the top.
- Roll up dough and cut into 12 rolls. I use (plain, unflavoured) dental floss to do this.
- Place a piece of dental floss under the rolled dough, 1 inch from the end. Bring the floss up around the dough and cross it over the top, cutting through the dough and filling. Repeat at 1-inch intervals.
- Place rolls in a lightly greased 9×13 inch baking pan. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Bake rolls in preheated oven until golden brown, about 15-25 minutes.
- While rolls are baking, beat together 1/4 cup caramel sauce, 1 cup powdered sugar, 4 ounces softened cream cheese, pinch salt and 1 tablespoon milk.
- Drizzle/spread frosting on warm rolls before serving.
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Notes
Nutrition Facts
Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Update: This recipe was originally published in May of 2017. It was republished with updated photos in June of 2022.
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