Caramel Apple Cinnamon Rolls
A delicious new take on an old favorite, these caramel apple cinnamon rolls are perfect for sharing (or not!)
Servings 12
Calories 482kcal
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
Instructions
- 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 16x21-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 9x13 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.
Notes
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
Nutrition
Calories: 482kcal | Carbohydrates: 78g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 66mg | Sodium: 357mg | Potassium: 156mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 39g | Vitamin A: 530IU | Vitamin C: 0.7mg | Calcium: 83mg | Iron: 0.9mg
