Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting

This is the best recipe for Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls! Soft and fluffy layers of dough filled with classic apple pie filling and topped with silky cream cheese frosting. It will be the best breakfast/brunch to serve to your family during the holiday season and Christmas!

This is my favorite recipe for Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls that I make every holiday season. For the dough, I use my Overnight Cinnamon Rolls recipe that makes the best soft and fluffy rolls. Roll it out, top with butter and cinnamon/sugar mixture, homemade apple pie filling and bake until perfection. Serve it with silky luscious cream cheese frosting for the best flavor combination.

Why this recipe works

• Cinnamon Rolls Dough. I use a foolproof cinnamon rolls dough recipe that can be made the same day from start to finish or prep the dough and rolls a day before and refrigerate overnight. So, in the morning, just let the rolls get the room temperature and rise, and they are ready to be baked!
• Apple Pie Filling. There is nothing better than a delicious homemade apple pie filling. It’s easy to prep and tastes so much better than a store-bought version.
• Cream Cheese Frosting. The cinnamon rolls are not finished until you top them with cream cheese frosting! It takes 5 minutes to prep but adds SO MUCH FLAVOR!

Ingredients and Substitution

• Flour. I usually use regular all-purpose flour, as I always have it on hand. To make the rolls even lighter and fluffier, you can use bread flour instead.
• Yeast. In this recipe, I use active dry yeast that needs to be activated in warm liquid before mixing with dry ingredients. You can substitute it with instant yeast, which can be mixed directly with dry ingredients and doesn’t need to be activated before that.
• Milk. I prefer to use whole milk as it provides more fats, making the dough soft and fluffy. If you decide to use low fat milk, the dough might come out a bit dry.
• Apples. You can use pretty much any variety you love of have on hand. My favorite ones are Granny Smith, McIntosh, Honey Crisp, and Golden Delicious.
• Sugar. In the filling, I like to use light brown sugar that provides more caramelized flavor. If you don’t have it, you can easily use regular granulated sugar.
• Cream Cheese. Original Philadelphia Cream Cheese is my to-go brand (not sponsored). It has the best flavor and creates a perfect silky texture for the frosting.

How to make Cinnamon Rolls Dough

In a stand mixer bowl, add ¾ cup warm milk (about 110F), ¼ cup granulated sugar, and 2 ½ teaspoons (1 packet) active dry yeast. Give it a stir and let sit for 5 minutes for the yeast to get activated.

Then add ¼ cup melted butter, 1 egg and stir again.

Add half of the all-purpose flour. Using a dough attachment, mix everything until combined on a low speed. Add the rest of the flour, slowly increase the speed to medium/low and continue to knead for 5 minutes. If the dough is too sticky, add more flour 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough is soft and smooth.

When done, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and cover the dough from all the sides. Cover with a towel and let it rise for 1 ½-2 hours or until it’s doubled in size.

How to make Apple Pie Filling

While the dough is rising, we can prepare the apple pie filling.

Peel, core, and slice 4 apples.

Preheat a skillet over medium/low heat and add 2 tbsp butter and sliced apples. Stir and let it cook for a few minutes, so the apples get a bit softer.

Then add ¼ cup light brown sugar, stir, and cook for another 5 minutes, until the apples are soft and caramelized.

Mix 1 tbsp cornstarch with 2 tbsp water and add it to the filling. Cook for a few minutes or until the caramelized sauce is thicken.

Turn off the heat, set the skillet on the side and let it cool off completely.

Assemble the rolls

When the dough is ready, punch it with a hand to deflate and transfer to a lightly floured surface. Then roll in a rectangular shape.

In a separate mixing bowl, mix together ⅔ cup light brown sugar and 1 ½ tbsp cinnamon.

Using your hands, evenly spread 6 tbsp softened butter over the rolled dough, then top with sugar/cinnamon mixture. Then evenly top it with the cooled apple pie filling.

Tightly roll it into a log and cut with a sharp knife in 12 even rolls.

Transfer the rolls into a greased 9×13-inch baking dish. Then cover with the towel and let it rise again for about 40 minutes to an hour or until they double in size.

How to bake

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Brush the tops of the rolls with melted butter and bake for about 25-30 minutes or until they are baked through.

When done, take them out of the oven and let them sit on the counter for 10-15 minutes.

How to make Cream Cheese Frosting

While the apple pie cinnamon rolls are cooling off, we can prepare the icing.

In a mixing bowl, add 8 oz softened cream cheese, ½ cup powdered sugar, and 1 tsp vanilla extract.

Using a hand or stand mixer, beat if for a few minutes until well blended.

Gradually, add some milk (1 tbsp at a time) until the desired consistency.

Generously, top the rolls with the cream cheese frosting and serve!

Tips for best results

• Milk. When mixing warm milk with active dry yeast, make sure the milk is not hotter than 110˚F. Too hot liquid will just kill the yeast and the dough will not rise. If the liquid got too hot, just let it sit a bit on the counter to cool off and get the right temperature before adding to the yeast.
• Yeast. Always check the expiration date on the yeast package, especially if you don’t use it very often. If it’s expired, the dough might not rise well and the rolls will come out flat.
• Butter. When spreading the butter over rolled dough, make sure it’s softened enough or it will be really hard to spread it evenly.

Frequently Asked Questions

More Breakfast Ideas:

• Perfect Buttermilk Pancakes
• French Crepe Recipe
• Oven Baked Potato Frittata
• One Bowl Banana Bread
• Banana Zucchini Bread
• Healthy Morning Glory Muffins
• Blueberry Baked Oatmeal Cups
• Instant Pot Oatmeal
• Sweet Potato Breakfast Hash

Update Notes: This post was originally published in 2018, but was republished with new photos, step by step instructions, tips, and FAQs in September of 2022.