Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting

Apple Pie Cinnamon Roll in a baking dish.

5 from 11 votes

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!

Prep Time1

Cook Time30

Total Time3 30

Course: Breakfast, lunch

Cuisine: American

Servings: rolls

Calories: 449kcal

Author: Veronika's Kitchen

Ingredients

Ingredients for Cinnamon Rolls:

2 ½ cups all purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
2 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast 1 packet
¼ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup whole milk warm, about 110˚F
¼ cup unsalted butter melted
1 large egg room temperature
3 tablespoons unsalted butter melted, for brushing

Ingredients for Apple Pie Filling:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 apples peeled, cored, and sliced
¼ cup light brown sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Ingredients for Filling:

6 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
⅔ cup light brown sugar
1 ½ tablespoons ground cinnamon

Ingredients for Cream Cheese Frosting

8 ounces cream cheese room temperature
½ cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup whole milk

Instructions

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 ½ tsp salt, 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!

Notes

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.
How to store? You can store them on the countertop for 1-2 days or refrigerate for up to 4-5 days.

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