These Apple Cinnamon Rolls are super gooey and delicious. They are filled with a cinnamon brown sugar filling, a cooked apple pie filling, and toasted pecans. They are then finished off with a smooth cream cheese frosting. The components for these Cinnamon Rolls can be made ahead of time, meaning the rolls just need to be assembled in the morning for the perfect Holiday breakfast!
Apple Cinnamon Rolls
Hi hi! I am so excited to share this apple cinnamon roll recipe with you! These homemade Cinnamon Rolls are super easy to make, and the components can be prepared ahead of time, so that come the morning, all you have to do is assemble them and pop them in the oven.
Components of Apple Cinnamon Rolls
- Brioche Dough - This is my go-to brioche dough. It comes together really easily and is super versatile. I like to make mine ahead of time and give it a cold rise in the fridge. The cold rise not only makes the dough really easy to work with, but the cold temperature of the fridge slows down the rise of the yeast, which means that the dough can work on your schedule. This makes these Cinnamon Rolls the perfect breakfast!
- Brown Sugar Cinnamon Filling - This cinnamon filling has the usual suspects - brown sugar, softened butter, and cinnamon. They are all mixed together to form a paste, which is spread over the rolled-out dough to form the base of the filling.
- Cooked Apple Pie Filling - This apple pie filling is super easy to make - diced apples are cooked with a little sugar and butter, then corn starch is added to help thicken up the filling. The whole lot then goes into the fridge, ready for assembly.
- Toasted Pecans - These are optional - leave them out if you don't like nuts or if you have an allergy in the house but I love the crunch that they give. I always toast my nuts in the oven just for 10 minutes. You can do these in a big batch and keep them in an airtight container in the pantry or freezer so you always have toasted nuts on hand!
- Cream Cheese Frosting - This is a super simple cream cheese frosting - butter and cream cheese get whipped together, powdered sugar and a wee bit of salt get added and whipped until thick. Finally a little heavy cream is added to help make the icing smooth and spreadable. The cream cheese frosting goes on while the Cinnamon Rolls are still a little warm, so it melts down and adds to the gooeyness.
The Perfect Make Ahead Holiday Breakfast
I developed this Apple Cinnamon Roll recipe with breakfast in mind, so you can prepare all the components the night before, making assembly the next morning super easy.
Here's all the steps you can do the day before:
- Make the brioche dough and pop in the fridge for an overnight rise.
- Make the apple filling and store in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Toast the Pecans and store in an airtight container at room temperature.
- Measure out your brown sugar, cinnamon and salt for the filling and store in an airtight container at room temperature.
- Bring out your butter and cream cheese the night before so that it is at room temperature for assembling the filling and the frosting.
Steps to finish off the Apple Cinnamon Rolls the next day for breakfast:
- Mix together your brown sugar and cinnamon and the softened butter to make your filling.
- Roll out the brioche dough, spread with the filling, then top with the apple filling and toasted pecans.
- Roll up and cut into rolls, then give a quick second rise.
- Bake the Cinnamon Rolls off and prepare the cream cheese frosting while they are in the oven.
- Finish them with the cream cheese frosting for the perfect breakfast!
A few wee tips for Apple Cinnamon Rolls
- These are pretty gooey cinnamon rolls, so make sure that the pan you use will help keep them contained. I used a quarter sheet pan and it was only just enough to hold them in - a 9"x13" baking pan would work great.
- If you find that the log of dough is getting hard to work with once you have rolled it up, chop it in half, and put both halves onto a baking sheet lined with parchment. Cover with plastic wrap and either chill for about 20 minutes or pop it into the freezer for 10 minutes. This firms up the filling and the dough and makes it a little easier to cut. Then cut each piece of dough into 6 rolls and proceed as usual! You may need to give it 10 minutes or so extra on the second rise to account for the time chilling.
Frequently Asked Questions for Apple Cinnamon Rolls
Can I make these in the same day?
You sure can! I like to give the brioche a cold rise still, so a minimum of 2 hours in the fridge works great. This makes the dough super easy to work with and gives you flexibility in your timing too. Make the apple filling while the dough is mixing so that it has enough time to chill down before assembly, and make sure to pull your butter and cream cheese out in time for them to come to room temperature for assembly and frosting.
Do I have to use Nuts?
Nope! If you don't want to you can just leave them out.
How do I know when the Cinnamon Rolls are baked?
It can be a little tricky to tell when enriched bread is baked, especially when it has a filling. I like to double check the doneness by taking the internal temperature of the bread using an instant read thermometer - 190°f / 90°c is a good number to shoot for. Make sure you're poking the thermometer into the bread and not the filling.
For more cinnamon roll recipes, check out:
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Answers to your baking questions
Over the years, many of you have asked me questions about:
- baking in grams
- adjusting oven temperatures
- what kind of salt to use
- and many more!
I've curated and answered them all for your easy reference in this frequently asked questions post!
Soft-Baked Apple Cinnamon Rolls
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes plus rising time
- Yield: 12 cinnamon buns 1x
- Category: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These Apple Pecan Cinnamon Rolls are super gooey and delicious. They are filled with a cinnamon brown sugar filling, a cooked apple pie filling, and toasted pecans. They are then finished off with a smooth cream cheese frosting. The components for these Cinnamon Rolls can be made ahead of time, meaning the rolls just need to be assembled in the morning for the perfect Thanksgiving breakfast!
Ingredients
Brioche Dough
- 250g whole milk, lukewarm
- 50g Granulated Sugar
- 2 ¼ tsp active dried yeast
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 565g All-Purpose Flour
- 100g Unsalted Butter, at room temperature
Apple Pie Filling
- 850g - about four medium apples, peeled, cored, and diced small
- 30g Unsalted Butter
- 80g Granulated Sugar
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp Kosher salt
- 1 Tbsp Corn starch
Toasted Pecans
- 125g Pecan Halves
Brown Sugar Cinnamon Filling
- 190g Unsalted Butter, at room temperature
- 280g Brown Sugar
- 2 Tbsp plus 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ⅛ tsp Kosher salt
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 115g Unsalted Butter, at room temperature
- 225g Cream Cheese, at room temperature
- 250g Powdered Sugar, sifted
- 1-2 Tbsp Heavy Whipping Cream
- ½ tsp kosher salt
Instructions
BRIOCHE DOUGH
- Make the Brioche Dough. Place the lukewarm milk, 25g of the sugar, and the yeast in a medium sized bowl, and stir to combine. Leave for 10-15 minutes, or until foamy.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, place the flour, salt, and remaining sugar, and mix briefly to combine.
- Add the milk mixture and egg to the dry ingredients, and mix on low for 2-3 minutes. Increase the speed of the mixer to medium, and mix for a further 5 minutes. Add the butter a little at a time, waiting until it is incorporated until adding the next piece. Mix for a further 7-10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and soft.
- Shape the dough into a ball and place into a bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours and up to overnight, until doubled in size. Alternatively you can place it in a warm spot until doubled in size, 45 minutes to an hour.
APPLE FILLING
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the apples, sugar, cinnamon, and salt, and cook, stirring often, until the apples are tender, 3-5 minutes.
- Add the corn starch and mix well to incorporate, then continue to cook until the mixture has thickened and the apples are coated.
- Transfer to an airtight container and chill until ready to use.
TOASTED PECANS
- Preheat the oven to 350°f / 180°c. Line a small sheet pan with parchment paper and place the pecans on it.
- Toast the pecans for about 10 minutes, shaking occasionally, until lightly browned and toasted throughout (snap one open to check).
- Transfer to an airtight container until ready to use and store at room temperature.
BROWN SUGAR CINNAMON FILLING
- Make the cinnamon filling. Place the butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a small bowl. Mix well to combine.
ASSEMBLY
- Assemble the cinnamon rolls. Grease a baking dish (9”x13” or 23cm x 33cm) or line with parchment paper.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and roll into a rectangle that is 24” x 16” (60cm x 40cm), squaring off the edges often as you roll. Spread with the brown sugar cinnamon mixture, ensuring the filling is spread evenly over the surface.
- Top with the prepared apple pie filling. Spread the apple pie filling out evenly. Roughly chop the toasted pecans, and spread over the apple filling.
- Roll up the cinnamon rolls. Starting with a long side, roll up into a tight spiral. Cut the log into two pieces and place them side by side on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and lightly sprayed with cooking spray. Lightly cover the dough logs with plastic wrap, and transfer to the freezer for 20 minutes in order to firm up slightly (this step is optional but helps give a neater cut).
- Cut the cinnamon rolls. Once the dough logs have chilled, remove from the fridge. Using a sharp knife, slice each log into 6 equal pieces (I like to use a ruler), and arrange on the prepared baking sheet or baking dish, evenly spacing between.
- Lightly cover the pan with plastic wrap, and leave to rise for 45 minutes to an hour, or until puffy, and a small indentation is left when poked gently with your finger.
- While the rolls are rising, preheat the oven to 350°f / 180°c.
- Bake the rolls for 35 to 40 minutes, or until deeply golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to stand for 15 minutes or so before icing with the Cream Cheese Frosting.
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
- Make the cream cheese frosting. Place the butter and cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until well combined. Add in the powdered sugar, heavy cream, and salt, and whip until light and fluffy.
- Spread onto the cinnamon rolls while they are still slightly warm.
- Store leftover cinnamon rolls in an airtight container at room temperature. Rewarm in the microwave before serving.
Comments
Christine says
This was an absolute disaster. They did not rise on the 2nd proof, they were swimming in the brown sugar cinnamon filling that melted during cooking. A waste of good ingredients.
Erin Clarkson says
Hi, sorry it didn't work out for you! It sounds like there might have been an issue with your dough?
Mel says
Low key the most delicious thing I've ever made ! This did take me all day to cook so recommend doing it on the weekend. I was also nervous about how brown they were getting in the oven so turned my oven temp down to 160. I did have it on fan forced though. I have shared the reciepe with family and friends thanks! Will make again
Claire says
I cannot tell if you are an amateur baker who copied and edited a recipe or an expert who forgot how to write recipes. For example, You never say the depth the dough should be when rolled out. You never put the temperature of the milk for it to properly activate the yeast. The handling of the brioche dough, letting it come to room temperature again after the refrigerator and rise is never written down. I would take a second look at this recipe and pretend you've never done it before and look at what you would need to know. I haven't finished cooking them yet but that part is a problem.
Erin Clarkson says
Hi, I'm not sure if we are looking at the same recipe? There is no need for a depth of the dough to be specified as there is a dimension for the dough to be rolled out to. The milk temperature is specified in the recipe, it says that it needs to be lukewarm. And for the last point I have no idea what you are talking about sorry - the dough can be both used from cold or rolled out at room temperature depending on how you rose the dough. If you read the blog post you can see that I mention that I like using the fridge for the cold rise because it makes the dough easy to work with. My recipe is incredibly detailed, sorry if it didn't suit you! There is no need to be this rude - if you have a question I am happy to answer it, but rudeness is uncalled for.