Sweet Spicy Apple Cinnamon Rolls With Cream Cheese Frosting
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Apple Cinnamon Rolls – buttery golden, yeasty cinnamon rolls with the bright, tart addition of Granny Smith apples, can you say yum?! Smother all that warm baked deliciousness with a rich, gooey cream cheese drizzle and just a hint of vanilla, viola~! Heaven in a bite.
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Why You Will Love These Apple Cinnamon Rolls
- Fresh and warm from the oven
- Stores and freezes well
- Easily transportable dessert to take to potlucks
- While it’s hard to consider these gooey, butter and sugar filled rolls healthy, they are actually healthier than store-bought because they don’t contain any preservatives.
What to Serve With Cinnamon Apple Buns
The Secret to Great Homemade Apple Cinnamon Rolls
- Use real butter; do not substitute margerine. It does make a difference.
- Unbleached all-purpose flour is the best choice. Bleaching the flour is done with chemicals which can affect the quality of your apple cinnamon rolls.
- Only use fresh quality spices. Do not opt for the cheap off brands and make sure the spices have not been on your shelf for several years.
- Make sure your yeast is fresh.
Suggestions for Additions to Apple Cinnamon Rolls
- You can either add in or substitute another fruit, such as dried peaches, apricots or cranberries. Or, how about fresh blueberries, pineapple or bananas?
- Cut back on the sugars if you prefer a less sweet roll.
- Make the rolls smaller for great lunch box treats for the kids.
- Add butterscotch chips to the filling. Butterscotch and apples are the perfect combo.
- You can add or substitute chhocolate chips, or better yet, check out our Chocolate Cinnamon Roll Recipe.
Ingredients for Homemade Apple Cinnamon Rolls (amounts of ingredients in recipe card below)
- active dry yeast
- warm water
- granulated sugar
- salt
- buttermilk – You can use another type of milk but the buttermilk just adds a bit of extra flavor.
- butter
- eggs
- flour
- apples – I prefer Granny Smith Apples because the tartness of the apple compliments the sweetness of the filling but other varieties will work as well.
- brown sugar
- cinnamon
- cream cheese
- vanilla extract
- powdered sugar
How to Make Apple Cinnamon Rolls (complete instructions in recipe card below.)
- Combine yeast, warm water and one teaspoon of sugar. Let sit until foamy. If this mixture does not get foamy, discard and start over with another package of yeast. This is a sign your yeast is not viable and the dough will not rise.
- In a separate large mixing bowl, combine warm softened butter, buttermilk, eggs, salt and the remainder of the sugar. Add in the yeast mixture and one cup of the flour, stirring until combined. Add in the rest of the flour, one cup at a time, stirring after each addition.
- Knead dough and place in a large covered bowl to rise till double.
- While dough is rising, mix together the cinnamon and brown sugar for filling.
- Punch down dough and roll our to and 18×24 size.
- Spread softened butter across the surface of the dough.
- Top with the cinnamon/brown sugar mixture and sprinkle with the chopped apples.
- Roll up dough and cut into slices.
- Place in 13×9 inch pan that you have sprayed with a non-stick cooking spray. Cover pan and allow to rise until double in size.
- Bake on center rack of preheated 375 degree oven for about 18 minutes, until golden brown.
- Cool on wire rack for about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, make the cream cheese icing.
- With an electric mixer, mix the cream cheese, butter, vanilla and powdered sugar until fluffy.
- Spread icing over cooled Apple Cinnamon Rolls.
More Recipes You Will Love
Apple Cinnamon Rolls With Cream Cheese Icing Recipe
Apple Cinnamon Rolls
War, sweet and spicy apple cinnamon rolls are the perfect Autumn treat.
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Servings: 8 rolls
Calories: 1168kcal
Equipment
- large bowl
- Rolling Pin
Ingredients
- 2 pkgs active dry yeast
- ½ c warm water
- ⅓ c granulated sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ c buttermilk (warm)
- ½ c butter (softened)
- 2 lg eggs (room temperature)
- 4½ c all-purpose flour
Filling
- 2 c. Granny Smith Apples (peeled and diced)
- ¾ c light brown sugar (packed)
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 8 oz butter (softened)
Icing
- 8 oz cream cheese (softened
- 8 oz butter (softened)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2½ c powdered sugar
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the yeast, 1-teaspoon of the sugar and the warm water. Stir until combined. Let sit until mixture is foamy (about 5-min).
- In a separate large mixing bowl, combine warm softened butter, buttermilk, eggs, salt and the remainder of the sugar. Add in the yeast mixture and one cup of the flour, stirring until combined. Add in the rest of the flour, one cup at a time, stirring after each addition.
- Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 4 minutes. Place the dough ball into a large lightly greased bowl, turning once to coat the top. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise until doubled in size.
- Prepare the apple filling while the dough is rising. Simply mix together the cinnamon and brown sugar. Have diced apples ready.
- After dough has risen, punch down the dough and turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll dough out to an 18×24-inch rectangle. Spread the softened butter over the dough surface, stopping about ½-inch from all edges. Spread the brown sugar/cinnamon mixture over the butter. Sprinkle the apples across the brown sugar.
- Starting at one long edge, roll up the dough, keeping the roll tight. When you reach the end, seal the edge by pinching the dough together. Using a floured knife, cut the roll into 12- 2" pieces.
- Spray a large baking pan with sides with a non-stick cooking spray. Place each roll in pan, one inch apart. If you don't have a large enough pan, you may need to use two. Cover pan and let rise until doubled.
- Preheat oven to 375°, about 15 minutes before rolls are finished rising.
- Bake rolls on the center rack of the oven for about 18 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to a cooling rack and allow to cool for about 15 min.
- For the icing, using an electric mixer, combine the cream cheese, butter, vanilla and powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Spread over the cooled rolls.
Nutrition
Serving: 1roll | Calories: 1168kcal | Carbohydrates: 131g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 69g | Saturated Fat: 43g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 18g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 184mg | Sodium: 861mg | Potassium: 260mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 73g | Vitamin A: 2211IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 97mg | Iron: 4mg
