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Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls

prep time: 30 min | bake time: 30 min | total time: 45 min

These Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls are the ideal combination of apple pie and cinnamon buns all in one indulgent treat. Imagine fluffy, eggless cinnamon roll dough filled with deliciously spiced softly cooked down apples and then topped with a smooth cream cheese icing! Make this recipe vegan with the swap of a few ingredients and get ready to indulge in autumn's flavor pallet!

Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls with Easy Apple Filling

Do not skip this recipe my friends! When I tell you that these Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls are the most delicious thing you’ll have all season I am not kidding. This delicious recipe combines the best of both worlds; cinnamon rolls and apple pie in one scrumptious package! This recipe is totally eggless and can easily be made vegan so everyone can enjoy it! The Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls are tender, fluffy, flavorful and each roll is filled with a luscious mixture of cooked apples and cinnamon sugar. This dessert is beyond comforting and the perfect option for your next holiday gathering. Imagine the smell of your home when these treats are baking! Each roll is finished with a smooth cream cheese icing that adds a touch of sweetness. Let’s dive into the recipe!

Ingredients for Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls

Apple Pie Filling Ingredients

  • Butter: Adds a rich, creamy base for cooking the apples and enhances the overall flavor of the filling. Use dairy-free butter for a vegan option.
  • Apples: I went with Cosmic Crisp Apples as they bring a sweet-tart flavor and hold their shape well when cooked, but any firm apple variety will work.
  • Cane Sugar: Sweetens the apple filling, complementing the tartness of the apples for a balanced taste.
  • Cinnamon Powder: Provides a warm spice that pairs beautifully with the apples, giving the filling a classic apple pie flavor.
  • Vanilla Extract: Adds depth to the filling, enhancing the natural sweetness of the apples.
  • Cornstarch: Thickens the apple mixture, giving it a smooth consistency and helping it hold its shape within the cinnamon rolls.

Cinnamon Sugar Filling Ingredients

  • Butter: Soft butter creates a creamy base for the cinnamon sugar, ensuring it spreads easily across the dough.
  • Light Brown Sugar: Adds a rich caramel-like sweetness and moisture to the filling, while also enhancing the cinnamon flavor.
  • Cinnamon Powder: Essential to this recipe, cinnamon gives life to each roll and creates a warm and aromatic experience.

Cream Cheese Icing Ingredients

  • Cream Cheese: Adds a tangy, creamy layer to the rolls, balancing the sweetness of the filling with its rich flavor. Using a dairy free version will not alter the flavor or taste of this recipe!
  • Powdered Sugar: Sweetens the icing while keeping it smooth and easy to spread.
  • Milk or Cream: Thins the icing to the perfect consistency; dairy-free milk or cream can be used to make it vegan.
  • Vanilla Extract: Enhances the flavor of the icing, adding a subtle sweetness that pairs well with the cream cheese.

Dough Ingredients

  • Coconut Milk: Adds moisture and richness to the dough, making it soft and tender.
  • Cane Sugar: Feeds the yeast, helping the dough rise while adding a hint of sweetness.
  • Active Dry Yeast: Leavens the dough, creating fluffy, soft rolls.
  • Water: Ensures the dough has the right moisture balance for a light texture.
  • Olive Oil: Adds fat for a softer, more tender dough, while keeping it dairy-free.
  • All-Purpose or Bread Flour: Provides structure to the dough; bread flour offers slightly more chew, while all-purpose flour creates a softer texture.
  • Salt: Balances the sweetness and enhances the flavors in the dough.
  • Whipping Cream: Poured over the rolls before baking, adds richness and a soft, fluffy texture to the finished rolls.

How to Make Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls

Creating these Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls involves a few simple steps, starting with making the cinnamon roll dough, preparing the apple pie filling, and finishing with a generous layer of cream cheese icing.

Make the Cinnamon Roll Dough

In the mixing bowl of a stand mixer, combine warm milk, a bit of sugar, and yeast. Let it sit until foamy, about 10 minutes. Then, add all-purpose flour, sugar, water, olive oil, and salt. Using the dough hook attachment, knead the dough for 10-15 minutes until smooth. Transfer the dough to a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let it rise until doubled in size, about an hour.

Make the Apple Pie Filling

While the dough is rising, heat butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add diced apples, sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla extract, cooking until the apples soften, about 7-8 minutes. Stir in cornstarch, allowing the mixture to thicken as it boils. Remove from heat, transfer to a bowl, and let cool to room temperature.

Assemble the Rolls

Once the dough has risen, roll it out on a lightly floured surface into a 20” x 12” rectangle. Spread the cinnamon sugar filling evenly, followed by the apple pie filling. Cut into 12 strips and roll each to form a cinnamon roll. Place the rolls into a greased baking pan, cover with a towel, and let them proof for 45 minutes. Before baking, pour a bit of cream over the rolls if desired for extra softness.

Bake and Add Cream Cheese Icing

Bake the cinnamon rolls at 375°F for 25-30 minutes until golden brown. While baking, prepare the cream cheese icing by whisking together cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and a bit of milk or cream until smooth. Once the rolls are done, spread the icing generously over the warm rolls and enjoy!

Why You’ll Love These Apple Cinnamon Rolls

It’s the best of both worlds. I cannot think of any other reason better than apple pie and cinnamon rolls coming together and making the best dessert ever! You’ll fall in love with their gooey textures, their irresistible flavors and the joy of making them! These Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls are a cozy, comforting treat that can easily be made vegan. They’re absolutely perfect for gatherings, holidays, or a special breakfast treat.

Cinnamon Rolls Frequently Asked Questions

Tips for Great Cinnamon Rolls

  • Room temperature ingredients: Use room temperature ingredients for an even, soft dough.
  • No overmixing: Don’t overmix the dough; mix until just combined.
  • Let the dough rest: Allow the dough to rise fully for fluffy rolls.
  • Apply icing while warm: This goes against most of my rules but spreading the icing on the warm rolls will make an extra gooey and decadent topping!

Other Easy Apple Recipes

If you love apple treats, these other delicious desserts!

Meet Saloni

I’m a former pastry chef with a love for breads, cakes and everything in between! My recipes are easy to follow, egg free and are designed to be shared with others!

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Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls 

These Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls are the ideal combination of apple pie and cinnamon buns all in one indulgent treat. Imagine fluffy, eggless cinnamon roll dough filled with deliciously spiced softly cooked down apples and then topped with a smooth cream cheese icing! Make this recipe vegan with the swap of a few ingredients and get ready to indulge in autumn's flavor pallet!
Author: Saloni Mehta
Rate
Yield: 12 rolls
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Total: 45 minutes

Equipment

Ingredients

Apple Pie Filling Ingredients

  • 30 g Butter*
  • 600 g Apples peeled, cored and diced into ¼' cubes (I used 5 medium-sized cosmic crisp apples)
  • 50 g Cane Sugar*
  • ½ tsp Cinnamon Powder
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 1 tbsp Cornstarch

Cinnamon Sugar Filling Ingredients

  • 110 g Butter* soft
  • 165 g Light Brown Sugar
  • 3 tsp Cinnamon Powder

Cream Cheese Icing Ingredients

  • 227 g Cream Cheese* soft
  • 90 g Powdered Sugar
  • 2-3 tbsp Milk or Cream*
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Dough Ingredients

  • 398 ml Coconut Milk* warm
  • 30 g Cane Sugar*
  • 2 tsp Active Dry Yeast
  • 50 ml Water
  • 80 ml Olive Oil
  • 70 g Cane Sugar*
  • 600 g All Purpose Flour or Bread Flour
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 60 ml Whipping Cream* to pour on the rolls before baking
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Instructions

Apple Pie Filling Instructions

  • Heat a medium sized saucepan and add butter to it.
  • Let it melt and bubble and then add chopped apple, sugar, cinnamon & vanilla extract.
  • Cook on medium heat until the apples are half cooked, about 7-8 minutes.
  • Add cornstarch and stir to combine.
  • Let it come to a boil then remove from heat. Transfer in a heatproof container and let it cool to room temperature.

Cinnamon Sugar Filling Instructions

  • Combine soft butter, brown sugar and cinnamon powder. Mix until it is combined into a thick paste and set aside.
  • Cream Cheese Icing Instructions
  • Combine all the ingredients in one bowl and mix with a whisk to form a smooth icing while the apple cinnamon rolls are baking in the oven.

Dough Instructions

  • In a mixing bowl of a stand mixer combine warm coconut milk, 30g sugar and yeast. Let it sit for 10 min until the yeast is foamy.
  • Add all-purpose flour, 70g sugar, water, olive oil and salt. Mix with a dough hook attachment until dough forms for 10-15 minutes. Dough may feel slightly sticky.
  • Use a scraper to transfer the dough into a lightly greased bowl. Cover with a plastic wrap.
  • Allow the dough to rise until doubled in size or about 1 hour.
  • Lightly flour the surface and the dough. Use a rolling pin and roll into a rectangle that is about 20 x 12-inch ( 30 x 50cm)
  • Spread the cinnamon butter in an even layer.
  • Spread the apple pie filling in an even layer.
  • Cut 12 strips that are about 1 inch wide with a pizza cutter and roll each one to form a cinnamon roll.
  • Place the rolls into a lightly greased 9 x 13-inch baking pan.
  • Cover it with a towel for a second proof for about 45 minutes. Pour cream if desired on the rolls.
  • Bake in a preheated oven at 375f (190C)for 25-30 min or until golden brown.
  • Spread the prepared icing on the warm apple cinnamon rolls and enjoy!

Notes

  • Cup vs weighing scale: The US customary cup measurement serves as a rough estimate, as it can have uncertainties, so for precise results, it's recommended to weigh your ingredients using a digital scale in grams.
  • Before you start to make any recipe, measure and prepare your ingredients so the process will go smoothly and easily.
  • For teaspoon (tsp) and tablespoon (tbsp) measurements, please use measuring spoons and not the type of spoons you eat with for accuracy.
  • Milk: You can use any dairy-free unsweetened milk (like almond, soy, oat) or dairy-based whole milk.
  • Butter: Dairy-free butter sticks or any butter of your choice.
  • Sugar: Cane sugar can be substituted with granulated sugar or castor sugar. Ensure the sugar is vegan-friendly (some sugars are processed with bone char) or organic cane sugar.
  • Cream Cheese: Use dairy-free cream cheese or any plain cream cheese of your choice.
  • Whipping Cream: Use dairy-free unsweetened whipping cream for vegan & dairy-free or any full-fat whipping cream of choice. Avoid using whipping cream with artificial stabilizers for this recipe. 

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