These soft and fluffy rolls are filled with cinnamon sugar and a delicious apple pie filling and drizzled with a sweet cinnamon icing. Each bite of these Apple Pie Filled Cinnamon Rolls is the perfect combination of warm, gooey cinnamon sweetness and the comforting flavor of spiced apples.
It's a delicious twist on two traditional treats that will satisfy your cravings for both apple pie and cinnamon rolls in one delicious pastry. I promise these will become one of your favorite breakfast or brunch dishes! You can spend a slow Saturday morning making them or put it all together the night before and throw them in the oven when you're ready to eat. If you're a cinnamon roll lover (and who isn't?) take a peek at my Caramel Cinnamon Rolls or Cinnamon Roll Pop Tarts!
If you're looking for more tasty breakfast and brunch recipes check out my Apple Pop Tarts, Cinnamon Bun Pancakes, or Sweet Potato Breakfast Hash.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- The cinnamon rolls with apple pie filling are warm, gooey, and sweet with a bit of tartness from the apples. They are a delicious combination of flavors and textures.
- It takes two amazing treats, apple pie and cinnamon rolls, and makes one indulgent treat. You can find another fusion dessert in my S'mores Donuts.
- Cinnamon rolls and apple pie are both nostalgic and comforting. Much like these Oatmeal Cream Pies.
- The smell alone will have you making these again and again!
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
- I used Granny Smith apples but you can use whatever kind of apples you prefer. You can find more apples in my Apple Crumble Bars.
- You can use cinnamon or apple pie spice for the filling and the icing. I also use apple pie spice in my Apple Pie Macarons.
- Be sure to use instant dry yeast that is not too old or your dough won't rise. Instant yeast is also an ingredient in my White Bread Recipe.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions and Variations
- You can buy a can of apple pie filling instead of making your own.
- Instead of the cinnamon icing you can use a more classic cream cheese frosting. I use a cream cheese frosting on my Chocolate Chip Cream Cheese Scones.
- Bake the cinnamon rolls in a muffin tin to make smaller cinnamon rolls.
- Add a scoop of ice cream on top of your apple pie filled cinnamon roll to make it more reminiscent of apple pie.
- Add chopped nuts to the filling for an extra crunch. I use nuts for extra crunch in my Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies.
This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!
Step-By-Step Instructions
STEP 1: Heat milk until warm to the touch, not hot, and pour into the bowl of a stand mixer. Sprinkle in the dry yeast. Allow to sit for about 5 minutes to allow the yeast to activate.
STEP 2: Add the eggs, butter, salt, sugar, and flour. Using the dough hook, mix on low until the ingredients start to come together. Mixing slowly will ensure that the dry ingredients won’t go flying all over your kitchen. Then mix on medium speed for 5-7 minutes. At this point the dough should be smooth but still sticky, so don’t add any extra flour. (Photo 1)
STEP 3: Spray a large bowl with non-stick spray. Turn the dough out into the sprayed bowl. (Photo 2)
STEP 4: Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and set it aside in a warm place for about 30 minutes to allow the dough to rise. It should double in size. (Photo 3)
STEP 5: In a large bowl add the diced apples, brown sugar, cornstarch, and cinnamon or apple pie spice. Toss until the apples are fully coated. Allow to sit for five minutes. (Photo 4)
STEP 6: Melt the butter over medium heat in a large saucepan. Add the apples and all of the juices that have released from the apples. Cook the apples for about 10 minutes or until the apples are tender. Remove from heat and allow to cool. (Photo 5)
STEP 7: In a medium bowl, combine the softened butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon and mix until fully combined. Set aside. (Photo 6) I also use a filling like this in my Mini Cinnamon Roll Cheesecakes.
STEP 8: When the dough has doubled in size sprinkle a clean surface with flour. Turn the dough out onto the floured surface and roll into a rectangle about 12×15″. (Photo 7)
STEP 9: Dust off any excess flour, extra flour is going to make the finished product drier, and spread the cinnamon-sugar filling out to the edges of the dough. (Photo 8)
STEP 10: Spread the cooled apple filling over the cinnamon roll filling. Don't add too much of the liquid from the apple pie filling or it will make the cinnamon rolls hard to handle. (Photo 9)
STEP 11: Starting on one of the long edges tightly roll the dough up, dusting any excess flour off of the outside as you go. (Photo 10)
STEP 12: Using a sharp knife, cut the roll into 12 pieces and place the rolls in the prepared pan. (Photo 11)
*NOTE* At this point, if you want to wait until the next morning to bake the apple pie filled cinnamon rolls you can cover them and refrigerate them. The next morning pull your cinnamon rolls out and let them rest for about an hour before baking.
STEP 13: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees (F). Cover the rolls with a kitchen towel and allow them to rise for 20 minutes, they should double in size. (Photo 12)
STEP 13: Once risen, place in the oven and bake for 17-20 minutes or until browned and the centers are cooked through. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before icing.
STEP 14: In a small bowl combine all of the ingredients and whisk until smooth. If the glaze is too thick you can add more milk, ½ tablespoon at a time. If the glaze is too thin you can add more powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time until your desired consistency is reached.
Expert Baking Tips
- Use an oven thermometer. Most ovens run either hot or cold. Using an oven thermometer ensures that you are baking your cinnamon rolls at the perfect temperature.
- Weigh your ingredients. One of the most common baking mistakes that I see is measuring incorrectly, especially with flour. The best way to get accurate measurements every time is to weigh them with a kitchen scale.
- Let your dough rise in a warm room. Too cold of an environment will cause the dough not to rise as well.
- Be sure you are using fresh yeast. Yeast can expire and this will make the dough not rise.
Recipe FAQs
There could be a couple of explanations for this. The first is that your yeast could have been expired. Be sure you are using fresh yeast. The room where the dough was rising could also have been too cold. Yeast needs a warm environment to rise well.
Yes! This will work just as well and will make the process a bit faster.
You can! This will also speed up the process.
Yes, you can make the cinnamon rolls ahead of time and hold them in the fridge for up to a day before baking.
Room Temperature: The apple pie filled cinnamon rolls can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Refrigerator: If stored correctly in an airtight container they will last up to 1 week in the fridge.
Freezer: If stored correctly in an airtight container they will last up to 2 months in the freezer.
More Recipes You'll Love
If you tried these Apple Pie Filled Cinnamon Rolls or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I so appreciate hearing from you!
Recipe
Apple Pie Filled Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
For Dough:
- 1 cup warm milk
- 2 ½ teaspoons (8 grams) instant dry yeast
- 2 large eggs
- ⅓ cup (38 grams) butter melted, but not hot
- 4 ½ cups (540 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (99 grams) granulated sugar
For Apple Pie Filling:
- 3 apples diced
- ¼ cup (53 grams) light brown sugar packed
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon or apple pie spice
- 2 tablespoons (28 grams) unsalted butter
For Cinnamon Roll Filling:
- ½ cup (114 grams) unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup (213 grams) light brown sugar packed
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
For Icing:
- 1 cup (113 grams) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon or apple pie spice
- 2 tablespoons milk or heavy cream
Instructions
For Dough:
- Heat milk until warm to the touch, not hot, and pour into the bowl of a stand mixer. Sprinkle in the dry yeast. Allow to sit for about 5 minutes to allow the yeast to activate.
- Add the eggs, butter, salt, sugar, and flour. Using the dough hook, mix on low until the ingredients start to come together. Then mix on medium speed for 5-7 minutes. The dough should be smooth, but still sticky.
- Spray a large bowl with non-stick spray. Turn the dough out into the sprayed bowl.
- Cover the bowl with a towel and set the bowl in a warm place and allow the dough to rise for about 30 minutes. The dough should double in size.
For Apple Pie Filling:
- In a large bowl add the diced apples, brown sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon or apple pie spice. Toss until the apples are fully coated. Allow to sit for five minutes.
- Melt the butter over medium heat in a large saucepan. Add the apples and all of the juices that have released from the apples.
- Cook the apples for about 10 minutes or until the apples are tender. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
For Cinnamon Roll Filling:
- In a medium bowl, combine the softened butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Mix until well combined and set aside.
For Dough:
- When the dough has doubled in size sprinkle a clean surface with flour. Turn the dough out onto the floured surface and roll the dough into a rectangle about 12x15".
- Dust off any excess flour and spread the cinnamon roll filling out to the very edges of the dough.
- Spread the cooled apple filling over the cinnamon roll filling. Don't add too much of the liquid from the apple pie filling or it will make the cinnamon rolls hard to handle.
- Starting on one of the long edges, tightly roll the dough up, brushing any excess flour off of the outside as you go.
- Using a sharp knife, cut the roll into 12 pieces and place them into your preferred pan, I used a large cast iron pan.
- At this point, you can cover the cinnamon rolls, refrigerate them, and make them the next morning. If you do this you will need to let the cinnamon rolls rest out of the oven for about an hour before baking.
- If you want to bake them now, preheat the oven to 375 degrees (F), cover the pan and let the cinnamon rolls rise for 20 minutes. They should double in size.
- Once risen, place in oven and bake for 17-20 minutes or until the rolls are browned and the centers are cooked through.
For Icing:
- In a small bowl combine all of the ingredients and whisk until smooth. If the glaze is too thick you can add more milk, ½ tablespoon at a time. If the glaze is too thin you can add more powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time until your desired consistency is reached.
- Drizzle the cinnamon glaze over the slightly cooled cinnamon rolls and enjoy!
Notes
- Let your dough rise in a warm room. Too cold of an environment will cause the dough not to rise as well.
- Be sure you are using fresh yeast. Yeast can expire and this will make the dough not rise.
- The provided nutrition information is an estimate. The calorie accuracy is not guaranteed.
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