Old Fashioned Apple Pie Filling Cinnamon Rolls

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These Apple Pie Filling Cinnamon Rolls are very easy to make and can be ready in less than an hour. This simple recipe features fluffy golden brown cinnamon rolls filled with a gooey cinnamon apple filling and then topped with a brown butter cream cheese frosting.

These apple cinnamon rolls are basically a combination between traditional gooey cinnamon rolls and classic apple pie. They are gooey and filled with juicy tart apples and the brown butter cream cheese frosting adds a delicious sweet and nutty flavor. Try this recipe once and I promise you will be hooked!

There is nothing more perfect on a crisp chilly fall morning than these apple pie filling cinnamon rolls. If you are looking for other delicious breakfast ideas try these recipes out:

Easy Sheet Pan Sourdough French Toast

Apple Cider Donut Bundt Cake

Baked Pumpkin Donuts

Apple Spice Muffins

Blood Orange Ginger Honey Muffins

Almond Chocolate Date Scones

Baklava and Honey Pancakes

Churro Waffles with a Chili Chocolate Sauce

If you are looking for more cinnamon roll recipies try these out:

Fluffy Brown Butter Cinnamon Rolls with a Maple Glaze

Tahini Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls

WHY YOU ARE GOING TO LOVE THIS RECIPE

Super easy to make. It can be made in less than one hour!
Perfect way to use up leftover apples from apple picking.
A simple and easy breakfast for the whole family.

WHICH APPLES ARE BEST FOR BAKING?

This is a pretty controversial topic in the baking community but here is my list of the best apples for baking:

Jonagold. Tart with an undertone of honey like sweetness, these apples hold up really well in the oven. However they don't store well so I recommend using them early in the fall season when they are freshest.
Honeycrisp. This is my go to apple for baking. It's texture is guaranteed to stay firm regardless of what type of dessert you use it for.
Pink Lady. It has a nice balance between tart and sweet. It is best used for baking breads and cakes.
Granny Smith. Some people swear by using granny smith apples in their baked goods but I personally feel these apples are too tart. They do help cut through the sweetness of many desserts so they are great in an apple pie or apple crisp.

KEY INGREDIENTS AND SUBSTITUTIONS

HONEY CRISP APPLES. Honey crisp apples are my favorite apples to use when baking because they are the perfect combo of sweet and tart. They also hold their texture really well when baked or cooked down. But you can replace these with any baking apple.
LEMON. The lemon is key because when mixed with the apples, it produces a chemical reaction that helps keep your apples fresh and helps extract some of its juices.
BROWN SUGAR. This adds a deep rich molasses flavor which isn't overpowering. If you do not have this on hand you can replace this with equal parts white sugar.
SPICES. Cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and clove help to balance the sweetness of the honey crisp apples. I recommend all of them but the most important are cinnamon and allspice.
WHOLE MILK. The whole milk helps the yeast grow. I use whole milk for the fat but you can also use 2% or half and half, but nothing less than that.
YEAST. Rapid rise yeast helps your rolls grow and become fluffy. I wouldn't replace this.
BROWN BUTTER. The brown butter adds another layer of nutty flavor.

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS

FLUFFY CINNAMON ROLLS

Warm your milk on the stove over a low heat. Test the temperature of your milk. It should be warm but not hot (between 95-105 degrees). If it is too hot it will kill the yeast but not hot enough and your yeast will not grow.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, add your milk and yeast. Mix together. Let it sit until it becomes a little foamy/bubbly and smells like yeast (about 5 to 10 minutes).
Then add your sugar, salt, eggs, vanilla, butter (make sure butter is not too hot or you will kill your yeast). Mix until combined. Then mix in your flour and blend on medium speed with your dough hook attachment. Mix until combined and the dough is separated from the bowl.
Transfer your dough to a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let it rise for at least one hour, it should double in size.
Using a rolling pin, place your dough on a floured surface and roll out your dough to about a 10"x 16" rectangle.

APPLE PIE FILLING

Peel, core, and dice your apples.
In a medium sauce pan combine your apples, the juice from one lemon, brown sugar, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, clove, and salt. Mix and let sit for about 15 minutes to allow the juices to come out.
Then cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes while stirring.
Take mixture off heat. Using a tablespoon take about 2 tablespoons of liquid out from your pot (no apples) and place it in a small bowl. In that bowl add your corn starch and stir until combined. Then add this slurry back into your pot and mix. Cook again on medium heat for about 3-5 minutes until mixture is thickened.
Take off heat and mix in your butter and vanilla extract until melted.
Let apple pie filling cool.

ASSEMBLE

Pour the apple pie filling onto your rolled out dough and spread evenly.
Roll your dough in on itself from one long side to the other
Then slice your dough into 12 even rolls.
Place your rolls in a 9x 11 inch baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rise for another 30 minutes.
Pour your heavy cream evenly over your rolls.
Bake your rolls at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.
Let cool.

BROWN BUTTER FROSTING

In a small sauce pan, brown your butter. Melt your butter on medium heat. Once melted, stir your butter while cooking it. The butter should get foamy. Keep stirring or it will burn quick. While stirring you will notice the color of your butter becoming a caramel like color and it will start smelling nutty. Once the butter is fully this caramel color, immediately take it off the heat. You should see some dark speaks in the bottom of your pot and it should smell super nutty. This is good! BUT, if it is too dark and smells burnt then it is burnt and you went too far. Be careful to not cook it too long and keep stirring because it burns quickly.
Let the brown butter cool until slightly solid again. Place in fridge for 10 minutes, stir, then place in fridge again for another 10 minutes. The brown butter should still be soft and spreadable but not a liquid anymore.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, using the beater attachment, beat your cream cheese until soft and airy. Add your brown butter and mix until combined. Add your powdered sugar and mix until soft and combined.
Using a knife spread the brown butter frosting on top of your rolls.
Serve and enjoy!

EXPERT TIPS

Use a candy thermometer to test the temperature of your milk before you start. It should be about 95-105 degrees. If it is too hot it will kill the yeast but if it is too cold the yeast will not activate and grow. So this is key. Make sure the rest of your ingredients are also at room temperature, not too cold or hot, or this will effect your yeast growth.
When you add your yeast to the milk, wait for it to start bubbling and for it to smell like yeast. This is how you know it is ready.
Use your dough hook attachment on your stand mixer. It is designed to knead the dough properly.
Make sure to cover your ball of dough in a bowl with plastic wrap. This helps retain the heat and moisture which helps it grow.
Pour heavy cream over top your cinnamon rolls. The cream combines with the pie filling at the bottom of the pan and creates an extra gooey layer.

FAQ

What if my dough does not rise?

If you add your yeast to your milk and it does not get foamy and smell like yeast then I would stop here. Do not keep going because your rolls will not rise. Toss it out and try again. You can increase your milk temp slightly to 110 but not more than that. Unfortunately this process does take a little bit of trial and error, especially if you are new to baking. But don't give up!!

How do I cut and transfer these rolls without them spilling all over?

So these rolls will be messy! The best way to cut them is to use floss instead of a knife which helps keep the filling in. Then move quick and be prepared to get messy!

Which apple is best for baking?

I prefer honey crispy but you can use any apple your prefer. Some apples are able to hold their texture better when cooked such as honey crisp or jonagold. But you can use any apple you like.

What goes well with these apple pie filling cinnamon rolls?

I tend to make these for breakfast so I usually enjoy them with a warm cup of coffee or tea. You can even warm up some apple cider to have alongside these rolls.

How to reheat cinnamon rolls?

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Place your cinnamon rolls on a baking sheet. Cover with aluminum foil and heat for 10 minutes. They should be nice and warm!

Can I use a can of apple pie filling instead of making fresh apple pie filling?

Yes you can. Do I recommend it? Absolutely not!! Canned apple pie filling is full of preservatives and the apples have no bite left to them; they are all mushy and gross. Also the canned apple pie filling has no spices or flavor to it. You already went through all of the hard work to make cinnamon roll dough by hand, why cut corners on the easy part??

Can I use canned cinnamon roll dough or Pilsbury cinnamon roll dough in this recipe?

If you are having a hard time getting your yeast to rise or you are really short on time, then yes, you can use canned cinnamon roll dough.

STORING AND FREEZING

These apple pie filling cinnamon rolls last best covered in plastic wrap and foil in the fridge for up to 3 days. Or you can freeze them for up to a month.

CAN YOU MAKE THESE ROLLS AHEAD OF TIME?

Honestly I actually recommend making these ahead of time. Just follow the directions and after you have assembled the apple pie rolls, place them in the fridge until you are ready to bake. Let them rest at room temp for 30 minutes and then bake and eat fresh!

You can make the brown butter frosting ahead of time as well and store in an airtight container until ready for use.

Lastly, if you try out these Old Fashioned Apple Pie Filling Cinnamon Rolls, be sure to leave a comment/rating on how it turned out. I love hearing from you guys and will try my best to reply to every comment! And don’t forget to tag me on Instagram!