These melt-in-your-mouth apple cinnamon rolls take the beloved classic to the NEXT level! They are soft and goey, loaded with fresh cinnamon apples and topped with a smooth cream cheese frosting. These apple cinnamon rolls have quickly become a staple in my fall baking rotation!
Why these Apple Cinnamon Rolls are the BEST
Being from the home of where cinnamon rolls where created (Sweden) I have tried some of the best rolls and have VERY high standards for what makes the PERFECT cinnamon rolls. These Apple Cinnamon Rolls are inspired by the American take on cinnamon rolls but I have used my Swedish cinnamon roll skills to make the best of both worlds!
My checklist for the perfect apple cinnamon rolls:
– Soft and tender dough
– Goey and juicy filling
– Balanced in sweetness
– Tarte apples
Many cinnamon rolls tend to be overpoweringly sweet, raw and underbaked or dry and overbaked, not enough filling…Not these babies!
The Ingredients to make Apple Cinnamon Rolls
Cardemum – Cardemum buns are a classic in Sweden which give the buns a fresh crunch and delicous flavor to the rolls. They go perfectly with the apple and cinnamon flavor!
Yeast – To get the ultimate fluffy and soft rolls, I have used extra yeast in the recipe. This will result in soft rolls for days, no crispy edges here!
Macerated apples – Apples contain alot of moisture, macerating (which simply means drawing out the moisture with sugar and salt) makes the final apple cinnamon rolls juicy instead of wet and watery.
Granulated sugar – This is used to activate and feed the yeast.
Brown sugar – The brown sugar adds a caramel-y flavor while also helping to keep the dough moist and hydrated.
Butter – The butter is for the cardemum dough, the cinnamon filling AND the creme cheese frosting!
Cream cheese – Unlike a sweet vanilla buttercream which can be too sweet on top of a already sweet roll, the cream cheese helps balance out the sweetness of the apple cinnamon rolls and is essential for the frosting in my opinion.
Powdered sugar – Thickens and sweetens the cream cheese frosting.
Tips for perfect Apple Cinnamon Rolls
Use room temperatured ingredients – This goes for both the butter in the dough, the filling and the cream cheese frosting. This ensures that all ingredients incorporate evenly and we avoid lumps. Not only does this improve the quality of your final apple cinnamon rolls, but it´s also MUCH easier to work with.
Do not over mix – While it is important to knead the dough long enough to develop gluten, overmixing it can lead to tough and hard dough. The dough is ready once it is smooth, shiny, and elastic enough to where it can stretch a bit without tearing.
Do not overbake – The beauty of these apple cinnamon rolls is the goey and soft texture. We don´t want to eat raw dough, but keep an eye on the rolls in the last 10 minutes of baking and take it out earlier if it reaches the desired golden color. Note that the type of baking dish affects the cooking time. Metal dishes will heat up quicker than glass dishes (I used ceramic, which is somewhere in between).
Eat them warm – All cinnamon rolls are best enjoyed while fresh out of the oven, and these apple cinnamon rolls are no exception. But no worries if you have leftovers. To enjoy them the next day, simply reheat them in the microwave for 20 seconds and they are good to go!
Macerating Apples
Masceration happens when you let apples (or any fruit) rest in sugar, allowing the sugar to draw out the moisture from the apples. This helps enhance the apple flavor and make the apples more juicy in the filling. The longer you allow this process to work, the better. Prefarably the night before, but 15-30 minutes works as well. The steps are easy and straightforward:
Peel and chop the apples into small bitesize pieces.
Toss the apples in sugar, salt, lemon juice and grounded cinnamon.
Rest the cinnamon apples for 15-30 minutes minimum or in covered in the fridge over night.
That´s it! You should have soft(er) and juicy apples with some liquid in the bottom. Remember that they get softer and release more liquid if you rest them overnight.
Apple Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
Cinnamon Roll Dough
- 30 g fresh yeast
- 1/2 cup milk
- 3 1/2 cup flour
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp crushed cardamum seeds
- 1/2 cup (100 g) butter, room temperatured
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
Filling: Cinnamon butter
- 2/3 cup (150 g) butter, room temperatured
- 3 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 2/3 cup + (1,5 dl) brown sugar
Filling: Macerated apples
- 3 small granny smith apples
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1/2 cup butter, room temperatured
- 2/3 cup (150 g) cream cheese
- 3/4 cup (1,75 dl) powdered sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract or paste
Instructions
Cinnamon Roll Dough
- Crumble fresh yeast into an electric mixing bowl.
- Heat the milk until warm to the touch, but not too hot (around 98 ℉ / 37 ℃) in the microwave. Pour the milk over the crumbled yeast and stir with a spatula until the yeast has dissolved.
- Add the freshly grounded cardemum seeds, the granulated sugar, the brown sugar, the salt, the egg and 2 cups of the flour. Attach the dough hook on the electric mixer and set to low speed until combined.
- Add the room temperatured butter, one spoon at the time allowing the dough to incorporate the butter in between.
- If the dough is too shaggy and sticky, add more of the flour 1/2 cup at the time. Increase the speed to a medium and mix for another 10 minutes or until gluten has developed. Test this out by stretching out a part of the dough in your hands. If the dough is elastic then the gluten has developed. If it breaks immediately as you pull, then keep mixing.
- Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and cover with a clean kitchen towel. Allow the dough to rest for 20-30 minutes (This will make the dough easier to roll it out).
Cinnamon Roll Butter
- In a small mixing bowl, combine butter, cinnamon and brown sugar until smooth and creamy. Set aside.
Macerated Cinnamon Apples
- Peel and cut the apples into small chunks and place in a bowl.
- Toss the apples with the sugar, cinnamon, salt and lemon juice, ensuring all apples are covered. Let this sit in room temperature for at least 15 minutes.
Apple Cinnamon Rolls
- Roll out the dough to a 10 x 30 inch (30 x 40 cm) rectangle.
- Spread the cinnamon butter into a thin and even layer. Sprinkle the apples and roll the dough (from the long side) into a log. Trick here is to be firm but not too tight.
- For best result use a thin thread to slice the rolls without squishing. But if you don´t have that you can use a sharp knife and carefully slice the log into thick rolls, about 1,5 inches (4 cm). This will yield around 12 total pieces.
- Place the rolls on a buttered baking 9 x 13 dish (22 x 32 cm). Cover with a kitchen towel and let rest in room temperature for about 2 hours. If you live in a colder climate, then turn the light in the oven and let the rolls rest inside. This will create a warmer temperature and speed up the proofing process. Be careful not to accidentally turn on the oven at this point!
- Take out the cinnamon rolls and preheat the oven to 350 ℉ (175 ℃). The rolls should have doubled in size.
- Brush the apple cinnamon rolls with whole milk then bake for 25-30 minutes or until they are light golden brown.
- Allow the apple cinnamon rolls to cool while you make the icing.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the room temperatured butter and cream cheese frosting along with the powdered sugar, the vanilla and a pinch of salt. Beat until the frosting is smooth and creamy.
- Spread the frosting onto the apple cinnamon rolls once the rolls are warm but not piping hot. Enjoy and dig in while still delicously warm!