You guys, aren’t cinnamon rolls amazing? And homemade cinnamon rolls, well, they cannot be beat. They require a few hours of time, but are totally worth it in the end. I incorporated apples into these beauties, because ’tis the season. Slathered in a cream cheese frosting, these apple cinnamon rolls are simply delicious.
- Rolls
- 1/4 cup warm water
- 1 package yeast (2 1/4 tsp.)
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/4 cup butter, melted & cooled slightly
- 1 egg
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 cups flour
- Filling
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 5 apples (I used Granny Smith), peeled and diced
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
- 1/4 cup butter, softened
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- A few splashes of milk
- Stir the water & sugar together in a small bowl. Sprinkle the yeast on top and let sit for about 10 minutes, until the yeast begins to foam up.
- Add the milk, butter, eggs, and vanilla to a mixing bowl. Pour in the yeast mixture and stir to combine. Using a dough hook attachment, turn your mixer on low and slowly add the flour. Let the hook knead the dough until it’s smooth, about 5 minutes.
- Grease a large bowl and roll the dough into a ball. Turn the dough ball into the greased bowl, cover and let rise in a warm area for 1 hour.
- After 1 hour, punch the dough down and then cover again and allow to rise for another 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- As the dough is finishing its rise, prepare the apples and filling. Melt butter in a pan and then add the apples and saute for about 5 minutes, until the apples are soft. Mix the remaining filling ingredients together in a bowl: sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
- Roll the dough out into a large rectangle on a well-floured work surface. Sprinkle the brown sugar mixture on top, evenly coating the area. Then pour the apples over the top, as evenly as possible.
- Tightly roll the dough into a cylinder. Using a sharp knife (serrated works best), cut the rolls into 16 pieces. Place on a greased pan, cover, and let rise for 45 minutes.
- <span class=”mceItemHidden” data-mce-bogus=”1″><span></span><span class=”mceItemHidden” data-mce-bogus=”1″><span class=”hiddenSpellError” pre=”” data-mce-bogus=”1″>Preheat</span></span> oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.</span>
- Bake rolls for about 20 minutes, until they are starting to turn golden brown.
- As the rolls finish baking, prepare the frosting. Combine all of the frosting ingredients in a bowl and beat until smooth.
- When the rolls are done baking, remove from oven & slather the rolls with the frosting.
- <span class=”mceItemHidden” data-mce-bogus=”1″><span></span>Store <span class=”mceItemHidden” data-mce-bogus=”1″><span class=”hiddenSpellError” pre=”Store ” data-mce-bogus=”1″>rolls</span></span> in the fridge. They taste great both warm and cold; if you prefer them warm, place in microwave for 18 seconds (This is the perfect amount of time in my microwave, trust me. Adjust time based on your own personal preference.).</span>
Combine warm water and sugar in a small bowl, sprinkle the yeast on top. Allow the yeast to sit for 10 minutes to bubble up and activate.
Stir together the milk, egg, vanilla, and butter in the bowl of a mixer.
Pour the yeast mixture into the milk mixture and stir.
Turn mixer on low and slowly add the flour. Knead with dough hook for about 5 minutes.
Beautiful. It’s a fairly easy dough to work with, only slightly sticky.
Ball the dough up and place in a well-greased, large bowl. Cover and let rise for 1 hour.
Punch dough down, cover again, and let rise for another hour.
Peel and dice up the apples.
Melt the butter in pan. If you brown the butter a little, that’s an added bonus.
Saute the apples for about 5 minutes until tender.
When the dough is ready, sprinkle flour on a clean surface.
Roll out the dough into a large rectangle.
Combine the brown sugar, sugar, cinnamon, & nutmeg in a bowl.
Sprinkle the cinnamon & sugar mixture over the dough.
Distribute the apples over the top.
Ready to roll.
Now that you’ve rolled the dough, it’s time to cut it. I cut mine into 16 pieces with a sharp serrated knife.
Place rolls on a greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise for 45 minutes.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes, until the rolls are just starting to turn golden brown.
As the rolls finish baking, make the frosting. Combine all of the frosting ingredients in a bowl and mix until smooth. Using a hand mixer makes this simple!
Frost immediately.
Look at those beauties!
Oh my goodness!! These look divine Melissa!! Maybe I should have placed an order for baked goods before you left for South Dakota. Love you Melissa. 🙂
Thank you 🙂 If I make anything while we’re back, I’ll be sure to share it! Love you & looking forward to seeing you soon!!