By Erin Clarkson on Nov 18, 2020 (updated Dec 27, 2022)
4.9 from 31 reviews
80 community comments
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These Apple Cinnamon Rolls are super gooey and delicious. They are filled with a cinnamon brown sugar filling, a cooked apple pie filling, and toasted pecans. They are then finished off with a smooth cream cheese frosting. The components for these Cinnamon Rolls can be made ahead of time, meaning the rolls just need to be assembled in the morning for the perfect Holiday breakfast!
Table of contents
- Apple Cinnamon Rolls
- Components of Apple Cinnamon Rolls
- The Perfect Make Ahead Holiday Breakfast
- A few wee tips for Apple Cinnamon Rolls
- FAQ for Apple Cinnamon Rolls
- For more cinnamon roll recipes, check out:
Apple Cinnamon Rolls
Hi hi! I am so excited to share this apple cinnamon roll recipe with you! These homemade Cinnamon Rolls are super easy to make, and the components can be prepared ahead of time, so that come the morning, all you have to do is assemble them and pop them in the oven.
Components of Apple Cinnamon Rolls
- Brioche Dough- This is my go-to brioche dough. It comes together really easily and is super versatile. I like to make mine ahead of time and give it a cold rise in the fridge. The cold rise not only makes the dough really easy to work with, but the cold temperature of the fridge slows down the rise of the yeast, which means that the dough can work on your schedule. This makes these Cinnamon Rolls the perfect breakfast!
- Brown Sugar Cinnamon Filling -This cinnamon filling has the usual suspects - brown sugar, softened butter, and cinnamon. They are all mixed together to form a paste, which is spread over the rolled-out dough to form the base of the filling.
- Cooked Apple Pie Filling -This apple pie filling is super easy to make - diced apples are cooked with a little sugar and butter, then corn starch is added to help thicken up the filling. The whole lot then goes into the fridge, ready for assembly.
- Toasted Pecans -These are optional - leave them out if you don't like nuts or if you have an allergy in the house but I love the crunch that they give. I always toast my nuts in the oven just for 10 minutes. You can do these in a big batch and keep them in an airtight container in the pantry or freezer so you always have toasted nuts on hand!
- Cream Cheese Frosting -This is a super simple cream cheese frosting - butter and cream cheese get whipped together, powdered sugar and a wee bit of salt get added and whipped until thick. Finally a little heavy cream is added to help make the icing smooth and spreadable. The cream cheese frosting goes on while the Cinnamon Rolls are still a little warm, so it melts down and adds to the gooeyness.
The Perfect Make Ahead Holiday Breakfast
I developed this Apple Cinnamon Roll recipe with breakfast in mind, so you can prepare all the components the night before, making assembly the next morning super easy.
Here's all the steps you can do the day before:
- Make the brioche dough and pop in the fridge for an overnight rise.
- Make the apple filling and store in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Toast the Pecans and store in an airtight container at room temperature.
- Measure out your brown sugar, cinnamon and salt for the filling and store in an airtight container at room temperature.
- Bring out your butter and cream cheese the night before so that it is at room temperature for assembling the filling and the frosting.
Steps to finish off the Apple Cinnamon Rolls the next day for breakfast:
- Mix together your brown sugar and cinnamon and the softened butter to make your filling.
- Roll out the brioche dough, spread with the filling, then top with the apple filling and toasted pecans.
- Roll up and cut into rolls, then give a quick second rise.
- Bake the Cinnamon Rolls off and prepare the cream cheese frosting while they are in the oven.
- Finish them with the cream cheese frosting for the perfect breakfast!
A few wee tips for Apple Cinnamon Rolls
- These are pretty gooey cinnamon rolls, so make sure that the pan you use will help keep them contained. I used a quarter sheet pan and it was only just enough to hold them in - a 9"x13" baking pan would work great.
- If you find that the log of dough is getting hard to work with once you have rolled it up, chop it in half, and put both halves onto a baking sheet lined with parchment. Cover with plastic wrap and either chill for about 20 minutes or pop it into the freezer for 10 minutes. This firms up the filling and the dough and makes it a little easier to cut. Then cut each piece of dough into 6 rolls and proceed as usual! You may need to give it 10 minutes or so extra on the second rise to account for the time chilling.
FAQ for Apple Cinnamon Rolls
Can I make these in the same day?
You sure can! I like to give the brioche a cold rise still, so a minimum of 2 hours in the fridge works great. This makes the dough super easy to work with and gives you flexibility in your timing too. Make the apple filling while the dough is mixing so that it has enough time to chill down before assembly, and make sure to pull your butter and cream cheese out in time for them to come to room temperature for assembly and frosting.
Do I have to use Nuts?
Nope! If you don't want to you can just leave them out.
How do I know when the Cinnamon Rolls are baked?
It can be a little tricky to tell when enriched bread is baked, especially when it has a filling. I like to double check the doneness by taking the internal temperature of the bread using an instant read thermometer - 190°f / 90°c is a good number to shoot for. Make sure you're poking the thermometer into the bread and not the filling.
For more cinnamon roll recipes, check out:
- Brown Butter Cinnamon Rolls
- Cinnamon Bun Twists
- Small Batch Cinnamon Rolls
❤️ Made this recipe and love it? ❤️
I would LOVE for you to leave me a review and star rating below to let me know how you liked it! Also, please make sure to tag me on Instagram!
Answers to your baking questions
Over the years, many of you have asked me questions about:
- baking in grams
- adjusting oven temperatures
- what kind of salt to use
- and many more!
I've curated and answered them all for your easy reference in this frequently asked questions post!
Soft-Baked Apple Cinnamon Rolls
5 Stars4 Stars3 Stars2 Stars1 Star4.9 from 31 reviews
- Author: Erin Clarkson
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes plus rising time
- Yield: 12 cinnamon buns 1x
- Category: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These Apple Pecan Cinnamon Rolls are super gooey and delicious. They are filled with a cinnamon brown sugar filling, a cooked apple pie filling, and toasted pecans. They are then finished off with a smooth cream cheese frosting. The components for these Cinnamon Rolls can be made ahead of time, meaning the rolls just need to be assembled in the morning for the perfect Thanksgiving breakfast!
Ingredients
Scale
Brioche Dough
- 250g whole milk, lukewarm
- 50g Granulated Sugar
- 2 ¼ tsp active dried yeast
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 565g All-Purpose Flour
- 100g Unsalted Butter, at room temperature
Apple Pie Filling
- 850g - about four medium apples, peeled, cored, and diced small
- 30g Unsalted Butter
- 80g Granulated Sugar
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp Kosher salt
- 1 Tbsp Corn starch
Toasted Pecans
- 125g Pecan Halves
Brown Sugar Cinnamon Filling
- 190g Unsalted Butter, at room temperature
- 280g Brown Sugar
- 2 Tbsp plus 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ⅛ tsp Kosher salt
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 115g Unsalted Butter, at room temperature
- 225g Cream Cheese, at room temperature
- 250g Powdered Sugar, sifted
- 1-2 Tbsp Heavy Whipping Cream
- ½ tsp kosher salt
Instructions
BRIOCHEDOUGH
- Make the Brioche Dough. Place the lukewarm milk, 25g of the sugar, and the yeast in a medium sized bowl, and stir to combine. Leave for 10-15 minutes, or until foamy.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, place the flour, salt, and remaining sugar, and mix briefly to combine.
- Add the milk mixture and egg to the dry ingredients, and mix on low for 2-3 minutes. Increase the speed of the mixer to medium, and mix for a further 5 minutes. Add the butter a little at a time, waiting until it is incorporated until adding the next piece. Mix for a further 7-10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and soft.
- Shape the dough into a ball and place into a bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours and up to overnight, until doubled in size. Alternatively you can place it in a warm spot until doubled in size, 45 minutes to an hour.
APPLE FILLING
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the apples, sugar, cinnamon, and salt, and cook, stirring often, until the apples are tender, 3-5 minutes.
- Add the corn starch and mix well to incorporate, then continue to cook until the mixture has thickened and the apples are coated.
- Transfer to an airtight container and chill until ready to use.
TOASTED PECANS
- Preheat the oven to 350°f / 180°c. Line a small sheet pan with parchment paper and place the pecans on it.
- Toast the pecans for about 10 minutes, shaking occasionally, until lightly browned and toasted throughout (snap one open to check).
- Transfer to an airtight container until ready to use and store at room temperature.
BROWN SUGAR CINNAMON FILLING
- Make the cinnamon filling. Place the butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a small bowl. Mix well to combine.
ASSEMBLY
- Assemble the cinnamon rolls. Grease a baking dish (9”x13” or 23cm x 33cm) or line with parchment paper.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and roll into a rectangle that is 24” x 16” (60cm x 40cm), squaring off the edges often as you roll. Spread with the brown sugar cinnamon mixture, ensuring the filling is spread evenly over the surface.
- Top with the prepared apple pie filling. Spread the apple pie filling out evenly. Roughly chop the toasted pecans, and spread over the apple filling.
- Roll up the cinnamon rolls. Starting with a long side, roll up into a tight spiral. Cut the log into two pieces and place them side by side on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and lightly sprayed with cooking spray. Lightly cover the dough logs with plastic wrap, and transfer to the freezer for 20 minutes in order to firm up slightly (this step is optional but helps give a neater cut).
- Cut the cinnamon rolls. Once the dough logs have chilled, remove from the fridge. Using a sharp knife, slice each log into 6 equal pieces (I like to use a ruler), and arrange on the prepared baking sheet or baking dish, evenly spacing between.
- Lightly cover the pan with plastic wrap, and leave to rise for 45 minutes to an hour, or until puffy, and a small indentation is left when poked gently with your finger.
- While the rolls are rising, preheat the oven to 350°f / 180°c.
- Bake the rolls for 35 to 40 minutes, or until deeply golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to stand for 15 minutes or so before icing with the Cream Cheese Frosting.
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
- Make the cream cheese frosting. Place the butter and cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until well combined. Add in the powdered sugar, heavy cream, and salt, and whip until light and fluffy.
- Spread onto the cinnamon rolls while they are still slightly warm.
- Store leftover cinnamon rolls in an airtight container at room temperature. Rewarm in the microwave before serving.
Key Ingredients
- Apple
- Cinnamon
- Cream Cheese
« Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
»
Reader Interactions
ManishaIt looks totally delicious.. your recipe is great.. but u suggest eggless version.. what can i use instead of eggs..thank you 😊
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- Erin
Hi! I don't think I mention an eggless version here sorry! I do have a different dough that should work but you will need to scale it to get the correct amount of dough - it is this one here 🙂 I hope that helps!
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- Leanna
Is it possible to fully assemble and leave in fridge overnight to bake the next morning?
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- Cristal
Can I make the dough ball and leave it over night and do the following steps the next day?
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- Erin Clarkson
Hi! Yes there should be tips on this in the blog post!
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- Nicole
Hi Erin!
Is it possible to freeze the cinnamon rolls and to take them out at a later date to bake?
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- Erin Clarkson
I prefer not to do this as I find that it makes the filling super gluggy. I would freeze them baked then defrost and re-warm then frost
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- Cassie Hayslip
The listed ingredients says 2 eggs, then description says and video shows 1. I followed the listed before I watched the video and my dough is more like a batter.
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- Erin Clarkson
Two eggs is correct. Did you make the recipe by weight?
- Alex
Hi Erin,
Can I make this without the apple filling? This recipe makes more than your overnight cinnamon rolls (12 as opposed to 8) and would like to use this recipe to make rather than doubling the other one.
Thanks, absolutely adore your blog:)Reply
- Erin
Hi hi! Yep you absolutely can! I developed this base brioche recipe after the overnight ones, so prefer to use this one! You can just leave them out 🙂
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- Steph
These were a wee bit out of my comfort zone in terms of number of steps & they did take a while (would be more of a weebake than the midweek night I tried them) but they may just be the best thing I've made. Seriously sticky & delicious. Next time I'd make the apple mix drier and I'd measure my cuts as I made them too small & had too many - they were happily received by whānau though!
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- Maddie
Love, love, love that you provide the weight of each item. I used to only bake by cup and about a year ago switched to using a scale. What a game changer for my baking, and the consistency of repeating each recipe. My husband and I are looking forward to trying this recipe - thank you!!
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- Erin
Hi! Ahhhh yay! Weight is the BEST!! xx
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- Catherine
Hi! Could I use caster sugar instead of granulated sugar in the brioche dough?
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- Erin
Yep it should be fine 🙂 Just do 50g total and you'll be all good
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- MONICA
BY FAR THE BEST RECIPE IVE EVER COME ACROSS !!!
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- Yana
Sounds so yummy! Definitely going to give it a go. Do you think I could freeze the dough? Or the whole buns before baking them? It's only me and my partner and I don't think we would manage to eat whole 12. Thank you for all your amazing recipes 😋
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- Erin
Hi! Yayyyy! I haven't tried it but I know some others have and it's worked ok. They defrosted overnight then sat them on the counter to rise. Others have frozen once they have been baked. Let me know how you get on! The other thing you could do is make half into cinnamon rolls and the other half you could shape into buns or something if you wanted to have some variation! 🙂
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- Xing
Hi Erin,
I made this recipe and it is soooo good. So soft, I left out the pecans and the icing and just enjoyed the cinnamon apples, as they are my favourite filling.
I actually put them in the tray, freezed the tray, then left it in a cold spot to defrost and proof overnight and baked them 35 min. They were perfection. Thank you for all your hard work and recipes. I will def try making more.Reply
- Erin
Hi! Ahhhh thank you so much for the review! I appreciate it so much x
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- stacy
looks perfect!!
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- Alex S
This is such a clever recipe and perfect for the holidays. I made this for the fam and they were a huge hit! It was my first time making rolls in a sheet pan and I was nervous at first, but they came out perfectly. So delicious!
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- Erin
Eeee so happy you loved them! Thank you so much for the review!
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- Nish
Hi Erin,
I made this for brunch for friends and it was such a huge hit! My friend said it was better than any pastry she has ever eaten before. Quite the compliment so thank you so much for sharing the recipe ☺️
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- Erin
Hi! Ahhh I love to hear this! So happy they passed the friend test x
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- Steph
Hi Erin! Can I use bread dough from my freezer instead of making homemade dough? Thank you! 🙂
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- Erin Clarkson
I'm not sure sorry! I have only made it as written
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- julia
Hey do you think i could knead this dough by hand or is a stand mixer necessary?
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- Erin
I haven't tried sorry but you could give it a go!
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- Valerie
I know this was almost 2 years ago but I made this by hand kneading. If you can go to YouTube and type in Crust brioche in the crust series by Richard Bertinet! It's not easy but if your determined you can do I replayed that video for 45 mins while doing it by hand. Good luck but it's worth the effort you can do it
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- Erin Clarkson
Yep if you check my small batch cinnamon rolls that recipe is made by hand and you can just double it to get these quantities
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- Miray
Made this for family over Christmas but left out the pecans because I couldn't find any in my rush for last minute grocery shopping. This recipe was so much easier to make than I expected as it was my first
time making any type of cinnamon rolls and I managed to have everything ready before the dough finished rising. I left the icing on the side so people could put as much or as little as they want. I used green apples in this recipe and it went really well with everything. Planning to make this again in the future since everyone loved it! - Jeanette
Instead of for Thanksgiving, I made these for Easter brunch, and they were delicious! I don't have a stand mixer so I used a hand mixer with dough hooks to mix the dough, and it worked just fine. I loved the brioche in this recipe, and the apples and cinnamon went great together. Also, the toasted pecans were a yummy touch!
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- Bri
Do you know the nutritional value of these? Or calorie per bun?
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- Erin Clarkson
I don't sorry! I don't provide nutritional information as I keep my blog as a safe space from diet culture. You're welcome to work it out but I don't have the information available / calculated. Thanks!
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- Marge
I made this for Mother's Day and it was a huge hit! Really appreciate the detailed instructions you had for the brioche dough. It turned out super soft and tender and just chef's kiss. Thanks so much for this!
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- Victoria
Just made these, and my goodness they are delicious! Thanks for a lovely recipe!
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- Richard Clarkson
These are so delicous - perfect for a breakfast treat!
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- Nick
These might be the best thing I’ve ever made. The dough was so fluffy and light. A bit messy to work with compared to standard cinnamon rolls with the added apples, but so so worth it! Trust the process, trust Erin!
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- Christina
Hi! This recipe sounds & looks delicious! My neighbor gifted me a giant bag of pears yesterday and I was curious if I could sub pears for the apples in this recipe. I'm thinking that if they're close to the same consistency, then it should work? I read through the blog to see if there was anything about apple substitutions, but figured I'd leave a comment here to see if you had any insight! Thanks.
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- Erin Clarkson
Hi! yes I think that should work ok!
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- Claire
Have just made this recipe and it is completely delicious. I do have a query, once it was rolled up I put it in the freezer to firm up for half an hour and that worked great for slicing. But after baking, a lot of the apples and cinnamon butter had moved to the bottom of the bun so they were clumped on the bottom. Maybe I didn't roll it firm enough?
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- Erin Clarkson
Hi hi! It sounds like that could be it if they sunk down - you need to roll them quite tight!
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- Michelle
Make these! You won’t regret it. The recipe is not as complicated as it looks on paper. They come together quickly for the most divine cinnamon rolls ever. I came here looking for something to do with an abundance of apples, and this was the winner.
Excellent recipe, thank you Erin!Reply
- Erin Clarkson
Thank you! So happy you love!
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- DylansMama
Has anyone tried making it all the night before (except baking) and putting it in the fridge and then baking it the following morning? I need it early in the morning so I won't have time to do all the assembly....but I'm worried it might mess with the texture/rising if I do it all the night before? Ideas? Advice?
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- Erin Clarkson
Hi! I do find that the filling does tend to fall out / leak a little if you leave them assembled overnight!
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- Alexis
Sooooo good, time consuming but so worth the wait. The cream cheese frosting was so devine, the apples really toned down the sweetness for me which I liked & the bread was phenomenal. Whole family enjoyed it! Thanks for the recipe!!
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- Grace Surtie
Hey Erin!
I’m excited to try these. I wanted to ask - I see a lot of people pouring cream on their cinnamon rolls before baking. Just wondered if you have tried that and if it’s something you would recommend?Reply
- Erin Clarkson
Hi! I haven't but you could give it a go! I haven't gotten around to it yet but it's on my list to try!
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- bassie weinberg
hi can i make this into a loaf? I dont want buns i need a whole thing
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- Erin Clarkson
I'm not sure sorry I haven't tried it!
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- Maddy
Can’t wait to try this recipe! I only have instant dried yeast. Do you think it will work okay to use this and add when warm milk is added to dry ingredients? Thanks for your recipe!
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- Erin Clarkson
Yep it will be fine just skip the activating step!
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- Cheri
These are delicious!!!! Time consuming if you make it in one day. I’ll definitely prepare everything the day before next time as suggested. The rolls are big serving sizes, so for larger gatherings, I’ll cut them a bit smaller. These are perfect, and I wouldn’t change a thing! Thank you for the heavenly recipe ❤️
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- BARB BEACHY
Would you happen to have this recipe converted to cups and teaspoons?
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- Erin Clarkson
I don't sorry! you're welcome to do the conversions yourself but I can't guarantee the accuracy.
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- Jen
I made this for our village coffee club, it went down a storm. I received so many compliments about it and I definitely will be making this on a regular basis. I loved the fact I could prep everything the night before and just put together first thing in the morning. I didn’t use all the creamy topping, probably only about a quarter of it which I felt was enough and I added some caramel to it. This was a huge hit!!!
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- Shelley L Berry
"Increase the speed of the mixer to medium, and mix for a further 5 minutes. Add the butter a little at a time, waiting until it is incorporated until adding the next piece. Mix for a further 7-10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and soft."
Do you add the butter a little at a time during the further five minutes or mix for the further 5 minutes and then add the butter during the subsequent 7-10 minutes of mixing?
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- Erin Clarkson
Hi! You mix for 5 minutes, then add the butter, then mix for a further 7-10
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- Andrea Canny
These were just wonderful!
Thank you!Reply
- Sarah
Could you make these and roll them up the day befor then cut, rise and bake them the next day?
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- Erin Clarkson
I prefer not to - I find that the filling falls out of the rolls when left overnight
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- Cairis Yealland
Could you make these 2 days ahead and put the dough in the fridge? I.e. make the dough then not the day after but the day after that you use the dough?
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- Erin Clarkson
No not really - the dough can really only do 24 hours max in the fridge
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- Maggie
I adore every one of your recipes. This one is no different. Brava! The dough is truly lovely to work with, and I made a double batch in one afternoon without a fuss. Thank you🫶🏽
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- Sarah
Made these today (started last eve) omg! My son and his friends loved them (we all did). Recipe easy to follow- I was worried about the apple filling but it is perfect and delicious!! Love working with this dough. Thanks for the recipe!
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- Haley
I did the alternative and left my dough in a warm place to rise. Should I have put it in the fridge after?
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- Erin Clarkson
No it's fine to use at room temp!
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- Katie
Made these for the family Christmas morning and they were a hit - so gooey and delicious! I didn’t add the cream cheese frosting and these were still decadent! The apples lend a moistness and a lovely flavor that cuts through the sweetness of a traditional cinnamon roll. For those looking for an easier morning, I made the fillings and the dough the night before, did the first rise in the fridge overnight, and then assembled and baked in the morning.
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- Katie
Loved these! Will definitely make again!
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- Marie Gregg
What is grams in english such as 1/2 cup etc. Do not know grams???
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- Erin Clarkson
The recipe is in English 🙂
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- Alison
These rolls are deadly. The base dough is Fluffy and full.of flavor. It's an easy one but delivers on flavor with an overnight proof. I appreciate that she uses metric measurements in her baking too. Anything I've made of hers always comes out so well. Too well. Lol
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- Amykat
THESE ARE PHENOMENAL! I'm in Alberta Canada and these measurements worked perfectly for me. I had never par-cooked the apples in previous recipes and that made such a delicious difference! don't skip that! It makes everything come together so nicely with the best caramelly (is that a word?) texture and taste! so so good!
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- Angela Torrente
Beyond YUMMY !!!!
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- Mary
Can you use store bought apple pie filling?
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- Erin Clarkson
I haven't tried it sorry but it should be fine!
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