There is a woman holding up a cinnamon roll that has been cut in half. There is white icing on top. There are more cinnamon rolls in a red casserole dish in the background.

Dreamy Cinnamon Roll Apple Bake

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These apple cinnamon rolls are made up of lovely, warm, pillowy soft rolls, swirled with apples and warm cinnamon sugar! This recipe takes the classic cinnamon bun and elevates it with soft, baked, fresh apples!

A close up look at a cinnamon roll with white icing on top. It is on a blue floral plate

If you have never had cinnamon rolls before, you are missing out on one of life’s simple pleasures! This dreamy dessert, or special breakfast, is the closest you can get to culinary perfection!

Can cinnamon rolls rise overnight

Is there anything better than the smell of fresh cinnamon rolls first thing in the morning?

You can make fresh cinnamon rolls in the morning without having to wake up hours in advance! Cinnamon rolls can be made the night before and then left to do the final rise in the refrigerator overnight!

That means they are ready to bake straight from the fridge!

To rise the lovely apple cinnamon rolls overnight:

  • The night before you want to make your cinnamon rolls, make the recipe up to the point of the final rise before baking.
  • Cover the ovenproof container with your prepared cinnamon roll dough.
  • Place the container in the fridge. The cold temperatures will prolong the final rise.
  • In the morning the cinnamon rolls will have risen and are ready to bake!
There is a woman holding up a cinnamon roll that has been cut in half. There is white icing on top. There are more cinnamon rolls in a red casserole dish in the background.

Cinnamon roll with cream cheese icing

For me cream cheese icing is a must for the perfect apple cinnamon rolls. The sweet tang compliments the spiced, sweet, apples and pillowy buns perfectly!

I prefer to keep my cinnamon rolls and icing stored separately. That way, if you are not going to consume all of the rolls in one sitting, you can heat one roll up at a time and spread the icing on fresh.

To make the perfect cream cheese icing for these apple cinnamon rolls follow these easy tricks.

~ Room temperature cream cheese and butter

This will ensure the creamiest texture to the final icing, without any lumps or bumps from harder bits of cold cream cheese.

~ Salt

Salt really elevates the flavour of the icing. It also helps balance the flavours for the icing. Without a small amount of salt icing can taste overly sweet.

~ Creaming the butter and cream cheese first

This helps incorporate air and fluff up the icing before adding anything in. The powdered sugar can be more easily and evenly be incorporated in to the whipped cream cheese and butter.

~ Full Fat Cream Cheese

For the perfectly creamy cream cheese icing you need to use full-fat cream cheese for the best results!

There is a red casserole dish full of cinnamon rolls there is one cinnamon bun an a blue floral plate. There is a small dish full of white icing.

Cinnamon roll day!

That right! These sweetly spiced cinnamon infused pastries have their very own day to be baked, eaten, and celebrated!

October 4th is Cinnamon Roll Day! So make sure to mark it on your calendars and save your favourite cinnamon roll recipe!

Cinnamon roll filling

Cinnamon roll filling is made of mainly cinnamon and brown sugar. Normally, butter is used to stick the crumbly mixture to the dough.

The best way to apply the filling is up for debate. Yes even cinnamon rolls can’t escape controversy on the internet!

Melted butter – Using melted butter and mixing the cinnamon and sugar with it is the simplest way, I have found. It works out perfectly, which is why I have chosen this for the recipe. It is easy to incorporate everything by hand and spread onto the dough.

Whipped butter – You can also opt to whip softened butter and cinnamon sugar together. It is a bit of an extra step but it butters onto the dough very nicely.

Separate – Spread softened butter onto the dough. Mix the cinnamon sugar together in a bowl and then sprinkle it on top of the butter layer. This method also works but I find that some of the dry mixture falls out of the rolls while cutting and moving to the container to bake.

I will leave it up to you to pick your favourite method for the filling!

There is a red casserole dish with cinnamon buns inside. In front there is a blue floral plate with a cinnamon roll covered in white icing.

Cinnamon rolls in the bread machine

If you have a bread machine you can absolutely use to make cinnamon rolls!

To make these apple cinnamon rolls in your bread machine

  1. Place the milk, egg, butter, sugar, salt, yeast, and flour in the bread machine in the order recommended by your bread machine manufacturer.
  2. Select the dough cycle.
  3. When the bread machine is done, tip the dough out of the pan onto a lightly floured counter.
  4. Roll the dough out into a large rectangle.
  5. Make the filling and spread it onto the dough. Continue on with the regular recipe.
There is a cinnamon roll cut in half on a blue floral plate. There are more in a red casserole dish behind.

How to store cinnamon rolls

At room temperature

Cinnamon rolls can be stored at room temperature if you store the icing in a separate container.

This is my preferred way of storing cinnamon rolls. Unless you are going to finish all of the cinnamon rolls in one sitting, it is best to apply the icing to each individual roll when serving. That way you can heat up the roll and apply fresh icing.

Heating the icing will change the texture of the icing.

To store cinnamon rolls at room temperature

  • Allow the cinnamon rolls to cool to room temperature.
  • Cover the rolls or store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
  • The cream cheese icing should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Since it contains cream cheese it should not be stored at room temperature.
There is a red casserole dish with cinnamon buns inside. On the side there is a blue floral plate with a cinnamon roll that has been cut in half. There is white icing on top.

Fridge

You can store frosted or unfrosted cinnamon rolls in the fridge for longer storage.

To store cinnamon rolls in the refrigerator

  • Allow the cinnamon rolls to cool to room temperature.
  • Cover the rolls or store in an airtight container.
  • Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Freezer

Cinnamon rolls store very well in the freezer for longer storage.

It is best to freeze cinnamon rolls without the cream cheese icing. That way you can reheat the cinnamon rolls and apply the icing fresh.

  • Allow the cinnamon rolls to cool to room temperature.
  • Cover the rolls and store in an airtight container or in a freezer bag.
  • Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
A wooden table with ingredients on top. The ingredients are labeled with arrows pointing to each one.

How to make a Apple Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients

Dough

1 cup warm milk  250 ml

1 egg

¼ cup butter softened 57 g

3 ½ cups bread flour 525 g

¼ cup white sugar 50 g

1 tsp salt 5 ml

2 ¼ tsp (1 package) dry active yeast 7g

Filling

1 cup packed brown sugar 200 g

2 teaspoons cinnamon 10 ml

½ cup butter, melted 113 g

3 medium diced apples

Icing

1 8oz brick of cream cheese, softened 250 g

¼ cup butter, softened 57 g

2 cups icing sugar 260 g

¼ teaspoon salt 1.75 ml

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 5 ml

1 teaspoon lemon juice 5 ml

Method

Dough

  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl by hand, add the warm milk and sugar.
  2. Sprinkle the yeast on top and wait for a few minutes for it to become soft and foamy.
  3. Lightly beat the egg and add it to the mixture.
  4. Add in the softened butter, salt, and bread flour.
  5. Mix and knead the mixture until you have a soft smooth dough. (5 minutes in the stand mixer or 8 minutes by hand.)
Dry yeast on top of a bowl of milk.
A glass bowl with bread dough inside.

6. Cover the dough and let it rise 1 hour, in a warm spot.

7. Tip the dough out onto a floured counter top and roll out into a large rectangle.

Filling

  1. Peel, core, and dice 3 medium apples.
  2. In a small bowl mix the brown sugar and cinnamon.
  3. Stir in the melted butter, until you have a spreadable consistency.
  4. Spread the filling over the top of the dough.
  5. Sprinkle the diced apple over top of the cinnamon mixture.
  6. Starting at the shorter side of the rectangle, roll the dough into a long log.
A small white bowl with brown sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter.
A partially rolled rectangle of dough with a brown spread and chopped apples inside.

7. Cut the dough into 12 equal rolls.

8. Place the rolls in an oven proof rectangular casserole dish. Make sure to leave enough space for the rolls to rise.

9. Cover and allow to rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.

10. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 ºF (190 ºC)

11. Once the rolls have risen, bake them in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes or until deeply golden.

    unbaked cinnamon rolls in a red rectangular casserole dish.
    A close up look at baked cinnamon rolls in a red casserole dish.

    Cream Cheese Icing

    1. In a bowl, cream the butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy.
    2. On low, add in the icing sugar, salt, vanilla, and lemon juice.
    3. Increase the speed and cream until light and creamy.
    4. Spread the icing on top of each warm apple cinnamon roll before serving.
    Butter and cream cheese being mixed together
    A close up look at a cinnamon roll with white icing on top. It is on a blue floral plate
    A close up look at a cinnamon roll with white icing on top. It is on a blue floral plate

    Dreamy Cinnamon Roll Apple Bake

    flour and filigree
    This cinnamon roll apple bake is made up of lovely, warm, pillowy soft rolls, swirled in apples and warm cinnamon sugar! This recipe takes the classic cinnamon bun and elevates it with soft, baked, fresh apples!
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 2 hours
    Cook Time 35 minutes
    Total Time 2 hours 35 minutes
    Course Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
    Cuisine American
    Servings 12 buns

    Ingredients
      

    Dough

    • 1 cup warm milk 250 ml
    • 1 egg
    • ¼ cup butter softened 57 g
    • 3 ½ cups bread flour 525 g
    • ¼ cup white sugar 50 g
    • 1 tsp salt 5 ml
    • 2 ¼ tsp 1 package dry active yeast 7g

    Filling

    • 1 cup packed brown sugar 200 g
    • 2 teaspoons cinnamon 10 ml
    • ½ cup butter softened 113 g
    • 3 medium diced apples

    Icing

    • 1 8 oz brick of cream cheese softened 250 g
    • ¼ cup butter softened 57 g
    • 2 cups icing sugar 260 g
    • ¼ teaspoon salt 1.75 ml
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 5 ml
    • 1 teaspoon lemon juice 5 ml

    Instructions
     

    Dough

    • In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl by hand, add the warm milk and sugar.
    • Sprinkle the yeast on top and wait for a few minutes for it to become soft and foamy.
    • Lightly beat the egg and add it to the mixture.
    • Add in the softened butter, salt, and bread flour.
    • Mix and knead the mixture until you have a soft smooth dough. (5 minutes in the stand mixer or 8 minutes by hand.)
    • Cover the dough and let it rise 1 hour, in a warm spot.
    • Tip the dough out onto a floured counter top and roll out into a large rectangle.

    Filling

    • Peel, core, and dice 3 medium apples.
    • In a small bowl mix the brown sugar and cinnamon.
    • Stir in the melted butter, until you have a spreadable consistency.
    • Spread the filling over the top of the dough.
    • Sprinkle the diced apple over top of the cinnamon mixture.
    • Starting at the shorter side of the rectangle, roll the dough into a long log.
    • Cut the dough into 12 equal rolls.
    • Place the rolls in an oven proof rectangular casserole dish. Make sure to leave enough space for the rolls to rise.
    • Cover and allow to rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
    • Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 ºF (190 ºC)
    • Once the rolls have risen, bake them in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes or until deeply golden.

    Icing

    • In a bowl, cream the butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy.
    • On low, add in the icing sugar, salt, vanilla, and lemon juice.
    • Increase the speed and cream until light and creamy.
    • Spread the icing on top of each warm apple cinnamon roll before serving.
    Keyword Apple, bread, breakfast, brunch, christmas, Fall, kid-friendly, snack
    Looking for some more dreamy desserts where cinnamon and apples are the star? Try one of these! From Scratch Honey Apple Pie The Best Old-Fashioned Apple Pie, Autumn spice Apple Crisp Cheesecake
    A pinterest pin for Apple Cinnamon rolls. In the picture there is a red casserole dish with cinnamon buns inside. Beside is a blue floral plate with a cinnamon roll that has been cut in half. There is white icing on top.

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