Indulge in fluffy, Cinnamon Apple Rolls filled with a spiced brown sugar and apple mixture, topped with a rich brown sugar frosting and optional toasted nuts for a scrumptious breakfast or dessert treat.
How to Make Cinnamon Apple Rolls
Here’s a high-level overview of the steps to create the cinnamon apple rolls recipe:
Prepare the dough: Mix yeast with warm water, combine milk with vinegar, and then mix dry ingredients with shortening. Add yeast and milk mixtures, and knead to form a dough. Refrigerate overnight.
Prepare the filling: Mix brown sugar, butter, diced apples, corn starch, cinnamon, salt, and vanilla in a bowl.
Assemble the rolls: Divide the dough in half, roll out each half, spread the filling, roll up, and cut into rolls. Place in greased baking dishes and let them rise until doubled in size.
Bake the rolls: Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and bake the rolls for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown.
Prepare the frosting: Cook butter and brown sugar, then add milk, salt, vanilla, and powdered sugar.
Finish and serve: Spread frosting over warm rolls, garnish with toasted nuts (optional), and serve immediately.
Storage and Reheating Info
These cinnamon apple rolls can be kept at room temperature for up to 2 days when stored in an airtight container or tightly wrapped with plastic wrap. For longer storage, keep them in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, ensuring they are well-covered to prevent drying out.
Yes, you can freeze these cinnamon apple rolls. Follow these steps to freeze them properly:
1. After baking, let the rolls cool completely on a wire rack.
2. If you’ve already applied frosting, wait for it to set before wrapping. However, it’s recommended to freeze the rolls unfrosted and prepare the frosting when you’re ready to serve.
3. Wrap each roll individually in plastic wrap, ensuring they are completely covered to prevent freezer burn.
4. Place the wrapped rolls in a resealable freezer-safe bag or an airtight container. Label the container with the date and contents.
5. Freeze the rolls for up to 3 months.
When you’re ready to enjoy the cinnamon apple rolls, follow these steps to reheat them:
1. Remove the desired number of rolls from the freezer and let them thaw at room temperature for about 2-3 hours, still wrapped in the plastic wrap.
2. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
3. Unwrap the rolls and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
4. Reheat the rolls in the oven for about 5-10 minutes, or until warmed through.
5. If you haven’t already applied frosting, prepare it as per the recipe instructions and spread it over the warm rolls before serving.
Cinnamon Apple Rolls Recipe
Ingredients
rolls
- (Click here for complete recipe for Willow Bird Baking’s rolls)
- 5 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 package ( 2 ¼ tsp) active dry yeast
- 3 Tbsp sugar
- 2/3 cup butter flavored shortening
- 2 cups milk minus 2 Tbsp
- 1/4 cup warm water
- 2 Tbsp apple cider or white vinegar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
filling
- 2 cups brown sugar
- 8 Tbsp (1 stick) butter - room temperature
- 4 Granny Smith apples - peeled, cored and diced
- 1 Tbsp corn starch
- 2 Tbsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp vanilla
brown sugar frosting
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 8 Tbsp (1 stick) butter - room temperature
- 1/2 cup whole milk - + extra if you want it to be more of a glaze
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 1/4 tsp vanilla
garnish (optional)
- 1 cup pecans and walnuts - toasted and chopped
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine warm water and yeast. Whisk to combine and allow to sit for 10-15 minutes until the mixture becomes foamy.
- Meanwhile, combine vinegar and milk in a 2 c. measuring cup. Allow to sit while preparing the remaining ingredients.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine flour, sugar, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Using a pastry blender, cut in shortening until it resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in yeast and milk mixture, using the pastry hook mix (knead) until a ball begins to form. Place ball of dough in a large lightly greased bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator overnight.
- In the morning, prepare filling by combining all ingredients in a medium size bow. Mix to combine.
- Remove dough from refrigerator and divide into two equal balls. Roll out one ball on a lightly floured surface. Spread half of the filling over the rectangular slab of dough. Roll up and cut into 12 rolls. Place in a lightly greased 9×13 baking dish. Repeat with the second ball of dough. Cover pans with a dish cloth and set in a draft-free area for 1½ hours or until rolls have doubled in size.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place rolls into oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until tops are golden brown in color. Remove rolls and place pan on a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, to prepare the frosting, in a saucepan over medium-low heat, combine butter and brown sugar. Heat until the sugars begin to dissolve and bubbles form around the edges (be careful not to burn the sugar). Remove from heat and add in whole milk, salt and vanilla, then the powdered sugar. Spread over warm rolls. Garnish with toasted nuts, serve immediately.
Nutrition
Sweet Roll Dough recipe from Willow Bird Baking
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