Apple Butter Cinnamon Rolls! When it comes to cinnamon rolls, nothing compares to freshly baked homemade! This recipe is hands down the best apple butter cinnamon rolls you’ll ever make!
If autumn had a taste, it seriously would be the smell of apples and cinnamon! These apple butter cinnamon rolls are soft and fluffy, each bite combines our favorite flavors of apple butter with the pure goodness of cinnamon rolls. These are just the autumn breakfasts we’re all looking for! There’s nothing not to love, every bite is so delicious! Of course, you can get a cinnabon at the mall or grab a can of pillsbury grands, but nothing really beats homemade cinny rolls. Oh, and the smells coming from the kitchen as they bake? Mmm, heaven!
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) >
WHY YOU’LL LOVE THESE APPLE BUTTER CINNAMON ROLLS
- This recipe uses simple ingredients! You probably have everything on hand already!
- These cinny rolls can be prepared ahead of time so that in the morning, all you have to do is assemble and pop them in the oven.
- These rolls are perfectly soft, gooey, and pillowy! If it’s not soft and fluffy, it’s not a cinnamon roll.
- Bakery-worthy flavor! I have tested and improved this recipe to achieve the perfect balance of sweetness and richness to taste. These are even better than cinny from a bakery!
- You can easily modify this recipe, like adding nuts to the filling. Walnuts and pecans are amazing for this recipe.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED & NOTES
Apple Butter – Made these muffins with my homemade apple butter. You can also use your favorite store-bought apple butter, but homemade is always the best option! Fresh without preservatives!
Sugar – You’ll need brown sugar and confectioners’ sugar (powdered sugar). I use light brown sugar to make the brioche dough and also the filling, but dark brown sugar works too. Confectioners’ sugar to make the cream cheese icing.
Cinnamon – It’s not cinnamon rolls without cinnamon!
Salt – This helps to balance all the flavors.
Vanilla Extract – A little bit of vanilla extract to enhance the flavor.
Yeast – This recipe uses active dry yeast, but you can also use instant yeast and skip the rehydration process.
Milk – Any kind of milk will work in this recipe, but for a super soft and fluffy dough, I recommend using whole milk!
Flour – This recipe uses 2 types of flour, all-purpose flour, and bread flour. The higher gluten content in bread flour results in a more chewy texture, which is key to the best cinnamon rolls. If you only have all-purpose flour, you can replace the bread flour with all-purpose flour. If you are finding the dough will not pull away from the bowl, add 1 tablespoon up to 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour until the dough pulls away from the mixer bowl and is smooth.
Egg – This helps to emulsify the dough. The dough rises better with egg, creating large soft crumbs.
Butter – You can use either salted or unsalted butter. I prefer unsalted butter because I don’t want my buns to taste too salty. If you use salted butter, I recommend skipping the salt.
Heavy Cream – Drowned the rolls with heavy cream before baking! This will make the cinny rolls super soft and gooey. I recommend using full-fat cream, with 35% – 40% milk fat.
BAKING TOOLS & EQUIPMENT YOU’LL NEED
(Check my favorite baking tools and equipment here!)
- 9 Inch square baking dish
- Parchment paper
- Stand mixer
- Mixing bowl
- Rolling pin
- Sharp knife or dental floss
- Offset spatula
- Rubber spatula
STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS TO MAKE THESE APPLE BUTTER CINNAMON ROLLS
(Be sure to check the recipe card below for the full ingredients list & instructions)
STEP 1 – Make the Brioche Dough
Cut cold butter into cubes and heat the milk until warm, not hot. In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine active dry yeast, 1 tablespoon of light brown sugar, and warm milk. Stir to combine and leave it for 10 to 15 minutes, or until foamy.
Add the bread flour, all-purpose flour, vanilla extract, salt, egg, and the remaining brown sugar to the yeast mixture, then mix with the dough hook attachment on low speed until just combined and a shaggy dough forms. Then add the butter cubes one piece at a time, and wait until incorporated before adding the next piece. After all of the butter has been added, turn the mixer speed to medium speed and knead the dough for about 10 minutes until the dough pulls away from the bowl, smooth, and elastic.
Flour your hands, remove the dough from the mixing bowl, and form the dough into a ball. Lightly grease a medium bowl with butter or cooking spray, and place the dough in it. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm spot for about 1 hour or until it doubled in size.
You can also cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm spot for about 20 minutes then put it in the fridge to rise slowly overnight. Continue the next step in the morning.
STEP 2 – Assemble and Bake the Rolls
Line a 9-inch baking dish with parchment paper. In a small bowl, combine 3/4 cup light brown sugar and 1 tablespoon cinnamon, mix well and set aside.
Punch the dough down and turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Roll the dough into a 12×16-inch rectangle by using a rolling pin. Make sure the dough is smooth and evenly thick.
Use an offset spatula to spread the apple butter over the surface of the dough and evenly sprinkle the brown sugar cinnamon on top. Starting with the long side, tightly roll up the dough to form a 16-inch long log. Using a sharp knife or dental floss, cut it into 9 even rolls. Arrange them in the prepared pie dish, then cover and allow the rolls to rise for about 45 minutes or until nearly doubled in size. The dough will spring back lightly and a small indentation is left when poked gently with your finger.
Once the rolls have risen, preheat the oven to 350F then pour the heavy cream over the top of the rolls and allow it to soak down in and around the rolls for about 10 minutes. Bake the Apple Butter Cinnamon Rolls in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes or until golden brown on top, then remove the rolls from the oven and allow them to cool for about 15 minutes as you make the icing.
STEP 3 – Make the Icing and Enjoy!
In a medium bowl, whisk together confectioners’ sugar (powdered sugar), cinnamon, and whole milk. Start with 2 tablespoons of milk because you want the icing to be very thick but spreadable, then you can add more milk if the mixture is too thick. Spread the icing over the slightly cool apple butter cinnamon rolls and enjoy while warm!
TIPS FOR MAKING THE BEST APPLE BUTTER CINNAMON ROLLS
- Make sure your yeast is still active. Don’t skip the rehydration process, If the mixture bubbles and develops a yeasty aroma, the yeast is still good.
- Rise the dough overnight in the fridge, it makes the dough so much easier to roll into shape.
- Instead of slicing these rolls with a sharp knife, I prefer to use dental floss. Dental floss makes super clean cuts without squishing all the filling out.
- Measure flour correctly. When measuring the flour with cups, make sure to spoon and level the flour into your measuring cup. Do not scoop and pack the flour. By doing this, you will yield too much flour and make the dough dry. A kitchen scale is the best option, it’s so much more accurate than cup measurements, that’s why I always write the recipe with grams. 1 cup flour = 125 grams.
- Use a kitchen scale. Baking with a kitchen scale is so much more accurate than cup measurements.
HERE’S HOW TO SERVE AND STORE THE LEFTOVERS APPLE BUTTER CINNAMON ROLLS
I highly recommend enjoying these Apple Butter Cinnamon Rolls warm, fresh from the oven, or at least on the same day you bake them. It has the best texture and flavor on the first day.
If you want to keep it for later, place the rolls in an airtight container at room temperature for about 2 days or up to 5 days if refrigerated.
You can also freeze the rolls. Wrap the leftover rolls in a layer of plastic wrap and then place it in a freezer-safe container or a zip-top bag. It will last for up to 2 months in the freezer.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
At which stage can I refrigerate the raspberry lemon sweet rolls dough?
If you want the brioche dough easier to work with – I recommend letting the dough chill in the fridge before rolling. After kneading your dough, let it rise for 20 to 30 minutes, then cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight, or for at least 5 hours. Then assemble and continue the process.
If you want to have a super quick cinnamon roll for breakfast – You can refrigerate the assembled rolls overnight. Assemble the rolls in the prepared baking pan, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight. The next morning, remove the rolls from the fridge, let them rise in room temperature, and continue the baking process.
How to tell when the dough is well-kneaded?
Take a small ball of the dough and stretch it into a thin sheet between your fingers. The dough will stretch into a thin film without breaking, and it must be thin enough to pass light through it.
If the dough quickly tears – you guessed it, keep kneading!
Instant Yeast and Active Dry Yeast, What Is The Difference?
These two types of yeast can generally be used interchangeably, but Active Dry Yeast needs rehydration. Instant yeast can be mixed directly into dry ingredients, while active dry yeast must first be dissolved and rehydrated in warm water or milk until foamy.
Apple Butter Cinnamon Rolls
Apple Butter Cinnamon Rolls! When it comes to cinnamon rolls, nothing compares to freshly baked homemade! This recipe is hands down the best apple butter cinnamon rolls you'll ever make!
Ingredients
Brioche Dough
- 120g (1/2 cup) whole milk, lukewarm
- 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 218g (1 + 3/4 cups, spoon and level method) all-purpose flour
- 125g (1 cup, spoon and level method) bread flour
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 85g (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
- 60g (1/4 cup) heavy cream
Filling
- 280g (1 cup) apple butter
- 165g (3/4 cup) light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
Cinnamon Icing
- 115g (1 cup) confectioners' sugar
- 2 tablespoons whole milk
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
STEP 1 - Make the Brioche Dough
Cut cold butter into cubes and heat the milk until warm, not hot. In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine active dry yeast, 1 tablespoon of light brown sugar, and warm milk. Stir to combine and leave it for 10 to 15 minutes, or until foamy.
Add the bread flour, all-purpose flour, vanilla extract, salt, egg, and the remaining brown sugar to the yeast mixture, then mix with the dough hook attachment on low speed until just combined and a shaggy dough forms. Then add the butter cubes one piece at a time, and wait until incorporated before adding the next piece. After all of the butter has been added, turn the mixer speed to medium speed and knead the dough for about 10 minutes until the dough pulls away from the bowl, smooth, and elastic.
Flour your hands, remove the dough from the mixing bowl, and form the dough into a ball. Lightly grease a medium bowl with butter or cooking spray, and place the dough in it. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm spot for about 1 hour or until it doubled in size.
You can also cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm spot for about 20 minutes then put it in the fridge to rise slowly overnight. Continue the next step in the morning.
STEP 2 - Assemble and Bake the Rolls
Line a 9-inch baking dish with parchment paper. In a small bowl, combine 3/4 cup light brown sugar and 1 tablespoon cinnamon, mix well and set aside.
Punch the dough down and turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Roll the dough into a 12×16-inch rectangle by using a rolling pin. Make sure the dough is smooth and evenly thick.
Use an offset spatula to spread the apple butter over the surface of the dough and evenly sprinkle the brown sugar cinnamon on top. Starting with the long side, tightly roll up the dough to form a 16-inch long log. Using a sharp knife or dental floss, cut it into 9 even rolls. Arrange them in the prepared pie dish, then cover and allow the rolls to rise for about 45 minutes or until nearly doubled in size. The dough will spring back lightly and a small indentation is left when poked gently with your finger.
Once the rolls have risen, preheat the oven to 350F then pour the heavy cream over the top of the rolls and allow it to soak down in and around the rolls for about 10 minutes. Bake the Apple Butter Cinnamon Rolls in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes or until golden brown on top, then remove the rolls from the oven and allow them to cool for about 15 minutes as you make the icing.
STEP 3 - Make the Icing and Enjoy!
In a medium bowl, whisk together confectioners' sugar (powdered sugar), cinnamon, and whole milk. Start with 2 tablespoons of milk because you want the icing to be very thick but spreadable, then you can add more milk if the mixture is too thick. Spread the icing over the slightly cool apple butter cinnamon rolls and enjoy while warm!
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If you try this recipe, I’d love to hear what you think! Send me a message or write a comment below.
Also, be sure to snap a picture and tag me on your social media posts with #thejobaker
Happy Baking!
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