Apple cinnamon rolls
Apple cinnamon rolls are the perfect autumn bake. They’re a delicious soft bun filled with the best combination of fall flavours.
Apple cinnamon rolls are a delicious autumnal twist on our classic cinnamon rolls. They’ve got little chunks of apple and a lovely cinnamon flavour all put together in a delicious soft bun. Best of all, as we’ve used our ‘cheats’ method of making cinnamon rolls without the need to double prove them these can be ready in no time.
Cinnamon rolls are one of our favourite recipes to make together. There a lot of hands on steps which makes them fun to make. And although they might take a little longer than some bakes, they’re definitely worth the effort!
These apple cinnamon rolls are just like our favourite cinnamon rolls but with the addition of little chunks of apple, which marries perfectly with the cinnamon sugar. And because they are made using the same quick base recipe as our quick cinnamon rolls you don’t need to leave them to prove for hours. Simply pop them in the oven on a low temperature before you bake them and viola!
How can kids help make these apple cinnamon rolls rolls?
These sweet rolls are really fun for kids to make and one of my kid’s favourite autumn bakes. There are lots of steps they can get involve in which is great but also means they can dip in an out of helping if they have shorter attention spans!
Children of all ages can help measure all the ingredients out and mix everything together, and then either use their hands or a mixer to knead the dough.
Your kids can also help to roll out the dough before adding the filling and rolling it up to make the swirl. If you mark out where you want to cut the dough and have older children who can use a sharp knife (because you do need a sharp knife) then your kids can be put in charge of cutting the portions before popping them in your baking tin.
How long do apple cinnamon rolls keep?
These apple cinnamon rolls will keep in an airtight container for a day or two.
To keep them for longer you’ll need to freeze them. Once frozen they’ll keep for up to three months. It’s possible to freeze them either before or after you’ve baked them. Just make sure you wrap them well before putting them in the freezer and leave them to thaw at room temperature overnight before you want to eat them. Once they’re ready, either bake or reheat them in the oven before drizzling over the glaze.
Can you make apple cinnamon rolls ahead of time?
Absolutely! You can make these rolls up the day before you want to serve them.
Follow the recipe up to the point where you put them in the baking tray to prove. At this point, wrap them well in cling film / glad wrap and pop them in the fridge overnight.
When you want to bake them, just make sure they have doubled in size before you put them in the oven. If they haven’t risen well in the fridge, pop them in the oven for about 30 minutes at a low temperature until they have doubled in size, then follow the instructions to bake and glaze them.
What kind of apple should I use?
I like an apple with a slight tartness to it to balance the sweetness of the cinnamon sugar and glaze. Braeburn, Bramley or even Granny Smith apples all work well in these rolls. Or you can use any apple you have lying around – these are perfect for using up apples from your garden in the autumn.
Similar recipes
If you have more apples to use up, why not try our favourite apple recipes below:
Apple loaf cake
Eve’s pudding
Apple and blackberry cake
Apple cinnamon muffins
Apple traybake
Apple crumble
Mary Berry’s apple cake
Apple flapjacks
Apple scones
Apple turnovers
Apple pinwheels
Useful equipment
You might need the following baking tools/gadgets to make these apple cinnamon rolls
Digital scales
Freestanding mixer
Mixing bowl
Measuring cups
Measuring spoons
Apple corer and slicer
9 inch baking tin
Wire rack
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Ingredients
350g (3 cups) strong white bread flour
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 packet dried fast action yeast (1 packet = 2 and ¼ teaspoons)
120ml (½ cup) water
60ml (¼ cup) milk
30g (2 tbsp) unsalted butter
1 large egg
For the filling:
60g butter
2 tablespoons cinnamon
60g soft brown sugar
1 apple
For the glaze:
100g (1 cup) cup icing sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 – 3 tablespoons milk
How to make apple cinnamon rolls
Line a 9 inch square baking tray with baking paper.
We find the easiest way to do this is to cut a strip of baking paper the width of your baking tray and lay it inside in one direction, then do the same with another strip in the other direction.
Leave a little bit of paper overhanging the edge of your tin so that it’s easier to remove the apple cinnamon rolls later.
Measure out the dry dough ingredients
Get your kids to start by measuring out the dry ingredients (flour, salt, sugar and yeast) and add them to a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a free-standing mixer.
When you add the salt, sugar and yeast add them in separate parts of your bowl and make sure you kids use their finger to level the teaspoon so that you add just the right amount.
Add the wet ingredients
Now, get your kids to measure out the wet ingredients (milk, butter and water). Cut the butter into a few pieces, and add them all to a microwaveable jug or bowl.
Heat the wet ingredients in the microwave for around 30-60 seconds so that the butter has softened/melted a bit and the milk and water are warm. Carefully dip your finger in to test that your mixture is warm but not hot.
Finally, get your kids to crack the egg into a small bowl (we never add ours straight in in case some shell goes in with it).
Mix everything together
Add the egg into your mixing bowl/ free-standing mixer along with your warm butter/milk mixture.
Using the dough hook of your free-standing or a wooden spoon, start mixing everything together until it comes together in a dough.
Knead the dough
Knead your mixture for 5-10 minutes, either by hand or carry on using the dough hook on your stand mixer. We tend to use use our mixer as it’s a bit easier and quicker and less messy. The dough is ready when it’s stopped being so sticky and becomes a bit more smooth.
If you’re using your hands get your kids to knead the dough by pulling and pushing the dough for about 10 minutes until it becomes more smooth and less sticky. This is quite a sticky dough however so you might find you need to use a dough scraper. Don’t worry though, it will also become less sticky and easier to work with once it has rested.
Put the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover it and leave it to rest for about 10 minutes.
Prepare the fillings
Preheat your oven to 90C / 80C fan / 200F but turn off after 10 minutes or just before your put your rolls inside.
While your dough is resting, prepare the filling.
Start by getting your kids to measure out the cinnamon and sugar and pop them in a small bowl, and give them a mix.
Measure out the butter, and then make sure it is soft enough so it will spread. If yours is too hard, cut it into a few pieces then pop it in the microwave for 10 seconds or so – long enough for it to soften but not melt.
Finally, prepare the apple. Peel and core the apple(s) then get your kids to cut them into small pieces. If you’ve got an apple slicer, use that to initially slice and core the apples, then give your kids a small knife to chop it into small pieces.
This is a great job for kids who want to practice their cutting skills as they can do it with a relatively blunt knife and it doesn’t matter too much if the pieces of apple aren’t all exactly the same size. If any larger chunks of apple are left once your kids are finished, chop them up a little more as you don’t want any really big bits of apple left in your cinnamon rolls.
Make the apple cinnamon rolls
Get your child to sprinkle some flour down on your work surface and then help you roll the dough out until you have a rectangle around 15×9 inch (23 x 38 cm) in size.
Start by spreading the softened butter all over the top, making sure your kids go right to the edges. We found using a rubber spatula or silicone pastry brush worked better than a knife as it was a little kinder on the dough. If you don’t have a spatula, try the back of a spoon.
Next, sprinkle the cinnamon sugar on top as evenly as you can.
Finally, get your kids to add the apple pieces.
Roll up the caramel apple cinnamon rolls
Get your kids to help roll the dough up tightly from long end. Try and make the roll as tight as possible.
Cut off the ends of the roll with a sharp knife to neaten the edge, then cut the remaining roll into 9 even pieces. It might be easier to make sure your pieces are even (especially if your kids are doing it) if you use a ruler and mark where the cuts are supposed to go first.
Bake the apple cinnamon rolls
Put each roll in your baking tray, swirl side facing up. You should end up with three rows each with three rolls. Lightly cover your cinnamon rolls with foil.
Pop the apple cinnamon rolls in the oven to rise. Make sure you remember to turn the oven off. Let them rise for 20 minutes or so.
After 20 minutes, keep the buns in the oven, remove the tin foil and turn the oven up to 190C / 180C Fan / 375F.
Bake the apple cinnamon rolls for 20-25 minutes. They’re ready when they have turned golden and are cooked right through to the bottom.
Remove the apple cinnamon rolls from the oven and leave them to cool in the tin for a few minutes before popping them on a wire rack to cool a bit more.
Add the glaze
Mix the icing sugar with the vanilla and milk until you have a nice glaze that is smooth and runny and lump free.
Drizzle the glaze over the rolls while they are still warm.
Serve and enjoy!
Apple cinnamon rolls
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- We find the easiest way to do this is to cut a strip of baking paper the width of your baking tray and lay it inside in one direction, then do the same with another strip in the other direction.Leave a little bit of paper overhanging the edge of your tin so that it's easier to remove the apple cinnamon rolls later.
- Start by measuring out the dry ingredients (flour, salt, sugar and yeast) and add them to a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a free-standing mixer.When you add the salt, sugar and yeast add them in separate parts of your bowl and make sure you use your finger to level the teaspoon so that you add just the right amount.
- Now, measure out the wet ingredients (milk, butter and water). Cut the butter into a few pieces, and add them all to a microwaveable jug or bowl.Heat the wet ingredients in the microwave for around 30-60 seconds so that the butter has softened/melted a bit and the milk and water are warm. Carefully dip your finger in to test that your mixture is warm but not hot.
- Finally, crack the egg into a small bowl (we never add ours straight in in case some shell goes in with it).
- Add the egg into your mixing bowl/ free-standing mixer along with your warm butter/milk mixture.Using the dough hook of your free-standing or a wooden spoon, start mixing everything together until it comes together in a dough.
- Knead your mixture for 5-10 minutes, either by hand or carry on using the dough hook on your stand mixer. We tend to use use our mixer as it’s a bit easier and quicker and less messy. The dough is ready when it’s stopped being so sticky and becomes a bit more smooth.If you’re using your hands knead the dough by pulling and pushing the dough for about 10 minutes until it becomes more smooth and less sticky. This is quite a sticky dough however so you might find you need to use a dough scraper. Don't worry though, it will also become less sticky and easier to work with once it has rested.
- Put the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover it and leave it to rest for about 10 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 90C / 80C fan / 200F but turn off after 10 minutes or just before your put your rolls inside.
- While your dough is resting, prepare the filling.Start by measuring out the cinnamon and sugar and pop them in a small bowl, and give them a mix.Measure out the butter, and then make sure it is soft enough so it will spread. If yours is too hard, cut it into a few pieces then pop it in the microwave for 10 seconds or so – long enough for it to soften but not melt.Finally, prepare the apple. Peel and core the apple(s) then cut them into small pieces.
- Sprinkle some flour down on your work surface and then roll the dough out until you have a rectangle around 15×9 inch (23 x 38 cm) in size.
- Start by spreading the softened butter all over the top, making sure you go right to the edges. We found using a rubber spatula worked better than a knife as it was a little kinder on the dough. If you don't have a spatula, try the back of a spoon.Next, sprinkle the cinnamon sugar on top as evenly as you can then add the apple pieces.
- Roll the dough up tightly from long end. Try and make the roll as tight as possible.
- Cut off the ends of the roll with a sharp knife to neaten the edge, then cut the remaining roll into 9 even pieces. It might be easier to make sure your pieces are even if you use a ruler and mark where the cuts are supposed to go first.
- Put each roll in your baking tray, swirl side facing up. You should end up with three rows each with three rolls. Lightly cover your cinnamon rolls with foil.Pop the apple cinnamon rolls in the oven to rise. Make sure you remember to turn the oven off. Let them rise for 20 minutes or so.
- After 20 minutes, keep the buns in the oven, remove the tin foil and turn the oven up to 190C / 180C Fan / 375F.
- Bake the apple cinnamon rolls for 20-25 minutes. They’re ready when they have turned golden and are cooked right through to the bottom.Remove the apple cinnamon rolls from the oven and leave them to cool in the tin for a few minutes before popping them on a wire rack to cool a bit more.
- Mix the icing sugar with the vanilla and milk until you have a nice glaze that is smooth and runny and lump free.Drizzle the glaze over the rolls while they are still warm. Serve and enjoy!
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