This easy favorite puts a fresh apple twist on a favorite cinnamon roll recipe!

A tender dough is smothered in butter, cinnamon, and our favorite apple topping. It’s all rolled up and baked until tender. Top with a quick glaze or your favorite cream cheese frosting for a delicious treat.

close up of plated Easy Apple Cinnamon Rolls

A Twist on a Favorite

Who doesn’t love apple pie in the morning?

These apple cinnamon rolls taste just like fresh apple pie, filled with cinnamon-sugared apples, fragrant and perfect for serving with a steaming cup of coffee

Ingredients

DOUGH This recipe is made with homemade dough and while it takes a bit of time, it’s not difficult to make.

FILLING We make homemade apple pie filling in minutes, this gives the best flavor. Canned apple pie filling can be used in a pinch.

SUGAR & SPICE Cinnamon sugar and the glaze are just as important as the apples and the dough, so don’t skimp on the seasonings! If you have it, swap out some of the cinnamon for apple pie spice.

How to Make Apple Cinnamon Rolls

  1. Prepare the apple filling. If using canned, chop the apples smaller.
  2. Prepare the dough per recipe below and let rise for 1 hour.
  3. After rising, roll into a rectangle, brush with butter, & sprinkle cinnamon sugar over top.
  4. Spread apple filling over top, roll the dough into a log.

adding apples to dough and cinnamon to make Easy Apple Cinnamon Rolls

  1. Carefully slice the rolls into 12 pieces and place them in a baking dish.
  2. Rise until fluffy and bake according to the recipe.

Easy Apple Cinnamon Rolls in a dish before baking

To Serve

  • Let the rolls cool a few minutes in the pan.
  • While cooling, make the glaze in a small zippered bag. Snip off one end and drizzle the glaze over the tops. Serve warm.

top view of Easy Apple Cinnamon Rolls in a dish

How to Store Apple Cinnamon Rolls

  • Keep apple cinnamon rolls in an airtight container at room temperature and they’ll be good for about 3 days.
  • Baked rolls can be frozen as long as they are wrapped tightly and placed in a zippered bag with the date labeled on the outside. Toss one into a backpack or briefcase and they’ll be thawed in a couple of hours!
  • Freeze unbaked rolls in the baking dish and wrap them with plastic with the date written on the outside. They’ll keep in the freezer for about 2 months. Let them thaw overnight and bake in the morning!

Delicious Apple Dishes

Did you love these Apple Cinnamon Rolls? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below! 

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close up of plated Easy Apple Cinnamon Rolls
5 from 15 votes↑ Click stars to rate now!
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Apple Cinnamon Rolls

Apple Cinnamon Rolls are soft, gooey, and loaded with apple pie filling. The whole family will love this delicious twist on a classic favorite!
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 23 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 8 minutes
Servings 12 rolls
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Ingredients  

Glaze

  • cup powdered sugar
  • ½ tablespoon water
  • ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

Dough

  • ¼ cup warm water
  • 1 package active dry yeast or 2 ¼ teaspoon
  • cup granulated sugar plus 1 teaspoon
  • ¾ cup milk
  • cup butter
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 eggs room temperature
  • 4 to 4 ½ cups all purpose flour divided

Instructions 

  • Grease a 9x13" pan and set aside. Chop the apples in the filling and set aside.

Dough

  • Combine water, yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar in a small bowl. Let sit 10 minutes or until foamy.
  • Combine milk, butter, remaining sugar, and salt in a saucepan and heat to 120-130°F. Place 2 cups flour in a stand mixer. Add eggs, milk mixture and yeast mixture. Mix until combined.
  • Using a dough hook, add remaining flour, ½ cup at a time to form a soft dough that pulls away from the side of the bowl. You may not use all of the flour.
  • Remove dough from the bowl and knead on a lightly floured surface until dough is smooth and elastic (approx. 8 mins).
  • Place in a greased bowl in a warm spot and cover with a towel for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
  • On a floured surface, roll out bread dough into an 18″x9″ rectangle.

Assembly

  • Cover the dough with a thin layer of butter. In a small bowl combine brown sugar and cinnamon, then sprinkle it over the rolled dough. Top with apple filling.
  • Roll the dough into a log (it should be 18″ long). Slice into 12 pieces. Place the rolls in the pan and cover with parchment paper and a dishtowel. Place in a warm area to rise (about 60 minutes).
  • Once risen, preheat oven to 375°F. Bake 22-27 minutes or until golden. Cool slightly.
  • In a small zippered bag, mix the glaze ingredients together. Snip off the corner and drizzle over top.
  • Serve warm.

Notes

Ensure the filling is not chilled from the fridge or the rolls won't rise properly. 
These rolls are best served warm from the oven.
You can use thawed bread dough in place of homemade dough. It will need longer to rise. If using thawed bread dough, the centers will hollow slightly as these cool.
5 from 15 votes

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1roll | Calories: 418 | Carbohydrates: 73g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 55mg | Sodium: 233mg | Potassium: 135mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 30g | Vitamin A: 398IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 53mg | Iron: 3mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

Course Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine American
before rolling Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls with plated dish and a title
baked Easy Apple Cinnamon Rolls in a baking dish
Easy Apple Cinnamon Rolls in a dish with a title
close up of Easy Apple Cinnamon Rolls with a title

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About the author

Holly Nilsson is the creator of Spend With Pennies, where she creates easy, comforting recipes made for real life. With a passion for nostalgic flavors and simplified techniques, Holly helps busy home cooks create delicious meals that always work. She is also the author of “Everyday Comfort,” which promises to inspire even more hearty, home-cooked meals.
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Comments

  1. I made these last summer with apples from our tree. They were delicious! I want to take them to a friend’s place next weekend but need to make in advance. I see you offered two options for freezing. Which do you recommend for best results? Thanks!!

    1. They both work well it just depends on what you prefer. If you want to serve fresh baked warm rolls then you can freeze them unbaked and follow those instructions but if you want a quick snack then freezing them baked is a great option.

  2. Thank you for a new twist to cin-buns. I had one x-tra large egg, I made about a 3/4 recipe in my bread maker, on the dough cycle. So tasty, light +
    fluffy. I grated the 2 apples (gala) I had on hand. I will try it again with a more flavorful apple. They looked almost as nice as yours. Thank you.5 stars

  3. The dough was beautiful. Unfortunately like many others I ended up with a goopy mess. I let the filling chill but it still oozed out and became a disaster. Should’ve done the Cinnabon recipe instead. A lot of work to toss it.