Apple Cinnamon Rolls (Soft Yeast Dough with Apple Cinnamon Filling)
Quick answer
- Total time
- 62 min
- Level
- Hard
- Servings
- 4 servings
- Ingredients
- 9
About this dish
Apple cinnamon rolls build on the Scandinavian kanelbulle tradition of enriched yeast dough rolled with spiced brown sugar, adding a layer of fresh apple that transforms the filling from dry to fruity and moist.
Read more
The dough is softened with butter and milk, then rolled flat, spread with a paste of brown sugar, cinnamon, and softened butter, and scattered with diced apple that has been tossed in lemon juice to prevent browning during baking. Rolling, slicing, and proofing the cut spirals in a buttered pan lets them expand until they press together, creating soft sides where the rolls meet and a slightly caramelized bottom where they contact the pan. During baking, apple pieces release juice that seeps into the surrounding dough layers, forming pockets of moist, cinnamon-scented fruit that a plain cinnamon roll cannot replicate. A cream cheese glaze drizzled while the rolls are hot melts into the crevices between spirals, coating the interior as well as the surface. The quantity of apple matters - too much makes the dough soggy, so a measured amount ensures the fruit contributes moisture without destabilizing the structure. The aroma of butter, cinnamon, and baked apple that fills the kitchen during baking is half the appeal of making these rolls.
Ingredients
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Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Season
Dissolve 1 teaspoon of instant yeast and a portion of sugar in 130ml of lukewarm milk for 5 minutes until foamy, then combine with 280g of bread flour and 1 egg until no dry flour remains.
- 2Season
Incorporate 60g of room temperature unsalted butter once the dough clumps together, then knead vigorously for 8 to 10 minutes until the surface is perfectly smooth, elastic, and no longer sticky.
- 3Control
Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a bowl covered with plastic wrap to proof in a warm area for 60 minutes until doubled in size, then gently deflate it with your fist.
- 4Season
Pat 150g diced apple dry with paper towels and mix 50g brown sugar with 2 teaspoons cinnamon for the filling.
Roll the deflated dough into a large, even rectangle.
- 5Prep
Spread the cinnamon filling and apple evenly over the dough, roll it tightly from the bottom, and cut it into 6 pieces.
Arrange them with space between in a pan and proof in a warm place for 25 minutes, continuing when the gaps narrow and the dough feels lighter.
- 6Heat
Bake in a preheated 180C oven for 20 to 22 minutes.
When the tops are evenly golden and the outside of the center roll looks set, remove from the pan and cool on a rack for about 5 minutes before serving warm.
Practical Cooking Checks
The cues that matter most while cooking.
- Key technique
- Apple Cinnamon Rolls layer tart fruit pieces into spiced dough for a moist, fruity crumb.
- Finish cue
- When the tops are evenly golden and the outside of the center roll looks set, remove from the pan and cool on a rack for about 5 minutes before serving warm.
- Avoid this
- The quantity of apple matters - too much makes the dough soggy, so a measured amount ensures the fruit contributes moisture without destabilizing the structure.
Cooking decision evidence
Calculated Charim data and applicable official cooking and food safety guidance.
This recipe
62min, 9 ingredients
Category median
55min, 8 ingredients
Based on 248 recipes
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