Apple Cinnamon Rolls

six baked rolls in a round nine inch baking pan

5 from 1 vote

These soft, fluffy and delicious apple cinnamon rolls are full of cozy flavors and warm apples. Made with bread flour for extra soft and fluffy texture. They are the perfect cinnamon rolls for a relaxing weekend!

Prep Time30

Cook Time30

Rising2

Total Time3

Course: Baked Goods, Breads

Cuisine: American

Servings: rolls

Calories: 454kcal

Author: Tania

Equipment

Baking pan

Ingredients

Dough

1 cup whole milk warmed to 110 to 115 degrees F
2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
½ cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
¾ teaspoon Kosher salt
3 ½ to 4 cups bread flour, plus more for kneading spooned and leveled
Vegetable oil for greasing the bowl

Filling

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, very softened
¾ cup brown sugar
1 ½ tablespoons ground cinnamon
2 medium apples, cored and small diced (1 honeycrisp, 1 granny smith)

Maple Icing

2 cups confectioners sugar plus more as needed
¼ cup maple syrup
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
2 to 3 tablespoons water or as needed

Instructions

Pour warm milk (110 to 115 degrees F) into the bowl of a stand mixer. Stir in yeast and the ½ cup of granulated sugar, and combine. Let it stand for 10 minutes until frothy. This means that the yeast is good.
Set up the dough hook attachment in your mixer. With the mixer on medium speed, mix in the eggs, one at a time until combined. You may need to break up the eggs a little using a whisk. Then, add the melted butter, vanilla extract, and salt, mixing on medium speed. Note: you can also do this by hand.
With the mixer on medium speed, add 3 cups of flour, 1 cup at a time. Add the remaining flour in 1/4 cup increments as needed or until the dough pulls away from the bowl. I ended up using about 4 cups of flour. Increase speed to medium-high and mix for about 3 minutes until a manageable dough forms. Note: you can also do this by hand.
Transfer the dough to a well-floured surface and knead by hand, about 2-3 minutes. If it is too sticky, sprinkle some more flour. The dough should be moist, slightly sticky, and should spring back slowly when poked. Do not over-knead. Form the dough into a ball and place on a lightly oiled bowl, turning it over a few times to ensure the dough is covered with oil. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm and draft-free environment for 1 to 1.5 hours, or until doubled in size. (see note below)
In a bowl, mix the brown sugar with the cinnamon. Set aside.
After it has doubled in size, punch the dough and roll out to a 12x18 rectangle on a clean surface. Spread the softened 5 tablespoons of butter over the top and sprinkle the brown sugar and cinnamon mixture evenly. Top with the diced apples evenly in one layer. Tip: pat dry the diced apples first.
Roll the dough tightly starting from the longest side so that you have an 18-in roll. Pinch to seal the seams. Cut evenly into 12 pieces. Arrange them on a greased 9x13 pan or two 9-inch round pans. Cover with plastic wrap and let them rise for 45 minutes in a warm and draft-free environment. Note: juices may form at the bottom of the pan as they rise. If you can, absorb as much as you can with paper towel. It's okay if some is left - it will just caramelize as they bake.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F while the rolls are rising.
Bake them for 25-28 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let them cool slightly.
Make the icing: combine the powdered sugar with maple syrup, vanilla extract, and water (add the water 1 tablespoon at a time) until desired consistency.
Drizzle the apple cinnamon rolls with the icing. Enjoy!

Notes

Special equipment: mixer, rolling pin, baking pans.
Here is more information on how to work with yeast and create a warm environment for yeast.
Use firm apples. I used one Honeycrisp apple and one Granny Smith apple.
Pat dry the apples a little before adding to the dough.
For the icing, always make sure to add the water little by little, until desired consistency.
Store in an airtight container for 3-4 days. It can be left on the countertop as long as you don't use milk or dairy for the icing.

Disclaimer: Nutritional values (per serving) are approximates only.

Nutrition