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apple cinnamon roll
Gracious Cooking

Apple Cinnamon Rolls

These apple cinnamon rolls are comfort to the core. Grated apples add an extra layer of flavor to these soft, gooey, perfectly sweet cinnamon rolls.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Rising Time 2 hours
Servings: 12
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Dough
  • 1 cup 2% or whole milk
  • 2 and ¼ teaspoon active dry yeast
  • 3 cups bread flour
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 whole egg
  • 1 additional egg yolk
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter melted
Filling
  • 1 cup brown sugar dark or light, whichever you prefer
  • 1 and ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 pinch salt about ⅛ teaspoon
  • 3 apples see note
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter melted
Icing
  • 8 oz cream cheese softened
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter softened
  • 2 and ½ cups powdered sugar
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 3 Tablespoons heavy whipping cream

Equipment

  • 1 instant read thermometer
  • 1 stand mixer with dough hook optional
  • 1 9x13 baking pan
  • 1 bench scraper or serrated knife
  • 1 Rubber spatula
  • paper towels or a dish cloth
  • 1 large mixing bowl
  • 1 box grater
  • 1 Pastry brush optional

Method
 

For the Dough
  1. In a microwave safe dish (like a glass liquid measure), microwave 1 cup of milk in 30 second increments until it reaches 105 to 110 degrees Fahrenheit, measured on an instant read thermometer.
  2. Add yeast to milk and stir. Let sit 5 minutes while you assemble ingredients in mixing bowl. The yeast should puff up and smell bready. If it does not, your yeast is dead and it will not rise.
  3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, or a large mixing bowl, combine bread flour, sugar, salt, 1 egg plus an additional egg yolk, and the melted butter. Mix until slightly combined.
  4. Add the milk and yeast mixture to the bowl of the mixer and knead for 2-3 minutes, or until smooth. You will probably need 8 or so minutes if you are kneading by hand. This dough can be sticky. If it sticks to the bowl or your hands, add an additional Tablespoon or two of flour.
  5. Spray a large mixing bowl with baking spray. Form your dough into a ball and place it in the bowl. Cover with cling film or a damp dish towel and let rise at room temperature for 1 and ½ to 2 hours. You will know it is done when you can poke the dough with your finger and the indentation remains and does not spring back.
For the Filling
  1. In a bowl, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt.
  2. Peel and grate your apples on the large holes of a box grater. Place the grated apples in a dish towel or a few layers of paper towels. Go to the sink and squeeze the water out of the apples. You don't need to go crazy here, but give it a good squeeze. This will keep the insides from getting watery. We don't want that. Set the apples aside. Also, if your apples brown a little bit, no biggie.
Assembly
  1. Spray a 9"x13" baking pan with baking spray.
  2. On a floured surface, roll out the dough into roughly an 18 inch rectangle on the long side. The short side should be about 10-12 inches long.
    apple cinnamon roll dough
  3. With either a pastry brush or the back of a spoon, spread the melted butter over the dough, leaving a 1 inch border with no butter.
  4. Spread the cinnamon filling evenly over the melted butter.
    apple cinnamon roll dough
  5. Sprinkle the grated apples evenly over the filling.
  6. Starting with the long side closest to you, roll the dough until you have a nice log of dough. You want to roll tightly, but not super duper tight.
    rolling apple cinnamon rolls
  7. Pinch the seam of the dough closed with your fingers.
    apple cinnamon roll dough
  8. Roll the log so that it's seam side down.
  9. With a sharp bench scraper or a serrated knife, cut 1 and ½ inch slices of dough. You should have 12 total.
    apple cinnamon rolls
  10. Place each cinnamon roll with one of the cut edges down into your prepared pan. You will have 4 rows of 3.
    apple cinnamon rolls
  11. Cover with cling film or a damp dish towel, and let rise again for 30 to 45 minutes, or until the dough passes the poke test again.
  12. While the dough rises, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  13. When the second rise is over, bake the cinnamon rolls on the center rack of the oven for 20 minutes, or until lightly golden brown, with some give when they are pressed.
    apple cinnamon rolls
For the Icing
  1. When you pull your cinnamon rolls out of the oven, begin making your icing. You can, of course, also do this beforehand.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the wire whisk attachment, or with an electric hand mixer, mix the cream cheese and butter together until combined.
  3. Add vanilla extract and powdered sugar. Mix to combine.
  4. Add the heavy whipping cream, and beat together for about 3 minutes, or until the icing is a little bit light and fluffy.
    cream cheese icing
  5. After your cinnamon rolls have cooled for 5 to 10 minutes, spread the icing all over the top of the rolls with a rubber spatula.
    apple cinnamon rolls
  6. Let the cinnamon rolls cool as long as you can stand it, and dig in!
    apple cinnamon roll

Notes

  1. It is nice to use a variety of apples, for instance 1 granny smith and 2 pink lady, but use whatever you have on hand. I like 1 granny smith plus 2 sweeter apples.