Description
Fluffy, tender Apple Butter Cinnamon Rolls bursting with warm cinnamon and spiced apple butter, topped with a creamy maple cinnamon frosting. These homemade sweet rolls are perfect for breakfast or brunch and offer a delightful balance of sweet and spice in every bite.
Ingredients
Scale
Dough Ingredients
- 1 envelope active dry yeast (1 tablespoon)
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs (beaten)
- 6 tablespoons butter (melted and slightly cooled)
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
Filling Ingredients
- 1 cup apple butter
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar (packed)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Frosting Ingredients
- 3/4 cup cream cheese
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Prep: Gather all your ingredients. Using a stand mixer with a dough hook is helpful for kneading the dough faster, but hand kneading is fine if you don’t have one.
- Activate yeast: Mix the active dry yeast with 1 tablespoon sugar and 1 tablespoon milk in a large measuring jug. Let it stand for about 5 minutes until the mixture becomes foamy and smells pleasantly yeasty. If it doesn’t foam, discard and restart with fresh yeast.
- Add remaining liquid ingredients: Whisk in the rest of the milk, remaining sugar, beaten eggs, and melted butter gently into the bubbly yeast mixture. Add butter last to avoid killing the yeast with heat.
- Knead dough: In your stand mixer bowl, combine the flour and salt. Add the yeast mixture and knead on medium speed with the dough hook for 8–10 minutes until the dough is soft, stretchy, and slightly tacky but not sticky. Add extra flour a tablespoon at a time if needed until the dough pulls away from the bowl sides and forms a ball.
- Let dough rise: Place the dough ball in a large greased bowl, cover with a towel or plastic wrap, and let it rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 45 to 60 minutes. If your kitchen is cool, put the dough in a turned-off oven with the light on or near a warm area, but keep it below 100°F.
- Roll out and add filling: Punch down the dough and transfer it to a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough into a roughly 18×12 inch rectangle about 1/4-inch thick. Spread the apple butter evenly over the dough. Mix the brown sugar, granulated sugar, and cinnamon together, then sprinkle evenly over the apple butter, leaving a small border along one long edge to seal later.
- Assemble rolls: Starting from one long edge, roll the dough up jelly-roll style tightly. Using a sharp knife or unflavored dental floss, slice the roll into 12 equal rounds. Arrange these rolls in a well-greased 9×13 inch baking pan. Cover and allow the rolls to rise again until puffy, about 20 to 30 minutes.
- Bake rolls: Preheat your oven to 350°F while the rolls rise. Bake the rolls for 18 to 25 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. Check them after 20 minutes—if the tops are browning too fast but the centers are undercooked, tent the pan with foil and continue baking until done. The centers should feel soft but set, not doughy. Once done, place the pan on a wire rack to cool slightly.
- Make frosting: While the rolls are baking, beat together the cream cheese, powdered sugar, maple syrup, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt until smooth and creamy.
- Serve: Spread the frosting over the rolls while they are still warm. These cinnamon rolls are delicious fresh and warm but also taste wonderful cold the next day.
Notes
- Make sure your yeast is fresh for a good rise.
- Room temperature ingredients help yeast activate properly.
- Don’t overbake—overcooked rolls will be dry.
- You can substitute apple butter with homemade or store-bought spiced apple butter.
- For easier slicing, dental floss works great to avoid squashing the rolls.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
