Caramel Apple Cinnamon Rolls
Caramel Apple Cinnamon Rolls are the perfect breakfast made even better for fall with caramelized apples and cinnamon filling. You can prepare the dough the night before and leave it in the refrigerator. The next morning assemble the rolls, let them rise, and then bake them.
With fall arriving, I can’t resist turning on the oven to make all of my favourite apple baked goods like these caramel apple cinnamon rolls. Aren’t cinnamon and apples the perfect flavour match?
I can’t think of anything better than a batch of fresh-baked cinnamon rolls in the morning. Served warm with cream cheese icing the only thing you need is a hot cup of coffee to go with them.
Easy Overnight Dough
Maybe you’re thinking that that’s a lot of work first thing in the morning – making dough, kneading it, letting it rise does take a while. So, what I do is make overnight dough. Most of the work is done the night before so all you do the next morning is assemble the rolls, let them rise, and bake them.
It really is the easiest way to do it and the reward is a pan of warm rolls in the morning.
Ingredients for the Rolls
- Yeast – active dry yeast
- Lukewarm 2% milk
- Bread flour
- Salt
- Granulated sugar
- Room temperature butter
- Room temperature eggs
- One batch of Easy Caramelized Apple Recipe
For the caramelized apples, you can make them in advance to have ready to make your rolls.
How to Make Overnight Dough
Pour the milk into a small bowl and sprinkle the yeast on top. Let it sit for 10 minutes and then stir it.
Combine the flour, salt, and sugar in a stand mixer and then cut in the butter until the mixture forms coarse crumbs. Add the egg and yeast mixture and mix to combine. Knead the dough with the dough hook for 7 to 8 minutes or until a smooth dough forms.
Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and turn it to coat it in the oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough overnight. If you want to make everything in one day, I have included the instructions for both methods in the recipe.
How to Assemble the Rolls
The next morning, take the dough out of the refrigerator and let it sit for one hour.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and punch it down. Roll it out to a rectangle shape and spread the caramel apple filling over the top. Leave a border around the edge of the dough.
Roll the dough up lengthwise and slice it into 10 pieces.
Place the slices in a prepared 8″ cake pan. Let the rolls rise for one hour in a warm area.
Bake and Ice the Rolls
Once the rolls have risen, bake them for 20 to 25 minutes at 350°F (180°C). Once they are golden brown and baked through take them out of the oven.
While the cinnamon rolls bake, make the cream cheese frosting. Beat the cream cheese, butter, icing sugar, vanilla, and maple syrup in a bowl. Cool the rolls before adding the icing.
FAQ
Yes, once you’ve made the dough you can refrigerate it overnight (8 to 12 hours) before making the cinnamon rolls the next morning.
Yes, if you let them rise too long it will change the texture and the flavor of the dough.
Yes, you can leave out the filling. If you do, you will want to spread some melted butter and cinnamon sugar on the dough instead and then roll it up.
They will keep at room temperature for up to two days. Or, you can keep them in the refrigerator for up to four days. Warm them in a low oven or microwave before serving.
The scent from the oven while these caramel apple cinnamon rolls bake is so amazing. Even better? That first bite with all the fall flavours and the tangy cream cheese frosting. These really are a treat to make while apples are in season. Enjoy!
More Cinnamon Apple Recipes
Overnight Caramel Apple Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
- 1½ teaspoons active dry yeast
- ¼ cup milk (I used 2%) (lukewarm -105-115F / 40-46C)
- 2¼ cups +2 tablespoons bread flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ¼ cup butter (soft)
- 1 large egg (room temperature)
FOR THE FILLING
- 1 Easy Caramelized Apple Recipe
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
- ¼ cup cream cheese
- 1½ tablespoons butter (softened)
- 1 cup icing/powdered sugar
- ¼-½ teaspoon vanilla
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
Instructions
- In a small bowl add the milk, sprinkle the yeast on top and let sit for 10 minutes, then stir together.
- In the stand up mixer whisk together the flour, salt and sugar, cut in the butter to form coarse crumbs, then add the egg and yeast mixture.
- Knead with the dough hook for 7-8 minutes on speed #2 or until a smooth dough forms.
- Place the dough in lightly oiled bowl, turning the dough to lightly cover the top. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate over night approximately 8-10 hours, (or see notes on making it the same day).
- Remove the dough from the fridge, let sit 1 hour, then move it to a lightly floured flat surface and punch down, roll out to a 16×10 inches (40x26cm) rectangle, spread with the caramel apple mixture, leaving a ½ inch (1 cm) boarder around the rectangle. Roll up lengthwise and cut into 10 1 inch (2½ cm) slices, place them cut side up in a lightly greased and floured 8 inch cake pan. Cover and place in a warm draft free area, let rise for 1 hour or until doubled.
- Pre-heat the oven to 350F (180C).
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden, the internal temperature should be 190F (88 C). Let cool completely before spreading with frosting or eat warm. Enjoy!
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
- In a medium bowl beat together the cream cheese, butter, icing sugar, vanilla and maple syrup. If the frosting is too thick add more maple syrup or milk if too thin then more icing sugar.
Love a good apple cinnamon rolls recipe! I couldn’t stop myself from eating it all!
Hi John, thanks so much, so glad you enjoyed it. Take care!
Can I use discarded starter for this recipe rather than yeast?
Hi Lorraine, I have never made this recipe with discard, it might be better to use the active starter instead. Here is a website that explains how to actually substitute it. Hope it helps. https://truesourdough.com/want-to-convert-your-recipe-to-sourdough-heres-how/
Do you use instant or active yeast and does the milk need to be at a certain temperature? I don’t have a lot of experience with yeast. Thank you.
Hi Laurel, sorry about that, I forgot to write it in. I use active dry yeast. And lukewarm is 105-115F (40-46C) temperature for yeast, too hot and you can kill the yeast, too cold and it will take the dough forever to rise.. Hope that helps, let me know how it goes. Have a great weekend.