The Daring Gourmet

Grappling Each Dish By The Horns

Sign up for our newsletter!
No SPAM. Ever.Check out our privacy policy
  • Home
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Home & Garden
  • Travel
  • Work With Me
  • Contact
  • Shop

Home » Apple Butter Cinnamon Rolls

Apple Butter Cinnamon Rolls

September 30, 2013

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
43shares
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Email

Apple Butter Cinnamon Rolls

Yeah, and it only gets better with cream cheese frosting!  Cinnamon roll meets rich, caramelized apple butter, studded with fresh apples, and baked to perfection.  Spread with cream cheese or caramel topping and enjoy!

I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who doesn’t like cinnamon rolls, have you?  If so, they’re certainly in the vast minority.  The aroma that fills the house while they’re baking, sinking your teeth into that soft gooey goodness topped with cream cheese frosting….There is just something about them that feels like coming home.

My husband, Todd, is the kind of person who rarely craves sweets.  But he’ll never pass up peanut butter or chocolate chip cookies, Rice Krispy treats, or cinnamon rolls.  When we first met he told me he didn’t like cake, so for his birthday I surprised him with a batch of cinnamon rolls baked in a round pan and put candles on it.  He was in heaven.

This cinnamon roll dough is the best I’ve had.  It has the perfect texture.  I love to unroll the baked cinnamon buns, watching the dough gently rip apart in soft, fluffy strands.  Traditionally I’ve used this recipe for standard cinnamon rolls.  But after making a batch of homemade apple butter recently, I was enjoying a spoonful of it and contemplating other uses for it.  Somehow the thought of cinnamon rolls came to mind – imagine spreading them not only with brown sugar and cinnamon, but how about a generous layer of rich apple butter?  The image stuck in my mind and wouldn’t leave until I put it to the test.  The end result:  Divine.

Apple Butter Cinnamon Rolls

This recipe features my homemade Amazing 24-Hour Crockpot Apple Butter, but you can use store-bought as well (but trust me, it won’t taste as good!  Also, my apple butter is quite thick.  Be careful when selecting an apple butter to purchase that it isn’t very runny or these rolls may result in a goopey mess!).

slow cooker apple butter best recipe crock pot

Note:  You don’t have to use apple butter at all.  If you prefer to omit it, spread the dough with 1/3 cup softened butter instead of the apple butter at the appropriate step.  This recipe still makes the most wonderful cinnamon rolls!

Note:  See “note” in the recipe box for Make Ahead instructions.

Let’s get started!

Stir the yeast into the warm milk and let sit for 5 minutes.  It will be frothy on top.

Cinnamon Rolls prep 1

Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer, make a well in the center, and add the eggs, butter, vanilla extract, and yeast/milk mixture.

Cinnamon Rolls prep 4

Attach a dough hook to the stand mixer and knead the dough on the bread setting (“2” on a Kitchenaid) for about 10 minutes.

Cinnamon Rolls prep 5

The dough will be stiff but not dry or very sticky.

Cinnamon Rolls prep 7

Remove the dough and form it into a ball.  Lightly spray the same bowl with vegetable oil and return the dough.

Cinnamon Rolls prep 8

Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let the dough sit in a warm place to rise until nearly doubled in size, about 90 minutes.  I turn the oven on to 350 degrees F for about 1 minute, turn it off, and then put the dough in the oven to rise.

Cinnamon Rolls prep 9

Beautiful dough with the perfect texture, nearly doubled in size.

Cinnamon Rolls prep 11

Punch the dough down in the center and let it rest for 1 minute.

Cinnamon Rolls prep 12

Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and roll into a 16X21 rectangle,  The dough will likely spring back, let it rest for a minute and roll it back out to size.

Cinnamon Rolls prep 13

Cinnamon Rolls prep 14

Measure out the apple butter and combine the brown sugar and cinnamon in a separate small bowl.

Cinnamon Rolls prep 15

Cinnamon Rolls prep 16

Spread the apple butter over the surface of the dough, leaving about 1/4 inch space around the border.

Cinnamon Rolls prep 17

Sprinkle with the sugar/cinnamon mixture.

Cinnamon Rolls prep 18

Sprinkle over the apple pieces.

Cinnamon Rolls prep 19

Roll up the dough.

Cinnamon Rolls prep 20

Place it seam side down and slice into 15 equal rolls.

Cinnamon Rolls prep 24

Place the rolls in a lightly greased 9×13 inch pan.  I use and LOVE Parrish’s Magic Line pans.  Made in the USA with hand-forged aluminum.

Cinnamon Rolls prep 25

Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let them sit in a warm place until nearly doubled in size, about 30-40 minutes.

Cinnamon Rolls prep 26

Cinnamon Rolls prep 27

Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F until lightly browned, about 30 minutes.

Apple Butter Cinnamon Rolls

To make the frosting, combine the cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract in a medium bowl.

Cinnamon Rolls prep 32

Beat until smooth.

Cinnamon Rolls prep 33

If you prefer more of a cream cheese glaze, spread the frosting over the rolls while they’re still warm so the frosting melts.  If you prefer a fluffier cream cheese frosting, spread the frosting over cooled cinnamon rolls.

Cinnamon Rolls prep 35

Apple Butter Cinnamon Rolls

 

Apple Butter Cinnamon Rolls
 
Print
: Kimberly Killebrew
Serves: 15 rolls
Ingredients
  • For the Cinnamon Rolls:
  • 1 cup warm milk
  • 2½ teaspoons yeast
  • 4½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs, at room temperature
  • ⅓ cup butter, melted but not hot
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup amazing homemade apple butter (highly recommended) or store-bought)
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 small apple, cut into small, very thin pieces
  • For the Frosting:
  • 1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
  • ¼ cup butter, softened
  • 1½ cups powdered confectioner's sugar
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
  1. Stir the yeast into the warm milk and let it sit for 5 minutes.
  2. Put the flour in the bowl of a stand mixer, stir in the salt and sugar to combine and make a well in the center. Add the eggs, melted butter, and milk/yeast mixture.
  3. Attach a dough hook and knead the mixture on the bread setting ("2" on a Kitchenaid) for about 10 minutes.
  4. Remove the dough, form it into a ball, lightly spray the stand mixer bowl with vegetable oil, and place the dough ball back in the bowl. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and place it in a warm place until nearly doubled, up to 90 minutes. (I turn on the oven to 350 for about 1 minute, turn it off, and place the dough/bowl in the oven to rise.
  5. Meanwhile, combine the brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and measure out the apple butter. Set aside.
  6. After the dough has nearly doubled in size, punch it down in the center, let it rest for a minute and then place the dough on a lightly floured surface.
  7. Roll out dough into a 16x21 inch rectangle. The dough will likely spring back, let it rest for a minute and roll it back out to size.
  8. Spread the apple butter evenly over the surface of the dough and sprinkle the sugar/cinnamon mixture over it, leaving about a ¼ inch border around the dough. Place the apple pieces evenly over the dough.
  9. Roll up the dough, seam side down, and cut it into 15 equal rolls. Place rolls in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking pan. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and let the rolls rise in a warm place until nearly doubled in size, about 30-40 minutes.
  10. While the rolls are rising, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  11. Bake the rolls until lightly browned, about 30 minutes.
  12. To make the frosting, combine the cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract, beat until smooth.
  13. Spread the frosting over the warm rolls if you prefer more of a glaze. Spread over cooled rolls if you prefer the fluffy white frosting.
Notes
Make Ahead Options (Disclosure: I haven't tried either of these methods with this particular recipe but they should work. If you try one of these methods, please let us know how it went!):
Option 1 (Refrigerate): In step 9 after you’ve placed the rolls in the baking pan (but don’t let them rise), immediately cover them with plastic wrap and put them in the fridge overnight. The next morning place them on the middle rack in the oven (turned off), fill a shallow pan ⅔ full of boiling water and place it on the rack below the cinnamon rolls. Close the oven door. Let the rolls sit in there for about 30-40 minutes until they’ve risen. Then bake as instructed.

Option 2 (Freeze): At the same point in step 9, place them in the freezer (don't use a glass pan). Remove them and set them out on the counter to thaw completely (you could set them out overnight) and then continue with the rising process as instructed.
3.5.3240

 

43shares
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Email

Filed Under: Affiliate, All Recipes, America, By Country or Region, Dessert, Disclosure, Food, North America Tagged With: apple butter, best, cinnamon buns, cinnamon rolls, cream cheese, frosting, homemade, recipe

« Pollo a la Brasa (Peruvian Roasted Chicken)
Quinoa Cornbread »

26 Responses

  1. April Myers says

    February 29, 2016 at 1:17 pm

    Is 3 ounces of cream cheese correct for the icing? My package is 8 ounces.

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      February 29, 2016 at 4:29 pm

      Hi April! Yes, it’s 3 ounces, so slightly less than half of a package. That will yield a “standard” amount of cream cheese frosting for cinnamon rolls, but if you’re anything like me you’ll probably double it! ;)

      Reply
  2. Charmine says

    November 30, 2014 at 6:02 am

    Hi, stumbled upon your blog and am loving all your “healthified” recipes! (: these cinnamon rolls look absolutely gorgeous! Can’t wait to try it out! Question: can I sub the all-purpose flour with bread flour?

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      November 30, 2014 at 3:30 pm

      Welcome, Charmine, and thanks so much for the compliment! Bread flour has a much higher protein content than all-purpose flour resulting in a denser, chewier texture. I wouldn’t use it for these cinnamon rolls or they won’t be as soft and fluffy. If you have some on hand, you could add some cake flour to the bread flour to more closely resemble all-purpose flour (can’t recall the ratio off-hand) but it may be easier just to make a trip to the store.

      Reply
  3. meggymo says

    June 22, 2014 at 11:13 am

    What does it mean if my yeast does not get frothy once put in milk. I looked at temp of milk 109 degrees. Did I need to follow directions on yeast packet first?

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      June 22, 2014 at 3:08 pm

      Hi meggymo! You need to give the yeast at least 5 minutes to “bloom”, and sometimes it can take a full 10 minutes. If it still doesn’t, and the temperature of the milk isn’t too hot or too cold, then it may be that the yeast has gone bad. Of course, if you mix the yeast mixture with the flour and cover it to let it rise and it does end up rising, then you know the yeast is okay.

      Reply
  4. Sonnie Olsen says

    February 5, 2014 at 12:19 pm

    Wow! Your recipes are so easy to pin! Kudos!

    Reply
    • The Daring Gourmet says

      February 5, 2014 at 12:39 pm

      Lol, Sonnie! :) Thanks for stopping by and for pinning!

      Reply
  5. Puss N. Boots says

    November 3, 2013 at 11:48 pm

    Can I double check is the flour really general purpose or bread making flour?

    Reply
    • The Daring Gourmet says

      November 4, 2013 at 7:46 am

      Hello! I always use all-purpose and they turn out perfectly.

      Reply
  6. Laurie Flanders says

    October 27, 2013 at 4:52 pm

    I must have done something wrong. My dough did not rise.

    Reply
    • The Daring Gourmet says

      October 27, 2013 at 9:27 pm

      Oh no, Laurie! Yeast is really touchy and there are several things that can go wrong with yeast dough. For example, the yeast itself could have been bad, or the temperature of the milk too hot. Both of these are very common causes of dough not rising.

      Reply
  7. Anonymous says

    October 16, 2013 at 11:31 am

    Going to have to try this…. After I make the apple butter of course… Yummy!

    Reply
    • The Daring Gourmet says

      October 16, 2013 at 12:42 pm

      Haha, yes, of course! :) Wonderful, I’m happy to hear you’ll be trying both!

      Reply
  8. bakeaffairs says

    October 4, 2013 at 4:16 am

    hi Kimbery, this looks so beautiful and sounds absolutely delicious and mouth watering… I love cinnamon buns when they are still warm and with a lot of cream cheese frosting… :-) Have a wonderful day, Bridget

    Reply
    • The Daring Gourmet says

      October 4, 2013 at 7:38 am

      Ooooooh, me too! And the more cream cheese frosting the better! :) Thanks so much, Bridget!

      Reply
      • Dacia says

        October 13, 2013 at 4:40 am

        I was wondering how long to knead the dough if you don’t have a KitchenAid. I’ve never made homemade dough before and wanted to know f you had any tips for me because these look amazing!

        Reply
        • The Daring Gourmet says

          October 13, 2013 at 1:06 pm

          Hi Dacia! You know, I always used to knead dough by hand – I preferred it that way – but now that I have two kids under the age of 3 racing around me it’s become a bit challenging (trying to intervene and redirect with flour and dough stuck all over my hands became a bit too much!). There are some great Youtube videos on how to knead dough. I always find visuals more helpful for these kinds of things. If you google “how to knead dough by hand” several videos will show up. You’ll need to knead the dough for about 10-15 minutes, depending on how vigorously you’re kneading it. It’s a lot of work, so if you have someone else in your home to take turns with, that would be a plus! :)

          Reply
  9. netflixandnutella says

    October 2, 2013 at 2:10 pm

    Can’t imagine something more perfect for this time of year!

    Reply
    • The Daring Gourmet says

      October 2, 2013 at 2:30 pm

      Thanks, netflixandnutella! And just having made another batch of apple butter I’ll need to figure out some additional creative uses for it!

      Reply
  10. Tabitha says

    September 30, 2013 at 5:48 pm

    Uh…oh….
    Yeah…
    These might have to happen. *sigh* See..here’s what happened. I read your post about the apple butter and decided this was the year I would stop complaining that I moved away from Michigan’s orchards and now live in Texas..where we grow Cactus with the best of ’em..and I would make apple butter. So I used your recipe. I bought 1/2 pint jars and filled 6 of them with the batch I made. We’ve already eaten 2 jars! It was eaten on bread, mixed very generously into barbecue sauce for the best oven baked chicken i’ve ever made, and given away (sparingly – because I was feeling stingy!) as a gift.
    And now..these are going to have to happen.
    :)
    I go very light on my icing on cinnamon rolls as well! My fiance is the one with the sweet tooth in my house. But could anything be more fall comfort food than appley cinnamony yeasty yumminess like this?

    Reply
    • The Daring Gourmet says

      September 30, 2013 at 8:43 pm

      I know, right?? Your last sentence sum is up perfectly! Wow, Tabitha, I am absolutely thrilled to hear you made the apple butter!! Yes, now you have to make these cinnamon rolls because you have the advantage of using the best apple butter in them! :) Okay, the apple butter barbecued baked chicken…that’s going to have to happen, too! Thank you for putting the idea into my head!

      On a side note: Is there such thing as Cactus Butter? ;)

      Reply
    • jesusan says

      September 30, 2013 at 9:12 pm

      Apple butter in BBQ sauce? Yum! That is one of the most interesting flavor ideas I’ve come across. Seems like it would be a huge improvement to BBQ sauce.

      Reply
      • The Daring Gourmet says

        September 30, 2013 at 9:20 pm

        Agreed!

        Reply
  11. jesusan says

    September 30, 2013 at 12:57 pm

    Unfortunately for me (because of my eating plan), these sound delicious. The idea of using apple butter in place of regular butter is intriguing. But I would never put frosting on them. I really don’t like a lot of sugar and the frosting would create an overload for me. I might have to make these one day as a treat, or to take to a Christmas party… Every time I see a cinnamon roll recipe it takes me back to the ones I used to make with Bisquick, which were always my downfall. How I’d love to have a cinnamon roll right about now…

    Reply
    • The Daring Gourmet says

      September 30, 2013 at 1:05 pm

      Hi Susan! I wish I had your problem – I think I could eat cream cheese frosting on practically anything! :)

      Reply

Add your Response Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.

Recipe Rating




Rate this recipe:  

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

kimberly killebrew the daring gourmet

Welcome!  I’m Kimberly and I share delicious originals, revitalized classics and authentic dishes from around the world.  Come travel the world through your taste buds!

Amazon Affiliate Disclosure:
The Daring Gourmet is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.  As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Sign up for our newsletter!

Receive the latest from The Daring Gourmet!

No SPAM. Ever.Check out our privacy policy
  • About
  • Request
  • Contact
  • Privacy

· Copyright © 2021 The Daring Gourmet - All Rights Reserved ·

Sign up for our newsletter!

Receive the latest recipes from The Daring Gourmet!

You have Successfully Subscribed!

(No SPAM, we'll never sell your email - we promise!)

  • Home
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Home & Garden
  • Travel
  • Work With Me
  • Contact
  • Shop