These apple butter cinnamon rolls have a fluffy dough filled with homemade apple butter and cinnamon sugar. Topped with cream cheese maple icing, they're the most perfect cinnamon rolls for Fall and will make your kitchen smell absolutely divine!
Classic cinnamon rolls are hard to beat, but I love finding ways to give them a little extra oomph. And since fall is the perfect excuse to put apples and cinnamon in just about everything, apple butter cinnamon rolls felt like a no-brainer
What makes these cinnamon rolls unique is the homemade apple butter filling! I've seen plenty of cinnamon rolls with apple chunks, but I wanted to see if apple butter could give me that same gooey filling without the chunks. Instead of spreading the cinnamon sugar over butter, you layer it over apple butter made with slow-cooked apples, brown sugar, and warm spices.
As the rolls bake, the apple butter bubbles out around the edges, adding a sweet, caramelized apple flavor that tastes like apple pie wrapped up in a soft, fluffy cinnamon roll.
And because no cinnamon roll is complete without cream cheese frosting, these are finished with a maple flavored one!
If you love cinnamon rolls, try these cherry cinnamon rolls and pistachio cinnamon rolls too!
Ingredient Notes
Apples: I recommend using a sweet-tart apple variety like Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, or Granny Smith for the apple butter. Honeycrisp and Pink Lady will give you a nice balance of sweetness and tartness, while Granny Smith apples add a little tang.
Lemon juice: This brightens the apple butter and balances the sweetness. Freshly squeezed or bottled lemon juice both work here.
Spices: Ground cinnamon and nutmeg give the apple butter its warm, cozy flavor. The cinnamon also goes into the filling for that classic cinnamon roll taste!
Milk: Whole milk is my preference for the dough because the extra fat helps make the rolls soft and tender, but 2% works too.
Instant yeast: Instant yeast can be mixed directly into the other dough ingredients without proofing it first. If you're using active dry yeast, dissolve it in the warm milk with the granulated sugar and let it sit for 5-10 minutes until foamy before mixing in the remaining ingredients. The dough may also take a little longer to rise.
Bread flour: Bread flour has a higher protein content than all purpose flour, which helps develop more gluten for a soft, fluffy, and slightly chewy dough. All purpose flour can work in a pinch, but the rolls may be a little less chewy.
Maple syrup: Use pure maple syrup in the icing rather than pancake syrup for the best flavor.
A Quick Testing Note
Apple butter amount: When I was first testing this recipe and taking the process photos below, I made double the amount of apple butter you actually need. I realized this when I was rolling up the dough and all the apple butter started oozing out! So, when you spread your apple butter on the dough, it will be a thinner layer than what is shown in the photos, but it shouldn't seep out all over your counter (or at least not as much).
How to Make Homemade Apple Butter
Step 1: Add the chopped apples, brown sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, salt, and water to a saucepan. Cover and cook over medium-low heat until the apples soften and the mixture begins to bubble.
Step 2: Continue cooking, stirring occasionally until the apples break down and most of the liquid evaporates. This should take about 30 minutes or so.
Mash the apples with a potato masher, or blend with an immersion blender until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and cool completely before assembling the cinnamon rolls.
How to Make the Cinnamon Rolls
Step 3: Warm the milk to about 105-110°F. Add it to the bowl of a stand mixer with the instant yeast, sugar, egg, and melted butter. Stir until combined.
Step 4: Fold in the bread flour and salt until a sticky dough forms. Then, using the dough hook, knead on medium-low speed for 8-10 minutes until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. If it's too sticky, add more flour one tablespoon at a time.
Step 5: Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let it rise in a warm spot for 1-1½ hours, or until doubled in size. The exact time will depend on the temperature of your kitchen.
Step 6: While the dough rises, whisk the brown sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl.
Step 7: Lightly dust flour over your work surface. Then turn out the dough and roll it into a 14×9-inch rectangle.
Step 8: Spread the cooled apple butter evenly over the dough, leaving a small border around the edges. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over the apple butter, gently pressing it into the surface. Cut the dough into 12 equal strips, about 1½ inches wide.
Step 9: Roll each strip into a spiral and place it in a greased 9×13-inch baking dish. Cover the baking dish and let the rolls rise for 30-45 minutes while the oven preheats to 350°F.
Step 10: Bake the cinnamon rolls until they are golden brown. Let them cool for about 10 minutes while you make the icing.
Step 11: For the icing, beat the butter and cream cheese together until smooth. Then mix in the powdered sugar, maple syrup, vanilla, and salt.
Step 12: Spread the icing over the warm cinnamon rolls and enjoy!
More Fall Recipes to Try
📖 Recipe
Apple Butter Cinnamon Rolls
Equipment
- 1 5-quart stand mixer with dough hook and paddle attachment
- 1 9x13-inch baking dish
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Ingredients
Apple Butter
- 125 grams apples about 2 medium apples, measured cored and chopped
- 14 grams brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 30 grams water
Cinnamon Rolls
- 220 grams milk whole or 2%
- 2 ¼ teaspoon instant yeast 1 packet
- 60 grams granulated sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 113 grams unsalted butter melted
- 460 grams bread flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 100 grams brown sugar dark preferred
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Maple Cream Cheese Icing
- 56 grams unsalted butter room temperature
- 114 grams full-fat cream cheese room temperature
- 120 grams powdered sugar
- 30 grams maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Apple Butter
- Add the chopped apples, brown sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla extract, salt, and water to a medium saucepan. Stir to combine, then cover and cook over medium-low heat for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apples are very soft and beginning to break down.125 grams apples, 14 grams brown sugar, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract, ⅛ teaspoon salt, 30 grams water
- Remove the lid and continue cooking for another 15-20 minutes, stirring frequently as the mixture thickens and the excess liquid evaporates. Mash the apples with a potato masher or blend with an immersion blender until smooth.
- Transfer the apple butter to a bowl and let it cool completely before using.
Cinnamon Rolls
- Warm the milk to 110°F in the microwave or in a saucepan. It should be warm, but not hot so it doesn't kill the yeast. If you don't have a thermometer, it should feel like warm bath water when you dip your finger in.220 grams milk
- Add the milk to the bowl of a stand mixer along with the instant yeast, and granulated sugar. Stir, then whisk in the egg and melted butter until combined.2 ¼ teaspoon instant yeast, 60 grams granulated sugar, 1 large egg, 113 grams unsalted butter
- Add the bread flour and salt. Mix with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms. With the dough hook on medium-low speed, knead for 8-10 minutes, until the dough is smooth, elastic, and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. It should feel slightly tacky but not super sticky. When you hold a piece up to the light and pull, you should be able to see through it without it tearing. If your dough still sticks to the side of the bowl after additional kneading time, add extra flour one tablespoon at a time.460 grams bread flour, 1 teaspoon salt
- Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise in a warm spot for 1-1½ hours, or until doubled in size. The rise time will depend on your kitchen temperature.
- While the dough rises, whisk the brown sugar and ground cinnamon together in a small bowl.100 grams brown sugar, 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- Turn the risen dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll it into a 14 × 9-inch rectangle. Spread the cooled apple butter evenly over the dough, leaving a 1-inch border around the edges. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over the top, gently pressing it into the apple butter.
- Use a sharp knife or pizza cutter to cut the dough into 12 equal strips, about 1 ¼ inches wide. Roll each strip into a spiral and arrange the rolls in a greased 9 × 13-inch baking dish, leaving a little space between them.
- Cover and let rise for 30-45 minutes, until puffy. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Bake at 350°F for 30-35 minutes, until the rolls are golden brown. Let the rolls cool for about 10 minutes before icing.
Maple Cream Cheese Icing
- Beat the room temperature butter and cream cheese together on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes until smooth and fluffy.114 grams full-fat cream cheese, 56 grams unsalted butter
- Add the powdered sugar, maple syrup, vanilla, and salt. Beat on low speed until smooth. If the icing is too thick, add a little more maple syrup until it reaches a spreadable consistency.120 grams powdered sugar, 30 grams maple syrup, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, ⅛ teaspoon salt
- Spread the frosting over the cinnamon rolls while they're still slightly warm and serve!
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