These apple pie cinnamon rolls are one of those recipes that feel like home. They take the cozy sweetness of apple pie and wrap it up in the soft, fluffy layers of a cinnamon roll — two of my favorite comfort bakes rolled into one. I love making them on slow weekend mornings, especially in the fall when apples are in season and the whole kitchen smells like cinnamon, apples, and buttery dough.
If you loved these, try my sourdough cinnamon rolls for a tangy twist, my pumpkin cream cheese cinnamon rolls for another fall favorite, or my banana cinnamon rolls for a fruity, soft roll that's pure comfort.
Quick Look: Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls
⏱️ Ready In: About 3 hours 5 minutes, including rise time
🔥 Bake Time: 30–35 minutes at 350°F
🍽️ Makes: 12 rolls
✨ Calories: Approximately 540 per roll
🥄 Main Ingredients: Soft yeast dough, spiced apples, cinnamon sugar, vanilla glaze
🌿 Dietary Info: Vegetarian (easily dairy-free)
💛 Why You'll Love It: Apple pie meets cinnamon roll — spiced apple filling, a buttery cinnamon sugar swirl, and a sweet vanilla glaze.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Two desserts in one. All the cozy flavor of apple pie in a soft, fluffy cinnamon roll.
- Real spiced apple filling. Sautéed apples with cinnamon and nutmeg, not just apple chunks.
- Soft, bakery-style dough. An enriched dough that bakes up pillowy, like my chocolate cinnamon rolls with espresso cream cheese icing.
- Perfect for fall and holidays. A natural fit for Thanksgiving morning or Christmas brunch.
- Make-ahead friendly. Assemble the night before and bake fresh in the morning (full overnight instructions below). If you love apple bakes, you'll also enjoy my bakery-style sourdough apple muffins.
Jump to:
- Quick Look: Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls
- Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Ingredients
- Easy Substitutions & Variations
- How to Make Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls
- Expert Tips
- What Makes This Recipe Special?
- Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls FAQs
- Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls Troubleshooting Guide
- Make Them Overnight
- Storage
- Other Cinnamon Roll Recipes to Consider
- Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
For the dough
- Whole milk: Warmed to 110°F to activate the yeast.
- Instant yeast: For a soft, reliable rise.
- Granulated sugar: Lightly sweetens the dough.
- Eggs + unsalted butter: For a rich, tender crumb.
- Salt: Balances the sweetness.
- All-purpose flour: The structure of the rolls.
For the apple pie filling
- Apples: Peeled, cored, and finely diced — the star of the filling.
- Unsalted butter: To sauté the apples.
- Lemon juice (optional): Keeps the apples bright.
- Cornstarch + water: A slurry to thicken the apple juices.
- Nutmeg + cinnamon: Warm fall spices.
For the cinnamon sugar filling
- Unsalted butter (softened), dark brown sugar, and ground cinnamon: The classic buttery cinnamon swirl.
For the vanilla glaze
- Powdered sugar, milk or cream, and vanilla: Whisked into a sweet drizzle.
See recipe card for quantities.
Easy Substitutions & Variations
- Apples: Swap for pears or peaches for a different fruit filling.
- Dairy-free: Use a plant-based butter and non-dairy milk.
- Gluten-free: A 1:1 gluten-free blend works if needed.
- Sugar: Light brown sugar works in place of dark brown sugar.
- Caramel drizzle: Replace the glaze with salted caramel for an extra-indulgent finish.
- Nut topping: Add chopped pecans or walnuts to the apple filling for crunch.
- Extra spice: Add cardamom or allspice for deeper fall flavor — or lean fully into spice with my sourdough discard cinnamon swirl bread.
- More apple bakes: Try the same flavors in my easy apple pie crumb bars or my apple oat muffins.
How to Make Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls
Note: I bake by weight for accuracy. Cup measurements are approximate and may vary depending on how you scoop.
Step 1: Make dough: Knead soft yeast dough, rise 1–1 ½ hours.
Step 2: Cook filling: Sauté apples in butter, spices, and cornstarch until softened and glossy.
Step 3: Assemble: Roll out dough, spread butter-sugar mixture, add apples, roll up starting at the short ends, slice into 12 pieces.
Alternatively, you can cut the rolled-out dough (pictured) into 12 1-inch strips with a pizza cutter and roll up individually (my preferred method).
Step 4: Bake & glaze: Rise 30 minutes, bake 30-35 minutes, drizzle glaze on warm rolls.
Weigh your ingredients! Using a kitchen scale ensures your measurements are accurate, which is key for getting consistent results in baking. It takes the guesswork out of measuring and helps your recipes turn out exactly as intended every time.
Expert Tips
- Cool the apple filling before assembling. Warm filling will melt the butter-sugar layer and make the dough hard to roll.
- Roll tightly. A snug roll keeps the apple filling from leaking out during the rise and bake.
- Cut into strips for neat rolls. Slicing the filled dough into strips and rolling each one gives the tidiest spirals with minimal squishing.
- Tent with foil if needed. If the tops brown too fast, loosely cover with foil so the centers can finish.
- Want extra caramelized apples? Cook them an extra 2–3 minutes until lightly golden before cooling — it makes the rolls taste even more like apple pie.
What Makes This Recipe Special?
Most apple cinnamon rolls just scatter raw apple bits into the swirl. These get a real, cooked apple pie filling — apples sautéed with butter, cinnamon, and nutmeg and thickened with a cornstarch slurry — layered over a classic cinnamon sugar spread. The result tastes genuinely like apple pie folded into a soft, fluffy roll, finished with a sweet vanilla glaze.
They're a cozy, make-ahead bake perfect for fall mornings and holiday brunch. If you love that warm, spiced direction, my sourdough discard coffee cake and sourdough pumpkin bread are other cozy favorites.
Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls FAQs
Either works! Cutting the rolled-out dough into strips and rolling each one individually makes for the neatest rolls with minimal squishing, but rolling into a log and slicing tastes exactly the same.
Roll the dough tightly to hold the filling in. Some juices will escape during baking — but that makes for a deliciously caramelized bottom.
Yes — see the overnight instructions below. Assemble through shaping, refrigerate overnight, then let them come to room temperature and finish rising before baking.
Any baking apple works. A firm, slightly tart variety (like Honeycrisp or Granny Smith) holds its shape best in the filling.
Yes. Wrap baked, cooled rolls tightly and freeze for up to 2 months; thaw overnight in the fridge and warm before glazing.
Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls Troubleshooting Guide
| Problem | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Filling leaked out | Rolled too loosely or filling too warm. | Cool the filling and roll snugly; some caramelized leakage is normal. |
| Dense rolls | Under-proofed or too much flour. | Let both rises finish; measure flour by weight. |
| Soggy centers | Apple filling too wet. | Cook the filling until the juices thicken with the cornstarch slurry. |
| Tops browned too fast | Oven runs hot. | Tent loosely with foil for the last few minutes. |
| Rolls didn't rise | Milk too hot killed the yeast. | Use milk around 110°F and make sure it foams. |
Make Them Overnight
- Prepare the rolls through the shaping step: mix the dough, let it rise, make the filling, roll up, cut, and arrange in the greased 9x13 pan.
- Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight (8–16 hours). The slow, cold rise develops flavor and keeps the dough from over-proofing.
- The next morning, let the rolls sit at room temperature 45–75 minutes, until noticeably puffy (closer to 75 minutes in a cool kitchen).
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) during the last 20 minutes of proofing.
- Bake as directed for 30–35 minutes, until lightly golden.
- Glaze and serve warm for the softest, gooiest rolls.
Storage
- Best the day they're baked; store covered at room temperature for up to 2 days.
- Refrigerate for up to 5 days and reheat before serving.
- Freeze baked, cooled rolls (wrapped tightly) for up to 2 months; thaw overnight in the fridge and warm in the oven before glazing.
Other Cinnamon Roll Recipes to Consider
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Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
Cinnamon Roll Dough
- 240 g whole milk 1 cup, warmed to 110°F
- 2 ¼ teaspoon instant yeast 1 packet
- 50 g granulated sugar ¼ cup
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 113 g unsalted butter ½ cup, softened
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 690 g all-purpose flour 5 ¾ cups, divided
Apple Pie Filling
- 3 medium apples peeled, cored, and finely diced (~2 cups)
- 30 g unsalted butter 2 tbsp
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice optional, keeps apples bright
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch helps thicken apple juices
- 1 tablespoon water to make cornstarch slurry
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Cinnamon Sugar Filling
- 113 g unsalted butter ½ cup, softened. Salted would work fine too.
- 200 g dark brown sugar 1 cup
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Vanilla Glaze
- 120 g powdered sugar 1 cup, sifted
- 2–3 tablespoon whole milk or cream
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Make the dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine warm milk, yeast, and sugar. Let sit 5 minutes until foamy. Mix in eggs, softened butter, and salt. Add flour gradually, mixing on medium speed with a dough hook until a soft dough forms (5–7 minutes). The dough should be slightly tacky but not sticky. Place in a greased bowl, cover, and rise 1–1 ½ hours until doubled.240 g whole milk, 2 ¼ teaspoon instant yeast, 50 g granulated sugar, 2 large eggs, 113 g unsalted butter, 1 teaspoon salt, 690 g all-purpose flour
- Sauté the apples: In a skillet over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoon butter. Add diced apples and lemon juice (if using). Cook 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until apples soften slightly and release their juices. Stir in cornstarch slurry (1 teaspoon cornstarch + 1 tablespoon water), cinnamon, and nutmeg. Cook 1–2 more minutes until juices thicken. Remove from heat and let cool while dough rises.3 medium apples, 30 g unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon cornstarch, 1 tablespoon water, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- Prepare the filling base: In a small bowl, mix the softened butter, cinnamon, and brown sugar into a spreadable paste.113 g unsalted butter, 200 g dark brown sugar , 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- Shape the rolls: Punch down dough and roll into a 12x18-inch rectangle on a floured surface. Spread the brown sugar-butter mixture evenly over dough.Spoon the cooled sautéed apples evenly on top. Roll up tightly from the long side into a log and cut into 12 even rolls.Alternatively, you can cut the rolled-out dough (pictured) into 12 1-inch strips with a pizza cutter and roll up individually (my preferred method).
- Second rise: Arrange rolls in a greased 9x13-inch baking dish. Cover and rise again 30–40 minutes, until puffy. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Bake: Bake rolls for 30–35 minutes, until golden brown and bubbling around the apples. If they brown too quickly, tent with foil.
- Glaze: Whisk powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth. Drizzle over warm rolls and serve.120 g powdered sugar, 2–3 tablespoon whole milk or cream, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Notes
-
Prepare the rolls as directed through the shaping step: mix the dough, let it rise, make the filling, roll up, cut, and arrange in the greased 9×13-inch pan.
-
Cover tightly with plastic wrap or a reusable cover, then refrigerate overnight (8–16 hours). The slow, cold rise will develop flavor and keep the dough from over-proofing.
-
The next morning, remove the pan from the refrigerator and let the rolls sit at room temperature for 45–75 minutes until noticeably puffy. If your kitchen is cool, it may take closer to the full 75 minutes.
-
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) during the last 20 minutes of proofing.
-
Bake as directed for 30-35 minutes, until lightly golden on top.
-
Frost and serve while warm for the softest, gooeyest rolls.
Cecily Marwood says
Lovely recipe — clear and cozy. Quick question: when you roll the dough into 12 pieces by cutting into strips, do you find the texture different than rolling from the short end? Also, any tip for preventing the apple filling from leaking during the final rise? Thanks!
Audrey says
Hi Cecily! No, I don't notice a difference in the final result's texture when I cut them into strips, however it does make for "neat" rolls with minimal squishing/smearing. You can do it either way, whichever you prefer will be great. The apple filling might leak a little during the rise, but I minimize that by rolling it up tightly. to hold it in there. Some of the juices will inevitably come out especially during baking but that makes for a yummy caramelized bottom!