These caramel apple pie cinnamon rolls are super soft, fluffy, have a gooey spiced apple filling, a crisp cinnamon crumble topping, and a salted caramel cream cheese glaze. It’s like a caramel apple crumble pie - but in a cinnamon roll! These rolls have all the textures - soft, crisp, and gooey. And the dough is an easy no knead dough recipe that you don’t need a mixer for. They’re the perfect comforting cinnamon rolls to make for fall and the holidays.
You’d also love my gingerbread cinnamon rolls, they’re perfect to make for the holidays!
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🍏 Why you'll LOVE this recipe
- Texture: These apple pie cinnamon rolls are super soft and fluffy with a gooey spiced apple filling.
- Spiced: The combination of cinnamon, cardamom and cloves compliment the apple flavor. It brings out the warmth and adds spice.
- Easy: The no knead dough is so easy to make! The less you handle it, the better!
- Topping: They are finished with a salted caramel cream cheese glaze and a crumble topping.
This apple cider bundt cake is also packed full of apple flavor and perfect to make for fall!
📝 Key ingredients
Read through for all the tips you will need for success!
Full steps and ingredients in recipe card below.
- Apples: A firm, tart variety of apple is key because it holds its shape well and maintains the texture while the tartness balances the sweetness of the sugar. Make these caramel apple cheesecake bars with your leftover apples!
- Caramel sauce: I used homemade salted caramel sauce. You can also use any store bought caramel sauce or dulce de leche.
- Activated dry yeast: I love using activated dry yeast for cinnamon rolls and breads. I think the flavor and outcome is better! Instant dry yeast will also work. Mix it dry right into the flour.
- Cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves: This combination of ground spices works so well with apples. It brings out the warmth of the apple flavor and adds spice.
- All purpose flour: Weigh the flour to get the most accurate results. If you don’t have a scale, measure properly by stirring the bag and spooning gently into a measuring cup. Scrape the excess off the top with the flat edge off a knife without packing it into the cup.
👩🍳 How to make apple pie cinnamon rolls
Cinnamon roll dough step by step
Step 1: In a medium bowl, add the water, yeast, and 1 teaspoon of sugar. Whisk until the yeast is dissolved and let sit until a foam forms. Set aside while you work on the dough.
In a very large bowl, add sifted flour. Make a well into the middle and add sugar, salt, butter, whisked eggs, vanilla extract, and warm milk. Add the dissolved yeast mixture on top.
Step 2: Starting with the middle, stir the wet ingredients together and slowly incorporate the flour into the dough.
Mix until a wet and sticky dough forms and all of the flour is combined into the dough. Cover and set aside in a warm place and let it rise until doubled in size, about 45 minutes. Work on the filling and crumble while it rises.
Spice apple filling step by step
Step 1: Combine butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, and salt until smooth and creamy. Set aside for later.
Step 2: Peel the apples and chop them into small cubes. Drizzle with lemon juice and set aside for later.
Crumble step by step
Step 1: In a separate bowl, combine brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, oats, flour, and salt. Add melted butter and stir until everything is evenly coated and crumbly. Set aside for later.
Step 2: Butter a 9” x 12” pan with a small piece of butter. Punch down the risen dough and fold it a few times until a smooth dough forms.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to create a large 12" by 18" rectangle.
Assembly step by step
Step 1: Spread cinnamon butter sugar mixture onto the rolled dough and sprinkle chopped apples on top.
Step 2: From the long edge start rolling into a log. Mark into 12 equal pieces and cut without squishing the rolls.
Step 3: Place rolls into the buttered baking pan. Let rise in a warm place for about 15 minutes while you preheat the oven to 355°F (180°C).
Step 4: Sprinkle the rolls with the crumble mixture and bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown and dough springs back to the touch. Make the glaze while the rolls cool.
Salted caramel cream cheese glaze step by step
Step 1: In a large bowl, mix together the softened cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Add the salted caramel sauce, mix together to combine.
Add powdered sugar half a cup at a time and mix well. You want a pourable but thick consistency.
Step 2: The rolls are best served warm. Drizzle the glaze over the rolls right before serving so that the crumble stays crunchy.
Enjoy your apple pie cinnamon rolls!
✔️ Expert tips
- Dissolve the yeast in warm water and a bit of sugar first: this allows you to check if the yeast is active or needs to be replaced. You need active yeast for soft, fluffy rolls that rise.
- Measure the flour properly: For best results use a kitchen scale! If you don't have a scale on hand, be sure to fluff the flour with a spoon before gently adding it into the measuring cup and scraping off the excess without packing it in.
- Don't over knead the dough: The less you handle this dough, the better and softer it bakes up.
- Use unflavored floss or cotton string to cut the rolls: This will ensure you get an even and clean cut roll.
- Don't skip rising the dough: This is essential in creating fluffy rolls. It allows the flour to hydrate, and for the yeast to create pockets of gas that will rise the dough.
🥄 Make ahead and storage
These cinnamon rolls are great to make ahead and bake the morning of so you can have fresh rolls right off the bat. Here’s how to modify the steps to make overnight apple cinnamon rolls:
- Make, cut, and place the rolls into the buttered baking dish. Don’t add the crumble yet! Cover with a piece of wrap or a lid and seal tightly.
- Refrigerate immediately - it will rise in the fridge overnight. Don’t keep the rolls in the fridge for over 12 hours or they will overproof.
- When ready to bake, top with crumble, and bake. You may need to add a few minutes to the baking time because they will be cold when they go into the oven.
Store any apple cinnamon roll leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container or jar for up to 4 days. Make sure to reheat them gently before eating so that they get pillowy soft and gooey again.
To store for even longer, place any leftover rolls in an airtight bag or container. Freeze for up to 2 months.
🍞 Places to let yeasted dough rise
This is an enriched dough, so it needs a bit of extra help to rise because of all the butter and eggs. I love to put the dough next to a heated oven, or beside a sunny window. Or preheat the oven to its lowest temperature, turn it off, and place the dough inside to rise.
Just make sure that the dough temperature doesn’t go over 130°F or 55°C, or the yeast will get cooked and it won’t rise anymore.
📖 Recipe FAQs
The dough should be sticky when you first mix it together. It’ll come together as it rises and smooth out after rising. As the dough rests, the flour will hydrate and the dough will get thicker. You can add a bit more flour if it’s too sticky after rising.
Yes you can - try using chopped pears or peaches! They’d work really well instead of apples in this recipe.
The combination of apples, cinnamon sugar butter, and caramel sauce in the filling makes them gooey and not dry at all. The salted caramel glaze adds a lot of gooeyness as well.
This could be due to a variety of reasons. Is your yeast active? Make sure a foam forms on top of the yeast mixture after dissolving it. If it doesn’t get foamy, try a new packet or batch of yeast. It helps to have the dough in a warm place to rise - like a closed turned off oven, beside a turned on oven, or by a sunny window. Just make sure it doesn’t exceed 130°F or 55°C because that will cook and kill the yeast!
🍂 More related recipes
Did you make this recipe? I would love for you to rate this recipe and hear what you think in the comments below! Share your creation on Instagram and tag @flouringkitchen. Follow me on Pinterest to save and for more recipe ideas.
📖 Recipe
Caramel Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls
Equipment
- 9 by 13 inch baking pan 9 by 12 inch pan will also work
Ingredients
Dough
- ½ cup warm water
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar or brown sugar
- 1 packet active dry yeast 7g, or 2 ¼ teaspoons
- 5 cups all purpose flour 600g
- ¼ cup brown sugar packed
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ cup butter softened
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¾ cup milk warm to the touch (not hot)
Filling
- ½ cup butter softened
- 1 cup brown sugar packed
- 2 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
- 3 medium-large apples
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice freshly squeezed
- ¼ cup caramel sauce homemade or store bought
Crumble
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon ground
- ½ cup rolled oats
- ¾ cup all purpose flour 90g
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
Glaze
- 4 oz cream cheese
- ¼ cup salted caramel sauce
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2-4 tablespoons milk
Instructions
Cinnamon Roll Dough
- Add the water, yeast, and 1 teaspoon of sugar into a medium bowl. Whisk to dissolve the yeast and set aside while you work on the dough. If a thick foam doesn’t form on top of the mixture within 10 minutes, it’s expired and you should try a new packet of yeast.½ cup warm water, 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, 1 packet active dry yeast
- In a very large bowl, add sifted flour. Make a well into the middle and add sugar, salt, butter, whisked eggs, vanilla extract, and warm milk. Add the dissolved yeast mixture on top. Starting with the middle, stir the wet ingredients together and slowly incorporate the flour into the dough.5 cups all purpose flour, ¼ cup brown sugar, ¼ teaspoon sea salt, ½ cup butter, 2 large eggs, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, ¾ cup milk
- Mix until a wet and sticky dough forms and all of the flour is combined into the dough. Use your hands to help combine it. Cover and set aside in a warm place and let it rise until doubled in size, about 45 minutes. Work on the filling and crumble while it rises.
Spiced Apple Filling
- In a large bowl, combine butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, and salt. Stir until smooth and creamy. Set aside for later.½ cup butter, 1 cup brown sugar, 2 tablespoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground cloves, 1 teaspoon ground cardamom, ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
- Peel the apples and chop them into small cubes. Drizzle with lemon juice and set aside for later.3 medium-large apples, 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Crumble
- Combine granulated sugar, cinnamon, oats, flour, and salt in a separate bowl. Add melted butter and stir until everything is evenly coated and crumbly. Set aside for later.½ cup granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, ½ cup rolled oats, ¾ cup all purpose flour, ¼ teaspoon sea salt, 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
Assembly
- Butter a 9” by 12” pan with a small piece of butter. Punch down the risen dough and fold it a few times until a smooth dough forms.
- Sprinkle flour onto a smooth, clean surface. Place the dough and sprinkle a bit of flour on top. Use a rolling pin to roll out into a large rectangle, about 12” by 18
- Spread cinnamon butter sugar mixture onto the rolled dough and sprinkle chopped apples on top. Drizzle caramel on top.¼ cup caramel sauce
- Roll up into a long log starting at the long ledge. Mark into 12 equal pieces and use a piece of unflavored floss or cotton string to wrap around and pull tight to cut without squishing the rolls.
- Place rolls into the buttered baking pan. Let rise in a warm place for about 15 minutes while you preheat the oven to 355°F (180°C).
- Sprinkle the rolls with the crumble mixture and bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown and dough springs back to the touch. Make the glaze while the rolls cool.
Salted Caramel Cream Cheese Glaze
- In a large bowl or standmixer, mix together the softened cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Add the salted caramel sauce, mix together to combine.4 oz cream cheese, ¼ cup salted caramel sauce
- Add powdered sugar half a cup at a time and mix well. Add enough milk to get a pourable glaze consistency.2 cups powdered sugar, 2-4 tablespoons milk
- The rolls are best served warm. Drizzle the glaze over the rolls right before serving so that the crumble stays crunchy. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Dissolve the yeast in warm water and a bit of sugar first
- Measure the flour properly
- Don't over knead the dough
- Use unflavored floss or cotton string to cut the rolls
- Don't skip rising the dough
Kassia Madrid
I feel silly asking this. But iv never made homemade cinnamon rolls and want to try using your recipe! But I looked and couldn't find a regular cin roll (I want to try basic first🤣), or what I would like to do is a carmel one. Do you by chance a recipe for that?
Mary
I don't have a classic or caramel flavor yet - writing them down on the list to make!