I didn’t think cinnamon rolls could honestly get any better but I was proven wrong. These apple pie cinnamon rolls are flavorful and delicious with their soft, gooey center, buttery edges, and just the right amount of sweet and tartness from the apples. Making this dessert will have you drooling until the end. It’s my favorite treat right now because it is just that delicious!

I am always getting asked what’s my favorite dessert and I always stumble on the question but I must admit I think it’s pie. I'm a huge pie lover, I have tons of favorites but the best one for me is apple pie. Especially when it's all warm and topped with creamy vanilla ice cream. I’m drooling just thinking about it. So with it being my favorite you all know I had to elevate it.

The Ingredients you need:

These cinnamon rolls are a tad bit more complex than making cookies or brownies because you are dealing with a bread dough. However, I am going to break it down in detail so that after this, you will be an expert! Trust me, I know where people go wrong because I have been there myself. To make this recipe easier to follow, I broke it down into parts as there are many components. The first thing you are going to want to start with is getting all your ingredients together. Right now we will be focusing on the apple filling and for that you need apples, brown sugar, flour, salted butter and cinnamon. I used red apples because that is what I had in my fridge but something I learned from my grandma while watching her make apple pie is that having a variety of apples from the color to brand does help create an overall better taste. So do not be afraid to mix and match.

Cooking The Apples:

The apple filling is very simple to make. The first thing your going to want to do is cut down all your apples into small chunks and add that into a pan. In the same pan add in the flour, cinnamon, sugar and butter. Then you are going to cook this down over medium heat until the apples are no longer firm. They should be soft. Before using, this must cool completely.

Making The Dough:

Now this is the part that probably steers people away from making breads and cinnamon rolls homemade. I’ll be honest I messed up a handful of doughs when I first started making them. The biggest thing I learned from my mistakes is that dough’s need time, so never rush when making them, ever!

To make this dough you will need flour, whole milk, salted butter, sugar, salt and of course yeast. I like to use Red Star active dry yeast. Yeast is what allows the dough to rise and double in size which is why it is such a crucial ingredient. To begin the process, mix together half of the flour with the yeast in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment. Then you are going to heat up milk, butter, sugar, and salt. Once it hits 130 degrees you can remove it from the heat. Take this mixture and add it into the flour and yeast. Then add in the eggs, of course one at a time and beat on high for three minutes. After the three minutes switch out the paddle for a dough hook attachment and gradually add in the other half of the flout. Knead the mixture untill it has become smooth and elastic. When that is dough, let the dough rest for 1-1.5 hours or until it has doubled in size.

Once you see that the dough has risen, punch the dough down. Don’t be afraid to get a good punch in. At this point you can take the dough out and lay it on a lightly floured surface. Here’s the annoying part; let it rest for another ten minutes. The resting is the most annoying part of making this dessert but while you have time to wait, be sure to make the other componets so that you can get to trying these amazing rolls sooner than later.

Cinnamon Filling:

This filling is what gives the rolls that punch of cinnamon flavor we all love. Just like the apples, this filling is also extremley easy. To a bowl add in all the ingredients; brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, butter and vanilla extract. Combine them all together until a thick paste is formed.

Creating the Cinnamon Roll:

Now that the dough is finally done resting, we can get to assembling the rolls. To do so, you first have to roll out the dough into a 14 inch square. If you find the dough is sticking, you can always dust flour over the surface of your table. To know how large a 14 inch square is use a ruler and measure it out like you would a piece of paper. And of course, it foes not have to be a perfect or even pretty square. It just needs to be large enough to properly fit the filling and create a decent amount of rolls. Once it is all spread out evenly, you can begin to spread the cinnamon filling all over. On top of that, add the apple filling. Be sure everything just like the dough is even.

Begin to tightly roll the dough into a log and seal the sides by pinching it closed. Then slice the log into 8 even parts. Place the rolls into a pan and unfortunately they have to rest again. Let the rolls rise for another hour.

Baking The Rolls:

If you made it to this point, just know there is no more resting or rising to be done just baking. To the pan that the rolls are in, pour heavy cream to the bottom of the pan and lightly cover the rolls in it as well. This is something I found to not be common knowledge and something I learned about over time. While it bakes, the rolls will absorb the cream and the fat in the cream to create an irresistibly soft cinnamon roll. Bake the rolls at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes or until bubbly and golden.Once they are baked, cover each roll in a generous amount of cream cheese icing.

Now the best part, eating! Enjoy these apple pie cinnamon rolls that you so beautifully created!

These apple pie cinnamon rolls will surely become a new favorite at the first bite. Just like the confetti rolls, they are just so fun to make and experiment with. Use it as a chance to have fun but also to eat something amazing. I'm telling you, you better go to the store right now and get to baking. You do not want to miss out on all the gooey, buttery, cinnamon goodness.