Caramel Apple Cinnamon Rolls
Baked in a warm caramel sauce, filled with fresh apples and autumn spices, then topped with a cinnamon-spice cream cheese frosting. Everything you love in a cinnamon roll with all the flavors of fall!
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 cup warmed milk, I use whole milk, but any type will work
- 1 tablespoon dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 2 eggs + one yolk, room temperature
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- ¼ cup vegetable or canola oil, If you prefer-use an additional 1/4 cup of butter instead of oil (see Notes)
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup bread flour, (see Notes regarding flour)
- additional flour for rolling out dough
Caramel Sauce
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- ¾ cup dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons corn syrup
- 1 tablespoon whole milk or cream
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Filling
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- Dash of salt
- ½ cup very soft butter
- 1 ½ cups diced and unpeeled honeycrisp, granny smith, or a combination of both apples, ¼-inch pieces
Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 ounces cream cheese, (not light) room temperature
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons milk, cream, or half and half
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- dash salt
Instructions
Dough
- Place eggs (in their shells) in a small bowl of warm water to bring them to room temperature - or use room-temperature eggs.
- Place warm milk in the bowl of a stand mixer. Sprinkle yeast and 1 teaspoon granulated sugar over the warm milk. Let sit until the yeast begins to bubble and rise (about 5 minutes).
- Add eggs, egg yolk, 4 tablespoons melted butter, oil, 1/3 cup of sugar and salt to the yeast mixture. Mix with a paddle on low until combined.
- Add 3 cups all-purpose flour. Mix on low until all ingredients are incorporated. Add 1 cup bread flour, a little at a time, then switch to the dough hook. Mix until flour is combined and no white patches are visible. Mix 1 more minute on low speed. The dough should look smooth when finished.
- Lightly coat the inside of the mixing bowl with cooking spray. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let sit for about 2 hours in a draft-free area that is at least 72 degrees.
- While dough is rising, prepare the caramel sauce, the filling, and the pan for baking.
Caramel Sauce
- In a medium sauce pan over medium heat, add butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, cream, and salt. Stir until melted, then bring to a simmer for 30 seconds. Remove from heat.
- Pour ¾ cup of caramel sauce into a well-buttered 9x13-inch pan.
Filling
- Combine cinnamon, brown sugar, nutmeg, cloves and salt in a small bowl.
Form rolls
- Using a lightly-floured surface, pat and then roll the dough into a 20x10-inch rectangle.
- Spread the butter evenly over the dough. Cover with cinnamon sugar mixture and sprinkle chopped apples evenly over the top.
- Starting with the long side, roll the dough into a tight log.
- Using a sharp knife or unflavored dental floss, cut the rolled dough in half, then each half into 2 pieces, then each portion into 3 even rolls. You should have 12 rolls when finished.
- Place the rolls into the prepared pan and let rise for 45 minutes.
- 30 minutes before baking, heat oven to 375-degrees regular bake OR 350-degrees convection. Place the rack in the center of the oven. Prepare frosting and set aside.
Frosting
- Combine soft cream cheese and butter in a bowl. Mix until smooth. Add powdered sugar, and mix again on low speed. Add milk, vanilla, cinnamon and salt. Mix until smooth. Add a splash more milk if needed. See Notes for make ahead.
- When rolls are ready to bake, place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes convection or 15-20 minutes regular bake - until tops are a light golden color. Remove from the oven.
- While rolls are still hot, frost with about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of the frosting. This allows the frosting to seep into the rolls and create a gooey, soft, flavorful roll.
- After rolls have cooled for 15 minutes, top with the remaining frosting. Serve with remaining warmed caramel sauce, or drizzle sauce over the rolls as desired.
Notes
You may use all butter if you like. I have found the combination of butter and oil gives the roll a wonderful texture. The butter gives the rolls great flavor and the oil creates a dense and slightly chewy texture.
I've experimented with flours in cinnamon rolls for YEARS. This combination of all-purpose flour and bread flour creates a light, but still slightly dense texture - the perfect combo. If you are looking for a lighter cinnamon roll and want your roll to have a higher rise, use all-purpose flour and leave out the bread flour.
Make sure to use butter in the filling and the frosting, not margarine or a butter substitute. Butter has a flavor and texture that can't be duplicated.
For best results, use a light colored pan - not a dark coated pan or glass. Glass tends to bake hot (at least 25 degrees hotter) and dark pans often result in dark bottoms on rolls. We use USA Bakeware Pans. These pans are light in color, strong and durable, and have straight sides - perfect for baking and serving.