These apple cinnamon rolls with brown butter cream cheese frosting are the perfect fall indulgence! You can whip them up in the morning or prepare them the night before, then bake and enjoy.
Indulge in the ultimate fall treat with our apple cinnamon rolls topped with delicious brown butter cream cheese frosting! We’ll even share how to prep them ahead for easy baking in the morning.
These apple cinnamon rolls are a delightful taste of fall! They’re soft, gooey, and covered in a mouthwatering brown butter cream cheese frosting that you won’t be able to resist licking off the spoon.
Apple Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 cup warm 2% milk 100-110°F
- 1 packet quick rise yeast
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 3 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
Filling:
- 5 tablespoons softened unsalted butter 1 tablespoon for sautéing apples, 4 tablespoons for butter layer
- ¾ cup light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 3 cups diced peeled honey crisp apples about 4 small honey crisp apples
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg for the apples
Frosting:
- 3 tablespoons browned salted butter
- 1 ¼ cups powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3 oz. softened cream cheese
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Begin by making the cinnamon rolls. In a large bowl, combine warm milk and yeast, and let it sit for about 5 minutes until the yeast blooms.
- Add maple syrup, melted butter, egg, and vanilla to the milk mixture, and whisk until well combined.
- Using a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment, mix flour and salt into the wet ingredients until a smooth dough forms. Knead for 2-3 minutes until elastic.
- Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and a towel, and let it rise in a warm place for 1-1.5 hours.
- While the dough rises, prepare the apple filling by combining brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.
- Peel and dice the apples, then sauté them with 1 tablespoon of butter and nutmeg until soft.
- For the brown butter cream cheese frosting, brown 3 tablespoons of butter in a pot, let it cool, then mix it with cream cheese, vanilla, cinnamon, and powdered sugar until smooth.
- Roll out the risen dough into a rectangle, spread softened butter over it, sprinkle with the cinnamon-sugar mixture, and top with sautéed apples.
- Roll the dough into a log and slice into 1-inch rolls.
- Place the rolls in a buttered or parchment-lined baking dish, cover, and let rise for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake the rolls for 18-22 minutes until set.
- Let the rolls cool for 10 minutes before frosting with the brown butter cream cheese mixture.
Notes
- Rolling the dough from the short side yields larger rolls, while rolling from the long side yields smaller ones.
- Straining the brown butter is optional; the bits add flavor to the frosting.