Soft & Gooey Apple Cinnamon Rolls with Brown Butter Maple Icing
Soft apple cinnamon rolls filled with spiced apples and topped with brown butter maple icing, perfect for breakfast, brunch, or dessert.
A Treat For Any Season
These apple cinnamon rolls with brown butter maple icing are the perfect mix of soft bread, sweet filling, and cozy fall flavor. They’re worth the bit of effort and are guaranteed to make your kitchen smell heavenly.
The filling is made with fresh diced apples simmered with butter, cinnamon, and brown sugar until they’re tender and caramel-like. A little apple butter gets spread in, too, which deepens the apple flavor and makes every bite extra rich. And then, of course, there’s the icing. Brown butter and maple syrup give it a nutty, cozy sweetness that ties the whole thing together!
These rolls are the definition of fall baking, but honestly, they taste just as good in the middle of spring or summer. Anytime you can snag some apples, you’re in business!
And if you have some apples left over, go ahead and check out our Fried Apples recipe for the perfect side dish!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Warm milk or cream
- Instant yeast
- Granulated sugar
- Large egg + egg yolk, room temperature
- Unsalted butter
- All-purpose flour
- Light brown sugar
- Powdered sugar
- Medium apples, peeled and finely diced
- Ground cinnamon
- Cornstarch mixed with water (slurry)
- Apple butter
- Pure maple syrup
- Salt
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Make the Dough
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together warm milk, yeast, and sugar. Let it sit for about 5 minutes until foamy.
Stir in the egg, egg yolk, and melted butter. Mix in the flour and salt until a sticky dough forms. Knead on a lightly floured surface for 8–10 minutes (or in a stand mixer for about 6 minutes) until smooth and elastic.
Place in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
2. Prepare the Apple Filling
While the dough rises, melt butter in a skillet over medium heat.
Add the apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt. Cook for 3–4 minutes, just until the apples soften.
Stir in the cornstarch slurry and cook for another minute until thickened and glossy. Remove from heat and let cool, then stir in the apple butter.
3. Assemble the Rolls
Roll the dough into a 14×9-inch rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Spread the apple filling evenly over the dough, leaving about ½ inch at the edges. Starting from the long edge, roll it up tightly into a log.
Slice into 8 rolls using a sharp knife or unflavored dental floss. Place rolls in a greased 9×13-inch baking dish, cover, and let rise for 30–40 minutes, until puffy.
4. Bake
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake rolls for 28–30 minutes, or until golden brown and the centers are set. If the tops brown too quickly, tent with foil.
5. Make the Brown Butter Maple Icing
In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Cook until the butter turns golden brown and smells nutty, about 3–4 minutes.
Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Whisk in powdered sugar, maple syrup, 1 tbsp of milk, and a pinch of salt until smooth. Add more milk if needed for a drizzling consistency.
6. Finish & Serve
Drizzle the warm rolls generously with icing and enjoy them while they’re gooey and fresh.
Storing Leftovers
These rolls are best the day they’re baked, but you can store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Reheat gently in the microwave for that fresh-from-the-oven taste.
For longer storage, freeze baked (but unfrosted) rolls, then thaw and ice just before serving.
Other Apple-based Recipes You’ll Enjoy
Ingredients
- ¾ cup + 1–2 tbsp warm milk or cream 110°F
- 2 ¼ tsp instant yeast 1 packet
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk room temperature
- 10 tbsp unsalted butter 1 stick + 2 tbsp, divided
- 3 cups all-purpose flour plus more for dusting
- ¼ cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 medium apples peeled and finely diced
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp cornstarch mixed with 1 tsp water slurry
- 3 tbsp apple butter
- 2 tbsp pure maple syrup
- About 1 tsp salt
Instructions
Make the Dough
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk warm milk, yeast, and sugar. Let sit for 5 minutes until foamy.
- Add egg, egg yolk, and melted butter. Stir to combine.
- Mix in flour and salt until a sticky dough forms. Knead on a floured surface for 8–10 minutes (or use a stand mixer with a dough hook, 6 minutes) until smooth and elastic.
- Place in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise 1 hour or until doubled.
Prepare the Apple Filling
- In a small skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt.
- Cook 3–4 minutes until apples soften slightly.
- Stir in cornstarch slurry and cook 1 more minute until thickened and glossy. Remove from heat and let cool completely.
- Stir in apple butter to make a rich, spreadable filling.
Assemble the Rolls
- Roll dough into a 14×9-inch rectangle.
- Spread apple filling evenly over the dough.
- Roll tightly from the long side into a log. Slice into 8 rolls.
- Place rolls in a greased 9×13 baking dish. Cover and let rise 30–40 minutes until puffy.
Bake
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Bake rolls for 28–30 minutes, until golden brown and centers are cooked through. If the tops brown too quickly, cover loosely with foil.
- Make the Brown Butter Maple Icing
- In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Cook until butter turns golden brown and smells nutty, about 3–4 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
- Whisk in powdered sugar, maple syrup, 1 tbsp milk, and salt until smooth. Add more milk, a little at a time, for the desired consistency.
Finish
- Drizzle icing over warm rolls and serve.