Description
Delight in these soft, gooey cinnamon rolls filled with spiced apple butter and topped with a smooth, creamy cinnamon cream cheese frosting. Perfect for a weekend baking project, these rolls offer a wonderful balance of sweet apple flavor and warm cinnamon spice within tender, fluffy dough.
Ingredients
Scale
Yeast Dough
- 1 cup whole milk, warmed
- 2¼ teaspoons instant yeast
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 to 4½ cups all-purpose flour
Apple Filling
- ¾ cup thick apple butter
- ¾ cup light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Cream Drizzle
- ½ cup heavy cream, warmed
Cinnamon Frosting
- 6 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Activate the yeast: Add the warm milk and instant yeast to a large mixing bowl. Let it stand for about 2 minutes until the mixture becomes foamy, indicating the yeast is active.
- Combine wet ingredients: Whisk in the eggs, melted and cooled butter, granulated sugar, and kosher salt until well combined into the yeast mixture.
- Form dough: Add 4 cups of the all-purpose flour to the wet ingredients and mix until a soft dough forms.
- Knead the dough: Knead the dough on a floured surface for 5 to 7 minutes, adding more flour only if it feels overly sticky, until smooth and elastic.
- First rise: Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover it, and let it rise in a warm place for about 45 minutes, or until it doubles in size.
- Roll out dough: Punch down the risen dough and roll it into a large rectangle approximately 24 by 15 inches in size.
- Add filling: Spread the thick apple butter evenly over the dough’s surface.
- Sprinkle spices: Evenly sprinkle light brown sugar and ground cinnamon over the apple butter layer.
- Shape rolls: Starting from the long edge, roll the dough tightly into a log. Cut into 12 equal-sized rolls.
- Second rise: Place the rolls into a greased 9 by 13-inch baking dish. Cover and let them rise for 20 minutes while preheating the oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Add cream drizzle: Warm the heavy cream and pour it evenly over the risen rolls to keep them moist and add richness during baking.
- Bake: Bake the rolls in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until they are lightly golden and cooked through.
- Prepare frosting: Beat together the softened cream cheese, unsalted butter, powdered sugar, and ground cinnamon until smooth and creamy.
- Frost and serve: Spread the creamy cinnamon frosting over the warm rolls before serving for a luscious finish.
Notes
- Make sure the milk is warm but not hot to prevent killing the yeast.
- The dough should be soft but not sticky; use additional flour sparingly.
- Letting the rolls rise twice ensures a fluffy texture.
- Apple butter adds a deeply spiced, concentrated apple flavor; substitute with thick applesauce if needed but reduce sugar accordingly.
- For best flavor, serve the rolls warm and fresh out of the oven.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container and reheat gently before serving.
