Description
Warm, gooey apple cinnamon rolls elevate breakfast comfort with sweet Granny Smith apples and fragrant spices. Homemade pastry lovers will delight in this classic American treat that brings cozy kitchen magic straight to your morning table.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients (Dough):
- 3 ½ cups (440 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 packet (7 grams / 0.25 ounces) instant yeast
- 1 egg
- ¾ cup (180 milliliters) warm milk
- ¼ cup (60 milliliters) unsalted butter, melted
Filling Ingredients:
- 2 medium apples (Granny Smith or Honeycrisp), peeled & diced
- ½ cup (100 grams) brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Topping/Glaze Ingredients:
- ¼ cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (120 grams) powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Activate the yeast mixture by combining warm milk, sugar, and yeast in a mixing bowl, allowing it to rest and become frothy for about 5 minutes.
- Incorporate melted butter, egg, salt, and initial portion of flour, stirring until the ingredients form a cohesive blend.
- Gradually introduce the remaining flour, working the dough thoroughly until it achieves a smooth, elastic consistency through manual kneading or using a stand mixer.
- Transfer the prepared dough to a lightly oiled bowl, ensuring complete coverage, and permit it to undergo a slow, steady rising process in a warm environment for approximately one hour or until its volume has substantially increased.
- While the dough rises, prepare the apple cinnamon filling by finely dicing fresh apples and combining them with ground cinnamon, creating a fragrant and flavorful mixture.
- Once the dough has expanded, gently deflate it and roll out into a rectangular shape on a lightly floured surface.
- Spread the prepared apple cinnamon mixture evenly across the rolled dough, leaving a small margin around the edges.
- Carefully roll the dough into a tight log, using a gentle but firm technique to ensure even distribution of the filling.
- Slice the rolled dough into individual rounds, placing them in a prepared baking dish with adequate spacing between each roll.
- Allow the shaped rolls to undergo a final proofing stage, giving them time to rise and become light and puffy before baking.
Notes
- Activate yeast carefully by checking water temperature; too hot kills yeast, too cold prevents activation.
- Use room temperature ingredients to ensure consistent dough texture and even rising.
- Substitute whole wheat flour for part of all-purpose flour to boost nutritional value and add subtle nutty flavor.
- Opt for dairy-free milk and vegan butter alternatives to make recipe accessible for plant-based diets without compromising soft, tender roll texture.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Breakfast, Snacks, Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 295
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 47 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg