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Caramelized Apple Cinnamon Rolls with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

These Caramelized Apple Cinnamon Rolls with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting have cooked down caramelized apples in the filling - rolled in a fluffy enriched dough with cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and lots of brown sugar and butter. To top these off, they have a light whipped maple cream cheese frosting. The layers of flavor are insane! Cinnamon-y caramelized apples, fluffy dough, lots of fall spices, and the creamiest maple frosting. You will love these Caramelized Apple Cinnamon Rolls!
This recipe makes about 14-18 cinnamon rolls depending on size.
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Servings 14
Author Plum Street Collective

Ingredients

Caramelized Apple Filling

  • 6 cups apples, chopped in about 1 inch chunks (4-6 apples depending on size)
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1/4 cup water (to mix with cornstarch)

Dough

  • 2 tablespoons active dry yeast
  • 2 cups very warm water
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted- or neutral oil
  • 1 egg
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 5½-6 cups flour

Cinnamon Roll Filling

  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted (1.5 sticks)
  • 2 tablespoons cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 1½ cups brown sugar

Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
  • 4-5 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 4-5 tablespoons heavy cream, or milk
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup

Instructions

Caramelized Apple Filling

  • Start by making the apple cinnamon mixture. This can take about 25 minutes, depending on how long it takes to cook them down, so plan ahead.
    All stoves are a little different with their heat level. This apple mixture can even be made a day or two ahead and stored in the fridge.
  • In a medium bowl, place chopped apples. I leave the skins on the apples – once you cook them down you won't be able to taste them.
    Toss the apples with the lemon juice and set aside.
  • In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the apples, water, sugar, and cinnamon. Stir well.
    Let the mixture simmer and bubble.
  • You'll continue cooking the apples until they are soft, slightly mashed, and reduced down by about half. This could take 20-25 minutes depending on the size of your pan, and level of heat on your stove. Continue stirring as it reduces.
  • Once they're soft, reduced by about half, and the water mixture is starting to thicken, you'll get the cornstarch mixture ready.
    In a tiny bowl, mix the 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and 1/4 cup of water with a fork until smooth.
    Pour this cornstarch mixture into the apple mixture (keep the heat at medium-high while you pour it in), and continue mixing until the mixture thickens. Stir for 1-2 more minutes until thickened then remove from heat and set aside.
  • Let the apple mixture sit and come to room temperature until ready to use in the dough.

Dough

  •  Dissolve yeast in warm warm for 2 minutes. 
  • Add all ingredients except flour and salt in a stand mixer, and mix with dough hook until combined  
  • In a separate bowl, mix the flour and salt together. Gradually add the flour and mix with the dough hook until combined. Add just enough flour for the dough to come together and mix well with the dough hook.
    Once combined, continue mixing with the dough hook for 3-4 minutes. This will help make the dough fluffier.  
  • Place dough in a greased bowl, cover with a towel or plastic wrap, and let rise until doubled, about 25-30 minutes.

Cinnamon Roll Filling

  • While the dough is rising, make the brown sugar filling.
    In a medium-sized microwave safe bowl, melt the butter.
  • Once melted, add the cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice to the butter. Mix until completely dissolved and incorporated.
  • Then add the brown sugar and mix well, forming a filling paste.
  • Set aside.

Making the Rolls

  • Begin by spraying a large rimmed baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
    Preheat oven to 350°F.
  • After dough has risen, punch down and knead into ball. Spray the counter with cooking spray and roll the dough out, with a rolling pin, into a large rectangular shape.
  • Using a rubber spatula, spread the brown sugar filling over the dough.
    Then, on top of the brown sugar filling, spread the apple mixture over the dough. Try to spread it evenly use the back of a rubber spatula to slightly mash any pieces of apple that seem too large.
  • Roll dough into vertical log.
    Cut dough at approximately every 1 inch to make 12-18 rolls depending on how big each roll is. (A cheese knife works great at cutting them without pinching the dough down!)
  • Place each cut roll in the baking sheet or pan that is coated with cooking spray. Cover and let rise for 15 more minutes.
  • Bake cinnamon rolls for 25 -30 minutes until the tops are very brown (if the tops aren't brown enough, the underside won't be cooked).
    Also look for the caramelized apple filling to be bubbling in the pan - you want the edges bubbling! That's how you know the filling the thick and the cinnamon rolls are cooked through.

Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

  • While the rolls are baking, prepare your frosting. In a stand mixer whip butter and cream cheese as hard as the beater will go. Cream cheese is finicky and you have to beat it hard to get the lumps out and make sure it’s fully incorporated into the butter and whipped. 
  • Then turn down the speed and add the powdered sugar slowly, alternating with a bit of cream (or milk). Add vanilla. Continue adding powdered sugar and milk until you get a smooth consistency.
  • Add the maple syrup at the end, so the other ingredients are well incorporated first.
    Once you add the maple syrup, continue mixing on medium speed until the frosting is light and fluffy!
    (If it's too thin, add more powdered sugar, if it's too thick, add a little more cream.)
    Frost the cinnamon rolls right when they come out of the oven. Enjoy!!

Instructions for Preparing the Night Before

  • Follow all instructions above through rolling the dough into a vertical log and cutting the rolls and placing on a greased baking sheet.
  • Once you've done this, spray the tops of the rolls with cooking spray. Cover with saran wrap and seal well around the edges. Make sure no air gets in there so the rolls don't dry out.
  • Place in the fridge overnight, up to a day.
    Remove from fridge 2 hours before you'd like to bake them. Keep them covered, but let them sit on the counter untouched. They need to get to room temperature, and the dough needs to start to rise a little more before they go in the oven.
  • Once they've come mostly to room temperature (they can be a little cold, but not freezing), and have risen slightly, follow the baking instructions. Enjoy!