Apple Cinnamon Rolls with Maple Icing

Posted 2024-12-01 08:36:56

If you like cinnamon rolls, you'll flip for apple cinnamon rolls with maple icing. The little diced apple is a fresh and delicious substitute for raisins and the maple icing is such a great match for this delicious sweet treat.

A single apple cinnamon roll on a blue plate with a fork.

Cinnamon Rolls… but better!

Traditional cinnamon rolls are always a hit, but adding apples to the mix really does take them to the next level. The apples create a sweet, tangy bite that pairs perfectly with the warm cinnamon-sugar filling. Then, to take it from good to great, these apple cinnamon rolls get a good dollop of maple icing, bringing all the flavors of fall to the forefront!

A ball of cinnamon roll dough on a counter with brown sugar, cinnamon, butter and diced apples near by.

What You’ll Need

Let’s talk about the dough. Obviously, most of a cinnamon roll is dough so we know it’s the most important ingredient. While you could pick up some pre-made bread dough for this treat, I really encourage you to make your own. I promise it is not hard and just takes 10 minutes in a mixer and then 2 hours to rise. That little extra work makes a huge difference in flavor because cinnamon roll dough is enriched with egg yolk, butter and milk. It’s soft and sweet and your apple cinnamon rolls deserve it! Aside from the dough, you’ll just need two apples, cinnamon, brown sugar and some butter.

Nine images showing the steps in making apple cinnamon rolls

How to Roll Apple Cinnamon Rolls

There are really just two tips for rolling cinnamon rolls. The first is to make sure you leave one long end of the dough uncovered and dry. You’ll see in the images above that I chose the end closest to me. The second tip is that once you’ve rolled the dough out, brushed it with butter and sprinkled the cinnamon sugar and apples on top, it’s important to roll the dough up as tightly as you can. Tightly rolled cinnamon rolls look best when baked.

Two images showing the before and after of the second rise of apple cinnamon rolls.

Make Ahead Option

These apple cinnamon rolls have a second rise once they are placed together in a 9″x13″ baking pan. This is where the rolls spread into each other, which forces them to rise vertically when baked (because there’s no room to spread outward). It takes about an hour in a warm part of your kitchen for them to be ready to bake, but…. if you want to make these the day before you bake them, you can stop at this point, wrap the pan with plastic wrap and pop the pan into the refrigerator overnight instead. It makes freshly baked cinnamon rolls in the morning a dream. Just take the pan out of the fridge and let it sit on the counter for an hour before baking.

A blue baking pan with baked apple cinnamon rolls inside and a towel around two corners of the pan.

How Long to Bake Cinnamon Rolls

It will take about 30 minutes at 375˚F to bake these beauties. Keep some aluminum foil near by to pop on top of the rolls if they start to get too brown. Let them rest in the pan after baking for about 10 minutes before icing.

A bowl of maple icing with a bottle of maple syrup in the background.

Icing for Apple Cinnamon Rolls

Speaking of icing… To make the icing, whisk together powdered sugar and milk until smooth. The consistency should be thick but pourable. Then, stir in the maple syrup. Once the rolls are out of the oven and slightly cooled, drizzle the icing generously over the top. It will sink down into all the crevices spreading that maple flavor around. (If you prefer cream cheese icing, you could substitute the icing from the traditional cinnamon rolls.)

Maple icing being poured onto cinnamon rolls.

How to Store Apple Cinnamon Rolls

If you have leftovers (which, honestly, would be unbelievable), store the apple cinnamon rolls in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. For longer storage, refrigerate them for up to 5 days. You can also freeze the rolls individually for up to 2 months. Just reheat them in the microwave for about 30 seconds or in the oven at 300°F for 10 minutes.

A fork lifting a piece of apple cinnamon roll from a plate.

Apple cinnamon rolls combine the best parts of cinnamon rolls and apple pie, making them a must-try for fall. With make-ahead options and easy storage, there’s really no reason not to give these a try!

Apple Cinnamon Rolls with Maple Icing

Prep Time: 30 m
Cook Time: 30 m
Rising Time: 3 h
Total Time: 4 h
Servings: 12 rolls

Ingredients

1 recipe Cinnamon Roll Dough see below, or 1 to 2 pounds frozen bread dough
4 to 6 tablespoons butter softened until spreadable
¾ cup brown sugar
1½ tablespoons ground cinnamon
2 apples chopped into ½-inch pieces

Maple Icing:

1 ½ cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons maple syrup

Instructions

Grease and line a 9’x13” baking pan with parchment paper.
Let the dough come to room temperature on the counter. On a lightly floured surface roll the dough into an 18-inch by 12-inch rectangle. Spread the softened butter over the dough, leaving a 1-inch border along one of the long edges.
Combine the brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the buttered dough, keeping the 1-inch border uncovered. Scatter the diced apple over the dough, again keeping the 1-inch border uncovered. Roll the dough into a log starting with the edge closest to you. Roll the dough tightly, making sure to roll evenly and push out any air pockets. When you get to the uncovered edge of the dough, press the dough onto the roll to seal it together.
Cut the log of dough into 12 pieces, slicing slowly with a sawing motion so you don’t flatten the dough. Turn the slices on their sides and place in the greased and lined baking pan. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let the rolls sit in the warmest part of your kitchen for an hour to rise.
To make the icing, combine the powdered sugar and milk in a bowl, whisking until smooth. Whisk in the maple syrup to taste. Set aside.
Pre-heat the oven to 375ºF. Transfer the baking pan to the oven and bake the rolls for 25 to 30 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cover with foil if the rolls start to get too brown.
Let the rolls cool for a couple of minutes before icing. Spread large dollops of the icing on top of the warm cinnamon rolls, allowing some of the icing to drip down the side of the rolls. Serve warm and enjoy!

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