Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls

This easy apple pie filled cinnamon rolls recipe is perfect for fall! These old fashioned apple pie cinnamon rolls are stuffed with apple pie filling, and then we're making our apple cinnamon rolls even better with that incredible brown butter cream cheese icing!

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And if you like these baked apple pie cinnamon rolls, check out some other fall favorites: Apple Cider Donut Cake, Pecan Pastry Braid, Sour Cream Pumpkin Bread with Maple Brown Butter Glaze, and Deep Dish Caramel Apple Pie!

Apple Pie Filled Cinnamon Rolls Recipe

What better way to welcome autumn than with a batch of big, fluffy homemade cinnamon rolls? OK, maybe an apple pie would be better, or your favorite apple recipes. OR, and hear me out -- what about both? What about easy apple cinnamon rolls with apple pie filling? Did I just blow your mind?

Okay, okay, apple pie cinnamon rolls are not exactly a brand-new concept -- they make an amazing dessert or brunch on Christmas morning. But these cinnamon rolls, with a homemade apple pie filling and the most luscious brown butter cream cheese glaze, are next level.

They have the perfect soft, slightly chewy texture that you want from cinnamon rolls, and their dough comes together so easily. Then, you'll just fold in a quick and easy homemade apple pie filling, let them rise a second time, and they're ready to bake this apple pie cinnamon rolls recipe!

Should you cook apple pie filling before baking?

Yes, if you're using the homemade filling I share below! We'll be using a delectable homemade apple pie filling for these cinnamon rolls, and it's so easy! We'll be combining a handful of ingredients, including apples, cornstarch, sugar and spices, and cooking them down so that the apples can get nice and tender and the filling can thicken up.

If you want to make these cinnamon rolls with store-bought apple pie filling, that's completely fine and they'll be even easier to make -- see the instructions below! But if you want to try homemade, scroll down to see how to make the filling yourself!

Baked Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls - What You'll Need

Check the recipe card below to get all the measurements and instructions for these apple pie filled cinnamon rolls, but here's a quick look at the ingredients:

• yeast - you can use either instant yeast or active dry yeast -- if you use active dry yeast, you'll need to let the yeast "bloom" before mixing up the rest of your dough.
• buttermilk - your buttermilk should be warmed to about 110°F -- it should feel warm to the touch, but NOT hot.
• melted butter - you should use unsalted butter for this recipe, and we're using butter in all three of our recipe sections! For the dough, your butter should be melted.
• egg - make sure your egg is room temperature.
• vanilla - for the best flavor, be sure to use a high-quality pure vanilla extract. Or better yet, check out my post on how to make vanilla extract at home with just 2 ingredients!
• light brown sugar - I love the flavor you'll get from the brown sugar in these cinnamon rolls!
• all-purpose flour - we'll start with 2½ cups of flour, and add more as needed up to 3 cups. Be sure to use a kitchen scale to measure by weight, or use the spoon-and-level method to measure by volume.
• salt - to bring out the flavors in this dough.
• cooking spray - use a little cooking spray to keep your cinnamon rolls from sticking to your baking pan!

Feel free to use canned apple pie filling for these apple pie cinnamon rolls, but if you opt for the homemade apple pie filling, you'll need:

• fresh apples - you'll need the equivalent of about 2 apples. Peel them and dice them nice and small so that your filling fits well in these cinnamon rolls! I like to use a mixture of sweet and tart apples, so I use Honeycrisp and Gala apples for this apple pie cinnamon rolls recipe, but you can use any baking apples you like to use, such as Golden Delicious, Granny Smiths, or Jonagold.
• lemon juice - brings out the tartness of our apples and balances the sugar in this apple filling!
• unsalted butter - we'll add in some butter to add to the richness of this filling!
• light brown sugar - to sweeten our filling perfectly.
• vanilla - again, I always use my homemade vanilla, but if you use store-bought just make sure it’s good quality.
• apple pie spice - you can also use pumpkin pie spice as well. And if you love these warm spices, check out the flavors in my Cinnamon Rolls Peach Cobbler!
• cornstarch - thickens up our apple cinnamon rolls filling nicely!
• salt - to bring out the flavor in our delicious apple pie filling.

Finally we're covering these apple cinnamon rolls with an amazing brown butter cream cheese glaze! Here's what you'll need:

• unsalted butter - it should be cubed so that it can be evenly melted and browned. Browning the butter makes a huge difference in flavor and richness of this cream cheese frosting! If you love brown butter like I do, check out my full collection of over 44 sweet and savory brown butter recipes!
• cream cheese - soften your cream cheese to room temperature. See below for a time-saving tip for this step!
• pure vanilla extract - vanilla flavor is in every part of these apple cinnamon rolls!
• powdered sugar - be sure to use a kitchen scale to measure by weight. Or you can use the spoon-and-level method to measure by volume.
• milk - add just enough for the consistency you like - I added a little extra for a nice, pourable consistency.
• a little salt - to taste.

Equipment

To whip up the dough for this giant apple pie cinnamon rolls recipe, you'll want either an electric mixer or a dough whisk. Then, once you've made the dough you'll need a rolling pin to roll it out -- here's the one I use. Then, on to your second rise and baking. I made these cinnamon rolls in a 10-inch cast iron skillet, but you can also use a 9x9 baking pan or an 11x7 pan.

How to Make Easy Cinnamon Rolls with Apple Pie Filling

1. If you're using my homemade apple pie filling recipe, you'll need to combine the filling ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat and simmer, allowing it to thicken slightly and letting the apples get nice and tender. Set aside in an airtight container until chilled, up to overnight.
2. Once the filling is cooled and thickened, you'll want to make your apple pie cinnamon rolls dough. Dissolve your yeast in warm buttermilk and let it get foamy, then add your butter, brown sugar, egg, vanilla, and salt.
3. Add in flour gradually until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
4. Knead dough 2-3 minutes, then add to a greased bowl, cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap and place in a warm spot to rise.
5. Once doubled in size, roll dough out into a 10x15 inch rectangle on a lightly floured surface and spread chilled apple pie filling over it.
6. Roll into a long dough roll and cut into pieces, then place into a greased baking pan.
7. Cover and let rise in a warm place a second time. When doubled in size again, bake until golden brown.
8. While rolls are baking, whip up brown butter cream cheese icing in a large bowl and spread it over warm rolls once they're baked.

Do you put egg in apple pie filling?

No, this apple pie filling is made with just a few simple ingredients like apples, lemon juice, cornstarch, sugar, and spices.

More Frequently Asked Questions

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📖 Recipe

Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls - Pie Filling Stuffed Recipe

5 from 38 votes

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This easy apple pie filled cinnamon rolls recipe is perfect for fall! These old fashioned apple pie cinnamon rolls are stuffed with apple pie filling, and then we're making our apple cinnamon rolls even better with that incredible brown butter cream cheese icing!

Prep Time: 1 hour hour 40 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 2 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Course: Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert

Cuisine :American

Servings: 9 rolls

Calories: 601kcal

Recipe Source: Chenée Lewis

Equipment you may need

• food scale
• measuring cups and spoons
• mixing bowls
• stand mixer
• hand mixer
• 10-inch cast-iron skillet
• 9x9 baking pan
• rolling pin
• dough whisk

Ingredients

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Apple Pie Filling

• 2 medium baking apples - peeled and diced
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) fresh lemon juice
• 4 tablespoon (56 g) unsalted butter
• ¾ cup (165 g) light brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon (2 ml) pure vanilla extract
• 4 teaspoon (8 g) apple pie spice - or pumpkin pie spice
• 1 tablespoon (8 g) cornstarch
• ¼ teaspoon (2 g) salt
• 2 tablespoon (30 ml) water

Cinnamon Roll Dough

• 2¼ teaspoon (27 g) packet instant yeast - 2¼ tsp - one packet
• 1 cup (237 ml) buttermilk - warm – approx. 110-115°F
• 6 tablespoon (84 g) unsalted butter - melted
• 1 large egg - room temperature
• ½ cup (110 g) light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon (6 g) salt
• 2 ½ cup (313 g) all-purpose flour - plus more as needed, up to 3½ cups
• cooking spray

Brown Butter Cream Cheese Glaze

• 4 tablespoon (56 g) unsalted butter - cubed
• 4 oz (113 g) cream cheese - softened
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) pure vanilla extract
• ⅛ teaspoon (1 g) salt - or to taste
• 4 teaspoon (20 ml) milk - or as needed for desired consistency
• 2 cups (240 g) powdered sugar

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Instructions

Prepare Apple Pie Filling

• Combine all filling ingredients in a medium saucepan and stir to combine.
  2 medium baking apples, 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, 4 tablespoon unsalted butter, ¾ cup light brown sugar, ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 4 teaspoon apple pie spice, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, ¼ teaspoon salt, 2 tablespoon water
• Heat on medium-high heat until cornstarch and spices dissolve and apples release some of their liquid; allow to come to a low boil.
• Simmer 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until mixture is thick and apples are tender.
• Remove to a heat-proof container and place in refrigerator to chill.

Prepare Cinnamon Roll Dough

• In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, dissolve the yeast in warm buttermilk and let stand 3 to 5 minutes; stir. The mixture should begin to foam up -- if it doesn't get foamy then your yeast may be too old or your buttermilk may have been too hot.
  2¼ teaspoon packet instant yeast - 2¼ tsp, 1 cup buttermilk
• Add the melted butter, brown sugar, egg, vanilla extract, and salt, mixing after each addition.
  6 tablespoon unsalted butter , 1 large egg , ½ cup light brown sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Add in flour a little at a time until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Dough should still be tacky and still stick to the bottom of the bowl, so don’t add more flour than necessary!
  2 ½ cup all-purpose flour
• Knead dough on a floured surface (or in the stand mixer using the hook attachment) for about 2-3 minutes, until soft and smooth. Gently form into a ball.
• Spray a large bowl with cooking spray and place dough in it, turning dough over once or twice to coat with cooking spray.
  cooking spray
• Place bowl in a warm spot and cover with plastic wrap to rise for about 40 minutes, or until the dough has doubled in size.
• Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface or a nonstick pastry mat, forming a rectangle that is about 10 inches by 15 inches, with the long side closest to you. The dough should be ¼ inch thick.
• Spoon cooled apple pie filling in a thin layer onto dough and spread evenly.
• Roll dough away from you into one long roll, with the seam on the bottom. To keep filling from squeezing out, gently lift the edge of the dough around the roll as you roll it.
• Cut dough evenly into pieces according to the size of your pan: 7 pieces for a 10-inch cast-iron skillet, 8 pieces for an 11x7" pan, and 9 pieces for a 9x9" pan. Cut the pieces using a serrated knife, or unwaxed dental floss for neater cuts.
• Spray a 9×9 baking pan, 10-inch cast-iron skillet, or 7x11 inch baking pan with cooking spray.
• Carefully place rolls into prepared skillet or baking pan. Cover with plastic wrap or a towel and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled in size again, approximately another 40 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Bake 25-30 minutes, or until rolls are golden brown. Remove rolls from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes.

Prepare Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

• Melt cubed butter over medium heat in a light-colored sauté pan. Allow to foam and continue stirring until milk solids have separated and butter begins to turn golden brown. Immediately transfer brown butter to a heat-proof bowl, scraping out brown bits with it. Cool to room temperature.
• Beat softened cream cheese and cooled brown butter with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add vanilla extract and salt.
  4 tablespoon unsalted butter, ⅛ teaspoon salt, 4 oz cream cheese
• Gradually add in powdered sugar, mixing on low, until combined. Beat another minute to a smooth and creamy consistency. Mix in milk to achieve desired consistency.
  1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 4 teaspoon milk, 2 cups powdered sugar
• Spread or pour glaze over warm rolls and serve immediately.

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Notes

Overnight option: I love making these cinnamon rolls overnight -- it’s so convenient, and the slow rise gives them such a lovely texture! If you're planning to make these cinnamon rolls with apple pie filling for breakfast, it might be a good idea to start the night before! To rise your rolls overnight, first make sure you're using a pan that isn't cast-iron -- sitting overnight might damage your cast iron, so opt for glass or another material. Once you have your cinnamon rolls in your greased pan, just cover the pan with plastic wrap and let them rest in the fridge overnight, ​​or up to 16 hours. In the morning, you'll just need to let the rolls rise in a warm spot until they've doubled in size, which should take about an hour, and then bake them like normal!

Apples to use: I used a mixture of Honeycrisp and Gala apples for this apple pie cinnamon rolls recipe, but you can use any baking apples you like to use, such as Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, or Jonagold.

If you don't have buttermilk, feel free to use whole milk, replacing a tablespoon of the milk with vinegar. This will create the acidic effect of buttermilk to help your cinnamon rolls come out even more moist and tender.

Storebought apple pie filling - just use about 1 ½ - 2 cups of storebought apple pie filling (chop apples to smaller size) and stir in 2 tablespoon melted butter, ½ cup light brown sugar, and 1 tablespoon apple pie spice.

Dough consistency: Dough will be sticky, but you shouldn’t need more than 3 ½ cups of flour. Once dough pulls away from sides of bowl, stop adding flour and begin to knead. Add light dustings of flour as needed for kneading and shaping. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1 roll | Calories: 601 kcal | Carbohydrates: 92 g | Protein: 6 g | Fat: 24 g | Saturated Fat: 14 g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6 g | Trans Fat: 1 g | Cholesterol: 84 mg | Sodium: 446 mg | Potassium: 200 mg | Fiber: 2 g | Sugar: 62 g | Vitamin A: 816 IU | Vitamin C: 2 mg | Calcium: 94 mg | Iron: 2 mg

Nutrition Disclaimer

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Last Updated on September 19, 2025 by Chenée Lewis