Apple Crumble Cinnamon Rolls

4.56 from 49 votes

Move over, donuts. Apple crumble cinnamon rolls combines two classic desserts in one and are perfect for breakfast, brunch or dessert.

Prep Time35 mins

Cook Time35 mins

Rise Time1 hr

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: apple dessert, apple recipes, best cinnamon roll recipe

Servings:

Calories: 722kcal

Author: Julie Clark

Ingredients

For the dough:

1 cup warm milk about 115 degrees F, 8 ounces
2 1/2 teaspoons instant dry yeast* I like Red Star Platinum Baking Yeast
2 large eggs at room temperature
1/2 cup salted butter Melted, but make sure it isn’t over 110º Fahrenheit. Just softened is fine. 4 ounces
1/2 cup granulated sugar 100 grams
1 teaspoon salt 6 grams
4 1/2 cups all-purpose or bread flour divided, 585 grams

For the apples:

8 large Granny Smith Apples peeled, cored and diced (about 6 cups)
3 tablespoons salted butter 42 grams
1/3 cup light brown sugar 70 grams
1/3 cup granulated sugar 67 grams
1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon 12 grams

For the filling:

5 tablespoons salted butter almost melted, 70 grams
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar 150 grams
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon 8 grams
1/2 cup heavy cream** for pouring over the risen rolls

For the crumble:

¾ cup all-purpose flour 98 grams
½ cup light brown sugar 100 grams
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ cup salted butter melted, 2 ounces

FOR THE GLAZE:

1 cup powdered sugar 130 grams
3-4 tablespoons heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Make the dough:

Pour the warm milk in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast overtop. (See note below if you are using active dry yeast instead of instant yeast.)
Add the eggs, butter and sugar. Mix until combined.
Add in salt and 4 cups of flour (save the other ½ cup and add only if you need it) and mix using the beater blade just until the ingredients are barely combined. Allow the mixture to rest for 5 minutes so the flour has time to soak up the liquids.
Scrape the dough off the beater blade and remove it. Attach the dough hook.
Beat the dough on medium speed, adding in up to ½ cup more flour if needed to form a dough. Knead for 5-7 minutes or until the dough is elastic and smooth. **The dough should be tacky and will still be sticking to the sides of the bowl. That’s ok! Don’t be tempted to add more flour at this point. We generally add about 4 ½ cups, but start with 4 cups.
Spray a large bowl with cooking spray.
Use a rubber spatula to remove the dough from the mixer bowl and place it in the greased large bowl.
Cover the bowl with a towel, plastic wrap or wax paper.
Set the bowl in a warm place and allow the dough to rise until nearly double. I like to turn on the oven to the lowest setting for 1-2 minutes. Then turn off the oven and place the dough to rise in there. It normally takes about 30 minutes for the dough to rise. Do not allow the dough to rise too much or your cinnamon rolls will be airy.

Prepare the apples:

Peel and core apples. Chop into bite-sized pieces.
In a pan with high sides (or a cast iron skillet), melt butter and add sugar and cinnamon. Add apples and cook over low-medium heat for about 12-14 minutes, stirring often, until the apples are softened.
Set aside so that the apples cool.

Assemble the cinnamon rolls:

Sprinkle a pastry mat generously with flour. Turn out the dough onto the pastry mat and sprinkle the top of the dough with additional flour.
Flour a rolling pin and roll the dough to about a 24×15″ rectangle. (the size of the rectangle can vary…it does not have to be exact!)
Use a rubber spatula to smooth the butter over the whole dough rectangle.
Spread the cooled apples over the butter. Then sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon.
Starting on the long end, roll the dough up along the long side tightly jelly roll style.
Using a sharp knife or dough cutter, cut into 12 slices and place in a greased 9×13 glass baking dish.***
Cover the pan and allow the rolls to rise for 20 minutes.

PREPARE THE CRUMBLE:

In a small bowl, mix together the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and melted butter.
As the butter hardens, you’ll be able to create little “crumbles” of the mixture.
Preheat the oven to 375ºF.
Warm the heavy cream until the chill is off. Don’t make it hot…you just don’t want it cold. It should be warm to the touch.
Once the rolls have rested for 20 minutes, pour the heavy cream over the top of the rolls, allowing it to soak down in and around the rolls.
Then sprinkle the crumb topping over the unbaked rolls.
Bake for 27-30 minutes, until the rolls are lightly golden brown and the center rolls are cooked through. Note…the time will vary based on how big the rolls are, what type of pan, how close the rolls are packed, etc. They could take up to 35 minutes. Check the rolls at 20 minutes. If they are getting too browned, cover loosely with foil for the remaining baking time.
While the rolls are cooling, prepare the glaze.
When the rolls are cool, whisk together the powdered sugar, heavy cream and vanilla. Whisk until smooth. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled rolls.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 24 hours. Refrigerate any leftovers. Leftover rolls are best if you warm them slightly in the microwave.

Notes

*Different yeast calls for slightly different proofing methods. Please check your yeast packet to see what temperature the milk should be at.
**If you don’t have cream, use half and half, coffee creamer, evaporated milk, whole milk or coconut cream. Any of these will work. Even 2% milk will work, but we prefer a higher fat milk.
***For smaller rolls, cut the dough into 15 slices and use a 10×15″ baking pan. The larger pan will also allow the rolls to rise more evenly.

Overnight Instructions
We often make the cinnamon rolls and get them to the point of the second rise (when they are rolled out, cut up and put in the pan). Cover and refrigerate until morning.
The morning you want to bake them, pull them out of the refrigerator. They may have doubled in size in the fridge overnight. If they have, let them sit for 30 minutes to get the chill off, then bake.
If they did not rise in the fridge overnight, allow them to rise at room temperature. Plan about at least an hour for this. Then pour on the cream and let them bake.

Refer to the article above for more tips and tricks.

The calories shown are based on the rolls being cut into 12 pieces, with 1 serving being 1 glazed roll. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. The information in the nutrition box are calculated through a program and there is room for error. If you need an accurate count, I recommend running the ingredients through your favorite nutrition calculator.**

Nutrition