Apple Butter Cinnamon Rolls
These are definitely not your average apple buns from a supermarket! These apple butter cinnamon rolls are super fluffy and filled with a perfect fall combination of cinnamon, apple, pecan, and apple butter flavors. Finish it off by topping it with apple butter cream cheese icing and chopped pecans and you have yourself an extra special apple butter breakfast recipe.
What Can You Use Apple Butter For?
Apple butter can be used for all kinds of things like as a spread on toast, apple butter desserts, inside cookies that call for jam (I’m looking at you Linzer cookies!), and for this apple bun recipe. Its caramel apple flavor profile is just so perfect inside a cinnamon roll, then you add in the pecans for a little bitter crunch and wowza, amazing apple butter rolls. These really are way more than just apple cinnamon rolls for the same amount of effort, and don’t forget to pair it with your morning cup of coffee!
What’s the difference between apple butter and applesauce? While both apple sauce and apple butter are cooked down apples, the difference comes from how long they cook for. Applesauce cooks down until mushy then pureed to the desired level of chunkiness. Apple butter is cooked much longer to allow the sugars to caramelize. Longer cooking also allows it to become silky and smooth. I always prefer apple butter over applesauce for how tangy, bitter, and sweet it is.
The Origin of Cinnamon Buns
Cinnamon buns were born in the 17th century when the Dutch took over Sri Lanka, cinnamon harvesters. Soon after, the Age of Exploration brought cinnamon to Europe where it became popular. Bakers immediately started adding it to baked goods including their yeasted breads. One of those was the English Chelsea Bun, which was an early version of the cinnamon bun. German and Swedish bakers took over and created the cinnamon bun that we know today. It is one of the least changed foods since German and Swedish immigrants settled around Philadelphia creating their own spin on the breakfast treat. By 1956, Pillsbury began creating their famous tubes of cinnamon buns and selling them at grocery stores. Find out more here!
Apple Butter Cinnamon Rolls Ingredients
- Apple butter: Easily found in the grocery store or at your local orchard when you go apple picking.
- Apples: I am not a fan of using granny smith for any apple baking projects unless I am going for that specific flavor. I prefer to use an apple closer to the sweeter side like a honeycrisp or others within that range. Love apples? Try my other apple desserts!
- Pecans: If you have a nut allergy or don’t like pecans, you can leave this out completely. If you do use pecans, get unroasted either chopped or halves for this nutty bake.
Major Allergens Present: Gluten, dairy, eggs, nuts
Equipment Needed
- Hand or stand mixer: Used to make the dough and helpful for the cream cheese topping. You will use the beaters for a hand mixer and paddle for a stand mixer for both.
- 9″x 13″ pan or 12 ea muffin tin: You have 2 choices for how you want to present your buns: either all together for a pull apart method in one pan or individually in a medium muffin tin. One single pan is easy for cleanup, but the muffin tin is easier for serving.
- Rolling Pin: Used to roll out the dough with. Alternatively, you can use any long cylindrical object.
How to Make Apple Butter Cinnamon Rolls
What Are Apple Butter Cinnamon Rolls Made Out Of?
These apple butter sticky buns are made of a basic sweetened and enriched dough filled with a cinnamon sugar mixture, apple butter, fresh apples, and pecans and perfect for a fall breakfast. If you have a nut allergy, feel free to remove the nuts! Then finished with a cream cheese frosting with apple butter for extra apple buttery goodness and more pecans. Enjoy this for a cozy brunch treat or as a fantastic apple butter dessert!
Make the dough:
This dough is a sweetened and enriched dough which means it contains both fat (milk & butter) and sweetener (granulated sugar). However, what’s really important here is mixing the yeast with warm water. Since active dry yeast needs to be activated with warmth to work, and the milk is cold, it needs to be mixed first with the warm water to allow for proofing. It also can’t be too hot or else you will kill the yeast which occurs at 120*F. Once the yeast is activated you can combine with the rest of the dough ingredients, and mix with your mixer until you pass the windowpane test (more on that below).
The science of kneading:
Flour is composed of starch and protein and the proteins are called glutenin and gliadin which are long and tangled. Together, glutenin and gliadin form gluten. Kneading rubs these “subproteins” together to stretch them out, line them up, and cross-link themselves to create a net that helps retain gasses during the proofing stage. Kneading also incorporates oxygen in the dough which helps yeast breath and produce carbon dioxide. The windowpane test proves if you have developed enough gluten strands for proper structure to help retain those gasses for the final rise.
Test for the windowpane by taking a small portion of dough and roll into a ball. Stretch it out gently starting in the middle. Stretch it into a square and until the center is a thin film. If your dough easily stretches thinly without tearing, then the dough is strong enough and enough gas can be retained in the network of gluten strands. If it rips easily, then you need to develop more gluten strands by more kneading/mixing. You should also see the network of gluten strands. It’s called the windowpane test because light should be able to pass through like through a window.
Proof the dough:
After all that work of mixing and providing a GREAT net of gluten strands, the dough needs a break. During that break the yeast activates, eats the carbohydrates, and releases carbon dioxide which leads to proofing. That net you just weaved kneading is now doing its job. The amount of time it takes to proof will depend on your environment. The warmer and more humid it is, the faster it will proof. The colder and drier, the longer. See my tips for speeding up proofing times if you’re tight on time or if it’s cold in your dwelling. We want this to proof until it is 1.5x its original size.
Make the cinnamon filling:
The filling comes in 3 parts: the cinnamon filling, the apple butter, and the fix ins (apples and pecans). I learned the hard way that you cannot mix the apple butter with the cinnamon filling because it will separate. For the cinnamon filling, it’s simply whisking the butter with the sugar and cinnamon and then setting aside. For the fix-ins, peel and small dice the apples and chop the pecans into small pieces. If the fix-ins are chopped too largely then you will have a harder time rolling. Nothing to do with the apple butter except keep it handy on the side.
Roll, spread, roll, and cut the dough:
Now it’s time to roll! First, spray your pan with pan spray, or, if you’re using the 9×13, line with parchment paper. Dust flour on your working surface, and then using a rolling pin or similar instrument, roll a 14″ x 10″ rectangle. As you roll, it will become elastic and start to shrink, so run your arm under the dough frequently to allow it to contract. Use flour if you notice the dough starting to stick. Spread the cinnamon filling first leaving about 1/2″ gap around the edges, then spread the apple butter on top. Sprinkle the chopped apples and pecans leaving a 1.5″ gap along one long side.
Along that one long edge, start rolling tightly and carefully at first since the apple butter can be messy, and we want a tight center. Also, make sure you are rolling a long and thin log versus a short and thick log. Once you get about a third of it rolled, you can start to more loosely and easily/naturally roll it up. Some of the apple butter and fix-ins may start to ooze out the ends, and that’s okay.
Once you’re finished rolling, make sure the seam is facing down on the table. Using a serrated knife in a sawing motion, slice the ends off then into 12 rolls roughly 1-inch thick. You can also choose to slice using the dental floss method. Wrap a some floss around the log and pull tightly and quickly until it cuts through. If you’re finding it’s cutting very poorly, throw in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm up. Once all cut, place in your 9″x 13″ pan 3×4 style or individually in your medium muffin tin. Cover and allow to proof until it increases to 1.25 times its size.
Make the cream cheese apple butter glaze:
The key is using room temperature cream cheese and butter to make creaming easier and lump free. Cream the cheese first to get that creamy and dreamy then add the butter followed by the powdered sugar. Mix in the apple butter last and cinnamon if desired. Set aside at room temperature.
Bake and finish the apple butter cinnamon rolls:
Time to bake, but before doing that, pour the heavy cream over the buns. This makes them so incredibly moist and gooey. You want to rotate halfway through baking to promote even coloring and baking. It will turn a nice golden brown (although lighter in the middle if using a 9″x 13″ pan), but if you want to make sure it is done, the center of the center bun should have a minimum internal temperature of 190*F. Allow to cool until a little more than warm, then slather on the cream cheese icing and enjoy with a cup of coffee.
Help Making Apple Butter Cinnamon Rolls
How to Speed up Proofing Time:
- Turn your oven on. When it reaches 110*F turn off your oven and place your dough (covered) inside. Shut the door.
- Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil. Place inside your oven (while it’s off) with your dough, covered, inside with the door shut. Make sure the dough is not directly above the hot water.
- Place next to or in front of your heating vent or a warm sunny spot.
How to Roll and Slice the Apple Butter Cinnamon Rolls:
- Leave a 1/2 inch gap around the dough rectangle without filling so it’s easier to start the roll. When sprinkling the fix-ins, leave a 1.5″ gap from the border of the side you intend to start rolling on.
- Roll tightly to begin with to build a strong a foundation for seamless rolling. Roll tightly for the first third then delicately push to finish up the roll.
- Don’t worry about any filling oozing out the sides. This will get messy with the apple butter.
- Use a serrated knife to slice with a sawing motion. If it smooshes down, you can always lightly reshape once sliced. You can opt to pop it into the fridge for 30 minutes to firm it all up to make the rolls less smooshed.
- You can also use dental floss e to slice. Wrap around the log then pull super tightly and very quickly until it pierces through the log. This can prevent smooshing but can push the filling and inside of the roll out.
Enhancing This Apple Butter Cinnamon Rolls Recipe:
- Use jam and matching fruit instead! Try using blueberry or blackberry jam with blueberries or blackberries for a summer time bun.
- Use walnuts, almonds, or pine nuts instead, or leave out the nuts for a nut free recipe.
- Try swapping out the apples for pears and pear butter (if you can find it of course!).
How to Store and Freeze Apple Butter Cinnamon Rolls:
- Freeze the filling and frosting for up to 6 months or refrigerate for up to 3 months.
- You can freeze the log of dough for up to 3 months. Make sure to fully defrost it overnight and allow it to go through its final proof once sliced.
- Store buns at room temperature for up to 5 days. Warm before serving.
Troubleshooting Apple Butter Cinnamon Rolls:
- My dough isn’t rising! Your yeast is either expired, it’s too cold, or you did not knead enough. For now, try creating a makeshift proofbox in your oven by filling a pan with boiling water and placing in the oven with your dough. If that isn’t working then it has something to do with either the kneading or the yeast. If you passed the windowpane test then your yeast is dead. You need to start over with new yeast or start over making sure you activate the yeast in lukewarm water. However, if you did not pass the window pain test then try to knead some more until you do.
- Slicing my log is a messy disaster! A little mess is okay but if your rolls are coming out completely deformed then the log was not rolled tightly enough. For now, allow it to set up in the fridge while you clean up a bit. Once it’s chilled, slicing will be a little easier. Also, if slicing with a knife is not suitable, try using dental floss!
Something else going wrong? Reach out and we will troubleshoot together!
Apple Butter Cinnamon Rolls
Equipment
- Hand or stand mixer
- 9"x 13" pan or 12 ea muffin tin
- Rolling Pin
Ingredients
Dough
- 1½ tsp Active dry yeast
- 2 Tbs Warm water no hotter than 120°F
- 30 g Granulated sugar
- 192 g Whole milk
- 382 g All purpose flour plus extra for rolling
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- 5 Tbs Butter, unsalted Softened
Apple cinnamon filling
- 1 Stick Butter, unsalted melted, not hot
- 212 g Light brown sugar
- 2 Tbs Cinnamon, ground
- 1 cup Pecans finely chopped plus extra for garnish
- 1 ea Apple peeled and finely diced
- 170 g Apple butter
- ½ Cup Heavy cream
Cream cheese apple butter icing
- 86 g Cream cheese room temperature
- 1½ Tbs Butter, unsalted softened
- 90 g Powdered sugar sifted
- 2 tsp Cinnamon, ground
- 1½ Tbs Apple butter
- ½ ea Lemon juice
Instructions
To prepare the dough:
- Whisk together the yeast with the warm water then combine with the rest of the ingredients.
- Using your hand mixer or stand mixer with dough hook attachment(s), mix on low speed until incorporated, then on medium speed until you achieve the windowpane test. About 7-10 minutes.
- Test for the windowpane by taking a small portion of dough and roll into a ball. Stretch it out gently starting in the middle into a square shape, and until the center is a thin film. If your dough easily stretches thinly without tearing and you can see the gluten strands, then the dough is ready. If it rips easily, then you need to mix more.
- Cover the dough and allow to proof until 1.5 its size.
To prepare the filling:
- Melt the butter and whisk vigorously with the brown sugar and cinnamon. Set aside at room temperature.
- Set aside separately the apple, pecans, apple butter, and heavy cream.
- Prepare your baking pan with parchment paper and pan spray or prepare your muffin tin with pan spray.
To roll out, fill, roll, and cut:
- Flour a work surface and turn the dough onto your surface. Dust the top of the dough with flour.
- Roll into a 14"x 10" rectangle.
- Spread the cinnamon butter mixture evenly across the rectangle leaving a half-inch gap around the edges.
- Spread the apple butter on top again leaving the half-inch gap.
- Sprinkle the pecans and apple pieces on top but this time leave an inch and a half along one long edge.
- Starting with the long edge with the larger gap of pecans/apples, start to tightly roll. When you roll about one-third of the way, you can roll less tightly and focus more on keeping the stuff inside.
- With the seam facing down against the table, slice the ends off using a serrated knife with a gentle sawing motion or using dental floss by pulling sightly with it wrapped around. Slice into 12 pieces.
- Arrange the rolls in either your pan or muffin tin. Cover and allow to proof until 1.25x their size.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
To prepare the cream cheese apple butter icing:
- Beat the cream cheese until creamy then cream in the butter. Mix until creamy.
- Cream in the powdered sugar and cinnamon followed by the apple butter. Set aside.
To bake and finish:
- Pour the heavy cream over the buns and bake for 30 minutes rotating halfway through. The buns should be golden brown (lighter towards the middle) with an internal temperature of at least 190°F.
- Allow to cool until still warm then spread the cream cheese icing. Top with chopped pecans if desired.
Nutrition
These could not have been more delicious. Enough said!
Wowza these were a hit! Would suggest using a muffin tin so grabbing is easier.