Apple Butter Cinnamon Rolls (Sweet Rolls)

If you’re looking for the fluffiest of Cinnamon Buns, aka Sweet Rolls, then I’ve got you covered in the base of this dough. Add in the apple butter and you’re set with a sweet roll that has the perfect amount of acidity to cut through the fat and sugar. The perfect fall breakfast combination: Apple Butter Cinnamon Rolls

Cinnamon Buns or Sweet Rolls?

Cinnamon Buns, Cinnamon Rolls, Sweet Rolls, Sticky Buns, Sticky Rolls, Cinnamon Swirl, Cinnamon Danish – no matter what you call them, we all have a favorite. I haven’t met a person yet that doesn’t like them. Traditionally served around the holidays, a cinnamon bun or sweet roll is a slightly sweeter, fluffier bread dough that has some sort of filling (usually cinnamon-based) in the center. When cooked, the filling creates an iconic swirl of absolute deliciousness. Drizzled with icing, caramel, or fruit jam and this is a recipe to satisfy all the sweet-tooths in the family.

Looking for more? Try our Starbucks-inspired Peppermint White Mocha Cinnamon Buns!

Tips for Activating Yeast

How to Make Cinnamon Rolls with Apple Butter

Making cinnamon rolls can seem daunting. It is a bit time-consuming and when looking at the ingredient list it can feel overwhelming. However, I urge you to move past it. The result of homemade cinnamon rolls is worth all the effort. And just like with anything else, the more you make them, the easier they will become. We’ve even gotten to the point of getting creative, making substitutions, and only double-checking our main recipe.

One of the key tips and steps of the cinnamon bun process is activating the yeast. You can do this with water or with milk. We opt for milk for a richer overall result with the dough. But the make-or-break factor here is the temperature of the liquid. To perfectly activate your yeast, the temperature of the milk needs to be between 100F-110F. Any hotter and you will kill the yeast. Any cooler and the yeast will not activate. When your yeast is activated it will foam as shown in the images below. This takes about five minutes.

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Once the yeast has been activated, add in the melted butter, eggs, and salt. Be careful not to allow the butter to get too hot as it could cook the eggs or kill the yeast. Mix together until well combined. I use a dough hook for the entire process. While I’m sure this is not technically right by chef standards, I’m all about having one less item to wash.

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Once the yeast mixture has come together, start adding in the flour one cup at a time while mixing on speed 2 or 4 on the stand mixer. You’ll add about 3 cups of flour total. The dough should easily pull away from the bowl while still being slightly sticky, and likely sticking to the bottom of the bowl. The dough will wrap around itself on the hook in a pretzle-like fashion and start to appear shaggy. Take a look at the images above.

Use oil or PAM cooking spray to coat a clean bowl with a thin layer of oil. Remove the dough from your hook and place it in the bowl. Turn the dough a few times so the outside of the dough is covered lightly with oil. This will help the dough climb the bowl as it rises. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap. Leave the dough covered in a warm spot in the kitchen for about 1 to 1-1/2 hours, until the dough has doubled in size.

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Once the dough has doubled, roll out into a rectangle (approximately 10×15 inches) onto a lightly floured surface. Don’t worry about being perfectly rectangular. You can trim the ends and edges as needed. Pro Tip: Flip the dough every so often while rolling and re-flour so the dough doesn’t stick to the table.

Spread 1 cup of the filling, in this case our Caramel Whiskey Apple Butter, into a thin layer on the dough, leaving about 1 inch bare at the top. Working from the bottom of the dough, roll upward until you reach the end. Then grab the top and pull it towards you to seal the cinnamon roll closed. This tip will help to keep all the apple butter from spilling out as you’re trying to close it.

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Use a sharp knife to cut the rolls into 8-12 segments. Cutting into 8 will result in larger rolls and a little more control in the filling staying in the roll of the dough. However, if you’re okay with a little bit of a mess, cutting them into 12 will enable you to share with more people.

Place the rolls into a buttered or greased skillet. Cover again with plastic wrap and place in a warm area to double in size and fill the skillet. I typically will cover the skillet and place it on the top of my stove while I preheat the oven. The heat from the oven works like a charm to encourage the dough in a second rise.

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Bake for 25 minutes until slightly golden brown on top. Leave the cinnamon rolls in the skillet to cool slightly while you prepare the icing. Drizzle and serve the best, fluffiest cinnamon rolls you’ve ever had!

Cinnamon Roll Icing

A traditional cinnamon roll icing is really royal icing. Made primarily out of powdered sugar and a liquid such as milk or heavy cream. This is also the perfect place to highlight key flavors. Whether that’s a contrasting flavor such as in a Cranberry Orange Cinnamon Rolls, or to really highlight the main flavor of the filling like we are doing here in the Apple Butter Cinnamon Rolls.

It doesn’t take much. As a general guideline, use 1 cup of powdered sugar, 1 Tablespoon of flavoring, and start with 2 Tablespoons of liquid and whisk until you’ve got your desired consistency.

Note: Feel free to make a big batch of your favorite icing and freeze in a Ziploc bag for future use!

Can you make Cinnamon Rolls Overnight?

Yes! Once you slice the dough and are ready for the second proof, you’ll add the rolls to the skillet. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator. In the morning, remove the skillet and place it in a warm area of your kitchen. This will help to bring the skillet back to room temperature without risking thermal shock to the skillet and will initiate the second proof of the cinnamon rolls.

Storing Cinnamon Rolls

Needing to make a big batch of cinnamon buns to save for later? Here are a few options!

To freeze before baking, you’ll want to use a pan or freezer-safe container that is not cast iron. After the rolls have been filled and cut, plan onto the pan, cover, and freeze.

To bake you’ll want to allow the cinnamon rolls to thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Then, transfer to a cast iron skillet and place in a warm spot for the second rise, and continue as normal.

To freeze after baking, allow the cinnamon rolls to cool completely without glazing. Remove from the skillet and wrap tightly in a freezer-safe container as one unit or as individual buns.

To reheat, allow to thaw completely and either place on a plate in the microwave for 30 seconds on high, or in a skillet in a 350F for about 15 minutes. Then glaze and enjoy as normal.

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