Caramel Apple Cinnamon Rolls Recipe
These soft and gooey caramel apple cinnamon rolls are stuffed full of brown sugar, baking spices, diced apples, and drizzled with homemade caramel sauce. They’re perfect for a crisp fall morning breakfast or brunch.
Servings: 15 people
Calories: 445kcal
Ingredients
Cinnamon Roll Dough
- 2 cups water luke warm
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons active dry yeast
- 1/4 cup butter melted
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 5½-6 cups all-purpose flour
Apple Cinnamon Filling
- 3 large apples gala, honeycrisp, granny smith, or another tart and sweet variety
- 1/3 cup butter melted, or very soft
- 2/3 cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Caramel Sauce
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup karo syrup
- 1/2 15-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
Instructions
Preparing the Dough
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the warm water, sugar and yeast and stir well. Let the mixture sit for 5-10 minutes until it gets bubbly and activates the yeast.
- Add the melted butter, eggs, salt, and 2 cups of flour, then mix on low using the bread hook for 2 minutes, or until everything is well-mixed.
- Add an additional 3½ cups of flour, then stir on low to combine. You may need to add up to 1/2 a cup more (you will know you've added enough flour when the dough pulls away from the sides of the mixing bowl). Once all of the flour has been added, continue to knead on low for 3 minutes more.
- Turn off the mixer and cover the bowl with a kitchen towel. Let the dough rest in a warm place for about 30 minutes, or until doubled in size.
- Once the dough has double, turn it out onto a floured surface and form it into a small rectangle with your hands. Using a rolling pin, gently roll the dough into an approximately 24" x 12" rectangle (should be about 1/2" thick).
Apple Cinnamon Filling
- Prepare the apples by peeling, coring and dicing into 1/4" pieces. Add to a large bowl along with the melted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. Mix until combined, then spread the apple mixture evenly over the rolled dough.
Assembling and Baking
- Starting at either 24" side, roll the dough up evenly making sure to get a nice tight tube, then cut into 12 evenly sized (roughly 1") slices using a very sharp knife. I recommend using a ruler and pre-marking before you actually make any cuts.
- Lay the slices on a large, greased 13" by 18" baking pan. Cover loosely with a kitchen towel and let the cinnamon rolls rise in a warm place for another 30 minutes or until double and touching in the pan.
- While your dough is rising, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Once risen, bake in a preheated oven for 20-24 minutes, or until the bottom and the top are golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and pour the warm caramel sauce over the tops while they are still warm. Let them cool for about 5 minutes, then serve warm. Enjoy!
Caramel Sauce for Cinnamon Rolls
- In a nonstick saucepan over medium-high heat, add the butter and let it melt, then add the brown sugar, Karo Syrup and sweetened condensed milk. Bring to a rapid boil and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the caramel mixture reaches 215-220 degrees F on a candy thermometer.
- Once it reaches 220 degrees, remove from the heat and let it sit for a minute or so before pouring over the hot cinnamon rolls.
Notes
Refrigerator: wrap leftover cinnamon rolls in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Freezer: wrap cinnamon rolls in plastic wrap and store in the freezer for up to 1 month. To thaw, transfer to the fridge overnight. To Reheat: for a single portion, you can reheat in the microwave until warm. Otherwise, add the entire pan of rolls back into the oven at 300 degrees for about 10-15 minutes, or until warmed through. If you have extra caramel sauce, feel free to add a little extra over the top.
Nutrition
Calories: 445kcal | Carbohydrates: 77g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 57mg | Sodium: 629mg | Potassium: 109mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 41g | Vitamin A: 416IU | Vitamin C: 0.02mg | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 3mg