Apple Cider Cinnamon Rolls with Browned Butter Cream Cheese Frosting is a delicious and fun baking recipe to welcome Fall! Soft cinnamon rolls with a jammy apple filling and a deliciously sweet browned butter frosting. You'll be making this recipe all season long!
Apple Cider Cinnamon Rolls with Browned Butter Frosting is my first official recipe for Fall. Although we're still a few days out from the official Autumn Equinox, it's 48 degrees this morning and I have already taken out my fluffy sweaters and jackets. Thus, it is Fall. And what does Fall mean? Apple picking and buying apple cider from your favorite orchard!
This recipe is one of those recipes that truly WOW your taste buds. These apple cider cinnamon rolls have a super soft and buttery taste with a jammy apple filling. Then the frosting on top is simply to die for. It's creamy and sweet and with the browned butter and cream cheese - you honestly can'y go wrong!
Every year, my family and I go apple picking. It's been a tradition ever since I was a child. We hop in the car and drive about an hour to the orchard and pick a few bushels of apples and then have a huge dinner afterward. However, the fun doesn't stop there. I love tasting all of the apples and using them to make different dishes, savory and sweet!
lets make these apple cider cinnamon rolls!
To make the dough, you simply combine all of the ingredients in the a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment. Allow the dough to knead for about 8 minutes. It should be soft and smooth. Add dough to a well oiled bowl and cover with a towel and let the dough rise in a warm place. (As of late, I've been using the oven with the light on and it works phenomenally every time!)
While the dough is rising, let's make the filling. Chop up three honey crisp apples and add them to a large sauce pan. Also add in some butter, brown sugar, a pinch of salt, and a little apple cider for good measure. Bring this mixture to a boil and them simmer until the apples are soft and jammy. Add a little cornstarch and let the mixture thicken and cool.
Once dough is done rising, roll out onto a floured work surface into a 12 x 18 rectangle. Cut off any excess uneven sides. Spread the apple filling across the dough rectangle and then begin to roll lengthwise making a long log. Cut into 1.5 inch pieces and add to a baking pan or cast iron pan. Cover with a towel and let rise again for 30 minutes. Bake for 22-25 minutes and let cool.
To make the browned butter frosting, it's quite simple! Brown the butter stove top over medium heat and then reduce to low when butter starts to brown. Add to a mixing bowl or stand mixer and add powdered sugar, vanilla, and cream cheese and mix until smooth! Slather the frosting over your cinnamon rolls and eat up!
tips and tricks
- If you do not have a warm place in your home for the dough to rise, turn on the oven light and cover dough with a towel and let the dough rise in the oven!
- While mixing the dough, if it is too sticky, add a tablespoon of flour. Conversely, if the dough is a bit rough and dry, add an additional tablespoon of apple cider.
- Use a dough scraper to cut the cinnamon rolls, it's easier than using a knife (in my opinion).
Be sure to bookmark these Apple Cider Cinnamon Rolls. It will be the best cinnamon rolls you've ever had!
more recipes that you'll love!
- Cinnamon Pear Apple Crisp
- Oatmeal Stuffed Baked Apples with Maple Brown Butter and Toasted Hazelnuts
- Maple Bacon Cinnamon Rolls
- Fried Apple Rings
- Bourbon Apple Skillet Cake with Chai Drizzle
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Let's stay connected on social media and continue to cook together! Also, if you decide to make this recipe, please leave a star rating in the recipe card and leave a comment below! Tag @BritneyBreaksBread on Instagram and hashtag #britneybreaksbread so I can see your creations! I hope that you love this recipe as much as we do!
Apple Cider Cinnamon Rolls with Browned Butter Frosting
Ingredients
Cinnamon Rolls
- 1 tbsp instant yeast
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- 1.5 cup apple cider
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 8 tbsps salted butter, room temperature
- 2 tbsps brown sugar
Apple Filling
- 3 honeycrisp apples, chopped
- 4 tbsp salted butter
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ¼ cup apple cider
- Pinch of Salt
- ¼ cup water
Browned Butter Frosting
- 8 tbsp butter
- 4 0z cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Directions
- In a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment, add instant yeast, cinnamon, nutmeg, apple cider, flour, vanilla extract, salt, butter, and brown sugar. Mix for 8-10 minutes, starting on low and gradually increasing to medium high speed when dough begins to form.
- Add dough to a well oiled bowl and cover with a towel or plastic wrap. Allow dough to rise for an hour in a warm place.
- While dough is rising, chop apples and add to a sauce pan. Also add apples, butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, apple cider, and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium low and add ¼ cup water and simmer until apples are soft. Set aside and allow to cool.
- Add dough onto a floured work surface and roll into a 12 by 18 inch rectangle. Add apple filling to dough and spread evenly across. Roll dough into the log and cut into 1.5 inch pieces and add to a baking pan (9 x 13) or a cast iron pan (10 inch). Cover with a towel and let rise for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake for 22-25 minutes, until golden brown. Allow to cool.
- To make the browned butter frosting, brown butter in a skillet and add to a stand mixer and add powdered sugar, cream cheese, pinch of salt, and vanilla extract. Whip until all ingredients are combined. Slater icing on top of cinnamon buns!
- Eat!
Oh my sweet baby Jesus this is amazing!!!!!
Thank you so much! 🙂
Hi sorry one more thing! I don’t have instant yeast. I only have active yeast. Is that okay?
Hi! Can I let this dough rise for about 3 hours instead of just one hour? Please advise!
Hi! I would let the dough rise for a max of 1 1/2 to 2 hours. After that, I would deflate the dough and refrigerate it for up to 24 hours. I hope that this helps!
Oh I love browned butter!!! The smell reminds me of this wonderful time of year. Thank youfor this yummy recipe!!!
Anytime, thanks so much for making it! I'm glad that you enjoyed it!
I've never made cinnamon rolls before because they seemed like a lot of work. But this recipe made it sound so easy, and it was! It still takes time, yes, but it's such an easy recipe for how delicious these turned out. I made the dough the night before and let it rise overnight in the fridge. Took it out about 45 minutes before I was ready to roll the dough. I was a little confused on making the filling because the initial description said to use apple cider and corn starch, but then the recipe instructions left out those items and included water. I decide to use 1/4 cup apple cider instead of water and mixed it all in at the beginning. After simmering for about 8 minutes I added a couple teaspoons of corn starch to thicken up the juice. I thought it worked beautifully. I made a bit extra of the frosting because can you ever have too much? 🙂 The brown butter flavor really took these rolls to another level. They were a big hit at Sunday morning football and everyone agreed they tasted like Fall. Will definitely make these again anytime I want to impress someone!
Hi Megan! Thank you so much for your review, I'm SO happy that you enjoyed this recipe!!
Also, what would be a good stopping point for 'make ahead'? This takes over 2hrs and I don't get up that early!????. Can the raw, cut rolls stay in frig for 24hrs? I'm making saturday am for Sunday am.
Are apples PEELED AND DICED or just cut? Not sure how big lieces are to be.
Can you also include directions if you don't have bread mixer attachment?
And, can you use apple cider instead of the water in apple mixture?
Quick Question, step 3 says to add apple cider to the sauce pan, how much is used for the filling vs the dough? Step 1 says to add apple cider to the dough. Just want to ensure I get the ratios right! I cant wait to try it.
Hi Claire! That was a typo, my apologies. I just updated it. There's only apple cider in the dough, the filling is just apples. Thank you for pointing that out!
Girl, me and my husband have been salivating ever since we saw these cinnamon rolls on my IG feed! This was my first official bake of the season and I’m not sure anything else can even top it! Delicious.
Aww Thanks Adri! I'm so glad that y'all enjoyed this!!
Britney, I know how much of a project cinnamon rolls can be but your recipe is so simple and straightforward! The brown butter frosting is genius! Can’t wait to make this again when I take the kids apple picking this weekend! Thank you!