It’s apple season here in northwest Montana. Those beautiful, naturally sweet orbs are inspiring all kind of creative cooking and tasty eating. In a hunt for an apple infused brunch idea these apple cinnamon rolls were born.
These rolls have all the flavor of an apple fritter without frying or as much sugar. These are sweet but a nice breakfast or brunch buffet treat. Serve them warm or at room temperature with coffee, tea, or glasses of cold milk.
While the dough needs time for rising the actual hands-on time for these rolls is light. They’re good the next day so feel free to make them a day ahead of time.
Use tart apples, if possible here for best flavor but don’t be too picky use whatever is easily accessible and frugal. Do chop the apples into small pieces.
Want something a little faster for the brunch table? Try my Apple Molasses Cake, instead.
Endless Customization
These rolls leave themselves to endless opportunities for personalization:
- Add 1/2 cup finely chopped nuts to the dough (add with salt) or sprinkle over cinnamon filling
- Add 1/2 cup raisins to the dough or filling
- Make it even more indulgent by adding frosting once the rolls have cooled – cream cheese, vanilla, or caramel would be great.
- Substitute apple pie spice for the cinnamon
- Use brown sugar instead of white in the filling
Apple Cinnamon Rolls
Make the most of fresh, seasonal fruit in these light and flavorful apple cinnamon rolls that are sure to delight everyone at the breakfast table.
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 ½ teaspoons Dry Active Yeast
- 1 ¼ Cup Warm Water (about 110 degrees), divided
- 2 Tablespoons Honey
- 1 ½ teaspoons Salt
- 1 Cup Whole Wheat Flour
- 3 1/2 Cups Unbleached, All-Purpose Flour
Filling
- 1 ¾ Cups Peeled & Diced Apples
- 1/4 Cup Sugar
- 1 Tablespoon Ground Cinnamon
- 2 Tablespoons Butter, melted
Instructions
Make the Dough
- Whisk together 1/2 Cup of warm water with yeast and honey. Let sit 5 minutes or until foamy.
- Add the remaining 3/4 Cup of water, salt, and whole wheat flour. Stir until combined. Add 2 Cups of all purpose flour and stir. Add more flour as necessary to form a soft dough. Turn dough out onto a floured board and knead until smooth and elastic.
- Place the dough into an oiled bowl and cover with a tea towel.
- Let rise until doubled, about 90 minutes.
Make the Filling
- Combine the cinnamon and sugar, set aside. Have apples ready and butter melted.
Assemble the Rolls
- Punch down the dough and turn out onto a floured board. Knead a little to press out air bubbles.
- Use a rolling pin to roll the dough to a rectangle, that is approximately 10 inches by 12 inches.
- Brush the dough with melted butter. Sprinkle the surface of the dough with the cinnamon sugar mixture (use it all or less, for less sweet rolls). Sprinkle the diced apples over the cinnamon covers dough. Press the apples into the dough with palms of the hands.
- Roll the dough up tightly and pinch the ends. Cut the log into 6 pieces (each approximately 2 inches thick).
- In a greased baking dish (13"X17"), place the rolls, spacing them out evenly. Flatten each roll slightly with the palm of the hands.
- Brush the rolls with another 2 Tablespoons melted butter (optional). Cover the dish with the towel.
- Let rise until doubled about 45 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 425.
- Bake the rolls in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 438Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 10mgSodium: 564mgCarbohydrates: 88gFiber: 6gSugar: 16gProtein: 11g
We try our best but cannot guarantee that nutrition information is 100% accurate.
Helena
Monday 12th of September 2016
Those sound fantastic! I'll put them on the list of things I'd like to make this fall. :) Thanks for sharing!