Caramel Apple Cinnamon Rolls

Everything fall and cozy rolled into the perfect gooey baked good! The tart of the apple, the sweetness of the caramel cream cheese frosting, and the fluffy roll to soak up all that goodness is what makes these rolls amazing. Cinnamon rolls are a family favorite around here, and I love finding a way to add to my basic recipe to make it more seasonal, so apple and caramel it is. We are going to give those pumpkin donuts a run for their money!

Sweet Roll Dough

1 cup warm Milk

1 package Dry Active Yeast

1/3 cup butter melted

1/4 cup Sugar

1/4 cup Sour Cream

1 large Egg

4 cup All-Purpose Flour

1 1/4 teaspoon Salt

In a bowl add your warm milk and yeast and let sit for 10 to 15 minuets until mixture is foamy. If you get your milk too hot it will de activate the yeast.

In the bowl of a mixer with paddle attachment, stir melted butter, sugar, sour cream and your egg.

In a Large bowl mix together flour and salt.

Add 1/2 of flour mixture to your wet ingredients with mixer on low speed.

Add half your milk mixture into mixing bowl and continue to mix on low speed. Continue to do this with your wet and dry ingredients until they are all in the mixing bowl. Your dough should not be too wet or sticky. If sticky, add 1/4 to 1/2 a cup more flour to get the consistency right.

Change out your paddle attachment for your dough hook and mix on medium speed for about 3 minus until dough is smooth.

Spray a large bowl with cooking spray and place dough in a bowl. Cover dough with a clean dish towel and place in a warm place to rise. I have a microwave above my oven; I turn the light below the microwave on and set my dough underneath, which seems to do the trick. You can also put it in your oven (turned off) with a saucepan of boiling water until it doubles in size or about an hour.

Once your dough has risen, lay it out onto a lightly floured surface.

Roll it out until its about a 20x14 rectangle.

First add your cinnamon schmear over the surface of the dough. Then spread the apple filling evenly onto that.

Roll dough up from one long side to the other.

Cut into 9 rolls and place into a greased pan. Don’t crowd rolls too close together so there is room for them to rise.

From here, you can refrigerate your dough until you are ready to bake or cover loosely and let them rise in a warm spot for another 30 min. If you are not baking that day when you are ready to bake them, the dough will be colder from being refrigerated. Let your dough sit for about an hour to an hour and a half to rise. If you preheat your oven, let the rolls sit on top of the stove while it preheats and that will help warm/proof your rolls.

Pre heat your oven to 350 and bake for 25-30 minuets.

Apple filling

3 Granny Smith Apples peeled and diced

2 tablespoons Butter

1 cup Brown Sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons Cinnamon

1 tablespoon Flour

Add your diced apples and butter to a sauté pan over medium heat.

Once your butter is melted, add your brown sugar, cinnamon and flour. Cook down until your sugar is melted and your apples are tender.

Set aside to cool until you are ready to fill your rolls.

I like to use both the apple filling and the cinnamon schmear because it just makes them extra gooey and sweet.

Cinnamon Schmear

1/2 cup firmly packed Brown Sugar

1/2 cup soften Butter

1 teaspoon Vanilla

2 tablespoons Cinnamon

Add all ingredients to your mixing bowl and mix until well incorporated.

Set aside until ready to fill rolls.

Carmel Cream Cheese Frosting

4 oz Cream Cheese soften

1/2 cup Butter soften

3 cups Powder Sugar

1/2 cup Caramel Sauce (this is my 5 minute caramel so easy and delish!)

Add cream cheese and butter to your mixer and mix on medium speed until combined.

Slowly add powder sugar until frosting is smooth.

Drizzle in caramel sauce until combined.

At this point it’s important that you taste test to make sure the frosting is good enough for serving!

When your rolls come out of the oven, add your frosting while they are still hot. This will make sure it melts into every possible crevice of your rolls.

Now give yourself a pat on the back, pour a mimosa, and try to share!!

Cheers Babes

XOXO