Sugar Apple Cinnamon Rolls

By Roger Rizzo 3 September, 2025 6 mins read 104 Views

These Caramel Apple Cinnamon Rolls are soft, gooey, and baked with cozy fall flavor in every bite. The homemade dough bakes up perfectly fluffy, and the rich caramel topping makes them feel extra special.

Single caramel apple cinnamon roll on a plate.

A Reader’s Review

I made these last night for the boys in my family going out hunting. I had to try one and WOW they are amazing. I was scared of making them, but once I started, just so easy. Thanks so much for sharing.

Jayme

Rollin’ Into Your New Favorite Treat

Beginner-friendly dough: The dough is really easy to make and turns out soft and tender every time.
A caramel apple twist: Fresh apples baked inside with a luscious caramel glaze on top.
Cozy, fall flavor: These are the ultimate fall sweet rolls! They will fill your kitchen with the most delicious smell of apples and cinnamon.

Caramel Apple Cinnamon Roll Ingredients

Overhead shot of labeled caramel apple cinnamon roll dough ingredients.

Yeast: This recipe uses instant yeast. If you use active dry, stir it into warm water with a little sugar and let it sit until foamy (about 5–10 minutes) before adding. The dough will also need a longer rise time.

Overhead shot of labeled filling ingredients.

Apples: Granny Smith is my favorite for tartness, but Honeycrisp or any firm apple works. Dice them small so they roll up easily. I keep the skin on for better shape, but you can peel it if you prefer.

Overhead shot of labeled caramel glaze ingredients.

Store-Bought Sauce: If you are short on time, store-bought caramel sauce will work great.

Caramel Apple Cinnamon Roll Recipe

Making these Caramel Apple Cinnamon Rolls is my favorite way to kick off fall! Other recipes I like to make in the fall are my pumpkin cheesecake snickerdoodles and pumpkin roll.

Dough

Melt Butter: In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, add milk and softened unsalted butter. Stir until the butter has melted and remove from the heat. Let it stand until lukewarm temperature.
Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 2 ¼ cups of the 3 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, instant yeast, granulated sugar, and salt.
Combine: Add the flour mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment. Add the egg and water and start mixing on medium-low speed. Slowly add the milk mixture and remaining flour until the dough starts to form and becomes smooth. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes.
Roll Dough: On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a large 9×15-inch rectangle. About ¼-½ inch thick.

Milk and butter melting in a pot on the stove.

Dry ingredients mixed together in a bowl.

Alyssa’s Pro Tip

Why aren’t my rolls fluffy? Dense rolls usually come from adding too much flour when the dough feels sticky. Try kneading longer instead. Over-proofing or under-kneading can also keep them from getting light and fluffy.

Filling

Make Cinnamon Sugar Filling: In a small bowl, combine the cinnamon, nutmeg, and brown sugar for the filling. Spread the softened unsalted butter onto the dough, keeping it about a ½ inch away from the edge.
Add Diced Apples: Sprinkle the cinnamon and brown sugar evenly over the softened butter. Sprinkle with chopped Granny Smith apples.
Roll Up Dough: Roll up the dough from the long side into a log and pinch the seams. Cut into 9-12 slices, depending on how thick you want your cinnamon rolls.
Rise & Bake: Place in a greased 9×13-inch pan or 9-inch pie pan, cover with a damp cloth, and let rise for 30 minutes. While the cinnamon rolls are rising, preheat the oven to 375°F. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the tops are just golden brown.

Cinnamon sugar mixture and apple slices spread over the butter on the dough.

Alyssa’s Pro Tip

Rising Tip: Let rolls rise in a warm spot. For quicker results, warm the oven to 200°F, turn it off, then place covered rolls inside until doubled in size.

Caramel Glaze

Melt Butter & Sugar: In a medium saucepan, melt the unsalted butter, brown sugar, and sweetened condensed milk until the sugar dissolves.
Glaze Baked Rolls: Bring to a boil over medium-high heat for about 2-3 minutes. Drizzle over the warm cinnamon rolls.

Sweetened condensed milk, sugar, and butter in a saucepan.

Caramel apple cinnamon roll glaze in a pan.

Caramel Apple Cinnamon Rolls

Soft, fluffy cinnamon rolls filled with tender apples and warm spices, then topped with a rich caramel glaze.

Course Breakfast, Dessert, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword apple cinnamon rolls, Caramel Apple Cinnamon Rolls, Caramel Apple Cinnamon Rolls Recipe, cinnamon roll recipe

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 25

Rise 30

Total Time 1 20

Servings

Calories 406kcal

Author Alyssa Rivers

Equipment

Oven
Baking Pan