A Spicy Perspective

Caramel Apple Cinnamon Rolls

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Mini Caramel Apple Cinnamon Rolls! Imagine serving cinnamon rolls from scratch on Christmas morning, filled with tangy spiced apples and topped with a rich caramel glaze. These babies will make everyone at the table just a little more jolly!

Look at these! Mini Caramel Apple Cinnamon Rolls #caramelapple #cinnamonrolls

If you haven’t already, it’s time to plan your menu and grocery list for the big week ahead!

I usually think about what I’m going to serve on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day for weeks in advance. Yet when it comes to other holiday meals, I tend to forget about them until the last minute.

This year, let’s not forget to plan something really special for Christmas morning.

A make-ahead french toast breakfast bake, perhaps. Or maybe savory breakfast scones and frittata. Or even a big chocolate cinnamon bread wreath would be a nice touch.

Mini Caramel Apple Cinnamon Rolls #caramelapple #cinnamonrolls

Or why not try your hand at making cinnamon rolls from scratch!

My Caramel Apple Cinnamon Rolls are a huge hit with friends and family. Plus they are mini, so you can allow the little guys to have more than one and won’t be worried about tummy aches later in the day.

…at least not from these.

Making Mini Caramel Apple Cinnamon Rolls #caramelapple #cinnamonrolls #holiday #breakfast

Truly, cinnamon rolls are the perfect platform for caramel apple flavor.

I simply made my pillowy cinnamon roll as I usually do, then sauteed some tart granny smith apples in butter, brown sugar, and of course cinnamon.

How To - Mini Caramel Apple Cinnamon Rolls #caramelapple #cinnamonrolls #holiday #breakfast

To make cinnamon rolls mini, simply cut the dough into 3 equal pieces before rolling it out.

How to Make Mini Caramel Apple Cinnamon Rolls #caramelapple #cinnamonrolls #holiday #breakfast

Then roll each piece out, and slather with spiced apple filling.

All the sugar, butter, and spices needed are in the filling, so you don’t have to mess with spreading butter on soft dough like in traditional cinnamon roll recipes.

Making these Mini Caramel Apple Cinnamon Rolls #caramelapple #cinnamonrolls #holiday #breakfast

It’s a little messy, but worth the gooey fingers in the end.

How To: Mini Caramel Apple Cinnamon Rolls #caramelapple #cinnamonrolls #holiday #breakfast

See all the spiced apples peeping out?

Let the rolls rise for a few minutes while the oven is preheating, then bake and slather with a quick caramel glaze.

The Best Mini Caramel Apple Cinnamon Rolls #caramelapple #cinnamonrolls #holiday #breakfast

Want to make Mini Caramel Apple Cinnamon Rolls ahead of time? No problem.

Follow the recipe below up to the point of popping them in the oven. Stop there and wrap the unbaked cinnamon rolls well, then freeze. The night before baking, allow them to thaw most of the way, then put in the fridge until morning. In the morning, bake and glaze!

You could also freeze the rolls, fully baked but unglazed. Later thaw them out, warm them in the oven for 5-10 minutes, and glaze them while warm.

Best Caramel Apple Cinnamon Rolls #caramelapple #cinnamonrolls #holiday #breakfast

There’s so much to love in each tiny roll!

Awesome Mini Caramel Apple Cinnamon Rolls #caramelapple #cinnamonrolls

As if Mini Caramel Apple Cinnamon Rolls weren’t fun enough…

Make sure to serve them on festive Christmas plates, like these Q Squared Winter’s Eve Plates!

Amazing Mini Caramel Apple Cinnamon Rolls #caramelapple #cinnamonrolls

Q Squared dishes are perfect for holiday entertaining because they are affordable, safe and sturdy (made of non-petroleum based Melamine that is crack resistant) and come in many fabulous styles that you would ordinarily only find in high-end china.

Make sure to check out other Q Squared styles!

Mini Caramel Apple Cinnamon Rolls #caramelapple #cinnamonrolls
Print Recipe
4.75 from 4 votes
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Caramel Apple Cinnamon Rolls

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Rising Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 3 hours 10 minutes
Mini Caramel Apple Cinnamon Rolls - all the wonderfully gooey qualities of cinnamon rolls from scratch with decadent caramel apple appeal.
Servings: 36 mini rolls

Ingredients

For the Cinnamon Rolls:

For the Apple Filling:

For the Caramel Glaze:

Instructions

  • For the Cinnamon Rolls: Bring the milk to a boil to scald. The moment the milk reaches a boil, remove from heat and pour into the bowl of your electric mixer. Add the sugar and whirl around in the bowl to take the temperature down. Once the temperature is just above room temperature, add the yeast granules and allow the mixture to sit and foam for 5-10 minutes.
  • Add very soft butter to the mixing bowl, place a bread hook attachment on the mixer, and turn on low. Add the eggs, salt and flour. Allow the mixer to run for 5-10 minutes, until the dough comes together and the bread hook kneads it for several minutes. Then cover the bowl with plastic and allow the dough to rise until double in size, about 2 hours.
  • Meanwhile, make the apple filling. Place the butter, apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a large skillet. Place over medium heat and sauté until the apples are soft and the sauce starts to thicken. Then turn off the heat and allow the apple filling to cool.
  • Once the dough is double in size, flour a large work surface and dump the dough out onto it. Cut the dough into three equal pieces, then fold each piece into a rectangle. Roll all three rectangles out into 6x16-inch strips. Spoon the apple filling equally onto the three pieces of dough. Spread to coat, leaving a 1-inch border along the long edge of one side of each piece. Then starting at the long edge covered with apples, roll each strip into a long log.
  • Cut each log into 12 rolls. Then line two 9x13-inch baking dishes with parchment paper and place the rolls in the dishes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, allowing the rolls to rise for 15-20 minutes before going in the oven. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until puffed and baked through, but not necessarily golden on top.
  • While the caramel apple cinnamon rolls are in the oven, place the dulce de leche in a microwave-safe bowl and warm in the microwave until soft and runny. Whisk in the cream. Then whisk in the powdered sugar and whisk until completely smooth. Once the sweet rolls are out of the oven, pour the caramel glaze over the top. Serve warm.

Notes

FREEZING: Follow the recipe up to the point of popping them in the oven. Stop there and wrap the unbaked cinnamon rolls well, then freeze. The night before baking, allow them to thaw on the counter most of the way, then cover and put in the fridge until morning. In the morning, bake and glaze!
You could also freeze the rolls, fully baked but unglazed. Later thaw them out, warm them in the oven for 5-10 minutes, and glaze them while warm.

Nutrition

Serving: 1roll, Calories: 190kcal, Carbohydrates: 27g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Cholesterol: 29mg, Sodium: 129mg, Potassium: 71mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 14g, Vitamin A: 260IU, Vitamin C: 0.7mg, Calcium: 25mg, Iron: 0.9mg
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Author: Sommer Collier

Making this recipe? Follow us on Instagram and tag @ASpicyPerspective so we can share what you’re cooking!

Disclosure: I am a product advocate for Q Squared NYC. All opinions are my own.

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14 comments on “Caramel Apple Cinnamon Rolls”

  1. Pingback: Red Velvet Cinnamon Rolls Recipe - The Wooden Spoon Effect

  2. Hello, I am from Germany (so please excuse my english) and follow your site for a few years. I tried this recipe with gluten free flour two times with flour  from different companies. It doesn’t work at all. I can’t get a normal yeast dough, also when I take more flour. On german sites I only found dough for pizza or something like that, not for sweet things. I remember that you wrote some years ago about the illness of your daughter and that she has to eat gluten free. (I hope she is well now!). So my question is: did you make this in a gluten free version and, if yes, what kind of flour did you take and how much? I’m looking forward to your answer. Have a wonderful week.

    • Hi Silvia!

      Do you currently live in Germany? If so, I’m not sure if you will be able to find the same gluten-free flour blends. We usually substitute wheat flour for Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Baking Flour or King Arthur Measure for Measure Flour. They both work pretty well for direct swaps.

      My daughter is doing much better now and can actually eat gluten again! Here is an article on what we did to aid her healing journey: https://www.aspicyperspective.com/detox-celery-juice-recipe/

  3. Thank you for this wonderful recipe! These are lovely and definitely better than cinnabon because we made them at home :) the only reason I gave it 4 stars was because of the baking time. 350 60-90 min. Had I let it go to 60 min they would have been burnt. Every oven is different but mine is usally pretty on with other recipes. My suggestion would be 300-350 for 30-45 min. I’m wondering if anyone else had an issue with baking time. Anyway, it’s a wonderful recipe thank you for sharing it.

  4. Pingback: Simple Spelt Waffles - A Spicy Perspective

  5. Hello,

    This recipe looks amazing. I want to try and make it but before I wanted to know at what altitude you made this. I’m in Mexico City, which altitude is +7,000ft, and don’t know if need to make any adjustments.

    Thanks much!

  6. Pingback: Nutty Cardamom Bundt Cake with Bourbon Glaze

  7. I tried them , very delicious and very easy to make. I found it easier to separate the dry ingredients from the wet ingredients( milk , butter, eggs) . They are a real hit!

  8. Oh my, my family will flip for these. Looks like a perfect Sunday treat.

  9. The perfect treat for Christmas morning!

  10. couldn’t be a more delicious combo!!

  11. I officially want these on Christmas morning sooooo bad!! Love this recipe!

  12. Say What? Your killing me here. I have to make this asap!