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Cinnamon Rolls Recipe

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★★★★★

4.5 from 135 reviews

These Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls combine the classic cinnamon roll with a delicious apple pie filling and a crumbly streusel topping. Soft Pillsbury cinnamon rolls are filled with a sweet and spiced apple mixture, topped with buttery streusel, baked to golden perfection, and finished with a cinnamon buttery icing drizzle. Perfect for breakfast or dessert, these rolls offer a comforting and indulgent treat with the flavors of fall.

Ingredients

Scale

Cinnamon Rolls

  • 2 packs Pillsbury Grands cinnamon rolls (5 count each, ideally not the small 8 count)
  • Butter for greasing muffin tin

Apple Pie Filling

  • 4 large apples (2 Honeycrisp and 2 Granny Smith)
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup melted butter
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 3 tbsp water

Streusel Topping

  • 5 tbsp butter, partially melted
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Cinnamon Buttery Icing

  • 1/4 cup melted butter
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tbsp milk
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2–1 tsp cinnamon (adjust based on preference)

Instructions

  1. Preheat and Prepare Muffin Tin: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Use softened butter to generously grease each cup of a muffin tin to prevent sticking.
  2. Shape Cinnamon Rolls: Press each cinnamon roll into a muffin cup, spreading the dough up the sides to create a cavity for the filling. Be careful not to have too much dough at the bottom so that you can add enough apple filling later.
  3. Prepare Apple Pie Filling: Peel the apples, slice thinly, then dice into approximately 1-inch pieces. In a medium bowl, combine the apples with brown sugar, cinnamon, lemon juice, melted butter, and the dissolved cornstarch mixture. Heat this mixture in the microwave, stirring occasionally, until the brown sugar syrup thickens and apples soften, about 2 minutes. Alternatively, cook the mixture in a saucepan over medium heat until thickened.
  4. Fill Cinnamon Rolls: Using a slotted spoon, scoop the apple mixture and strain some excess syrup. Fill each cinnamon roll cavity in the muffin tin up to the top with the apple filling.
  5. Make Streusel Topping: In a bowl, mix the partially melted butter, all-purpose flour, brown sugar, and ground cinnamon until the mixture forms coarse crumbs. Mound handfuls of the streusel topping on top of the apple filling, covering most of each roll.
  6. Bake: Place the muffin tin in the preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes. Cover loosely with foil for the first 5 minutes. Halfway through baking, rotate the pan to ensure even cooking.
  7. Prepare Cinnamon Buttery Icing: While the rolls bake, whisk together melted butter, powdered sugar, milk, vanilla extract, and cinnamon until smooth.
  8. Cool and Ice: After baking, let the rolls cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes. Then drizzle the cinnamon buttery icing generously over the warm apple pie cinnamon rolls. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

  • Use Pillsbury Grands cinnamon rolls (5 count) for best texture and size.
  • If you prefer a stronger cinnamon flavor, adjust the cinnamon in the icing accordingly.
  • Covering the rolls with foil in the first 5 minutes prevents the streusel from burning.
  • You can use a stovetop method for thickening the apple filling instead of microwave.
  • Serve warm for the best experience; rolls can be reheated gently in a microwave or oven.
  • The recipe makes about 10 large cinnamon rolls, perfect for a muffin tin with 10 cups.

Keywords: cinnamon rolls, apple pie cinnamon rolls, streusel topping, cinnamon icing, fall dessert, Pillsbury cinnamon rolls

Find it online: https://liamjayne.com/cinnamon-rolls-recipe/