Soft, buttery yeast rolls swirled with apple butter, brown sugar and warm spices, baked golden and finished with cream cheese icing.
Before you start: warm the milk to about 110°F, warm to the touch but not hot; melt 6 tbsp of the butter and let it cool slightly; soften the rest; bring the eggs and cream cheese to room temperature; butter a 9x13-inch baking dish. Using instant yeast? Skip the 5-minute wait and mix it straight in with the flour.
Overnight option: after cutting, cover the dish tightly and refrigerate up to 12 hours. In the morning, let the rolls sit at room temperature about an hour until puffy, then bake. Rise times depend on your kitchen; a cool kitchen can take twice as long. Go by size, not the clock.
Ingredients
Scale
Measurement units
- 1 cup whole milk (warmed to 110°F)
- 2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast (one 1/4 oz packet)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 10 tbsp unsalted butter (divided: melted for the dough, softened for the filling and icing)
- 2 large eggs (room temperature)
- 4 ½ cups all-purpose flour (plus more for the counter)
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ cup light brown sugar (packed)
- 2 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ⅛ tsp ground ginger
- ¾ cup apple butter
- 4 oz cream cheese (softened)
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp whole milk (for the icing)
Ingredients
Scale
Measurement units
- 1 cup whole milk (warmed to 110°F)
- 2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast (one 1/4 oz packet)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 10 tbsp unsalted butter (divided: melted for the dough, softened for the filling and icing)
- 2 large eggs (room temperature)
- 4 ½ cups all-purpose flour (plus more for the counter)
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ cup light brown sugar (packed)
- 2 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ⅛ tsp ground ginger
- ¾ cup apple butter
- 4 oz cream cheese (softened)
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp whole milk (for the icing)
Instructions
Wake up the yeast
Pour warm milk (1 cup) (warmed to 110°F) into the mixer bowl and sprinkle yeast (2 ¼ tsp) over it.
Let it sit until foamy, about 5 minutes. No foam means the yeast is dead; start again with fresh yeast.
Equipment: stand mixer with dough hook
Mix the dough
Stir in sugar (½ cup), melted butter (6 tbsp) and eggs.
Add flour (4 ½ cups) and salt (1 tsp) and mix on low until a shaggy dough forms.
Equipment: stand mixer with dough hook
Knead
Knead on medium speed until the dough is smooth, elastic and slightly tacky, pulling away from the sides of the bowl, about 6 minutes. By hand, knead on a lightly floured counter a few minutes longer.
Equipment: stand mixer with dough hook
First rise
Shape the dough into a ball, put it in a lightly greased bowl, cover and let rise in a warm spot until doubled, about 1 hour.
Mix the spiced sugar
In a small bowl, mix brown sugar (½ cup), cinnamon (2 ½ tsp), nutmeg (¼ tsp) and ginger (⅛ tsp).
Roll and fill
Punch down the dough and roll it on a lightly floured counter into a rectangle about 16 by 12 inches, with a long side facing you.
Spread softened butter (2 tbsp) over the dough, then apple butter (¾ cup) in a thin, even layer, leaving a bare 1/2-inch border along the far long edge.
Sprinkle the spiced sugar evenly over the apple butter.
Equipment: rolling pin
Roll up and cut
Starting at the long edge nearest you, roll the dough up tightly and pinch the seam closed.
Slide floss under the log, cross the ends over the top and pull to cut. Cut the log in half, each half in half again, then each piece into three, for 12 even rolls. Set them cut-side up in the buttered dish.
Equipment: unflavored dental floss, 9x13-inch baking dish
Second rise
Cover and let the rolls rise until puffy and touching, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 350°F.
Equipment: 9x13-inch baking dish
Bake
Bake until golden brown and a thermometer in the center roll reads 190°F, about 25 minutes. If the tops brown too fast, lay foil loosely over them.
Equipment: 9x13-inch baking dish, instant-read thermometer
Make the icing
Beat cream cheese (4 oz) and softened butter (2 tbsp) until smooth.
Beat in powdered sugar (1 ½ cups), vanilla (½ tsp) and milk (2 tbsp) until light and spreadable.
Ice and serve
Let the rolls cool in the dish about 10 minutes, then spread the icing over them while they're still warm so it melts into the swirls.
Tomorrow's Meal
Cinnamon Roll French Toast Bites
Day-old cinnamon rolls cut into chunks, dunked in a quick custard and pan-fried in butter until golden and caramelized.
You'll need to pick up:
2 eggs1/2 cup milk1 tbsp buttermaple syrup for serving
Quick overview:
- 1.Cut 3 or 4 leftover rolls into 1-inch chunks
- 2.Whisk the eggs and milk in a shallow bowl and toss the chunks in it until coated
- 3.Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat and cook the chunks 2 to 3 minutes per side until golden and set
- 4.Serve warm with a drizzle of maple syrup
Before you cook
Cook notes
- • Before you start: warm the milk to about 110°F, warm to the touch but not hot; melt 6 tbsp of the butter and let it cool slightly; soften the rest; bring the eggs and cream cheese to room temperature; butter a 9x13-inch baking dish.
- • Overnight option: after cutting, cover the dish tightly and refrigerate up to 12 hours. In the morning, let the rolls sit at room temperature about an hour until puffy, then bake.
- • Using instant yeast? Skip the 5-minute wait and mix it straight in with the flour.
- • Rise times depend on your kitchen; a cool kitchen can take twice as long. Go by size, not the clock.
- • Leftover rolls keep 2 days covered at room temperature; warm them in a 300°F oven for 8 to 10 minutes.
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