High Altitude Caramel Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls

High altitude tested caramel apple pie cinnamon rolls, starting with soft and fluffy homemade yeast dough, filled with brown sugar, cinnamon and spiced apple pie filling, then drizzled with sweet caramel icing. Perfect for Thanksgiving or Christmas morning!

You might also love these pumpkin spice cinnamon rolls, chocolate cinnamon rolls, and cardamom orange cinnamon rolls.

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Soft and Gooey. These apple pie cinnamon rolls are soft, gooey and fresh tasting for several days after baking, especially when re-warmed for a just-baked texture.

Perfect for the Holidays. Cinnamon rolls are a fun tradition for Thanksgiving and Christmas, and the scent of these delicious rolls baking will be sure to entice everyone out of bed.

High Altitude Tested. I develop all the recipes on my site for Denver’s altitude of 5,280 feet. If you’re at a lower or higher elevation, please see my FAQs for guidance on adjusting recipes for your altitude. Today’s recipe should work at any altitude without adjustments, though, with the main difference simply being in how long the dough takes to rise. Yeast dough tends to rise faster at higher altitudes, so be careful not to over-proof the dough.

See the recipe card at the end of the post for the full ingredients list and instructions.

Ingredients

Dough

• 1 recipe Cinnamon Roll Dough. All of my cinnamon roll recipes begin with a soft, fluffy yeasted dough. It’s rich with butter, eggs and milk, for a tender texture and delicious flavor.

Brown Sugar Filling

• A simple mixture of butter, brown sugar and cinnamon adds a sweet, gooey swirl inside the cinnamon rolls.

Apple Filling

• Apples. I like to use Honey Crisp and Granny Smith apples for my apple pie filling.
• Lemon Juice. Adds a little tartness to balance the sweetness and enhance the flavor of the apples.
• Brown Sugar. Sweetness and moisture.
• Flour. Thickens the filling.
• Spices. Cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and allspice add warmth and flavor.

Caramel Icing

• The caramel icing is easy to make with a little butter, caramel sauce, powdered sugar, vanilla and salt.

Instructions

Dough

• Prepare the Cinnamon Roll Dough, as instructed. After letting the dough rise to double in size, cover and refrigerate the dough overnight.
• When ready to assemble and bake the rolls, on a lightly floured surface roll out the chilled dough into a rectangle measuring approximately 12×18 inches.

Brown Sugar Filling

• Melt the butter, and spread it over the dough.
• Sprinkle with the brown sugar and cinnamon.

Apple Filling

• Make the apple filling several hours in advance of assembling your rolls, then let cool at room temperature until needed.
• Peel and core the apples, then chop them into 1/4 inch pieces.
• In a saucepan, combine the apples, lemon juice, brown sugar, flour and spices. Bring to a simmer over medium low heat, then continue to simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring frequently, until the apples have slightly softened and the liquid is syrupy.
• Let cool to room temperature, then spread over the brown sugar filling on the dough.

Shaping

• Roll up the dough (starting on one of the long sides) into a log, keeping it as tight as you can. Using a gentle sawing motion with a sharp, non-serrated knife, cut the dough into 12 rolls. You can also use unflavored dental floss to cut the dough, by sliding the floss under the log of dough, then crossing it over the top to cut through.
• Butter a 9×13 inch baking dish, and place the rolls, cut side up, in the pan. Cover the pan with a towel, and set in a warm place for 20-30 minutes to puff up a little, just until the rolls are touching.

Bake

• Preheat the oven to 350 F, and position a rack in the center of the oven.
• Bake the rolls on the center oven rack for about 30-35 minutes, until they’re golden brown, and a digital instant read thermometer inserted in the center of the rolls reads 185 F.

Icing

• In a bowl, whisk together the melted butter, caramel sauce, powdered sugar, milk/cream, vanilla and salt, until smooth and drizzly.
• Drizzle the icing over the hot rolls, and serve immediately.

Be sure to read all of my BAKING FAQs where I discuss ingredients, substitutions and common baking questions, so that you can be successful in your own baking!

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I make cream baked rolls?

Pouring cream over your rolls, prior to baking, is a popular option for super gooey and soft rolls.  To do this, you should slightly warm 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream to take the chill off.  Just before baking your rolls, pour the cream around them and then bake as instructed.

Can I shape the rolls at night and bake them in the morning?

For overnight apple pie cinnamon rolls, you can make, proof and chill the dough, then roll and shape the rolls the night before.  Place the cut rolls in your baking dish, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.  The next morning, take them out of the refrigerator, and set in a warm place to take the chill off, which will take about an hour, then let them puff up a bit.  Bake as instructed.

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