Cinnamon rolls always make me think of cold, rainy weekends at home. If you make them into apple cider cinnamon rolls--now that is just next level cozy. These cinnamon rolls have become very well beloved and will easily become an annual fall tradition for our family. Between the apple cider baked right into the dough, the warm spices from the apple butter, and the sweet caramel apple cream cheese frosting, these are just so good.
At first glance at the recipe, these may seem more complicated with the steps involved, but they are actually easy to make. They do require some time for rising. I would recommend reading through the whole recipe ahead of time (as I do with all recipes) to know the steps (you can also make the frosting ahead of time as they rise if you would like). If you want these to be ready in the morning but don't want to wake up extra early to prep them, you can also prep them up until the second rise, then place them in the refrigerator overnight. Remove them about an hour before you want to bake them so they can come to room temperature and finish rising.
- For the dough:
- 1 tablespoon instant yeast
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 cup apple cider
- ½ cup whole milk
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 8 tablespoons butter, softened
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- For the filling:
- 4 tablespoons butter, softened
- ½ cup apple butter
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- For the frosting:
- 1 cup apple cider
- ½ cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
- 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- ¼ cup thick style caramel sauce (homemade or store bought)
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- Pinch of salt, to taste
- In a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment, add all the dough ingredients (yeast, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, 1 cup apple cider, milk, flour, salt, ½ cup butter, and 2 tablespoons brown sugar). Mix on low for a few minutes until ingredients are slightly combined, then increase to a medium speed. Mix dough for about 8-10 minutes, until dough is smooth and elastic.
- Oil a large bowl and add dough to bowl. Cover with a tea towel or plastic wrap. Allow dough to rise in a draft-free spot, until about doubled in size. This should take about 1 hour or so.
- Spray a 9x13 inch pan with non-stick cooking spray. Dump dough onto a well-floured surface. Roll dough into a large rectangle, about 12 x 20 inches. Spread 4 tablespoons softened butter evenly over the surface of the dough, leaving about ¼ inch border around the edges. Spread apple butter on top evenly. Sprinkle with brown sugar. Roll dough tightly into a long log. Cut log into 12 even pieces and arrange in prepared baking pan.
- Cover rolls loosely with a towel or plastic wrap and place in a draft-free spot. Allow to rise until about 30-45 minutes, until about 1.5 times in size.
- When rolls are nearly done rising, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake rolls in preheated oven for about 23-26 minutes, until completely cooked through and starting to lightly brown on top. Remove from oven and cool.
- Meanwhile, while rolls cook and cool, make the frosting. In a small saucepan, add 1 cup of apple cider and bring to a boil. Continue to boil until reduced to ¼ cup, about 5-10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool completely.
- Beat together ½ cup butter and cream cheese until fluffy, about 4-5 minutes. Add cooled cider and caramel and beat until creamy and well combined. Add powdered sugar and salt and beat until frosting is light and fluffy.
- Once rolls are cooled, top with frosting and serve.
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