Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls
Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls combine fall spices with warm diced apples piled high into cinnamon dusted biscuit dough and topped with a sweet glaze!
A SIMPLE APPLE PIE INSPIRED RECIPE!
What is better than regular cinnamon rolls? Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls! I am fortunate to have a couple of apple trees growing in my back yard so I am always looking for new ways to use up these fresh apples. It’s a simple, gooey apple pie filling that you can whip up and smother over cinnamon spiced refrigerated biscuit dough. They only take 30 minutes and they taste like they’re made totally from scratch!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
You can use any type of apple for these. I like to use a more tart green apple like Granny Smith or Golden Delicious. They are a firmer apple and hold up well to the cooking process. Other great choices Honeycrisp, Braeburn, or Gala apples (just know that although these are sweeter, they can sometimes get mushy and you may want to adjust the amount of sugar because they are slightly sweeter apples.)
A small dice is about ¼-inch. Any bigger and the apples won’t fit nicely into the small pie shape.
Yes, definitely! You can make it with biscuit dough or cinnamon roll. If you like it sweeter, go with the cinnamon roll dough and if you like it a little less sweet, go with the biscuit dough. This recipe was designed for 10 apple pie cinnamon rolls so you’ll want to try and use about the same amount of refrigerated cinnamon rolls if possible.
Yep! You can certainly use apple pie filling. I would probably chop them up smaller though so they fit into the cups easier. I just take a knife (while the apples are still in the can – and after I’ve removed the top of course) and sort of saw through the apples. I do this for my Apple Danishes and I have a photo over there if you want to see how it is done.
If you like extra cinnamon flavor, you can add ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon to the powdered sugar when making the glaze. You can also add a couple of drops of almond extract to the glaze for extra flavor. The taste of almond and apples is wonderful! You could even add some chopped walnuts or pecans.
Keep any leftovers in an airtight container and place them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)
- refrigerated biscuits – as I stated above, you can also use refrigerated cinnamon rolls. This recipe makes 10.
- ground cinnamon – you could use apple pie spice. Just keep in mind, you are also using it to sprinkle on the biscuit dough and it may end up being too strong a flavor as opposed to just plain cinnamon but I’ll leave that up to your tastebuds! If using apple pie spice for the filling, leave out the additional nutmeg in this recipe.
- medium Granny Smith apples – see my Frequently Asked Questions above about other types of apples.
- granulated sugar
- light brown sugar
- fresh lemon juice– don’t attempt to skip out and use the bottled stuff. Too many of the brands out there just taste like straight up acid rather than true lemon juice. Trust me when I say that fresh lemon juice is key when making apple pie filling.
- ground nutmeg
- salt
- all-purpose flour
- powdered sugar and milk – this is used to make a simple glaze. This is optional but I really think it kicks it up a notch.
HOW TO MAKE APPLE CINNAMON ROLLS:
Preheat the oven to 375°F and grease a 12-cup capacity muffin pan. Remove the biscuits from their packaging and place them on a parchment-lined surface (or on any nonstick surface). Roll them out to a 3-inch diameter. Sprinkle 1 1/2 teaspoons of cinnamon over the biscuits (on both sides). You’re using one 1 1/2 teaspoons total for all of the biscuits (you can add more if preferred.) Place the rounds in the prepared muffin pan, pressing the bottom and sides of the dough to fit the pan.
Bake in the oven for 6-8 minutes until golden brown and the base of the dough is cooked. Working quickly and while the dough is still soft, use the bottom of a shot glass to shape the dough to create a cup shape. Set aside.
Place the diced apples in a large skillet. Add the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and lemon juice, and cook the apples over medium heat, stirring until the sugars have dissolved. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt, stirring to combine.
Sprinkle in the flour, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until the mixture starts to thicken.
Spoon the apple mixture evenly among the 10 pie cups. Set aside. Combine the powdered sugar and milk in a small bowl, stirring to remove any clumps. Spoon or pipe the glaze over the Cinnamon Roll Apple Pies.
Serve while still warm.
CRAVING MORE RECIPES?
Originally published: November 2017
Updated photos & republished: October 2024
Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
- 2 (6 ounce) cans refrigerated Pillsbury biscuits (5 count biscuit tube)
- 2 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon (divided use)
- 3 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled and diced small
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup packed light brown sugar
- 4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
For the glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 Tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and spray a 12-cup muffin pan with nonstick baking spray (I like the kind with flour in it.)
- Remove the biscuits from their packaging and place them on a parchment-lined surface (or other nonstick surface). Roll them out to a 3-inch diameter.
- Sprinkle 1 1/2 teaspoons of cinnamon over the biscuits (on both sides). You’re using one 1 1/2 teaspoons total for all of the biscuits (you can add more if preferred.)
- Place the rounds in the prepared muffin pan, pressing the bottom and sides of the dough to fit the pan.
- Bake in the oven for 6-8 minutes until golden brown and the base of the dough is cooked.
- Working quickly and while the dough is still soft, use the bottom of a shot glass to shape the dough to create a cup shape. Set aside.
- Place 3 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled and diced small in a large skillet. Add ¼ cup granulated sugar, ¼ cup packed light brown sugar and 4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice and cook the apples over medium heat, stirring until the sugars have dissolved.
- Add the remaining 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg and ¼ teaspoon salt, stirring to combine.
- Sprinkle in 4 teaspoons all-purpose flour and cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until the mixture starts to thicken.
- Spoon the apple mixture evenly among the 10 pie cups. Set aside.
- Combine 1 cup powdered sugar and 2 Tablespoons milk in a small bowl, whisking to remove any clumps. Spoon the glaze over the cinnamon rolls.
- Serve while still warm.
Notes
- Please refer to my FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
can I use pure cane sugar instead of white sugar?
If you are used to baking with it then yes. I have only ever made it this way
My Wife and I made 10 of these up yesterday. WOW!!! Such a good use of several Granny Smith’s. We didn’t have any of the canned biscuits, so we took out 10 of the Frozen Kroger Buttermilk that we did have. Let them sit a while, and they became perfect. Did everything else just as written, and we will be doing this again. Thanks Brandie, a winner for sure.
These were so good! Huge hit!
love these recipes so easy and delicious.
Nope. One apple for the whole thing unless your apple is really tiny then you could use two.
Can you freeze leftovers?
Yes you can!
Could you use apple pie filling instead of fresh?
Absolutely!
This sounds great! I want to make these for Thanksgiving brunch. Thanks for sharing your wonderful recipes and ideas with those of us who have a passion for baking and cooking like you obviously do. Debbe’
Grill not girl. Wish there was a edit button.
I made these today at my camper and baked them on the girl. They turned out great. Not only did I make them with apple, but I thought I would try them with peaches. They turned out even better tasting than the apple one. Thanks for the idea of how to use cinnamon roll dough.
I think I will try this with the dough I use for cinnamon rolls (buns), instead of buying the pre-made cinnamon roll tube dough. Love the idea of having apples in the filling. Hubby loves apples AND cinnamon buns!
These look yummy and will be fast to fix on Christmas morning. Thank you for this great idea!
Thank you Virginia! Hope you love them!
They look delicious.