Apple Cinnamon Rolls

A spatula lifting a vegan apple cinnamon roll out of a baking pan.

These apple cinnamon rolls deserve a place on your table this fall. They are fabulously fluffy, the filling tastes like your favourite apple pie, and they're topped with tangy vegan cream cheese frosting.

Course Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 50

Cook Time 25

Rise Time 2

Total Time 3 15

Servings rolls

Calories 477

Author Jessica Hylton

Ingredients

Tangzhong

2 tablespoons bread flour 15g
1/4 cup unsweetened soy milk 60ml
2 tablespoons water 30ml

Cinnamon Roll Dough

3 cups bread flour divided, 360g
1/4 cup light brown sugar 50g
2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast 7g
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt 3g
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 0.5g
3/4 cup unsweetened soy milk warmed to about 110°F (43°C), 180ml
1/3 cup vegan butter melted and slightly cooled, 75g

Apple Filling

2 tablespoons vegan butter 28g
2 cups apples peeled, cored, and finely diced, about 2 medium apples, 250g
1 teaspoon lemon juice 5ml

Cinnamon Filling

2/3 cup light brown sugar 135g
4 tablespoons vegan butter melted, 56g
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon 8g
1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 12g

Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting

2 ounces vegan cream cheese softened, 57g
2 tablespoons vegan butter softened, 28g
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 5ml
1 pinch fine sea salt about 0.5g
1 cup powdered sugar sifted, 120g
1 tablespoon cornstarch sifted, 8g

Instructions

Make the Tangzhong

In a small saucepan, whisk together the bread flour, soy milk, and water until completely smooth and no lumps remain.
Place the saucepan over medium heat. Cook for 1-2 minutes, whisking constantly, until the mixture becomes very thick and has a smooth, pudding-like consistency.
Transfer the tangzhong to a small bowl. Refrigerate for about 10 minutes while you prepare the dough ingredients. It should be cool or only slightly warm before adding it to the dough.

Make the Dough

Measure the bread flour and set aside about 2 tablespoons (15 g) to use later only if the dough is excessively sticky.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the remaining bread flour, brown sugar, instant yeast, salt, and cinnamon until evenly combined. Make a well in the centre.
Add the warm soy milk, melted vegan butter, and cooled tangzhong. Stir with a spatula or wooden spoon until the ingredients come together into a shaggy, sticky dough.
Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 10 minutes. This allows the flour to absorb some of the liquid and makes the dough easier to knead.
Fit the stand mixer with the dough hook. Knead on medium speed for about 12-15 minutes, stopping once or twice to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl if necessary.
The dough will be quite sticky at first. As it kneads, it should become smoother and more elastic and begin pulling away from the sides of the bowl. It may still stick slightly to the bottom.
If the dough remains excessively wet and difficult to handle after about 5 minutes of kneading, add the reserved flour gradually, about 1 teaspoon (2.5 g) at a time. Use only as much as necessary. The finished dough should remain soft and slightly tacky rather than firm or dry.
Shape the dough into a smooth ball. Lightly grease the mixing bowl, return the dough to the bowl, and cover. Let rise in a warm place for 1-1 1/2 hours, or until approximately doubled in size.

Prepare the Apples

While the dough rises, melt the vegan butter in a skillet over medium heat.
Add the finely diced apples and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally. The apples should soften slightly while still holding their shape.
Continue cooking until most of the moisture released by the apples has evaporated and there is no liquid pooling in the skillet.
Stir in the lemon juice and cook for another 30 seconds.
Transfer the apples to a plate or shallow bowl and spread them out slightly so they cool more quickly. Let cool completely before assembling the rolls.

Prepare the Cinnamon Filling

In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, melted vegan butter, cinnamon, and flour. Stir until evenly combined and a thick, spreadable mixture forms. Set aside until ready to assemble the rolls.

Assemble the Rolls

Lightly grease a 9-inch (23 cm) square baking pan.
Once the dough has approximately doubled in size, gently press it down to release excess air. Transfer it to a lightly floured work surface.
Fold the dough over itself a few times, then shape it roughly into a rectangle.
Roll the dough into approximately a 12 x 14-inch (30 × 36 cm) rectangle, keeping the thickness as even as possible.
Spread the cinnamon filling evenly over the dough, going almost all the way to the edges.
Scatter the completely cooled apples evenly over the cinnamon filling. Spread them across the entire surface rather than concentrating them in the centre.
Starting from one of the 12-inch sides, tightly but gently roll the dough into a log. Pinch the seam lightly to help seal it.
For cleaner slices, place the log in the freezer for about 10 minutes. This step is optional but makes the soft, apple-filled dough easier to cut.
Cut the log into 9 equal rolls using unflavoured dental floss or a sharp serrated knife.
Arrange the rolls evenly in the prepared pan in 3 rows of 3, leaving a little space between them for expansion.
Cover the pan and let the rolls rise in a warm place for about 45 minutes, or until noticeably puffy and beginning to fill the spaces between them.

Bake

During the final 15 minutes of rising, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
Place the pan on the centre rack and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the rolls are puffed and lightly golden on top.
Because these are larger rolls, check the centre rolls before removing the pan from the oven. If the tops are browning too quickly before the centres are fully baked, loosely cover the pan with aluminium foil during the final 5-10 minutes.
Let the rolls cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before frosting.

Make the Frosting

While the rolls bake, beat the softened vegan cream cheese and vegan butter together until completely smooth and fluffy.
Add the vanilla extract and salt and beat until combined.
Add the sifted powdered sugar and cornstarch. Beat again until smooth and creamy, scraping down the bowl as needed.
For a thicker frosting, refrigerate it briefly before using. For a softer frosting that melts slightly into the rolls, frost them while they are still warm.
Spread the frosting evenly over the 9 cinnamon rolls and serve warm.

Notes

Chill the tangzhong. If it's too warm, it will interfere with the yeast.
Warm soy milk. The soy milk in the dough needs to be at about 110°F/43°C. If it's too cold, it won't activate the yeast. If it's too hot, it'll kill the yeast.
Rest the dough. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes before kneading so it’s easier to work with.
Rise in a warm place. Set your dough to rise in a warm, draft-free place. If it’s too cold, it won’t rise as well.
Use your eyes. Look for visual cues (dough doubling in size and rolls becoming puffy) rather than relying on the clock to see how long the dough needs to rise.
Evaporate. Let almost all of the moisture from the apples evaporate in the pan; otherwise, your filling will be runny.
Let the apples cool. If the apples are warm, they will soften the dough, making the rolls difficult to shape.
Storage. Store fully cooled, unfrosted apple cinnamon rolls in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. For frosted rolls, seal them in an airtight container and store them in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge. Reheat, covered, in a 300° (150°C) oven for 10-15 minutes, or in the microwave.

Nutrition

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