I was asked by Carusele to participate in the #BakingatHome campaign, sponsored by Brand. Although I have been compensated, all opinions are my own.
Apple Cinnamon Rolls have been all the rage this fall … so I had to make some, right? But these are super special because they’re a small batch version that makes four big apple cinnamon buns with a gooey maple pecan frosting. This recipe makes four large apple cinnamon rolls, and takes about
I teamed up with Clabber Girl® Baking Powder & Crisco® All-Vegetable Shortening to make these beauties, and you’d better believe they didn’t last long.
Ingredients for Small Batch Roasted Apple Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients for the Cinnamon Rolls
- 1/3 cup warm Whole Milk
- 1 teaspoon Active Dry Yeast
- 1 teaspoon Light Brown Sugar
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon Crisco®
- 1 large Eggs
- 1 cup to 1 1/3 cup All-purpose Flour
- pinch kosher Salt
- 1/2 tsp. Clabber Girl Baking Powder®
Ingredients for the Apple Filling:
- 3 tbsp. Light Brown Sugar
- 1 tbsp. Granulated Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Spice Islands® Saigon Cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons Unsalted Butter room temperature
- 1/2 cup chopped Honey Crisp Apple
Ingredients for the Maple Pecan Icing:
- 2 tablespoons Unsalted Butter room temperature
- 2 ounces Cream Cheese room temperature
- 1 tbsp. Maple Syrup
- 3/4 cup Powdered Sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1/3 cup chopped Pecans
Clabber Girl® Baking Powder is the #1 brand of baking powder in America. Since 1850, the brand has been known as experts in baking ingredients and has been beloved by bakers for generations! Baking powder is used to increase the volume and lighten the texture of baked goods.
Crisco® helps to make food better by delivering consistent & delicious results every time. For over 100 years, Crisco has been an essential part of the kitchen and helps improve the quality of your meals. Crisco® All-Vegetable Shortening has a higher melting point than butter, so these rolls rise a little higher, hold their shape really well, and they’re super light and fluffy on the inside!
How to Make Small Batch Apple Cinnamon Rolls
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the milk, yeast, and brown sugar. Let sit for about 5 minutes until bubbly. Add the Crisco®, egg, 1 cup flour, and Clabber Girl® Baking Powder. Using the dough hook, mix until the flour is completely incorporated, about 4-5 minutes. Add the other 1/3 cup of flour and salt, and mix until the dough is smooth and slightly tacky.
- Cover the bowl with a damp kitchen towel and let it sit on a warm place for about 1 hour (or until doubled in size).
- Meanwhile, mix the filling. In a bowl, combine the brown sugar, sugar, and cinnamon. Butter a small baking dish, about 7.5” x 6”.
- Punch the dough down and roll out onto a lightly floured surface, forming a rectangle. Spread the butter evenly over the dough.
- Sprinkle on the apples and cinnamon sugar. Tightly roll the dough into a log, rolling the longest edge. Pinch the dough together when you reach the end to seal it shut. Using a sharp knife, cut into four rolls. Place the rolls into the prepared baking dish. Cover with a damp kitchen towel and let rise for about 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350° F. Bake the rolls for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown.
- While the rolls are baking, make the icing. Mash the butter and cream cheese together until fully mixed.. Stir in the maple syrup, powdered sugar, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Fold in the chopped pecans, then spread the icing over the warm rolls. Serve and enjoy!
I love that this recipe on makes four rolls! It’s so perfect for a cozy brunch at home, or if you’re having a smaller holiday gathering this year! Be sure to visit BakingAtHome.com to explore hundreds of recipes, tips, tricks, and hacks to help you discover your true kitchen potential.
If you get to make these cinnamon rolls, be sure to tag me on Instagram! As always, feel free to reach out to me directly with any questions at all.
Happy Holidays!
xx Sara
Small Batch Apple Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
For the Cinnamon Rolls
- 1/3 cup Whole Milke warm
- 1 tsp. Active Dry Yeast
- 1 tsp. Light Brown Sugar packed
- 1 tbsp. + 1 tsp. Crisco® All-Vegetable Shortening
- 1 large Egg
- 1 1/3 cup All-Purpose Flour
- Kosher Salt
- 1/2 tsp. Clabber Girl® Baking Powder
For the Apple Filling:
- 3 tbsp. Light Brown Sugar packed
- 1 tbsp. Granulated Sugar
- 1 tsp. Spice Islands® Ground Saigon Cinnamon
- 2 tbsp. Unsalted Butter room temperature
- 1/2 cup chopped Honey Crisp Apple
For the Maple Pecan Icing:
- 2 tbsp. Unsalted Butter room temperature
- 2 ounces Cream Cheese room temperature
- 1 tbsp. Maple Syrup
- 3/4 cup Powdered Sugar
- 1/2 tsp. Vanilla Extract
- 1/3 cup chopped Pecans toasted
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the milk, yeast, and brown sugar. Let sit for about 5 minutes until bubbly. Add the Crisco®, egg, 1 cup flour, and Clabber Girl® Baking Powder.
- Mix on low until the flour is completely mixed in, about 4-5 minutes. Add the other 13 cup of flour and salt, and mix on medium until the dough is smooth and slightly tacky.
- Cover the bowl with a clean, damp kitchen towel and let place it in a warm place for about an hour, or until the dough is doubled in size.
- While the dough is rising, mix the filling ingredients together (brown sugar, granulated sugar, and cinnamon.) Set aside.
- Butter a smaller casserole dish (about 7.5" x 6") with about 1/2 tbsp. of the butter. Set aside.
- Once the dough is doubled in size, punch it down and roll it out onto a clean surface. Roll it into a rectangle, about 10" x 5". Spread the remaining butter over the surface of the dough. Sprinkle on the apples and cinnamon sugar mixture.
- Starting with the longest edge of the dough rectangle, tightly roll the dough into a log. Pinch the edges of the dough into the log to seal it shut.
- Using a very sharp knife, cut the log into four equal portions. Cut gently to avoid squishing the dough.
- Place the four rolls into the prepared casserole dish, and cover with the same damp kitchen towel. Place back into the warm area and let the rolls rise for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Bake the rolls for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown.
- While the rolls are baking, make the icing: Mash the butter and cream cheese together until combined. Stir in the maple syrup, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Whisk in the powdered sugar until smooth, then stir in the toasted pecans.
- Drizzle the warm cinnamon rolls with icing, and let sit for five minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Tried this recipe?
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Comments & Reviews
Thank you for the Small Batch Apple Cinnamon Rolls.
Having no apples, I used golden raisins softened in orange juice.
The rolls turned out delicious. The icing is wonderful.
I’m so glad you enjoyed them, Madeleine!! I really want to try them with golden raisins that are softened in orange juice – what a wonderful substitution!!