Apple Pecan Cinnamon Rolls. Buttery cinnamon rolls feature fresh apple slices, chopped pecans, and cinnamon brown sugar. Individual rolls baked golden in a jumbo muffin pan. Rolls topped with vanilla bean glaze.
Why You Should Make These Cinnamon Rolls
- true comfort food.
- dough can be made in advance.
- apple + pecan + cinnamon is delicious.
- vanilla bean glazed rolls are perfectly mobile.
- best served slightly warm.
How To Make These Apple Pecan Cinnamon Rolls
Instant yeast is added to warm milk (110 degrees F.) in a small mixing bowl. The milk is set aside for 10 minutes so the yeast can proof. Two lightly beaten eggs are added to the yeast mixture.
Bread flour, granulated sugar and fine sea salt are added to a stand mixer and whisked to combine. The yeast mixture is added to the flour mixture. Using the dough hook, the dough is beaten on low for 5 minutes. The speed is increased to medium and beaten for an additional 5 minutes.
The speed is decreased to low and the butter added to the dough 1 tablespoon at a time, about every 15 seconds. The dough is kneaded until the butter is completely incorporated.
The dough is removed from the stand mixer bowl and place in a lightly oiled mixing bowl, covered with plastic wrap, and set in a warm area to proof for 3 hours.
The dough is transferred to a parchment lined baking sheet and stretched into the corners. The dough is covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated overnight. Alternately the dough can be punched down, left in the same bowl, recovered with plastic wrap and refrigerated overnight, and up to 48 hours in advance. I place my dough on the parchment lined baking sheet and stretch it out into a large rectangle to facilitate rolling it out faster the next morning.
An apple is peeled, cored and sliced into thin slices. The apple slices are added to a small skillet with unsalted butter and brown sugar. The apples are sautéed over medium low heat until tender. If the apples are a bit dry while sautéing, I will add a splash of apple juice, apple cider, or water to poach them to tenderness. The apple slices are cut into thin strips, placed in an airtight container and refrigerated until ready to use, up to 3 days in advance.
Unsalted butter is brought to room temperature (the butter needs to be soft enough to brush). Brown sugar, granulated sugar, bread flour, and ground cinnamon are added to a small bowl, and stirred to combine.
Cold dough is rolled into rectangle approximately 12 x 9-inches. The top surface of the dough is brushed with soft butter and sprinkled with brown sugar cinnamon mixture.
Dough is rolled into spiral starting with the short side facing you. 6 evenly sized rolls are cut and placed cut side up into jumbo muffin cups. if using an 8 x 8-inch square baking pan, 9 evenly sized rolls are cut and placed cut side up.
The rolls are baked in a 375 degrees F oven for 30 minutes.
Powdered sugar, heavy cream and vanilla bean paste are added to a small bowl, and stirred until smooth. Additional heavy cream is added, if necessary, to achieve desired consistency.
Glaze is drizzled over rolls. Additional toasted chopped pecans are sprinkled over glaze. Best served slightly heated or at room temperature.
Other Recipes You Might Enjoy
Some of our most popular brunch recipes include chocolate banana coconut muffins, strawberry doughnuts, apple streusel muffins, orange muffins with cranberries toasted walnuts and chocolate chips, jumbo peach blueberry muffins and strawberry cake.
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Apple Pecan Cinnamon Rolls
Equipment
- 1 (8 x 8 x 2-inch) square baking pan OR 1 (6 cavity) jumbo muffin pan
Ingredients
Dough:
- 120 grams warm milk (110 degrees F.) (1/2 cup)
- 6 grams instant yeast (2 teaspoons)
- 100 grams egg (2 large), lightly beaten
- 320 grams bread flour (2-1/2 cups)
- 50 grams granulated sugar (1/4 cup)
- 3 grams fine sea salt (1/2 teaspoon)
- 113 grams unsalted butter (1/2 cup OR 1 stick), softened
Caramelized Apples:
- 1 each small apple peeled, cored and sliced thin
- 15 grams light or dark brown sugar (1 tablespoon)
- 14 grams unsalted butter (1 tablespoon)
Filling:
- 70 grams unsalted butter (5 tablespoons), softened
- 100 grams light brown sugar (1/2 cup)
- 50 grams granulated sugar (1/4 cup)
- 20 grams bread flour (2 tablespoons)
- 12 grams ground cinnamon (1-1/2 tablespoons)
- 60 grams chopped pecans (1/2 cup)
Glaze:
- 165 grams powdered sugar (1-1/2 cups)
- 80 grams heavy cream (1/3 cup), plus more as needed
- 5 grams vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract (1 teaspoon)
Instructions
Dough:
- Add instant yeast to warm milk in small bowl. Set aside 10 minutes.
- Add lightly beaten eggs to proofing yeast mixture. Set aside.
- Add bread flour, granulated sugar and sea salt to stand mixer bowl. Add egg mixture to flour mixture in stand mixer. Beat on low with dough hook for 5 minutes. Increase speed to medium and beat for 5 additional minutes.
- With mixer running, add softened butter 1 tablespoon at a time, about every 15 seconds.
- Transfer dough to a lightly oiled mixing bowl. Cover bowl with plastic and proof for 3 hours in warm spot.
- Transfer dough to parchment paper or wax paper lined baking sheet. Carefully stretch dough into corners of baking sheet. Cover dough with plastic wrap. Chill overnight.
Caramelized Apples:
- Add sliced apple, unsalted butter, and brown sugar to small saucepan. Heat over medium low until apples are tender. When cool, slice lengthwise into strips. Set aside.
Filling:
- Add brown sugar, granulated sugar, bread flour, and ground cinnamon to small bowl. Stir to combine. Set aside.
- Roll cold dough out to large rectangle approximately 12-inches x 9-inches. Flip the dough occasionally and lightly dust the surface again, if necessary.
- Brush softened butter over entire surface of dough. Sprinkle reserved sugar cinnamon mixture over butter and spread evenly with offset spatula.
- Sprinkle apple slices evenly over dough. Sprinkle pecans over apples.
- Roll the dough into a tight spiral starting with the short side closest to you.
- Lightly butter an 8 x 8 x 2-inch square baking pan or a 6 cup jumbo muffin pan.
- SQUARE BAKING PAN: Cut individual rolls about 1-inch thick using dental floss or a bread knife. Arrange rolls cut side up in baking pan, leaving about 1/4-inch between rolls.
- JUMBO MUFFIN PAN: Cut individual rolls about 1-1/2 inches thick using dental floss or a bread knife. Arrange rolls cut side up in muffin pan.
- Let rolls proof for at least 30 minutes and up to 3 hours.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Cool rolls in pan for 5 to 10 minutes, then invert onto wire rack. Invert from wire rack to serving platter.
Glaze:
- Add powdered sugar to small bowl. Stir in heavy cream. Stir in vanilla bean paste. Add additional heavy cream one teaspoon at a time to achieve desired consistency.
- Drizzle glaze over rolls. Serve warm.
