Puff Pastry Cinnamon Rolls with Apple

These Puff Pastry Cinnamon Rolls with Apple are flaky, buttery spirals filled with warm cinnamon sugar and tender caramelized apples. Everything you love about classic cinnamon rolls, only faster and with big apple flavor.

After years of developing recipes as a pastry chef and blogger, I’ve learned that puff pastry is the ultimate shortcut for making desserts that look impressive with almost no effort. In this case, cinnamon rolls. But this recipe goes beyond most traditional versions with a layer of sautéed cinnamon apples that keep every bite moist and flavorful and a sweet vanilla drizzle on top. Get ready to have your kitchen smell like heaven!

Why You'll Love This Apple Cinnamon Rolls Recipe

• Easy to Make: These easy cinnamon rolls come together quickly with the help of store-bought puff pastry. Start by cooking down some chopped apples. Then roll out puff pastry and spread it with softened butter, cinnamon-sugar, and the cooked apples. Roll up, slice, and bake—so simple!
• Classic with a Twist: I love a basic cinnamon roll like these Cinnamon Swirls or these Cinnamon Twists, but this version adds cooked apples. The apples pair beautifully with the cinnamon, and help keep the pastry moist but still flaky.
• Only 5 Ingredients! With store-bought puff pastry dough, you just need apples, butter, cinnamon, and sugar to make this recipe.

Ingredients Needed for Apple Cinnamon Rolls

• Apples: You can use whatever kind of apples you prefer for this recipe. I prefer apples that are a bit on the tart side, like Pink Lady or Honey Crisp apples. You might even try a Granny Smith with this recipe if you like the sweet-tart combination.
• Puff Pastry Dough: Look for this in the freezer section of your grocery store, near the pie crusts. Puff pastry dough that is sold in square or rectangular bricks (rather than round) is easiest to roll out for this recipe.

How to Make Apple Cinnamon Rolls with Puff Pastry

First, preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit or 200 degrees Celsius. Peel two large apples and chop into ¼ inch pieces. Combine apples with 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon sugar in a medium saucepan.

Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. Apples should be entirely tender but still intact. Let cool. Meanwhile, combine cinnamon with ¼ cup of sugar. Roll your puff pastry sheet into a 30 x 24 cm (12 x 9.5 inch) rectangle. Place pastry on cutting board. Spread with 6 tablespoons softened butter. Sprinkle with half of the cinnamon sugar mixture.

Spread cooked apples evenly across the pastry, and sprinkle with remaining cinnamon-sugar mixture.

Roll into a jelly roll shape, starting with one of the shorter ends. Put puff pastry roll into the refrigerator for 15 minutes. Then, cut into 1-inch slices.

Assemble on parchment paper-lined baking sheet with at least an inch of space between each one. Bake for 25 minutes, then check to see if pastry is cooked through and golden brown. If not, bake for another 5 minutes, or until done.

Let cool on baking rack for 5 minutes. While rolls are baking, stir together powdered sugar and milk in a small bowl to create a glaze. Drizzle on apple cinnamon rolls, then serve. 

What to Serve with Apple Cinnamon Rolls with Puff Pastry

I love these apple cinnamon rolls with a cup of coffee or tea, since these are delicious breakfast pastries. If you want to serve them as part of a breakfast or brunch spread, serve them with a savory item like these Breakfast Crepes, Spinach Quiche, or Bacon Frittata. Or just keep it simple with scrambled eggs and a side of bacon or sausage. Add a bowl of fresh fruit, and you’ll have a delicious meal.

How to Store Apple Cinnamon Rolls

These cinnamon pastry rolls are best eaten the day they are made. (And of course, when they are still warm is ideal!) But, they will keep for a day or two in an airtight container (separate from the icing). Reheat rolls briefly in the oven, air fryer, or microwave before drizzling with the glaze and serving.

Can I freeze these cinnamon rolls?

Yes, you can freeze these rolls either before or after baking. To freeze before baking, make the recipe up through slicing the individual rolls. Then place rolls on a parchment-lined large plate or small sheet pan and freeze until solid. Remove from parchment and store in a freezer-safe bag until ready to bake. You can bake straight from the freezer, though you may need to add a couple of minutes to the baking time. Or, freeze baked (but unglazed!) cinnamon rolls. Reheat in the oven to crisp up!

👩‍🍳 Expert Tips

The key to working with puff pastry is not to let it become too soft. Soft puff is difficult to roll, and the butter within the dough begins to melt. (You want that butter not to melt until it hits the high heat of your oven, where it will steam and create all those delicious buttery layers.) The good news is that there is an easy fix if you have left your puff pastry out on the counter too long. Just pop it into the fridge until it is cold and carry on. 

You may wonder what type of dough is traditionally used for a cinnamon roll. Typically, cinnamon rolls are made with a yeast-risen dough (not puff pastry). The process of rolling the dough, spreading with butter and cinnamon-sugar, rolling into a tube and slicing is the same.

However, not only do you have to make the dough, but you have to wait for it to rise before you can roll it out, then wait for it to rise again to bake. Cinnamon rolls made this way are delicious, but much more time-consuming. In this cinnamon roll recipe with puff pastry, you can go straight from rolling out the dough to filling, rolling, slicing, and baking. The texture of your rolls will not be the same as with a yeast dough, but crispier and flakier, with caramelized edges. 

Finally, make sure you have a high-quality baking sheet so that you get an even bake on all of your apple cinnamon puff pastry rolls.

Love a fall-themed dessert? How about trying these Baked Pumpkin Donuts or this Pecan Pie without corn syrup next? Or try this 2-ingredient Muffin Tin Cinnamon Roll Apple Pies for these same flavors in a super-easy recipe! Or go traditional with this Homemade Cinnamon Rolls recipe. And, try this Homemade Apple Galette or this Classic French Apple Cake for more French-inspired fall recipes.

Apple Cinnamon Rolls Recipe FAQs

Other Delicious Puff Pastry Recipes

If you enjoyed this Puff Pastry Cinnamon Roll recipe, you might also want to check out some other delicious Vanilla Bean Cuisine recipes that feature puff pastry. These Cinnamon Twists are deliciously easy. Or try one of these:

If you try these Apple Cinnamon Rolls with Puff Pastry, I would love to hear from you! Leave a comment below—I read them all, and your feedback is invaluable to me.

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