Apple Pecan Cinnamon Rolls
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These Apple Pecan Cinnamon Rolls are the perfect weekend breakfast. Loaded with your traditional cinnamon sugar but also shredded apples and pecans, then drizzled with a bit of icing. Absolutely delicious.
I made these apple and pecan cinnamon rolls a couple weeks ago and did not get a chance to post them until now. They were so good. They were fabulous. I mean who does not love cinnamon rolls. They’re gooey and sweet and simply delicious. They’re to die for. The perfect weekend breakfast. And when you add pecans and apples, well it’s a marriage made in heaven.
I dare you to make these and then come and tell me you don’t love them. It’s impossible. You will fall in love with them. I could eat these everyday.
These rolls take your basic cinnamon rolls and transform them into something incredible that everyone will love.
After you bake them in your oven, your house will smell so good, your neighbors will start knocking on your door.
Share if you want, I wouldn’t.
Look at that! They look ridiculously delicious. How can you resist? I couldn’t. Serve these babies hot, by drizzling some of the icing all over the rolls. YUM!
If you try this recipe, please let us know! Leave a comment, rate it and tag a photo #jocooks on Instagram so we can see it. I always love to see what you guys come up with!
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Apple and Pecan Cinnamon Rolls
Prep: 30 mins
Cook: 25 mins
Total: 55 mins
Serves: 12
These Apple Pecan Cinnamon Rolls are the perfect weekend breakfast. Loaded with your traditional cinnamon sugar but also shredded apples and pecans, then drizzled with a bit of icing. Absolutely delicious.
Ingredients
Apple and Pecan Cinnamon Rolls
- 1 cup water warm
- 1 tbsp active dry yeast
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tbsp butter unsalted, plus more for pans
- 1 cup brown sugar packed
- 1 tbsp cinnamon ground
- 2 apples peeled, cored, and shredded
- 1 cup pecans chopped
Icing
- 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp milk
- 1 tbsp butter melted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add the warm water and yeast and mix until the yeast is dissolved. Add the sugar and the oil and let it rest for about 5 minutes.
- If the yeast is good, the yeast mixture should bubble up and rise. Add the egg and the salt to the bowl and whisk.
- Add 3 cups of flour and mix the dough. You can use a mixer as well. Add more flour if you think the dough is too sticky.
- Let the dough rest for 20 minutes.
- In the meantime shred the apples and chop the pecans. In a small bowl mix the brown sugar and cinnamon.
- Preheat oven to 375 F degrees.
- Roll out the dough into a long rectangle and about 1/4 inch in thickness.
- Brush the butter over the surface of the dough.
- Sprinkle the brown sugar and cinnamon over the entire surface of the dough.
- Sprinkle the apples all over then the chop pecans.
- Start folding the dough with the side that furthest from you and pinch the ends together.
- Cut the roll into 1 1/2 inch pieces. You can use a 9x13 inch baking dish, make sure it's buttered well. I used 2 pie dishes.
- Place the rolls in the buttered dish making sure to leave some room between them.
- Let them rest for another 30 minutes, until they pretty much double in size.
- Bake them for 20 to 25 minutes.
- To make the icing whisk all the ingredients together.
Recipe Notes
Always check the expiration date on your yeast and make sure it hasn't expired. All your yeast products whether it’s in a jar or a package should be stamped with a “Best if Used by” date. Always make sure you check this date, even when you purchase the yeast, who knows it could have been on the shelf past its expiry date.
To keep your yeast fresh and longer lasting, unopened yeast packages or jars should be stored in a cool or dry place such as your cupboard. However, you can also store your yeast in the fridge or freezer. If you do store it in the freezer and need to use yeast for your baking, make sure you take out the amount you need and let it sit at room temperature for at least half hour before using.
Once your yeast package or jar has been opened, you must refrigerate the yeast or freeze it in an airtight container.
One thing to remember about your yeast, is that it is a living organism and over time it will lose activity, even if you’ve never opened the jar or package. So if you don’t bake often, buy the smaller yeast packages rather than a big jar of yeast.
Make sure your water is not too hot or it could kill the yeast which will cause your dough not to rise at all. The ideal temperature for the water should be between 105 F degrees and 110 F for proofing. While 95 F degrees is the best temperature for yeast to multiply, that's not warm enough for proofing active dry yeast.
TIP: To speed up the dough rising process, heat your oven to 200 F degrees. Turn off the oven and place your dough as specified in step 4 in the oven with the door closed. This will ensure a warm environment for your dough and the dough will rise fairly quickly, assuming the yeast was good.
You could prepare this the day before up until step 13. Cover the pans with plastic wrap and place them in the fridge overnight. The rolls should continue to rise in the fridge but if by morning they have not doubled in size, turn your oven on to 200 F degrees until it warms up, then turn it off. Place the pan in the oven for about 30 to 45 minutes until the rolls double in size. Then you can bake them as instructed.
To freeze unbaked rolls, complete everything up to and including step 13, then wrap the pan in two layers of plastic wrap. Freeze for 8 hours up to 6 weeks. The night before you want to bake the rolls, thaw them out in the refrigerator, still wrapped. They will thaw overnight. Finish the rest of the steps to bake them.
Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.
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Nutrition Information:
Serving: 1rollCalories: 448kcal (22%)Carbohydrates: 71g (24%)Protein: 5g (10%)Fat: 16g (25%)Saturated Fat: 8g (50%)Cholesterol: 24mg (8%)Sodium: 208mg (9%)Potassium: 147mg (4%)Fiber: 3g (13%)Sugar: 40g (44%)Vitamin A: 160IU (3%)Vitamin C: 1.5mg (2%)Calcium: 41mg (4%)Iron: 2.2mg (12%)
Nutrition Facts
Apple and Pecan Cinnamon Rolls
Amount Per Serving (1 roll)
Calories 448
Calories from Fat 144
% Daily Value*
Fat 16g25%
Saturated Fat 8g50%
Cholesterol 24mg8%
Sodium 208mg9%
Potassium 147mg4%
Carbohydrates 71g24%
Fiber 3g13%
Sugar 40g44%
Protein 5g10%
Vitamin A 160IU3%
Vitamin C 1.5mg2%
Calcium 41mg4%
Iron 2.2mg12%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Pam says
I made these this morning. They were great! Next time, I think I’ll coarsely chop the apples.
Rhonda says
Looks delicious! Just wanted to ask if you think you could just make these with the pecans and not the apples. I love pecans! Oh and just wanted to mention to you that you have walnuts listed in ingredients instead of pecans. Anyone should be able to figure it was a slight typo but thought you might want to correct it for the smarta**es among us. 🙂
Joanna Cismaru says
LOL thanks Rhonda, fixed the ingredient list. Yes you can skip the apples, I love pecans too, so the more the better. 🙂
Mrs. pope says
Couldi let the rolls rest in the baking dish over night and just pop them in the oven the following morning?
jo says
Oh absolutely, that should be just fine. Just cover them up with some plastic wrap.
Dee says
These sound awesome! Will try tomorrow for sure!
Mel (Sharky Oven Gloves) says
These look delicious! I’m a little scared of baking with yeast as it never quite seems to work, but I love apple cinnamon rolls so much. I like that you’ve included step by step pictures, so I think I’ll try these out at some point with your photos to guide me!
jo says
Hi Mel,
I hope you try them out and if you do let me know how they turned out. I bake with yeast all the time, you just have to make sure your yeast is not expired, then you’re all good.
mjskit says
You are so right! There’s no way one couldn’t see that these are delicious! I was wondering how you got the apples to stay in and then I saw you grated them. DUH! Fantastic looking breakfast rolls!
jo says
I tell you, they are so good, as I was posting this last night, it was very hard to control myself and not make some more. I was drooling over the pictures. 🙂
Erika - The Teenage Taste says
These look delicious! They would make the perfect holiday breakfast! I love apples!
Heather says
What beautiful photography and fantastic recipe – this is one I am looking forward to trying!
jo says
Thank you. 🙂
marla says
These look wonderful!
jo says
Thank you.