Pizza Dough Apple Cinnamon Rolls

Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls are made with pizza dough and couldn’t be easier to bake. These cinnamon rolls are soft, fluffy, and full of delicious cinnamon flavour and sweet apples. They have a vanilla cream cheese frosting too!

I think I'm entering my cinnamon roll era...and I'm here for it!

Using store-bought pizza dough makes baking cinnamon rolls SO much easier and quicker.

These rolls are soft, fluffy, and everything you love about a gooey cinnamon roll. Seriously, every bite tastes like the middle of a roll!

For more easy recipes, try 3 Ingredient Oreo Fudge, M&M Brownie Cookies, and Peanut Butter Heart Cookies.

Why this recipe works

Apples - I stuffed these cinnamon rolls with apple pieces and it brings such a warm apple pie flavour to them!

Easy to make – Just a few steps and 5 ingredients required to bake the rolls. Super simple!

Soft, fluff cinnamon rolls – These taste better than any cinnamon roll I’ve ever tried! They are pillowy and literally melt-in-your-mouth.

Pizza dough – This uses store-bought pizza dough, where you can find at any of your local grocery stores.

Ingredients Notes

Here are the ingredients we’ll be using! Exact measurements and details can be found in the recipe card below.

Apples - I used empire apples, but you can use any sweet apple. Make sure to cut it up in small pieces so the rolling process will be much easier.

Butter – I used unsalted. This has to be very softened.

Brown sugar – I used dark brown sugar, but light is fine.

Cinnamon – Ground cinnamon was used.

Cream – I used 18% cream. 35% works too.

Cream cheese – Pull this out 2 hours before baking to get to room temperature.

Pizza dough – Make sure this is fresh, not frozen. Remove from fridge 30 minutes before starting.

Step by step instructions

Here is how to make and bake these pizza dough apple cinnamon rolls. You will need a 9×9 square pan lined with parchment paper, two medium mixing bowls, and a rolling pin.

Step 1 – Prep. For easy removal of the cinnamon rolls, place parchment paper on the bottom and sides of the pan. Set aside. Then in a small bowl, mix together dark brown sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.

Step 2 - Prep the apples - Cut the apples into small pieces. Larger pieces will not roll in correctly. Pour the apples into a separate bowl and toss with cinnamon and brown sugar. Set aside.

Step 3 – Roll dough. Transfer pizza dough to a lightly floured work surface and roll using a rolling pin until roughly a large rectangle about 10-12″ x 16-18″. Make sure it is roughly all the same thickness.

Step 4 – Spread butter. This has to be very soft/warm for easy spreading. Spread on top of the rolled out dough.

Step 5 – Sprinkle cinnamon sugar topping. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar topping as evenly as you can across the dough, leaving about 1cm of space from the edge of each side.

Step 6 - Add apples. Sprinkle the apples evenly on top.

Step 7 – Roll into log. Starting at one end, gently roll the dough into a tight log form. 

Step 8 – Slice into cinnamon rolls. Taking a sharp knife or floss, cut into 9 even rolls. To make this easy, I first scored the log in thirds, and then cut each section into 3 even pieces.

Step 9 – Add into pan. Transfer the cinnamon rolls into the prepared pan. Cover with a cloth and place in a warm spot (like a sunny corner) for 30 minutes to rise.

Step 10 – Bake. Once risen, pour heavy cream on top of the rolls and into the pan. Then bake for 30-35 minutes.

Step 11 – Make frosting. While it bakes, make the cream cheese frosting. Beat cream cheese and butter together on high for 3 minutes. Then add in powdered sugar and beat for 2 minutes. Add in vanilla and 1 tbsp cream, keep mixing. Add an extra tbsp of cream as needed to create desired consistency.

Step 12 – Frost the cinnamon rolls. Once baked, allow to cool for 10 minutes, then frost the fresh buns and dig in!

Expert Baking Tips

Here are a few tips from my kitchen to yours

• Make sure your pizza dough is FRESH, and not frozen. This recipe will not work if your pizza dough is frozen and thawed.
• Make sure the heavy whipping cream you pour on is at room temperature, and not cold. It’s really important that all the ingredients we work with for cinnamon rolls is room temperature for optimal results..aka fresh and fluffy buns!
• Your hands are the best tool in the kitchen. Don’t be afraid to get messy!

FAQ

Can I make this in an 8×8 pan?

You can, but the dough rises a lot so they might get super tall! I would use less pizza dough. For an 8×8 pan, use 1lb of pizza dough (approx 453-500g). For a 9×9 pan, use anywhere from 620-700g.

How do I make my dough rise if my house is cold?

Rolls rise best in a warm environment. I like to put mine directly in the sun covered with a towelette to rise. If your house is cold, turn your oven on to 100°F. Then, turn your oven off and place the rolls inside with the cover on them. Slightly open your oven door to let the hot air escape while you let the rolls rise for 30 minutes.

Why is it so hard to roll out my pizza dough?

Make sure it is fresh pizza dough, and not frozen. Also, if your pizza dough is cold, it won’t roll out as easily. I learned this the hard way! Also remember that flour is your best friend. If the dough is sticky and hard to work with, lightly coat the rolling pin and surface you’re working on with flour.

How do I store these pizza dough cinnamon rolls?

These rolls are best eaten day of or next day. Nothing better than a fresh cinnamon roll right out of the oven! Since the frosting has dairy in it, store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

What is the best way to reheat cinnamon rolls?

If you are just heating one or two, you can either place them in the microwave for 15 seconds, or in your toaster or stove oven at 300°F for 5 minutes.

Can I use crescent dough?

No, you must use fresh pizza dough.

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