Jump to Recipe
A white baking dish with baked apple pecan cinnamon rolls with caramel sauce.

These salted caramel apple cinnamon rolls are nothing but amazing with rolls filled with caramelized apples, cinnamon, pecans, and salted caramel topping. 

Apple cinnamon rolls with caramel sauce being drizzled over them.

This blog post was originally published on November 3, 2014, and has been updated with new pictures and guidance.

A closeup of salted caramel apple cinnamon rolls.

This post is sponsored by ACH Foods. All opinions are 100% mine, as usual. Thank you for supporting the occasional sponsored posts that make it possible for me to continue to create quality content! 

A spatula lifting a cinnamon roll out of a white baking dish.

Hey there, and welcome back, friends.

You are in for a treat!

A white plate with a cinnamon roll and apples in the background.

I am not going to beat around the bush here. These salted caramel apple cinnamon rolls are AMAZING! There is no other way to put it.

A closeup of caramel apple cinnamon rolls in a white baking dish.

I mean, how else can you describe warm cinnamon rolls filled with caramelized apples, cinnamon, and pecans, and drizzled in salted caramel? Come on, tell me “amazing” is not the word that comes to mind.

A white plate with a cinnamon roll and apples in the background.

Okay, let me break it down further. It all starts with soft, easy-to-work-with dough. Using Fleischmann’s® RapidRise Yeast, there is little or no time spent waiting for the dough to rise.

A closeup of a caramel apple cinnamon roll that is pulled apart and has a fork scooping up a piece on a white plate.

Did I convince you they are AMAZING yet? Like you want to try them NOW?? That’s what I thought.

A closeup of a caramel apple cinnamon rolls on a white plate with a fork going through it.

Ingredients

Various bowls with ingredients for making salted caramel apple cinnamon rolls.
  • unsalted butter
  • granulated sugar
  • salt & sea salt for the caramel sauce
  • a large egg
  • some Fleischmann’s® RapidRise Yeast
  • all-purpose flour
  • warm water (for the yeast)
  • a few medium apples
  • brown sugar
  • Spice Islands® Ground Saigon Cinnamon
  • some chopped pecans
  • Karo® Light Corn Syrup
  • Spice Islands® Pure Vanilla Extract
A closeup of salted caramel apple cinnamon rolls.

How to Make Caramel Apple Cinnamon Rolls

A glass bowl with butter.

In a large bowl, whisk together the butter, sugar, and salt.

Add the egg and mix until combined.

A glass bowl with flour and a whisk.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the yeast and 2 cups of flour.

A glass bowl with the butter mixture and flour mixed together.

Add the flour mixture to the butter/sugar mixture all at once and then add water. Mix well and add extra flour, 1 cup at a time, until a soft smooth dough forms.

The cinnamon roll dough on a wooden board with flour sprinkled around it.

On a lightly floured surface, knead dough until smooth. Cover with a damp towel and let rest for a few minutes.

Chopped apples with brown sugar in a skillet.

In the meantime, combine chopped apples with some brown sugar in a small saucepan.

A skillet with cooked apples and a wooden spoon.

Cook over medium heat until the apples are caramelized. Set it aside and grease a baking pan.

The dough is rolled out with a wooden rolling pin.

Divide dough into 2 equal portions and roll each portion out to a large rectangle on a lightly floured surface.

The rolled out dough is brushed with melted butter.

Brush each with a good amount of melted butter.

Cinnamon roll dough rolled out with cinnamon brown sugar sprinkled over it.

Combine the rest of the brown sugar with the cinnamon and sprinkle ½ of the cinnamon sugar on each rectangle.

Cinnamon roll dough rolled out with cinnamon brown sugar, and chopped apples sprinkled over it.

Scatter the apples onto the rectangles and top with some pecans.

The cinnamon roll dough rolled up with the filling inside.

Roll up the rectangle from the long side.

The cinnamon roll dough rolled up and sliced with the filling inside.

Next, cut each roll into 8 slices.

The cinnamon rolls placed in a white baking dish.

Place the rolls into the prepared baking pan, cut side down.

The rolls have been doubled in the white baking dish.

Cover the pan and let rise until double. (You can also the freeze rolls at this point or refrigerate them overnight.)

A white baking dish with baked cinnamon rolls.

Preheat the oven and bake the rolls until golden brown.

Now, while the cinnamon rolls cool, make the caramel sauce. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter and then add the brown sugar, corn syrup, and vanilla extract.

Whisk until blended and sugar is melted. Remove from heat. Whisk in sea salt. Pour caramel syrup into a heatproof bowl. Let cool.

Caramel sauce drizzled over cinnamon rolls.

Drizzle the cooled cinnamon rolls with caramel sauce.

A spatula lifting a cinnamon roll out of a white baking dish.

Serve immediately.

A closeup of a caramel apple cinnamon rolls on a white plate.

How to Store

Store these cinnamon rolls in the fridge for up to 3-4 days in an airtight container. You can also freeze these cinnamon rolls for up to 3 months and thaw them at room temperature before heating them up to serve.

A white baking pan with baked cinnamon rolls with caramel sauce drizzled over them.

More Fall Apple Recipes

What do you think of this amazing apple caramel cinnamon roll recipe? What would you serve with one of these rolls? Let me know in the comment section below. 

A closeup of a caramel apple cinnamon roll that is pulled apart and has a fork scooping up a piece on a white plate.

If you share across social media, make sure to tag #aclassictwist, so I can see your beautiful creation come to life!

Happy fall baking, friends!

A white plate with a cinnamon roll and apples in the background.

Caramel Apple Cinnamon Rolls Recipe

A white plate with a cinnamon roll and apples in the background.
Yield: 12 rolls

Salted Caramel Apple Cinnamon Rolls

These salted caramel apple cinnamon rolls are nothing but amazing with rolls filled with caramelized apples, cinnamon, pecans and salted caramel topping. 

Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes

Ingredients

For Rolls:

  • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 envelope + 2 teaspoon Fleischmann's® RapidRise Yeast
  • 3½ to 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup + 2 tablespoon very warm water (120° to 130°F)

For Filling:

  • 2 medium apples, peeled, cored and chopped
  • ¾ cup brown sugar
  • 5 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 1 tablespoon Spice Islands® Ground Saigon Cinnamon
  • 1 cup (~4 ounces) chopped pecans

For Caramel Syrup:

  • 1 cup butter
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • ¼ cup Karo® Light Corn Syrup
  • 1 teaspoon Spice Islands® Pure Vanilla Extract
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt

Instructions

For Rolls:

  1. In a large bowl, whisk together the butter, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Add the egg and mix until combined. In a separate bowl, whisk together the yeast and 2 cups of flour. Add the flour mixture to butter/sugar mixture all at once and then add water. Mix well and add an additional 1-1/2 to 2 cups of flour, 1 cup at a time, until a soft smooth dough forms. On a lightly floured surface, knead dough until smooth. Cover with a damp towel and let rest for 10 minutes.
  2. In the meantime, combine chopped apples with ¼ cup brown sugar in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until apples are caramelized, about 7- 10 minutes. Set aside. Grease a 13 x 9- inch pan.
  3. Divide dough into 2 equal portions and roll each portion out to a 14 x 8-inch rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Brush each with a good amount of melted butter. Combine the rest of the brown sugar with the cinnamon and sprinkle ½ of the cinnamon sugar on each rectangle. Scatter the apples onto the rectangles and top with pecans. Roll up the rectangle from the long side and cut each roll into 8 slices.
  4. Place rolls into prepared pan, cut side down. Cover pan and let rise until double, about 45-50 minutes. (You can freeze rolls at this point or refrigerate overnight.)
  5. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Bake rolls for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool slightly before drizzling with caramel sauce (recipe below). Serve immediately.

For Caramel Syrup:

  1. In a medium saucepan, melt butter. Add the brown sugar, corn syrup and vanilla extract. Whisk until blended and sugar is melted. Remove from heat. Whisk in sea salt. Pour caramel syrup into a heatproof bowl. Let cool.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 877Total Fat: 23gSaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 70mgSodium: 449mgCarbohydrates: 152gFiber: 5gSugar: 39gProtein: 16g

Making this Recipe?

Share it with us on Instagram using #aclassictwist so we can see what you are baking up in your kitchen!

© A Classic Twist
Cuisine: American / Category: Sweet Breakfast