Apple Fritter Sweet Rolls are homemade sweet rolls filled with juicy, spiced apples that give you all the flavors of an apple fritter, but in a sweet roll! You won’t even need frosting or a glaze, they are perfect as-is. Try my Apple Fritter Bread for another popular sweet bread.
What Kind of Apples are Best?
I used Granny Smith apples for the recipe because they remain firm when baking. They won’t turn to mush and they tend to retain their shape when baked. A few other options you could try would be Honeycrisp apples, Braeburn, or Pink Lady apples.
Can I Make Cinnamon Rolls Without a Stand Mixer?
Yes. For best results, use a stand mixer with a dough hook, but if you have to knead the dough by hand, it will take about 25 minutes of gentle kneading (and some arm strength) to equal the 5 minutes using the dough hook. It can still be done, but it gets a little messy, and sometimes there is too much extra flour added to the recipe in the kneading process.
How to Slice Sweet Rolls with Dental Floss
After rolling all the goodness up into sweet rolls, sometimes it’s hard to slice them into individual-sized rolls without smooshing them. If the knife you are using is not sharp enough, that can lead to squished rolls. A great method to save you from frustration is dental floss! Yep, dental floss.
To use dental floss, first, make sure it is plain (not flavored) floss. Slide a long piece of floss underneath the rolled-up rolls and wrap the floss around the roll about 2 inches in. Pull to slice through the roll. Continue this method every two inches or so. Now, don’t forget to go floss your teeth, but use a new piece of floss!
How to Freeze Apple Fritter Sweet Rolls
There are a few options when it comes to freezing these rolls:
- Freeze Before the rolls rise and bake: Cover the rolls with plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Take them out of the freezer when you are ready to bake. Allow the rolls to thaw and rise before completing the rest of the steps. If you are planning to freeze the rolls longer than a couple of weeks, you will want to add a bit more yeast to the recipe (about 1 extra teaspoon).
- Freeze the rolls after baking.
- Partially cook the rolls: A third way to freeze the rolls would be to cook them for only 10-15 minutes. Then, remove them from the oven and let the rolls cool completely. After the partially baked rolls have cooled, cover them (in the pan) with at least two layers of plastic wrap. Freeze for up to 2 weeks. When you are ready to bake them, let them thaw in the refrigerator overnight before popping them in the oven for about 15 minutes.
Apple Fritter Sweet Rolls
Ingredients
Apple Fritter Filling
- 6 medium  Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and diced
- 1 cup (200 g) light brown sugar, packed
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup (½ stick / 57 g) unsalted butter
Dough
- ⅔ cup whole milk, warmed (about 110°F)
- 5 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
- 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2¾ cups (344 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup (1 stick / 113 g) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces, room temperature
Instructions
Apple Fritter Filling
- In a medium bowl combine apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Toss to coat apples evenly.
- In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add apple mixture and cook until apples are tender (about 5 minutes). Allow to cool as you prepare the dough.
Dough
- In a medium bowl, combine milk and 1 tablespoon sugar. Sprinkle yeast over milk and whisk to blend. Let sit until yeast is foamy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs; whisk until smooth.
- Combine remaining 4 tablespoons sugar, flour, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add the milk mixture and mix until combined.
- With the mixer running on low, add butter, 1 piece at a time, mixing well between each addition.
- Knead on medium speed for 1 minute. Knead on medium-high speed until the dough is soft, about 5 minutes.
- Spray a large bowl with nonstick cooking spray. Transfer the dough to the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap that has been lightly sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.
- Let dough rise in a warm area until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Assembly
- When you are ready, punch down the dough. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, and roll it into a 10×15-inch rectangle (it should be about ¼-inch thick).
- Spread the apple mixture over the dough, reserving one cup for the topping.
- Roll up tightly starting on the long edge.
- Using a very sharp knife, cut the log into 12 rolls. Lightly spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Place the rolls into the prepared baking dish. Allow the rolls to rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, or until doubled.
- Sprinkle the reserved cup of apples over the tops of the sweet rolls.
- Bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes.
Video
Did you make this recipe?
Thank you for making my recipe! You took pictures, right? Well go ahead and post them on Instagram! Be sure to mention me @iambaker and use the hashtag #YouAreBaker.
What happens if I use 2% milk and sea salt? It’s what I have.
You should be ok!
I just cooked the apples on the stove and sure does seem like a lot of liquid in the saucepan. They are still hot. Will they thicken as this cools? Otherwise I’ll have a runny mess