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Cinnamon Roll Apple Bake is an easy brunch recipe that’s like a monkey bread and a bubble-up bake all in one! It’s got cinnamon buns and apples in a buttery sauce – this is the perfect breakfast for fall!
What is a Cinnamon Roll Apple Bake?
Have you ever made a recipe knowing that you immediately needed to get rid of it? I’m famous for those recipes and most of them get sent off or frozen ASAP. But not this one. This one I ate straight from the pan. With a fork. Over two days. BY MYSELF.
This is a keeper recipe. If you make one sweet brunch or breakfast recipe this year, let it be this one. It’s easy, has just a handful of ingredients, and tastes like an apple fritter. It’s ready in no time at all. It’s like a combination of monkey bread and an apple fritter and a cinnamon roll and a bubble-up bake all in one.
Ingredients Needed
- Cinnamon Rolls: Pillsbury Grands! cinnamon rolls (or the generic equivalent)
- Apples: I used 2 apples – use your favorite kind.
- Brown Sugar: For both the apples and the monkey bread like topping.
- Cinnamon: To flavor the apples.
- Butter: To make that gooey sweet topping.
Variations
- Add chopped pecans or walnuts – sprinkle over the top with the apples.
- Skip cooking the apples and use apple pie filling.
- We also love making blueberry cinnamon roll bake!
How to make Cinnamon Buns with Apple
- Cook Apples: Dice them small and cook in the microwave with brown sugar and cinnamon.
- I cut each roll into 6 pieces (and they promptly fell apart, so that’s okay).
- Place them in a baking dish and top them with easy cinnamon apples.
- I drizzled a monkey bread glaze (brown sugar + butter) all over the top and baked them.
- THEN I thinned out the icing that came with the cinnamon rolls and drizzled it allllll over the top.
Expert Tips
- You can also use regular canned cinnamon rolls (5 to a can) but you’ll want to use about 1 1/2 cans.
- Don’t want to use the microwave? Sauté apples in a skillet with 1 tablespoon butter until they are just a bit softened, about 3-5 minutes.
Storage & Make Ahead
Make the casserole ahead of time by chopping the cinnamon rolls, cooking the apples, and assembling in pan. Wait to add the melted butter mixture until just before baking.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. You can also freeze leftovers or freeze the casserole fully baked.
Apple Cinnamon Rolls Bake Recipe
Recipe Video
Ingredients
- 2 medium apples peeled, cored, and diced small (about 1 1/2 cups apples)
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon (5ml) water
- 1 can Pillsbury Grands! Cinnamon Rolls 5 rolls
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- ⅓ cup (67g) packed brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon (5 ml) heavy whipping cream or milk optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9″ pie plate or pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- Place small diced apples, brown sugar, ground cinnamon, and 1 tablespoon of water in a small bowl. Stir. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and cook on high power for 2-3 minutes, or until apples are just slightly translucent. Drain well.
- While the apples are cooking, cut each cinnamon roll into 6 pieces. They’ll fall apart a little, that’s okay. Sprinkle the pieces evenly in the prepared pan. Once the apples are done, drain them well and sprinkle them over the cinnamon roll pieces.
- Stir the melted butter and brown sugar together, then pour over the top of the apples and cinnamon rolls. Bake for 28-33 minutes or until cooked through in the center.
- Just before serving, place the icing that came with the cinnamon rolls in a small bowl. Heat for about 10 seconds so it’s pourable. Stir in heavy whipping cream (or milk) to make it more of a glaze, then pour over the top of the casserole. Serve warm or room temperature.
- Store tightly covered in refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Recipe Notes
- If you use a regular can of cinnamon rolls (5 rolls; not Grands) you will want to use about 1.5 cans.
- Add chopped nuts with the apples if desired.
Everyone really enjoyed this, but it took a bit more prep time than I thought. We added chopped pecans.
Delish! Was looking for a recipe to use musselmans applesauce had in fridge. So i spread about 1 cup over the cut up annies org cinnamon rolls and topped with the butter brn sugar and baked 29 min in convection oven
Uhhhmazing recipe! I used canned apple pie filling and added some fresh blueberries before baking. Wow! Took it to an office party and thought there was going to be a fight for the last piece. Thank you for such a great keeper!!
I’ve made other dishes with refrigerator cinnamon rolls, so I left a “hole” in the middle to help crisp the middle where the dough can be mushy. I also put a tablespoon of bourbon instead of water when cooking apples in microwave, then instead of cream/milk I thinned the icing with amaretto.
Don’t do it.
I followed the directions. Despite a few misgivings of the process. Should have stuck to my instinct.
Roll baked on top but demanded raw on the bottom. Waste of good apples and my time.
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