Make the DoughIn a medium sized pot or dutch oven, heat the milk, butter, and sugar over medium heat until the liquid is steaming and the butter and sugar are melted. The temperature is around 185° (6-8 minutes).

Remove the pot from the heat and allow the mixture to cool to 100°.

While the milk is cooling, make the apple pie fillingOver medium hight heat, melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a 10” skillet.

Add the diced apples to the skillet and toss to coat in butter. 

Sprinkle on the 1 1/2 teaspoons of cinnamon and 2 tablespoons of sugar over the apples and cook until tender. This should take about 20 minutes and any liquid should be evaporated. The apples should reduce to 3 cups. Remove the filling from the heat and let cool.

Finish making the doughOnce the milk mixture has cooled, sprinkle the yeast on top of the milk and bloom for 1 minute.

Add 4 cups of flour, the baking powder and the salt to the pot. Stir until combined (it will be sticky) and cover with a damp towel. Let the dough sit in the pot for 1 hour to rise.

Once the dough has risen, add the last 1 cup of flour to the pot and stir until mostly combined. Some streaks of flour are ok.

Pour the contents of the pot out onto a floured work surface and knead the dough into a smooth ball. Sprinkle on additional flour only if needed to prevent sticking. The dough should be soft, but not sticking to the countertop.*

Add the fillingsOnce the dough is in a smooth ball, use a lightly floured rolling pin to roll it out about 1/2” thick into a 16x21” rectangle. If the dough starts to pull back on you, let it rest for 10-15 minutes and try rolling it again.

Once rolled, pour the 5 tablespoons of melted butter over the rectangle. Use a spoon or a pastry brush to evenly coat the surface of the dough in butter.

Combine the 2 tablespoons of cinnamon and 1 cup of sugar in a small bowl and sprinkle it evenly over the butter and dough. 

Next, grab your cooled apple pie filling and evenly distribute it over the cinnamon sugar.

Shape and cut the Cinnamon rollsTo roll up your cinnamon buns, start with the edge nearest to you and roll it up to the top. Make sure to roll the dough tightly and keep the filling from falling out.  Roll until you’ve formed a log and the seam side is hidden underneath. 

Using a sharp knife or bench scraper, cut the log into slices 1 1/4” wide.

Spray two 9x9” pans (square or round) with cooking spray and divide your cinnamon rolls between the two pans. You’ll have about 7-9 rolls per pan.

The Second Rise and BakingCover the cinnamon rolls with a damp towel and allow them to rise in a warm spot for 30 minutes. While the buns are rising, preheat your oven to 375°.

The buns won’t double in size, but they will have risen slightly. 

After 30 minutes, pop your apple cinnamon rolls into the oven and bake at 375° for 27-30 minutes until golden brown and the centers have risen.

Make your vanilla icingTo make the icing, combine the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract. Stir until smooth and add an extra tablespoon of milk if needed to get the icing pourable.

When your cinnamon rolls are done baking, remove them from the oven and immediately pour the glaze over each pan of rolls. Allow the cinnamon rolls to cool down enough to be handled and serve warm. Enjoy!