Apple Walnut Cinnamon Rolls
These apple walnut cinnamon rolls are super easy to make. They are loaded with apples and walnuts, baked to perfection, and topped with a cream cheese frosting that melts into the crevasses of the each roll.
Servings: 8 Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
- 2 containers Pillsbury refrigerated original crescent rolls
Apple Walnut Filling
- 2 cups granny smith apples, peeled, and chopped into small chunks
- ¾ cup water
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Brown Sugar Mixture
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- 5 tablespoons melted butter
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 2 ounce cream cheese, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and spray a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a medium saucepan over low heat, bring water, sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch, and cinnamon to a boil, stirring constantly. Continue stirring for 3-4 minutes until the sauce thickens up.
- Once the sauce thickens, add the apples, stir, and let simmer for 7-8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Let cool.
- In a small bowl, stir brown sugar, sugar, cinnamon, walnuts and butter together until crumbly, set aside.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out crescent dough. Pinch seams together and roll out a bit to smooth.
- Spread brown sugar mixture over crescent dough.
- Spread apples over brown sugar mixture.
- Roll out the second package of crescent dough, pinch seams together and roll a bit more.
- Place on top of the apple filling, press down a bit and then cut lengthwise into 8 long strips.
- Take one strip and pinch the sides together. Twist each strip about 6-7 times and roll into a pinwheel.
- Place each crescent roll into the prepared dish.
- Bake for 20-22 minutes or until golden brown.
- In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese and butter together until smooth.
- Add vanilla and slowly add powdered sugar. Beat until creamy.
- Spread cream cheese frosting over cinnamon rolls and enjoy
Notes
- Stir your apple filling constantly as it cooks to avoid sticking.
- Unlike other frosted recipes, you want your cinnamon rolls to be warm when you add the frosting. This allows it to melt a little and get into all the nooks and crannies.
- Fully soften your butter and cream cheese to create the smoothest filling and frosting, avoiding little bits of raw butter or cream cheese in them.