Caramel Apple Sweet Rolls {The Pioneer Woman}

Perfect for taking to a Halloween Party or for the holidays ahead, try these gooey Caramel Apple Sweet Rolls from The Pioneer Woman’s A Year of Holidays cookbook!

I found myself cracking up last week when I was whipping up a double batch of The Pioneer Woman’s Caramel Apple Sweet Rolls, otherwise known as the BEST cinnamon rolls on earth! Which, by the way, come back to RE tomorrow for a surprise, fabulous giveaway! I’m not going to tell you what it is, but you will LOVE it!

Betty Crocker 1950.

While the dough was rising, I thumbed through a 1950’s Betty Crocker Picture Cookbook that my friend Jenny loaned me, and burst out laughing. Here Betty Crocker is sharing some “special helps” tips.

I thought of my friend, Ree, and her sense of humor; I could just see us girls acting out these recommendations … lying on the floor with our hands above our heads, taking a 5-minute rest.

Or, harboring pleasant thoughts.

So much is still true today; we just do it differently. Like, we go to yoga, most of us exercise more on a regular basis than they did back then, we have book and supper clubs…pretty much the same ideas.

Hopefully we don’t count “spending hours on Pinterest” as recreation, though.

And, when is the last time you visited your neighbors?

Visit your neighbors.

Last night when these delicious rolls came out of the oven–cooled and frosted–I did take a pan over to our neighbors. Well, my son did, because I asked him to (and I always point out how important hospitality is!). When he returned, we got a text saying thank you, and their little 5-year-old wants to marry Elliot. HA. Very cute–food does bring people together! It makes people feel happy and loved.

Chocka Mocka Locka Wocka.

I’m not sure if you read Ree’s Chocka Mocka Locka Wocka post a couple years ago, but apparently her kids also have her sense of humor. (Photo above by Ree.)

I wonder how many of her cinnamon rolls they have indulged in over the years? Lucky kids, my kids would say.

The next morning we came up with a plan of who else to “bless” with these yummy rolls, knowing that if we left them in our kitchen, that would be a dangerous thing.

Caramel Apple Sweet Rolls.

It was fun to brainstorm with the kids. My oldest said, Mom, it needs to be someone who exercises. HA! Probably true, the rolls are that rich and good.

And also a fabulous recipe for Halloween and the upcoming holidays!

Frost them thin or thick, swirly or smooth, or … no frosting! The caramel apple mixture inside is sooooo good!

ENJOY!

What recipe do you like blessing your neighbors with?

5 stars (1 review)

Leave a Review

Get the Recipe:

Caramel Apple Sweet Rolls

Adapted from A Year of Holidays from The Pioneer Woman (I doubled the recipe and used dark brown sugar and sea salt in the frosting!) and from The Pioneer Woman Cooks website.

Prep Time: 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Cook Time: 30 minutes mins

Total Time: 2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Yield: 24

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save RecipeSaved!

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

 

1x2x3x

• Dough: 2 cups whole milk 1/2 cup canola oil 1/2 cup sugar 4-1/2 cups flour 1 package active dry yeast, about 2 1/4 teaspoons 3/4 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. baking soda 1-1/2 tsp. salt Filling 4 whole Granny Smith Apples, finely diced 1 stick butter (1/2 cup) 1 cup lightly packed dark brown sugar 1/2 cup heavy cream 1 tsp. ground cinnamon Icing: 1 stick butter (1/2 cup) 1 cup packed dark brown sugar 1/2 cup heavy cream 2 cups powdered sugar 1/4 tsp. Sea salt

Instructions

 

• DOUGH
• To make the dough, combine the milk, vegetable oil, and sugar in a large saucepan or small pot. Heat it until just about to boil, but don’t allow it to boil. Turn off the heat and let it cool until warm…but not too warm! Add 4 cups of the flour and the yeast, and stir to combine. The dough will be very sticky at this point. Cover the pot and let it rise for an hour. Add the remaining flour, the baking soda, the baking powder, and the salt. Stir to combine. Then you can proceed with the rolls OR refrigerate the dough, covered, until you need it.
• FILLING
• To make the filling, saute the apples in a large skillet over medium-high heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove them to a plate and set aside. In the same skillet over medium heat, add a stick of butter and a cup of brown sugar. Stir it around until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves, then pour in the cream. Stir it around and let it bubble up and thicken for about a minute. Turn the heat to low and add the apples back to the skillet. Sprinkle in the cinnamon, stir the mixture, and let it thicken for another 1 to 2 minutes. Spoon it into a bowl to cool.
• ROLLS
• When you’re ready to make the rolls, preheat the oven to 375 degrees and roll out the dough on a floured surface to a rectangle about 10 x 30 inches. Spoon the caramel apples all over the dough and spread it out evenly. Roll the dough toward you into a long, tight roll. Pinch the seam when you get to the end, then turn the roll over so that it’s seam side down. Slice the dough into rolls 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch thick and place them into disposable foil cake pans with a little melted butter spread into the bottom of each pan (the rolls will fill about 3 to 4 pans.) Set the rolls aside and let them rise for 20 to 25 minutes, then bake them for 15 to 18 minutes, or until they’re nice and golden.
• ICING
• While the rolls are rising or baking, make the icing: Melt the butter and brown sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the brown sugar and let it dissolve and start to bubble. Add the cream, then cook for 2 minutes, whisking constantly. Turn off the heat and add the powdered sugar and whisk together. Add up to 2 more cups of powdered sugar to get to the consistency you want. The second the rolls come out of the oven, top with the icing and spread to coat all the rolls generously! Serve warm.

Author: Sandy / Reluctant Entertainer

Did you make this recipe?Tag @reluctantentertainer on Instagram and hashtag it #reluctantentertainer!

Are you following me on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest? Thanks being here today, and if you’d like to subscribe to Reluctant Entertainer, to have each post delivered straight to your e-mail box, then please add your email, here. It’s really easy!

Hey, friends … I’m also sharing a Blueberry Hand Pie recipe over at KitchenAid’s blog today. Boo! Scary!