Apple Pie Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls – Overnight Recipe

Tender, oozing with apple pie filling, and topped with a vanilla glaze, these apple pie sourdough cinnamon rolls are irresistible!

The apple filling is made from scratch to perfectly capture the taste of a homemade apple pie, all wrapped up in a soft sourdough cinnamon roll.

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The dough, apple filling, and cinnamon sugar filling can all easily be made the night before, making these amazing overnight sourdough apple cinnamon rolls one you’ll want on repeat throughout the fall season.

Whether you enjoy them for a birthday breakfast, Christmas morning, or another special occasion, these apple pie sourdough cinnamon rolls will be a hit with the whole family.

Overnight Apple Pie Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls (with Vanilla Glaze)

These tender overnight sourdough cinnamon rolls are stuffed with from scratch apple pie filling and topped with a vanilla glaze for a fall treat you'll want on repeat. Makes 12 rolls.

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Prep Time 1 hour hr

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Proofing Time 12 hours hrs

Total Time 13 hours hrs 25 minutes mins

Course Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 12

Equipment

• Stand mixer
• Electric hand mixer

Ingredients

  

• ½ cup unsalted butter softened
• ¼ cup water room temperature
• ½ cup whole milk room temperature
• ¼ cup sugar
• ½ cup active sourdough starter 100% hydration
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ cup wheat flour
• 2½ cups all purpose flour

Apple Pie Filling

• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 3 cups finely diced apples
• ⅓ cup brown sugar packed
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 Tbsp water
• pinch of salt

Cinnamon Brown Sugar Filling

• 6 Tbs butter
• 3 tsp cinnamon
• ½ cup brown sugar packed

Vanilla Icing

• 1 cup confectioner's sugar
• 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp whole milk
• 1¼ tsp vanilla extract
• pinch of salt

Instructions

 

Make the dough:

• To mix the sourdough cinnamon roll dough, combine the softened butter, water, whole milk, active sourdough starter, sugar, salt, and wheat flour in a stand mixer on medium speed. One cup at a time, add the all-purpose flour to the mixer. Continue to knead the cinnamon roll dough for about 5 minutes.
• Remove the dough to a greased medium mixing bowl and cover with plastic wrap or beeswax wrap. Allow to sit at room temperature for 12-16 hours.

Make the apple pie filling:

• To make the apple pie filling, melt the 2 tablespoons of butter in a medium-sized saucepan. Once fully melted, add the brown sugar, pinch of salt, and cinnamon, and stir to combine. Add the finely diced apples and water and mix.
• Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the apples soften and the sauce reduces to a caramel-like glaze on the apples. Remove from the heat and store in an air-tight container until ready to assemble the cinnamon rolls.

Make the cinnamon brown sugar filling:

• To make the cinnamon brown sugar filling, use an electric hand mixer to mix the softened butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and pinch of salt until well combined. Store at room temperature until ready to assemble the apple pie cinnamon rolls.

Assemble the rolls:

• When ready to assemble, roll the sourdough cinnamon roll dough out on a lightly floured surface until it reaches a 16-inch by 12-inch rectangle. Spread the cinnamon brown sugar filling evenly over the rectangle. Next, layer the apple pie filling on top of the cinnamon brown sugar filling.
• Roll the dough up, starting with one long side and working towards the other long side. Once rolled up, pinch the long edge of the dough to the roll to help the cinnamon rolls not unwind/separate. Using thread or dental floss, cut the cinnamon roll dough log into 12 individual rolls and place in a prepared 9×13 inch baking dish. Cover and allow to rise in a warm place for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Bake:

• When ready to bake, uncover the rolls and place them in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until lightly golden brown. Remove the pan from the oven allow to cool for 10 minutes.

Mix the vanilla glaze:

• Mix the vanilla glaze (while the apple pie cinnamon rolls are cooling) by combining the confectioner's sugar, whole milk, pinch of salt, and vanilla extract and mixing until smooth. Pour over the warm apple pie sourdough cinnamon rolls.
• Serve warm; store leftovers in an airtight container for 4 days.

Notes

Cut the rolls with thread – Use a thread or dental floss to divide the log into rolls by laying the log over the thread, and then bringing both ends of the thread up and pinching them together. 

Room temperature milk and water – Using room temperature milk and water helps the dough remain tender as you mix it and gives you a more accurate idea of its consistency. 

Prep the filling ahead – Prep the apple pie filling ahead of time to make this recipe quicker to assemble.

Keyword apple pie, apple pie sourdough cinnamon rolls, fall recipes, sourdough cinnamon rolls, sourdough recipes

Kitchen Equipment

Ingredients to Note

• Unsalted butter – Using unsalted butter gives you more control over the saltiness of the recipe. You can substitute with salted butter, just reduce the salt in the dough recipe by 1/8 tsp.
• Sourdough starter – You’ll want active starter at 100% hydration for this recipe.
• Apples – I used Gala apples in mine, but you can use whatever variety of apples you prefer. See below for recommendations of best baking apples.
• Wheat flour – I included a small amount of wheat flour in this recipe for the depth of flavor it gives.
• Vanilla extract – This gives the glaze the perfect, rich vanilla flavor.

Tips for Apple Pie Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls

Cut the rolls with thread – Use a thread or dental floss to divide the log into rolls by laying the log over the thread, and then bringing both ends of the thread up and pinching them together. Using a knife will squish your cinnamon roll log and squish the filing out.

Room temperature milk and water – Using room temperature milk and water helps the dough remain tender as you mix it and gives you a more accurate idea of its consistency. If you use cold milk or water, it will cause the softened butter to become harder and make the dough appear to be stiff/too dry when it is not.

Prep the filling ahead – Prep the apple pie filling ahead of time to make this recipe quicker to assemble.

What are the best apples for baking?

Granny Smith, Red Delicious, or Pink Lady are considered some of the best baking apples for their firmness, texture, and flavor. See this list for a more in detail break down of best apples for baking.

Active vs. Discard Sourdough

Active sourdough starter is starter that was fed 4-12 hours earlier and is at its peak activity level/bubbliness. It is fresher tasting and does not create as tangy of a dough.

Discard sourdough is sourdough that has already reached its peak and fallen, and is the extra starter you would “discard” before feeding. It lends a much tangier sourdough flavor.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Step-by-Step Instructions and Photos

1. To mix the sourdough cinnamon roll dough, combine the softened butter, water, whole milk, active sourdough starter, sugar, salt, and wheat flour in the bowl of a stand mixer on medium speed. One cup at a time, add the all-purpose flour to the mixer. Continue to knead the cinnamon roll dough for about 5 minutes.

2. Remove the dough to a greased medium mixing bowl and cover with plastic wrap or damp towel. Allow to sit at room temperature for 10-16 hours.

3. To make the apple pie filling, melt the 2 tablespoons of butter in a medium-sized saucepan. Once fully melted, add the brown sugar, pinch of salt, and cinnamon, and stir to combine. Add the finely diced apples and water and mix.

4. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the apples soften and the sauce reduces to a caramel-like glaze on the apples. Remove from the heat and store in an air-tight container until ready to assemble the cinnamon rolls.

5. To make the cinnamon brown sugar filling, use an electric hand mixer to mix the softened butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and pinch of salt until well combined. Store at room temperature until ready to assemble the apple pie cinnamon rolls.

6. When ready to assemble, roll the sourdough cinnamon roll dough out on a lightly floured surface until it reaches a 16-inch by 12-inch large rectangle. Spread the cinnamon brown sugar filling evenly over the rectangle. Next, layer the apple pie filling on top of the cinnamon brown sugar filling.

7. Roll the dough up, starting with one long side and working towards the other long side. Once rolled up, pinch the long edge of the dough to the roll to help the cinnamon rolls not unwind/separate. Using thread or dental floss, cut the cinnamon roll dough log into 12 individual equal-sized rolls and place in a prepared 9×13 inch baking dish. Cover and allow to rise in a warm place for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

8. When ready to bake, uncover the rolls and place them in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until lightly golden brown. Remove the pan from the oven allow to cool for 10 minutes.

9. Mix the vanilla glaze (while the apple pie cinnamon rolls are cooling) by combining the confectioner’s sugar, vanilla extract, pinch of salt, and vanilla extract and mixing until smooth. Pour over the warm apple pie sourdough cinnamon rolls.

10. Serve warm; store leftovers in an airtight container for 4 days.