Recipe of the Week: Sheet-Pan Apple Cinnamon Roll Bites

Warm, sweet and easy to share, Sheet-Pan Apple Cinnamon Roll Bites are a simple treat for breakfast, brunch or dessert. Made with soft cinnamon roll pieces and apple flavor in every bite, this recipe bakes together on one pan for a cozy, crowd-friendly dish that is perfect for fall mornings, holiday gatherings or anytime a quick homemade-style sweet is needed.

Cooking Times

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Yield: 36 servings

Ingredients: 

Cinnamon Roll Dough

• 3/4 cup whole milk, heated to 110°
• 1 (1/4-oz.) packet active dry yeast (2 1/4 tsp.)
• 1/4 cup (50 g.) granulated sugar
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 2 3/4 cups (330 g.) all-purpose flour
• 3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• Cooking spray

Filling

• 1 cup (215 g.) packed dark brown sugar
• 6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
• 1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp. ground allspice
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• All-purpose flour, for dusting
• 2 Honeycrisp or Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, finely chopped
• Cooking spray

Streusel

• 2/3 cup (80 g.) all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup (55 g.) packed dark brown sugar
• 3 Tbsp. granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
• 3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

Glaze

• 1 cup (115 g.) confectioners’ sugar
• 6 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• 2 tsp. unsalted butter
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Cooking Instructions

Cinnamon Roll Dough

1. Step 1: Pour milk into the large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Sprinkle yeast and granulated sugar over and mix with a wooden spoon until yeast is dissolved. Let sit until foaming, about 10 minutes.
2. Step 2: Add egg, flour, butter, and salt and attach bowl to stand mixer. Beat on low speed until just combined. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until dough starts to pull away from bowl and forms into a ball, 8 to 10 minutes.
3. Step 3: Grease a large bowl with cooking spray. Transfer dough to bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Filling

1. Step 1: In a small bowl, mix brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, allspice, and salt until a paste forms.
2. Step 2: Punch down dough, then turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide into 3 pieces (about 220 g. each). Roll each piece to a 15″ x 8 1/2″ rectangle.
3. Step 3: Using an offset or small spatula, spread filling across rectangles. Sprinkle with apples. Roll up and over filling into 3 long logs. Using a sharp knife, slice each log into 12 pieces.
4. Step 4: Lightly grease a jelly roll pan or quarter sheet pan with cooking spray. Arrange pieces on prepared pan and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes more.

Streusel

1. Step 1: Preheat oven to 375°. In a small bowl, whisk flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Pour butter over and mix with a fork or with your hands until crumbles form. Sprinkle streusel over rolls.
2. Step 2: Bake rolls until tops are golden brown and streusel is firm, 25 to 30 minutes.

Glaze

1. Step 1: In the large bowl of stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat confectioners’ sugar, cream cheese, milk, butter, and vanilla until a smooth glaze forms.
2. Step 2: Transfer glaze to a piping bag fitted with a large round tip or a resealable plastic bag with a corner snipped off. Pipe glaze over rolls while warm.