The Best Apple Pie Sourdough Cinnamon Buns

If there’s one thing we all love come Fall, it’s apple pie and when you combine it with cinnamon buns you get the most incredible apple pie sourdough cinnamon buns that are to die for! Soft, fluffy, gooey and full of cozy spices….it doesn’t get any better.

If there is one thing you make this apple season with your sourdough starter, it needs to be these Apple Pie Cinnamon Buns! They give you all the flavours you love in apple pie, wrapped up in a soft sourdough bun and topped with cream cheese icing.

These buns make look complicated, but I promise they are very simple to make. You start with a simple buttery sourdough dough, let it rise, then roll it up with a spiced apple pie filling. Give the buns one final rise before baking, then top with a thick cream cheese frosting and more of that apple pie filling!

Whether you are looking for a decadent brunch treat to make, or just want some cozy Fall baking to do, these are perfect for you. You can make these Apple Pie Sourdough Cinnamon Buns ahead of time and store them in the fridge for a couple days before baking or you can finish them completely and store in the freezer as is. Whenever you choose to make these, I have no doubt that they will be enjoyed!

Tips for Making apple Pie Sourdough Cinnamon Buns

1. Use a fed and active sourdough starter. You want your starter to be nice and strong, so I recommend feeding it a 1:4:4 ratio about 8-10 hours before you want to make the dough. This will ensure you get that nice, soft, and fluffy texture.
2. If possible, allow the dough to rest in a nice warm place. I like to turn my oven on for a few minutes to let it get warm (not hot), then turn it off and place my covered bowl of dough inside. This can help ensure your dough doesn’t take too long to rise.
3. When making the apple pie filling, I recommend allowing it to cool before spreading it onto the dough. If the filling is still warm, it can melt your butter and brown sugar mixture and end up being really messy when you are trying to roll and slice the buns.
4. To get a beautiful, and thick cream cheese frosting, the key is to add the cream cheese in last. Often recipes will tell you to beat the cream cheese with the butter but this will give you a runny unstable cream cheese frosting.

Apple Pie Sourdough Cinnamon Buns Ingredients

Sourdough Starter– As mentioned above, you want to use a strong, active fed sourdough starter.

Milk– Whole milk or 2% will give you the best flavour. Be sure it is lightly warmed to help your dough rise.

Butter– You can use salted or unsalted. I always use salted as I like the extra flavour.

Sugar– There is white sugar in the dough to give just a subtle sweetness.

Brow Sugar– This is essential for your filling, to give you that nice rich caramel type flavour.

Flour- Unbleached all purpose flour or bread flour work.

Egg– You just need one egg for this dough, preferably at room temperature.

Apples– Use any type of apple you prefer for the apple pie filling. If you like a more firm texture to your cooked apples use something like honey crisp or Granny Smith.

Cinnamon– You can’t have cinnamon buns or apple pie without it!

Nutmeg– This is as essential spice to give you that apple pie flavour.

Cornstarch– Just a touch of cornstarch is used to help thicken the apple pie filling.

Cream Cheese– Use brick cream cheese opposed to spreadable cream cheese for a nice thick frosting.

Powdered Sugar– This is used in creating a nice smooth icing.

The Steps

Make The Dough

1. Start by whisking together the milk, sourdough starter, sugar, butter and egg in a large bowl.
2. Then, add in the flour and salt and mix with an electric mixer with dough hook attachment for about 7 minutes. Alternatively, you can mix this dough and knead it by hand. You will have to knead for about 10 minutes.
3. Once the dough is smooth and soft, place it back in the bowl, cover with a damp tea towel and let rest in a warm place for about 6 hours.

Make The Filling

1. While the dough is resting, make the apple pie filling. Combine all of the apple pie filling ingredients into a medium sized pot and cook on medium heat until the apples are tender and the mixture has thickened.
2. Remove from heat, and allow to cool until you are ready to use.

Fill and Roll The Buns

1. After the dough has finished resting for 6 hours, Remove it from the bowl and place on a clean counter.
2. Roll the dough into a large rectangle, about 1/4 inch thick.
3. Then, stir together all of the brown sugar filling ingredients until you have a thick smooth filling. Spread this evenly over the rolled out dough.
4. Next, spread about 2/3 of the cooled apple pie filling over the brown sugar filling.
5. Finally, you are going to roll the dough lengthwise, away from you into a nice log.
6. Using a sharp knife, slice the log into 8 even sized pieces and place them into a greased 9×13 baking dish.
7. Cover the pan with plastic wrap, then stick the buns in the refrigerator overnight night so you can bake them the next day.

Final Rise and Bake

1. Remove the buns from the refrigerator about 6 hours before you want to bake them. Let them rest at room temperature until they are nice a puffy.
2. Roughly 6 hours later, preheat your oven to 350F.
3. Once heated, bake the buns for 25-35 minutes or until golden brown on top. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
4. While the buns cool, add the 1/2 cup room temp butter to a bowl with a stand mixer. Beat the butter on high for about 7-9 minutes or until really light and fluffy.
5. Then, slowly add in the powdered sugar, beating until smooth and fully incorporated.
6. Finally, add in the cream cheese and beat just until the icing is nice and smooth.
7. Spread the cream cheese frosting over each one of the cooled cinnamon buns, and top with a little spoonful of the remaining apple pie filling. Enjoy!

If you give this recipe a try, leave a comment or recipe review below!

Looking for more delicious Fall goodies to bake?

https://cmbarndominium.com/how-to-make-rosemary-garlic-sourdough-pumpkin-buns/

https://cmbarndominium.com/how-to-make-perfect-cinnamon-sugar-pumpkin-sourdough-bread/

https://cmbarndominium.com/salted-caramel-apple-pie-sourdough-focaccia-bread/

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