Apple Cider Cinnabon Delights
These Apple Cider Cinnabon Delights are the fall treat you are going to want to make on repeat. An incredibly soft and pillowy apple cider dough fries up perfectly golden with just the right amount of chew, then each one gets stuffed to the brim with a sweet and slightly tangy cream cheese filling that melts into every single bite. Brushed with an apple cider butter soak while still warm and rolled in cinnamon sugar for the most irresistible finishing touch. They taste just like the real thing but made completely from scratch at home!
If you try out this recipe, I’d love to see it! Leave a comment with a star rating below and tag @wellmadebykiley on Instagram and hashtag it #wellmadebykiley
Ingredients You Need:
Full ingredients and recipe are in the recipe card below. Read through this section for all the ingredients substitution and baking tips!
Apple Cider: Used in both the dough and the butter soak — reduced down from 2 cups to half a cup to concentrate all that delicious apple flavor into the dough, and simmered with butter for the most incredible apple cider butter soak that gets brushed over each warm delight right out of the oil. Make sure to use apple cider and not apple cider vinegar.
Milk: Warmed to around 110F to activate the yeast and adds moisture to the dough. Any milk of choice works well here.
Granulated Sugar: Feeds the yeast during activation and adds a subtle sweetness to the apple cider dough. Also used in the cinnamon sugar coating for that classic warm spiced finish on every single delight.
Active Dry Yeast: The leavening agent that gives these delights their incredibly soft and pillowy texture. Make sure it is properly activated and frothy before adding to the dough. Instant yeast works as a substitute.
Greek Yogurt or Sour Cream: Adds richness and moisture to the dough keeping every single delight incredibly soft tender and pillowy on the inside.
Salted Butter: Used in both the dough and the apple cider butter soak — melted into the dough for a rich buttery flavor and brushed over each warm delight alongside the reduced apple cider.
Eggs: Provide structure richness and stability to the apple cider dough while helping the delights hold together and fry up perfectly golden.
Vanilla Bean Paste or Extract: Adds a warm sweet aromatic flavor to both the apple cider dough and the cream cheese filling.
Bread Flour: Gives the delights a slightly chewier more structured texture that holds up beautifully during frying. All-purpose flour works as a substitute.
Salt: Balances the sweetness and enhances all the warm apple cider and cinnamon flavors in the dough and coating.
Avocado Oil: A neutral high smoke point oil that is ideal for frying the delights to a perfectly golden exterior without any unwanted flavor.
Cream Cheese: The base of the sweet and slightly tangy cream cheese filling that melts beautifully into the warm dough in every bite. Make sure it is fully at room temperature before beating for the smoothest result.
Powdered Sugar: Sweetens the cream cheese filling to a perfectly smooth and balanced consistency.
Cinnamon: Mixed with granulated sugar to create the warm spiced cinnamon sugar coating that gets rolled over each warm delight right after the apple cider butter soak for the best finishing touch.
Why You’ll Love Apple Cider Cinnabon Delights:
Soft And Pillowy Apple Cider Dough: The apple cider dough is incredibly soft, pillowy, and perfectly tender with just the right amount of chew. The apple cider flavor comes through in the most subtle and delicious way in every bite.
Cream Cheese Filling: Each one is stuffed to the brim with a sweet and slightly tangy cream cheese filling that melts beautifully into the warm dough for the most indulgent inside.
Apple Cider Butter Soak: Brushing each warm delight with an apple cider butter soak right out of the oil is the step that takes these completely over the top. It adds a rich buttery depth and enhances that warm apple cider flavor beautifully.
Cinnamon Sugar Coating: After the butter soak each one gets rolled in cinnamon sugar for a warm spiced coating that pairs perfectly with the apple cider dough and cream cheese filling.
They Taste Just Like The Real Thing: These taste exactly like the Cinnabon Delights you know and love but made completely from scratch at home — honestly even better.
Perfectly Golden Exterior: Each one fries up beautifully golden on the outside with a soft and pillowy center. The texture contrast is absolutely everything.
Impossible To Eat Just One: Between the soft dough, the melty cream cheese filling, the apple cider butter soak, and the cinnamon sugar coating — these are genuinely impossible to stop eating once you start.
Perfect For Fall: Whether it is a weekend morning, a fall gathering, or just a cozy night in, these are always the first thing to disappear from the table.
Tips for Making Apple Cider Cinnabon Delights:
Reduce The Apple Cider First: Start by reducing the apple cider well ahead of time so it has plenty of time to cool before you add it to the dough. Two cups reduces down to half a cup which concentrates all that delicious apple flavor into the dough beautifully.
Cool The Reduced Cider Completely: The reduced apple cider needs to be almost completely cooled before adding to the dough. Place it in the refrigerator to speed up the process if needed.
Make The Cream Cheese Filling Before The Dough: Prepare the cream cheese filling first, scoop it into portions, and freeze it while you make the dough. Frozen filling is much easier to work with and stays put while you seal the dough around it.
Use Room Temperature Cream Cheese: Cold cream cheese will be lumpy and hard to beat smooth. Make sure it is fully at room temperature before mixing for the creamiest most pipeable filling.
Activate The Yeast In Warm Milk: Warm the milk to around 110F before activating the yeast. It should feel like a warm bath — not too hot. Look for a frothy bubbly mixture after 5-7 minutes to know it is ready.
Let The Flour Rest Before Kneading: After mixing on low for 1 minute let the dough rest for 5 minutes before kneading. This allows the flour to absorb the liquids and gives you a smoother more elastic dough.
Keep The Dough Slightly Sticky: Only add extra flour one tablespoon at a time if the dough is too sticky to pull away from the bowl. Too much flour will give you dense dry delights instead of soft and pillowy ones.
Let The Dough Rise Fully: Give the dough a full 1 to 1.5 hours to double in size. A proper rise is what gives you that incredibly soft and pillowy texture inside each one.
Seal The Dough Very Well: This is the most important step when filling each delight. Make sure the dough is pinched and sealed tightly around the cream cheese filling so it does not seep through or melt out while frying. Refer to the video if you need a visual.
Use Parchment Paper Squares: Placing each shaped delight on a parchment paper square makes transferring them into the hot oil so much easier without deflating or misshaping them. The paper releases naturally within 10-15 seconds in the oil.
Use A Thermometer For The Oil: Keep the oil between 350F and 365F throughout frying. Too low and they will be greasy and undercooked, too high and they will brown too quickly on the outside before cooking through.
Fry In Batches: Fry about 4-6 at a time to keep the oil temperature consistent and give yourself enough room to flip them easily.
Brush With The Butter Soak While Still Warm: Brush the apple cider butter soak over each delight immediately after frying while they are still warm. This is what gives them that rich buttery coating that makes the cinnamon sugar stick perfectly.
Roll In Cinnamon Sugar Right After The Butter Soak: Roll each one in the cinnamon sugar coating immediately after brushing with the butter soak so the coating adheres evenly and beautifully to every single one.
Serve Immediately: These are at their absolute best served warm and fresh. The dough is perfectly soft and pillowy, the cream cheese filling is melty and dreamy, and the cinnamon sugar coating is at its most perfect right after rolling.
How to Store Apple Cider Cinnabon Delights:
Best Served Fresh: These apple cider cinnabon delights are at their absolute best served warm and fresh right after rolling in the cinnamon sugar coating. The dough is perfectly soft and pillowy, the cream cheese filling is melty, and the cinnamon sugar coating is at its most perfect.
Room Temperature (Short-Term): The delights can sit covered at room temperature for up to 1 day. The cinnamon sugar coating will absorb into the exterior slightly as they sit but they will still be delicious.
Refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Because of the cream cheese filling these need to be refrigerated after the first day. Let them sit at room temperature for a few minutes before serving.
To Reheat: Warm individual delights in the microwave for 15-20 seconds until warmed through. This brings the soft pillowy texture right back and gets the cream cheese filling melty again.
Freezer: Freeze individual uncoated fried delights in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, reheat in the oven at 325F until warmed through, brush with a fresh batch of apple cider butter soak, and roll in cinnamon sugar before serving.
Make Ahead (Cream Cheese Filling): The cream cheese filling portions can be scooped and frozen up to 1 week in advance and kept in the freezer until you are ready to assemble. This is a great time saver.
Make Ahead (Dough): The dough can be made and stored covered in the refrigerator overnight after the first rise. When ready to use, let it come to room temperature before dividing, filling, and frying.
Make Ahead (Apple Cider Reduction): The reduced apple cider can be made up to 3 days in advance and stored covered in the refrigerator. Bring it to room temperature before adding to the dough.
FAQs:
Q: Can I make these apple cider cinnabon delights ahead of time?
A: Yes. The cream cheese filling can be scooped and frozen up to 1 week in advance, the apple cider reduction can be made up to 3 days ahead, and the dough can be made and refrigerated overnight after the first rise. When ready, let the dough come to room temperature before dividing, filling, and frying.
Q: Can I use store-bought apple cider?
A: Yes — store-bought apple cider works perfectly here. Just make sure you are using apple cider and not apple cider vinegar. The cider gets reduced down to concentrate all that delicious apple flavor into the dough.
Q: Why do I need to reduce the apple cider?
A: Reducing the apple cider concentrates the flavor so it really comes through in the dough. Two cups reduces down to half a cup which gives you a much more intense and delicious apple cider flavor in every bite.
Q: Why do I freeze the cream cheese filling before assembling?
A: Frozen filling is much easier to work with and holds its shape while you seal the dough around it. It also prevents the filling from melting out during frying which is the most important part of getting that perfect cream cheese center.
Q: Can I use instant yeast instead of active dry yeast?
A: Yes. If using instant yeast there is no need to activate it first. Simply add it directly into the dough mixture along with the warm milk and proceed with the recipe.
Q: Can I use all-purpose flour instead of bread flour?
A: Yes. All-purpose flour works as a substitute though bread flour gives the delights a slightly chewier and more structured texture that holds up beautifully during frying.
Q: Why is my dough so sticky?
A: A slightly sticky dough is completely normal and intentional here. Only add extra flour one tablespoon at a time if the dough is too sticky to pull away from the bowl. Too much flour will result in dense dry delights instead of soft and pillowy ones.
Q: How do I know the oil is the right temperature?
A: Use a kitchen thermometer to make sure the oil stays between 350F and 365F throughout frying. Too low and they will be greasy and undercooked, too high and they will brown too fast on the outside before cooking through.
Q: Why is sealing the dough so important?
A: If the dough is not sealed tightly around the cream cheese filling it will seep through or melt out while frying. Take your time pinching and sealing each one well and refer to the video if you need a visual.
Q: Can I freeze these after frying?
A: Yes. Freeze individual uncoated fried delights in a freezer-safe bag for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, reheat in the oven at 325F, then brush with a fresh apple cider butter soak and roll in cinnamon sugar before serving.
Love this? Check out my other fall breakfast recipes:
Make sure to tag me @wellmadebykiley on Instagram and leave a review or comment if you make these apple cider cinnabon delights. Happy baking!
