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Apple Cinnamon Cream Cheese Roll Ups are warm, crispy little bundles of sweet cream cheese and spiced apple wrapped in cinnamon swirl bread, and they became the cozy fall weekend breakfast my girls request the second the leaves start to turn. There is no fussy dough, just bread, a quick filling, and a roll in cinnamon sugar. If you love our air fryer cinnamon rolls, these easy roll ups scratch the same warm-and-sweet itch in half the time.
Crispy on the outside, creamy and apple-spiced on the inside, these disappear off the plate before they even cool.
Apple Cinnamon Cream Cheese Roll Ups Quick Look
- đź•’ Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 20 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 30 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 7 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 173kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Warm cinnamon apple and sweet cream cheese in a crispy cinnamon-sugar shell
- âś‹ Difficulty: Easy, no dough required, on par with our air fryer cinnamon rolls
Quick Answer
To make apple cinnamon cream cheese roll ups, flatten crustless cinnamon swirl bread with a rolling pin, spread on a filling of cream cheese, apple pie filling, and powdered sugar, then roll each slice into a log. Dip the roll ups in melted butter, coat in cinnamon sugar, and bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes until golden and crispy. Serve warm with caramel sauce.
Jump to:
- Apple Cinnamon Cream Cheese Roll Ups Quick Look
- Quick Answer
- Why This Recipe Works
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Key Ingredients
- Variations and Substitutions
- How to Make Apple Cinnamon Cream Cheese Roll Ups
- Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Serving Ideas and Suggestions
- Apple Cinnamon Cream Cheese Roll Ups FAQs
- Other Recommended Easy Breakfast Recipes
- Apple Cinnamon Cream Cheese Roll Ups
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Cinnamon swirl bread is a shortcut. Using store-bought cinnamon bread skips all the dough work and adds built-in cinnamon flavor.
- Cream cheese and apple are a dream team. The tangy cream cheese balances the sweet, spiced apple pie filling perfectly.
- Rolling flat makes them easy to wrap. Flattening the bread with a rolling pin gives you a thin, pliable wrapper that rolls up neatly.
- The cinnamon-sugar coating gets crispy. Dipping in butter then cinnamon sugar gives the outside a sweet, crackly crust as it bakes.
- They bake, not fry. A quick bake means no messy frying and a lighter, less greasy roll up.
- Perfect for a crowd. They come together fast and make a whole platter, ideal for brunch or an afternoon snack.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- They are warm, crispy, sweet, and creamy all at once, like a hand-held apple pie.
- There is no dough to make, just bread, filling, and cinnamon sugar.
- They are perfect for fall brunch, served alongside our lemon blueberry coffee cake.
Key Ingredients
Just a few simple ingredients turn into these cozy roll ups. Here is what each one brings.
- Cinnamon Swirl Bread: The shortcut wrapper. It is soft, pliable, and brings built-in cinnamon flavor with no dough required.
- Cream Cheese: The creamy, tangy filling base that balances the sweet apple.
- Apple Pie Filling: Finely chopped, it brings sweet, spiced apple flavor. Cinnamon applesauce works in a pinch.
- Cinnamon, Sugar, and Butter: Melted butter helps the cinnamon sugar stick, giving the roll ups their crispy, sweet coating.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
These roll ups are easy to make your own. Here are a few fun twists.
- Other fruit: Swap the apple pie filling for cherry, blueberry, or strawberry.
- Add nuts: Stir chopped pecans or walnuts into the filling for crunch.
- Caramel drizzle: Serve with warm caramel sauce for dipping, like a caramel apple.
- Pumpkin spice: Use a spoonful of pumpkin butter in place of apple for a fall twist.
- Make them salty-sweet: Add a pinch of salt to the cinnamon sugar to balance the sweetness, much like our air fryer cinnamon rolls.
How to Make Apple Cinnamon Cream Cheese Roll Ups
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut the crusts off the cinnamon swirl bread and flatten each slice with a rolling pin.
- In a bowl, mix the cream cheese, finely chopped apple pie filling, and powdered sugar until smooth and combined.
- Spread about a tablespoon of the filling onto each flattened slice of bread.
- Roll each slice up tightly into a log.
- Dip each roll up in melted butter, then roll in the cinnamon sugar mixture to coat all over.
- Place seam-side down on a baking sheet and bake for about 20 minutes until golden and crispy. Serve warm with caramel sauce.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Use fresh, soft bread. Soft cinnamon swirl bread rolls up without cracking, while stale bread will split.
- Flatten thin. Roll the bread nice and thin so the roll ups wrap tightly and bake up crispy.
- Do not overfill. About a tablespoon of filling per slice keeps them from oozing as they bake.
- Seam-side down. Place the roll ups seam-side down so they stay sealed in the oven.
- Coat fully. Roll each one all over in butter then cinnamon sugar for an even, crispy crust.
- Serve warm. These are best fresh from the oven while the cream cheese center is warm and soft.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
Serve these apple cinnamon cream cheese roll ups warm, dusted with a little extra cinnamon sugar or a drizzle of caramel sauce for dipping. They are the perfect cozy breakfast, brunch, or afternoon snack.
Make it a full fall brunch spread with our lemon blueberry coffee cake and a batch of baked cake donuts. Add a pot of coffee and you have a breakfast everyone will remember.
They also make a fun dessert. Serve them after dinner with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, or set out a platter at a holiday gathering next to our air fryer cinnamon rolls for a sweet, hand-held treat.
These roll ups are also wonderful for entertaining because they hold up well on a buffet. Arrange them on a pretty platter with little bowls of caramel for dipping and a dusting of powdered sugar, and let everyone help themselves. They travel nicely too, so they are a great pick for potlucks, school breakfasts, and holiday mornings when you want something special without spending all morning in the kitchen.
Apple Cinnamon Cream Cheese Roll Ups FAQs
Cinnamon swirl sandwich bread works best because it is soft, pliable, and already has cinnamon flavor. Regular white or brioche bread also works; just add a little extra cinnamon to the sugar coating.
You can assemble the roll ups, cover, and refrigerate them for a few hours before baking. For the crispiest result, dip in butter and cinnamon sugar and bake just before serving.
Store cooled roll ups in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. Reheat in the oven or air fryer for a few minutes to bring back the crispy coating.
Yes. Freeze the baked roll ups in an airtight container for up to two months. Reheat from frozen in a 350 degree oven until warmed through and crispy.
Cinnamon applesauce is the easiest swap. You can also use finely chopped fresh apples cooked down with a little cinnamon and sugar, or any fruit pie filling you like.
Absolutely. Air fry them at 350 degrees for about 6 to 8 minutes, flipping halfway, until golden and crispy. Watch closely since air fryers run hot.
Craving more cozy breakfast bites? Try our soft air fryer cinnamon rolls next.
Another easy morning treat is our baked donut holes.
More cozy fruit treats await, like our easy peach fritters.
You will also love our overnight French toast casserole with pecan crumble.
For more apple goodness, our apple fritters are crispy, sweet, and so easy.
apple crumble
cinnamon applesauce
wine poached pears
Apple Cinnamon Cream Cheese Roll Ups
Ingredients
- 1 loaf cinnamon swirl bread
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- 4 ounces apple pie filling chopped fine (or cinnamon applesauce in a pinch)
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 stick 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- Cinnamon Buttermilk Caramel Sauce for dipping optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F degrees. Cut crusts off bread, roll out with a rolling pin until flattened. Set aside.
- Mix the cream cheese, apple pie filling, and powdered sugar until smooth and combined. Set aside. Mix together the cinnamon and granulated sugar, set aside.
- Spoon about a tablespoon amount onto each piece of bread. Roll bread pieces to resemble cigars. Dip in the butter then immediately roll into the sugar. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake 16-20 minutes until golden brown. Serve warm with caramel sauce if desired.
Video
Notes
- This recipe was inspired by Lil Luna’s Cinnamon Cream Cheese Roll-Ups.
- You do not have to use cinnamon swirl bread for this recipe, you can use regular white or wheat.
- Feel free to make your own homemade apple pie filling.
- Cinnamon applesauce can be used in a pinch for this recipe.
- Easily double this batch, trust me you will want to!
- These are great served with a tasty caramel sauce, or even a powdered sugar and milk glaze.
Nutrition
Love This Recipe?
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Delish,
my husband can’t stop raving about them. I used apple filling. Can you freeze them, for later?
Here is our cinnamon buttermilk caramel sauce: https://thissillygirlskitchen.com/cinnamon-buttermilk-caramel-sauce/
They are also amazing dipped in our butterscotch sauce: https://thissillygirlskitchen.com/butterscotch-sauce/