Disclosure: This post has been sponsored by Bridgford® Foods Corporation. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
The key ingredient of this Easy Caramel Apple Cinnamon Roll recipe is Bridgford Frozen Ready-Dough®- to find a coupon for this product go to this site!
Cooking for the holidays can be a bit of a conundrum. On one hand, this is the time to go all out and make some real show-stoppers for everyone to enjoy. But on the other hand, you only get one chance each year to spend the time with family and friends, so you might not want to waste it by giving yourself too much to do and not enough time to make memories with the ones you love!
Bridgford Frozen Ready-Dough® is one of those secret weapons that can make classic holiday recipes both easy and memorable. Whether you're looking for a shortcut for fluffy rolls to serve with dinner, or need to save time on those sweet cinnamon rolls that everyone looks forward to for brunch, Bridgford's easy-to-use products allow you to relax and stress less knowing that a good portion of the work is already done!
I discovered Bridgford Frozen Ready-Dough® years ago when I found a recipe for a Sausage & Cheese Breakfast Bread that my family fell head over heels for. Though I'm usually a "from-scratch" kind of baker, I needed all the help I could get during the busy holiday season and picked up a package of Ready-Dough for the recipe. {I found it in the frozen section of my local Publix -- click here to see where you can find it near you!} The results were unbelievably soft and fluffy, and the breakfast bread became a dish that was requested annually by my family. Since then, I've become a huge fan of the convenience Ready-Dough can provide when your "To-Do" list in the kitchen is overwhelming!
The best part about saving time is being able to dedicate those extra minutes to having more fun and enjoying each others' company. Inviting kids into the kitchen to help with holiday meal prep may sound like the last thing you'd want to do when things are already hectic, but you'd be surprised at how simple it can be with your supervision to create beaming smiles and lasting memories by letting those little hands help -- just look at it as controlled chaos! 😉
These Easy Caramel Apple Cinnamon Rolls are perfect for letting budding bakers feel like they're an important part of the holiday prep! Bridgford Frozen Ready-Dough® {Bonus: The smell of these baking in the oven is better than any seasonal candle on the market!}
If you're planning ahead, you can thaw the Ready-Dough in the fridge overnight so that it's ready to roll out in the morning; otherwise, let it thaw out a few hours before you're planning on using it, or even use the microwave thawing instructions if you're in a pinch. You can also completely assemble and refrigerate the rolls a day ahead and let them finish rising before you bake them off first thing in the morning, which is why this is a great recipe for holiday brunches.
Kids love helping to roll out the dough, slather on the butter and sprinkle on the filling, and everyone will love taking a bite of the end result!
If there's anything I've learned over the years, it's that as much as your family wants mouthwatering dishes throughout the holidays, they want your company even more, so there's no harm in finding some shortcuts that can help you give them both things. I hope you'll make the sweetest memories yet this holiday season!
Easy Caramel Apple Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 pound loaf of Bridgford Frozen Ready-Dough® thawed
- 1 stick softened butter divided
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 cups medium apples peeled and grated
- 3 tablespoons flour
For Caramel Glaze
- 4 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk or half & half
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Lightly flour the surface where you will roll out your Ready-Dough as well as your rolling pin. Prepare a 9x13 inch baking pan by lightly buttering or spraying with non-stick spray. Set aside.
- Carefully roll out the thawed dough to a 10x12 rectangle. Spread about 6 tablespoons of the softened butter all over the dough {don't miss the edges}. In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar and cinnamon until well-combined. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the buttered dough.
- Squeeze the excess juice out of the grated apples as well as you can, then scatter the shredded apple over the top of the cinnamon and sugar mixture as evenly as possible. Sprinkle the flour evenly over the top of the apples.
- Starting with the end closest to you, carefully roll up the dough as tightly as possible, placing it seam-side down when you've reached the end.
- With a sharp, serrated knife, cut the log into 12 rolls. Place the rolls in the prepared baking pan. {Leave space between them as they will grow quite a bit.}
- Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and brush over the top of each roll. Cover the pan with a clean kitchen towel or a piece of foil and set it somewhere warm to rise until about doubled in size. {Alternatively, you can cover and refrigerate over night if you're planning on baking them the next day.}
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Once the rolls have doubled, bake for about 20-25 minutes until the tops are golden brown and the rolls are cooked through. Remove from oven and cool for about 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the glaze: In a small sauce pan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Stir in the brown sugar and bring the mixture to a bubble, stirring continuously for about 1 minute. It will start to look opaque and a bit lighter in color.
- Remove from heat and add milk and vanilla. Stir until well-combined. Cool slightly.
- Add the powdered sugar ½ cup at a time until the desired consistency is reached. {The glaze will thicken as it cools so keep that in mind.}
- Drizzle or spread the mixture over the warm cinnamon rolls before serving.
