Servings
Font
Back
4.8 from 24 votes

Dulce de Leche Cinnamon Rolls

These Dulce de Leche Cinnamon Rolls stuffed with apples and pecans are the perfect fall and winter treat made with a Mexican twist!

Prep Time
1 hr 6 mins
Cook Time
6 mins
Total Time
1 hr 36 mins
Servings: 12 cinnamon
Calories: 366 kcal
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Mexican

Ingredients

For the dough
  • 1 packet active yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons), dissolved in 1/2 cup warm water
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 cup hot water
  • 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 large egg
For the filling
  • 3 medium baking apples (such as Honeycrisp or Jonathan apples), peeled and diced
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 .4-ounce can La Lechera® Dulce de Leche
  • 1/2 cup pecan halves, chopped
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter chopped
For the cream cheese frosting
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 2 ounces cream cheese
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tiny pinch of salt

Instructions

Make the dough
    Cup of Yum
  1. In a small cup, mix a packet of active yeast with 1/2 a cup of warm water. Let sit for 5 minutes. The mixture should start to get foamy, which means the yeast is alive and working. If it doesn’t get foamy, the yeast isn’t activated and you should try again with another packet.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add butter, sugar, salt and hot water. Mix together until sugar has mostly dissolved. (If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can stir and knead everything by hand.) Add half of the all-purpose flour and mix on low until well combined. Add the yeast mixture and the egg and mix on low until well combined.
  3. Using the dough hook, gradually mix in the remaining flour and knead on low for 6 to 8 minutes, until it becomes super smooth and silky. If dough is sticking to the mixing bowl, add in 1 tablespoon of flour at a time until it no longer sticks.
  4. Transfer the smooth dough into a large oiled bowl and cover with a towel. Place bowl in a warm spot (like the top of your fridge or in the microwave, wherever is warmest) and let rise for 30 minutes until the dough has almost doubled in size.
Make the filling
  1. While the dough is rising, make the apple filling. Add apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla extract, lemon juice and ground cloves into a small pot. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the apples are super tender and have soaked up a lot of the sugar and liquid, about 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
Fill and roll the cinnamon rolls
  1. Remove the risen dough from the bowl and place on a lightly floured surface. Roll dough into a large rectangle with a rolling pin. Lift the dough carefully with your hands and add more flour to your surface to make sure the dough isn’t sticking.
  2. Open the can of dulce de leche and spread 1/2 a cup evenly over the dough, leaving about an inch of bare dough on all sides. Then add the cooked apple filling, the chopped pecans and pieces of butter.
  3. Carefully roll the dough as tightly as possible into one long roll. The process might get messy because of all the delicious ooey-gooey stuff inside. That’s okay! Just do the best you can. Cut into 12 rolls using a piece of dental floss, thread, or a sharp serrated knife.
  4. Place rolls into a greased 3 quart baking dish and cover with a towel. Place in a warm spot and let rise for 1 hour. When there’s 5 minutes remaining, preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
  5. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the cinnamon rolls are golden brown. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
Make the cream cheese frosting
  1. While the rolls are cooling, make the cream cheese frosting. In a medium bowl, add softened butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar, and a pinch of salt. Mix together using a handheld mixer and mix until smooth. Spread the frosting on rolls and serve!

Nutrition Information

Serving 1cinnamon roll Calories 366kcal (18%) Carbohydrates 64g (21%) Protein 6g (12%) Fat 9g (14%) Saturated Fat 3g (15%) Monounsaturated Fat 1g Cholesterol 31mg (10%) Potassium 20mg (1%) Fiber 3g (12%) Sugar 29g (58%) Vitamin A 200IU (4%) Vitamin C 7.4mg (8%) Calcium 40mg (4%) Iron 0.2mg (1%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 12cinnamon

Amount Per Serving

Calories 366

% Daily Value*

Serving 1cinnamon roll
Calories 366kcal 18%
Carbohydrates 64g 21%
Protein 6g 12%
Fat 9g 14%
Saturated Fat 3g 15%
Monounsaturated Fat 1g 5%
Cholesterol 31mg 10%
Potassium 20mg 0%
Fiber 3g 12%
Sugar 29g 58%
Vitamin A 200IU 4%
Vitamin C 7.4mg 8%
Calcium 40mg 4%
Iron 0.2mg 1%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.