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These apple caramel cream cheese buns combine pillow-soft milk bread with a creamy cream cheese filling, homemade apple pie topping, a buttery cinnamon crumble and a generous drizzle of caramel. Each bun has the perfect balance of sot, creamy, fruity, and crisp texture, with plenty of warm apple and cinnamon flavor. They’re the perfect cozy bake for fall and apple season, combining everything you love about apple pie and soft homemade buns in one delicious treat.
These apple cream cheese buns combine several different textures and flavors in one bake. The soft fluffy milk bread is filled with smooth cream cheese filling, then topped with sweet apple pie filling, a buttery cinnamon crumble and topped with a homemade salted caramel. The tanginess of the cream cheese balances with the sweet apple, while the cinnamon crumble adds a crisp contract to the pillow-soft buns.
For more bread recipes, try my Raspberry Cream Cheese Buns, Blueberry Cream Cheese Buns and Almond Croissant Buns.
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WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
- Milk bread dough: The dough for these buns is so soft and incredibly delicious! You'll never want to make another dough than this one!
- Cream cheese filling: Each bun is filled with the sweet cream cheese filling.
- Apple pie filling: The buns are filled with apple pie filling that melts right into the center and they are topped with lots of crumble.
INGREDIENT NOTES
These are some of the key ingredients for this recipe. For a full list of ingredients, check out the recipe card below.
- Yeast: I use fresh yeast but you can also use instant dry yeast
- Butter: Take it out of the fridge 1-2 hours before baking.
- Whole milk and water: Heat the milk and water up to 37ºC, make sure it's not warmer as it can kills the yeast if it's too hot.
- All-purpose flour: I use all-purpose flour. It is used both in the tangzhong and with the rest of the dough.
- Cream cheese: It's important that it's full-fat cream cheese and it's at room- temperature when using it. Take the cream cheese out of the fridge 1-2 hours before baking.
- Cinnamon: Cinnamon is used in both the crumble and the apple pie filling.
- Apples: I recommend using Gala, Honeycrisp or Fuji apples but you can also use any red apples.
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS
Here is how to make and bake these Caramel Apple Cream Cheese Buns. This recipe needs a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment and two large baking trays lined with baking paper.
The full recipe is down below in the recipe card.
STEP 1: Start by making the tangzhong for the dough. Add the milk and flour to a small saucepan. Place it on the stove over medium-high heat and constantly stir until it becomes a thick paste. Add the tangzhong to a small bowl and place it in the fridge until room temperature.
STEP 2: Heat up the milk and water until it’s lukewarm (37ºC). Crumble the fresh yeast into your mixing bowl and pour in the heated milk and water. Stir it together until the yeast has melted. If you are use instant yeast, mix it instead together with the flour before pouring over the milk and water mixture.
STEP 3: Add the granulated sugar, all-purpose flour, tangzhong, egg and using the dough hook, mix the dough on low speed for 4 minutes.
STEP 4: Continue on medium speed and add salt and the butter in two parts. Add the second part of the butter, once the first part has mixed into the dough. This part looks messy but don’t worry. Once the second part has incorporated, keep mixing the dough for 6-7 minutes. It should end up looking smooth and glossy.
STEP 5: Add the dough to a clean slightly oiled bowl, and cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel. Place it in a warm room temperature area in your house. Let it rise for 1 hour.
FILLING AND ASSEMBLING
STEP 1: For the cream cheese filling, mix together all of the ingredients until one paste and set it aside.
STEP 2: For the apple pie filling. In a saucepan heat up the apples, granulated sugar, lemon juice and cinnamon. Let it simmer on medium heat for about 5 minutes or until the apples are tender. Then turn down the heat to low and add the cornstarch slurry. Stir it together and continue stirring for about 1-2 minutes, until thickened. Take it off the heat and add the vanilla bean paste. Pour it into a bowl and place it in the refrigerator to cool down.
STEP 3: For the crumble, mix all of the ingredients together and set it aside.
Meanwhile preheat the oven to 190ºC/ 375ºF conventional oven.
STEP 4: After the second rise, use a 1 cup measurement or a cup that is around 7 cm in diameter. Press down the middle so it leaves an indent. Add the cream cheese to a piping bag and pip the cream cheese in the middle.
STEP 5: Add the apple pie filling on top and add the crumble around the edges of the bun.
STEP 6: Bake them for 15-17 minutes or until golden brown. After they have baked, place them on a wire rack to let them cool down a bit. Drizzle them with caramel and enjoy them lukewarm or cooled down completely.
EXPERT BAKING TIPS
- Use a kitchen scale: My default setting for my recipes is grams. It is the most precise way of measuring out your ingredients, I therefore highly recommend using a kitchen scale.
- Don't over mix your batter: I always use a spatula after everything has mixed together, to give it one final gentle fold together. This makes sure everything in the bottom of the mixing bowl has been mixed into the batter.
- Light vs. dark baking pans: For the best result, use an aluminum baking pan, greased with butter and lined with baking paper in the bottom. Aluminum pans are light in color and therefore attract less heat. That means it bakes more gently which results in a softer cake. If you use a black baking pan it'll attract a lot more heat. That will then give a darker crust, which can result in a dryer cake.
FAQ
Yes, start by reducing the yeast to 2 g instant yeast or 6 g fresh yeast. Mix the dough together as written, then let it rise for 20 minutes on the kitchen counter before letting the dough rise the rest of the 1st rise in the refrigerator overnight, proofing for no more than 16 hours. Then follow the recipe instructions and let the dough do its 2nd rise at room temperature for 60-90 minutes depending on how warm your home is.
You can test if they are done proofing with a finger poke test. Lightly press the surface of the bun with your fingertip. If it springs back slowly, leaving a slight dent it is perfect and ready to bake. A dough that bounces back immediately needs more rising. If it doesn’t spring back at all it is overproofed.
Yes, you can definitely use store bought caramel.
HOW TO STORE
Store the apple caramel cream cheese buns in the fridge covered tightly with cling film or in an airtight container for 2-3 days. To reheat them, warm in the microwave for 15–20 seconds.
Other Bread Recipes To Try
Make sure leave a STAR REVIEW if you loved this recipe! Make sure to tag me on Instagram @juliemarieeats. To get more ideas by following me on Pinterest.
Apple Caramel Cream Cheese Buns
Equipment
Ingredients
BUNS
TANGZHONG
- 30 g all-purpose flour
- 150 g whole milk
DOUGH
- 6 g instant yeast or 25 g fresh yeast
- 510 g all-purpose flour
- 90 g whole milk
- 90 g water
- 50 g granulated sugar
- 1 eggs preferably 60 g egg with shell
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 100 g butter room temperature
APPLE PIE FILLING
- 200 g apples cut into tiny cubes
- 100 g granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 teaspoon cornstarch
- 4 teaspoon water
- ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste
CREAM CHEESE FILLING
- 400 g cream cheese
- 5 tablespoon powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
CRUMBLE
- 110 g all-purpose flour
- 80 g dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 70 g butter room temperature
SALTED CARAMEL SAUCE (optional - can also use store bought)
- 105 g granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon water
- 30 g butter
- 110 g heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
TANGZHONG
- Start by making the tangzhong. Add the milk and flour to a small saucepan. Stir it together with a whisk until the flour has mixed together with milk. Then place it on the stove over medium-high heat. Keep constantly stirring until it becomes a thick paste, similarly to smooth mashed potatoes. Take it off the heat and add it to a flat surfaced bowl so it can cool down faster. Place it in the fridge to cool down so it becomes room temperature. Give it a stir here and there. It’ll take about 20-30 minutes.30 g all-purpose flour, 150 g whole milk
DOUGH
- Start by mixing the instant yeast together with the flour. Then heat up the milk and water until it’s lukewarm (37ºC) and add it to the flour mixture. (If you are use freash yeast, heat up the milk and water until it’s lukewarm (37ºC). Crumble the fresh yeast into your mixing bowl and pour in the heated milk and water. With a spatula stir it together until the yeast has melted.)90 g whole milk, 90 g water, 6 g instant yeast, 510 g all-purpose flour
- Then add the granulated sugar, tangzhong, egg and using the dough hook, mix the dough on low speed for 4 minutes.50 g granulated sugar, 1 eggs
- Continue on medium speed and add salt and the butter in two parts. Add the second part of the butter, once the first part has mixed into the dough.This part looks messy but don’t worry. Once the second part has incorporated, keep mixing the dough for 6-8 minutes. It should end up looking smooth and glossy.1 tsp salt, 100 g butter
- Add the dough to a clean bowl, with a bit of vegetable oil, and cover the bowl with cling film and a tea towel. Place it in a warm room temperature area in your house or use the trick with the oven. Let it rise for 1 hour. See FAQ above for overnight rising.
APPLE PIE FILLING
- While the dough is rising, make the apple filling.
- Start by cutting the apples into small cubes. In a sauce pan heat up the apples, granulated sugar, lemon juice and cinnamon. Once it starts bubbling, let it simmer on medium heat for about 5 minutes or until the apples are tender but still have a little bite to them. While it cooks, give the apples a stir once in a while.200 g apples , 100 g granulated sugar, 2 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tsp cinnamon
- When the 5 minutes have passed or they feel tender, make the cornstarch slurry by mixing the water and cornstarch together until the cornstarch has dissolved. Turn down the heat to low and add the slurry. Stir it together and continue stirring for about 1-2 minutes, until thickened.2 tsp cornstarch, 4 tsp water
- Take it off the heat and add the vanilla bean paste. Pour it into a bowl and place it in the refrigerator to cool down.½ tsp vanilla bean paste
CREAM CHEESE FILLING
- Mix together all of the ingredients until one paste and set it aside.400 g cream cheese, 5 tbsp powdered sugar, ½ tsp vanilla extract
CRUMBLE
- For the crumble, add all-purpose flour, brown sugar and cinnamon to another bowl and mix it together. Add the butter and with a fork mix it together until it forms a crumbled structure and there is no dry flour left. Set aside.110 g all-purpose flour, 80 g dark brown sugar, 70 g butter, 1 tsp ground cinnamon
SALTED CARAMEL
- In a medium sized saucepan, add the granulated sugar and water and stir it together so all of the sugar is wet. Flatten it out into an even layer, so it melts evenly. Melt it over medium/high heat until golden brown. Once you can see it starts slightly brown, give it a stir once in a while so it all melts evenly.105 g granulated sugar, 1 tbsp water
- Once the caramel is golden brown, reduce the heat to medium heat and stir in the butter until it has melted into the caramel. Then add the heavy cream, a little at a time, stirring in each addition until incorporated. It will bubble up strongly so be careful of your fingers. Stir constantly until it has gathered.30 g butter, 110 g heavy cream
- Turn off the heat and add the vanilla bean paste and a pinch of salt and stir it in. Transfer it to a shallow bowl, so it can cool down faster, and let it cool down in the fridge. It takes about 30-60 minutes to become room temperature.½ tsp vanilla bean paste, Pinch of salt
ASSEMBLING
- After the first rise, it should be doubled in size. Tip the dough out and divide the dough into 12. Roll the dough into balls and place them on two baking trays lined with parchment paper. Gently press the buns down to get more of a donut shape. Let them rise for a second time on the kitchen counter for 45 minutes under some cling film and a tea towel.
- Meanwhile preheat the oven to 190ºC/ 375ºF conventional oven.
- After the second rise, use a 1 cup measurement or a cup that is around 7 cm in diameter. Press down the middle so it leaves an indent. Whisk an egg together and brush the sides of the buns with the egg wash.
- Add the cream cheese to a piping bag, or add it with a spoon, and pip the cream cheese in the middle.
- Add the apple pie filling on top and add the crumble around the edges of the bun.
- Bake them for 15-17 minutes or until golden brown. After they have baked, place them on a cooling rack to let them cool down a bit. Drizzle them with caramel and enjoy them lukewarm or cooled down completely.
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