The tavern smells of cider and spice as the first chill of autumn settles outside. These Apple Cider Sweet Rolls are warm from the oven, dripping with golden glaze and apple syrup. Each bite tastes like a harvest celebration—soft, spiced dough with caramelized apple tucked inside. Whether you’re baking them for a cozy morning by the hearth or serving them to travelers at your own Hearthfire Tavern, these sweet rolls capture the heart of fall in every swirl.
Apple cider sweet rolls are most popular during the heart of autumn, when the air turns crisp and cider mills hum with life. They’re the kind of treat that marks the turning of the season — when apples are at their sweetest and warm spices return to every kitchen hearth.
In taverns and homesteads alike, these rolls often appear around harvest festivals, Samhain, and Thanksgiving feasts, served warm beside mugs of spiced cider or buttered tea. In fantasy lore, they’d likely be a favorite in the Hearthfire Tavern — a sweet reward for travelers returning from a long journey through misty woods or a chilly mountain pass.
Their aroma of baked apples, maple, and cinnamon makes them just as beloved for cozy winter mornings and Yuletide gatherings, when the last cider of the year is simmered down into thick syrup and poured over golden sweet rolls fresh from the oven.
This was inspired by my Rosemary Apple Cider recipe and my Blueberry Lavender Rolls recipe from the Elder Scrolls Cookbook.
Ingredients
~*~*~ see recipe card for quantities ~*~*~*
Rolls & Caramelized Apples
- Active dry yeast
- Warm apple cider
- Maple syrup or honey
- Almond flour
- Oat flour
- All-purpose flour
- Walnuts (optional)
- Flax seeds
- Baking soda
- Cinnamon
- Ground ginger
- Nutmeg
- Salt
- Butter (softened)
- Eggs
- Greek yogurt
- Unsweetened applesauce
- Apple cider (for dough)
- Vanilla extract
- Apple (Honeycrisp or Granny Smith), diced
- Butter
- Maple syrup or honey
- Cinnamon
Glaze
- Greek yogurt
- Cream cheese (optional)
- Maple syrup
- Butter (melted)
- Reduced apple cider
- Vanilla extract
- Powdered sugar (optional)
Apple Cider Syrup
- Apple cider
- Apple, peeled and diced
- Maple syrup
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- Vanilla extract
Instructions
- Activate the yeast and caramelize the apples: Mix warm apple cider with maple syrup or honey, sprinkle in the yeast, and let it foam. In a small pan, cook diced apples with butter, maple syrup, and cinnamon until soft and golden.
- Make the dough: Whisk together the dry ingredients, rub in butter until crumbly, then stir in the wet ingredients and foamy yeast until a sticky dough forms. Fold in the cooled caramelized apples.
- Rise and bake: Let the dough rise in a warm spot until puffy, then spoon it into greased mini Bundt pans and bake until golden brown. Brush with melted butter and cool slightly before removing from pans.
- Make syrup, glaze, and assemble: Simmer apple cider with apple, maple, and spices to make syrup. Whisk together glaze ingredients until smooth. Drizzle the warm rolls with syrup and top with glaze before serving.
Hint: If your dough feels a little sticky, chill it for 15 minutes before spooning it into the Bundt pans—this makes shaping and cleanup much easier.
Substitutions
- Gluten-Free: Replace all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend.
- Dairy-Free: Use coconut yogurt and vegan butter.
- Nut-Free: Skip the walnuts and almond flour; use ¾ cup oat flour + ¾ cup all-purpose flour instead.
Equipment
- Mixing bowls
- Small saucepan
- Whisk + wooden spoon
- Mini Bundt pans (or muffin tin)
- Pastry brush
Apple Cider Sweet Rolls
Equipment
- mixing bowls
- small saucepan
- whisk + wooden spoon
- 4 mini bundt pans
- pastry brush
Ingredients
For the Rolls
- 1 ¼ tsp active dry yeast
- ¼ cup warm apple cider
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 cup almond flour
- ¾ cup oat flour
- ½ cup all purpose flour add a little more if the dough is sticky
- ¼ cup walnuts finely chopped
- 2 tbsp flax seeds
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp softened butter not melted
- 2 large eggs
- ⅓ cup greek yogurt
- ¼ cup unsweetened apple sauce
- 2 tbsp apple cider
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Caramelized Apples
- 1 medium apple diced
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
For the Glaze
- ¼ cup greek yogurt
- 1 ½ tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp melted butter
- 2 tbsp apple cider
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp powdered sugar
For The Apple Cider Syrup
- 1 cup apple cider
- 1 small apple diced
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- First, activate the yeast by mixing warm apple cider with maple syrup or honey and sprinkling the yeast on top. Let it sit for 5–10 minutes until it becomes foamy. While the yeast is activating, caramelize the diced apples by cooking them in butter with maple syrup and cinnamon until soft, golden, and slightly sticky, then set them aside to cool.
- Next, prepare the dough by whisking together all the dry ingredients, then rubbing in the softened butter until the mixture is crumbly. In a separate bowl, whisk the wet ingredients together and stir in the foamy yeast. Combine the wet and dry ingredients until a sticky dough forms, and gently fold in the cooled caramelized apples.
- Then, let the dough rise in a warm spot for 45–60 minutes until it becomes puffy. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease mini Bundt pans. Spoon the dough evenly into the pans and bake for 22–26 minutes, until the rolls are golden and a toothpick comes out clean. Brush the tops with melted butter and allow them to cool for about 10 minutes before removing them from the pans.
- Finally, make the apple cider syrup by simmering apple cider with diced apple, maple syrup, cinnamon, and nutmeg until thickened, then stir in vanilla. Whisk together the glaze ingredients until smooth, adjusting consistency with more reduced cider if needed. Drizzle the warm rolls with the syrup and finish with the glaze so it drips down the sides before serving.
Storage
Store cooled rolls in an airtight container for 2–3 days at room temperature, or refrigerate up to 5 days. Warm in the oven before serving. Glaze just before eating for best texture.
FAQ
Yes! You can prepare the dough a day in advance and refrigerate it overnight. Just bring it to room temperature before the first rise and continue with baking as usual.
No, both are optional. Walnuts add crunch and flax seeds add nutrition, but the rolls are delicious without them.
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