Description
These apple cheesecake buns with a crumble topping bring together soft dough, tangy cheesecake filling, and spiced apples in one delicious roll that tastes like dessert for breakfast. Your kitchen fills with warmth while they bake, and biting into one reveals layers of flavor that keep people coming back for more.
Ingredients
Scale
Dough base:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 package active dry yeast
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup warm milk
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
- 1 egg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Cheesecake filling:
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 cup diced apples
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Crumble topping and glaze:
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup butter, cold and cut into cubes
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoons milk
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Combine 1/2 cup warm milk, 1 package active dry yeast, and 1 teaspoon sugar in a bowl and let your mixture sit for 5-10 minutes until it becomes foamy.
- In a large bowl, whisk together 3 cups all-purpose flour, 1/4 cup sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
- Pour your yeast mixture, 1/4 cup melted butter, and 1 egg into the dry ingredients, then knead the dough until it turns smooth and elastic, which takes about 8-10 minutes.
- Cover your bowl and let the dough rise at room temperature for about 1 hour until it doubles in size.
- While the dough rises, beat 8 oz softened cream cheese, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, and 1 egg yolk together in a separate bowl until the filling reaches a smooth consistency.
- Fold 1 cup diced apples and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon into your cream cheese mixture and set it aside.
- Combine 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, 1/4 cup brown sugar, and 1/4 cup cold butter cubes in a bowl, then use your fingertips to work the mixture until it resembles breadcrumbs for your crumble topping.
- Heat your oven to 350°F.
- Deflate your risen dough and divide it into 8 equal pieces.
- Flatten each piece into a disk, place about 2 tablespoons of your cream cheese filling in the center, and fold the edges up and over to seal the bun.
- Arrange your buns seam side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Sprinkle the crumble topping generously over each bun.
- Bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes until the buns turn golden brown.
- Whisk together 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 1-2 tablespoons milk, and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract to create a glaze.
- Drizzle your glaze over the warm buns right after they come out of the oven.
- Let the buns cool for a few minutes before serving them to your family or guests.
Notes
- Keep your milk warm but not hot when activating the yeast, as temperatures above 120°F will kill it and your dough won’t rise properly.
- Don’t skip letting the dough rise until it doubles; this takes patience but gives you fluffy, tender buns instead of dense ones.
- When folding the dough over the filling, seal the edges firmly so the cream cheese doesn’t leak out during baking and create a mess on your pan.
- For a dairy-free version, use coconut cream mixed with lemon juice as your filling and swap the butter in the crumble for coconut oil, keeping the same proportions and technique.
- Prep Time: 1 hour 15-20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20-25 minutes
- Category: Cheesecakes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 241 kcal
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 118 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 32 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 45 mg