Apple Cinnamon Biscuit Buns

But what if you took cinnamon buns and made them quicker to produce by combining fluffy and flaky biscuit dough with an apple pecan cinnamon filling? These blessedly easy and delicious apple cinnamon biscuit buns satisfy the need for swirly cinnamon flavour in a flash. 

For the filling

4 tablespoons butter, divided
2 cups (about 2 large) apples, peeled and cut into ½-inch dice
½ cup packed brown sugar, divided
1 tablespoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
½ cup chopped pecans

For the biscuit dough

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon kosher salt
5 tablespoons cold butter, cut into pats
1¼ cups cold buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the cream cheese frosting

½ cup brick-style cream cheese, room temperature
¼ cup icing sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon cinnamon

Directions

For the filling, melt the butter over medium heat in a medium skillet. Scoop 2 tablespoons of the butter into a small dish and set aside for later. Add the apples and 2 tablespoons of the brown sugar into the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly caramelized, 8 to 10 minutes. Set aside to cool completely.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk the remaining 6 tablespoons of brown sugar with the cinnamon, salt, and pecans and set aside. When the apples are cool, heat the oven to 450°F and lightly grease a 9-inch square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.

For the biscuit dough, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Toss in the cold butter and, using the tips of your fingers, pinch and snap it into the flour mixture until the pieces are about the size of a pea. In a glass measuring cup, combine the buttermilk and vanilla. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the buttermilk mixture. Stir just to combine, until a shaggy dough forms.

Turn the dough out onto a well-floured work surface. Press the dough down with your hands until it is about 1 inch thick, then fold it over onto itself like a book. Repeat this process two more times, then press the dough out into a 9-by-12-inch rectangle.

Spread the reserved melted butter over the dough and evenly sprinkle on the cinnamon-sugar-pecan mixture. Transfer the cooled apples onto the dough and spread them into an even layer. Starting at the long edge, roll the dough up into a swirled log, then cut into nine equal pieces. Arrange the buns in the prepared pan, cut side up. At this point, you can cover the pan and store in the fridge for up to 8 hours.

Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until golden brown and the center bun springs back when gently pressed.

While baking, make the cream cheese frosting by beating the cream cheese, icing sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon together until smooth. Allow the buns to cool slightly or completely to room temperature before frosting. Store leftover buns in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Note: In most biscuit recipes, buttermilk measurements are often listed with a range in order to get the right texture and achieve light and flaky biscuits. For instance, on hot and humid days, the lower range called for will most likely do, while on drier days, your dough may need more buttermilk. With this recipe, however, a slightly stiffer dough is preferable as it is easier to fill and roll, so additional buttermilk is not needed.

Excerpted from In Mary’s Kitchen by Mary Berg. Copyright © 2023 Mary Berg. Photographs by Lauren Vandenbrook. Published by Appetite by Random House®, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.