Apple Fritter Pull-Apart Bread

An apple fritter is like a celebration of fall in one little package. A sweet, doughy delight filled with tender spiced apples and perfectly fried… and don’t forget the sugary glaze that tops it. Well, we’ve got an option for you that hits all those same notes but is a lot more shareable and way easier to make at home – Apple Fritter Pull-Apart Bread! There’s no frying to worry about and since it uses the shortcut of refrigerated cinnamon roll dough, it’s a bread with no yeasted dough to tend to.

You start with two cans of refrigerated cinnamon rolls and stretch each one out into a flat little pancake. Then, each one gets brushed with butter and topped with grated Granny Smith apples. Grating the apples means that the apple flavor is in every bite, but it’s never chunky or obtrusive.

Cinnamon and sugar get sprinkled over the apples and then you create little stacks of flattened cinnamon rolls before lining them up in a loaf pan. You want to make sure no apple filling touches the ends of the pan, so if you need to line up a couple of stacks apple to apple to make that happen, that’s just fine.

As it bakes in the oven, it rises into a single loaf, but one that has easy pull-apart sections that reveal a spiced layer of tart and sweet apples as you separate them. A quick glaze really puts it over the top – you can make your own, or use the one that came with the cinnamon rolls. It’s a semi-homemade sort of treat, but it’s fully delicious.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 (8 count) packages of cinnamon rolls
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled and grated
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• For the glaze:
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1-3 tablespoons cream

PREPARATION

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a loaf pan with butter or nonstick spray. Set aside.
2. Remove cinnamon rolls and icing from package. Discard icing or set aside for another use.
3. Take each cinnamon roll and stretch it out until it becomes flat like a pancake and lay them out on a parchment paper-lined work surface.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together the butter and vanilla until thoroughly combined. Spread the butter mixture evenly over each flattened cinnamon roll and then top with grated apples.
5. In a separate small bowl, mix together the sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle evenly over the apples.
6. Layer cinnamon rolls in stacks of 3 or 4. Once all rolls are stacked, transfer each stack to the loaf pan, standing them on end so no apple filling touches the ends of the pan.
7. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 15-20 minutes more.
8. Remove to a wire rack and let cool 10 minutes before removing from pan.
9. While loaf cools, make the glaze by mixing powdered sugar with 1 to 3 tablespoons of milk or cream until desired consistency is reached. If you’d like a more pourable consistency, microwave for 10 seconds.
10. Drizzle glaze over cooled loaf and enjoy!