Heirloom apple rolls are one of my favorite recipes and it’s been passed down through our family for over 200 years! Perfect for breakfast or dessert, these rolls are the perfect treat for a cozy autumn day.

Grandma’s House

My Grandma was such a lovely, sweet, tender hearted woman and these apple rolls are her recipe from over 100 years ago at least (although I did modernize them with butter instead of lard). She pass just a few months ago now so this recipe has taken on a new level of tenderness and memory.

I loved going to Grandma’s house, sitting on her lap to read a bazillion stories and have her tickle my arms or back until both of us were out cold. She lived in the same, cute house in Jerome, Idaho until the end, and I don’t know that many people had a backyard quite like hers. We would have summer picnics where all the cousins would come over and we’d run around playing games while the adults prepared the food and Grandma made homemade ice cream.

The weather was always perfect, the grass green and the trees were strong and tall to climb in. You could always find my older sister up in an apple or apricot tree reading another book. We loved visiting the cows on the farm to give them bottles, collecting “cat tails”, playing in the ditch,  and creating “circus acts” on the swing set during family picnics under the fruit trees. Grandma’s house was magical.

Heirloom Rolls

This apple roll recipe has sooo much sentimental value to me. This is a recipe that just keeps getting passed down through the generations, and I now I’ve taught my darling girls to make them for their future families. Grandma said that this recipe was passed down through the “Mamas” to their new families clear until it got to my mom, who hates cooked apples and dropped the ball. I’m lucky that Grandma taught me to make them so I can continue the tradition. I love how much she loved this recipe and her memories of her mother making them and the kids being so excited and mouths just watering while they waited to eat them.

Here’s what Grandma said about the rolls,

“We used to be so hungry for them, and mama would put them in a big square pan and that’s all we would eat for dinner. We would eat them with fresh cream and we just couldn’t wait to eat them up!”

Grandma was just darling. Seriously, just look at how cute she was! Mary Tyler Thueson was an incredible storyteller. In fact, she wrote a book and gave it to each of her kids and grandkids. So, I thought it would be fun to share her stories every now and again (scroll down past the recipe card to read one of Grandma’s stories). Plus, I love that these old recipes use ingredients that are simple and have been around forever.

Ingredients for Heirloom Apple Rolls

It may come as a surprise but there is no yeast in these sweet rolls. There are just a few ingredients needed to make this treasured recipe. Here is what you’ll need:

Dough

• Flour: just regular all-purpose flour is all you need
• Baking Powder: Since there is no yeast, this acts as the leavening agent to give the rolls rise and fluffiness.
• Salt: enhances all the flavors
• Butter: binds all the ingredients together and adds richness and flavor
• Milk: pulls everything together

Syrup

• Sugar: combines with the water to create a simple syrup to bake in
• Water: combines with the sugar for the simple syrup

Filling

• Ground Cinnamon: adds warm flavor
• Melted Butter: helps the cinnamon and sugar stick to the dough
• Brown Sugar: adds sweetness and rich flavor
• Apples: grated small, keep scrolling for a list of the best apples to use

The measurements for all the ingredients can be found in the recipe card at the end of the post.

How to Make Heirloom Apple Rolls

Ok, these sweet rolls are so easy to make! No yeast, no rising, just a few steps from deliciousness! Here are the steps:

Dough

1. Prep: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Mix: Add the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder and salt) to a large bowl and whisk to combine.
3. Cut: Add the butter and cut it into the flour mixture using a pastry cutter or fork until it looks like sand.
4. Stir: Add the milk to the mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until fully combined and a soft dough forms.
5. Roll: Flour your work surface and roll the dough out using a rolling pin into a rectangular sheet about 1/4 inch thick. Brush the dough with the melted butter.
6. Grate: Take your peeled apples and grate them over the dough so that apple shavings cover the whole dough. Sprinkle the apples with brown sugar and cinnamon.
7. Roll: Start rolling up the dough on the longer side of the dough and roll up the dough like a cinnamon roll tucking the apples in as you go.
8. Slice: Using a sharp knife or a piece of unflavored dental floss, cut the dough log into 1 1/2 inch thick slices.
9. Bake: Place the rolls into a 9×13″ baking dish with the syrup (see next section) in the bottom of the dish giving the rolls room to expand. Stick the pan in the oven and bake for 40 minutes.
10. Serve: Once the rolls are baked and golden brown, serve them warm with warm milk or cream in a dish with the rolls.

Syrup

1. Heat: Add the water and sugar in a medium saucepan and place it on the stove top over medium high heat and stir until heated through and the sugar is dissolved.
2. Pour: Pour the syrup into a 9×13″ baking dish.

Keep scrolling down to the recipe card below for the complete instructions.

What Apples are Best for Baking?

When it comes to cooking with apples, not all apples are created equal.

The best apples for baking keep their structure and don’t turn to mush when baked.

Granny Smith apples are an all time favorite, but there are others that are excellent choices also…Johnny Gold, Honeycrisp, Braeburn, Winesap and Pink Ladies are all great choices for baking.

Are Cooked Apples Nutritious?

Cooked apples are a good source of vitamin C.

Both raw and cooked apples are a great source of polyphenols, although the amount decreases when apples are cooked.

Cooked apples are also a good source of fiber.

Tips for the Best Apple Heirloom Rolls

Make sure that you cut the shortening/butter into the flour mixture until it resembles a sandy like texture.

Don’t grate the apple into a bowl ahead of time or it will quickly brown. I actually prefer to peel my apple and then grate the whole apple until I get to the core, turning as I go. This way I always have something to hold onto.

Roll out into a rectangle about 1/4″ thick, spread with the brown sugar/cinnamon and then one by one grate the peeled apple over all of the dough. Try to keep the apples spread out evenly over the dough.

Lastly, I prefer to cut my rolls with unflavored floss or thread. It’s how my mom did it and I find it quicker and easier. Just slide the thread under the dough, cross on top and pull tight to cut through. Slide the thread back under the dough, and repeat until done.

Storage Tips

Apple cinnamon rolls can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container. They will keep for 2-3 days or in the fridge for up to 1 week. They can also be stored in the freezer in a freezer-safe container and they will keep for up to 3 months.

I love to eat these sweet rolls warm, so a quick zap in the microwave is my favorite way to reheat leftovers!

I can’t wait for you all to take a little piece of my family into your homes so you can start creating your own sweet memories. It warms my heart to know that this heirloom apple rolls recipe can be enjoyed in homes anywhere! My grandma would be so tickled by that!

More Tasty Sweet Roll Recipes:

• World’s Best Cinnamon Rolls
• Apple Cinnamon Rolls
• Raspberry Sweet Rolls
• Sweet Orange Rolls
• Peach Cobbler Cinnamon Rolls
• Sticky Buns

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Robin’s Lace

It had been a long, cold winter but today was warm and sunny. The new leaves on the big popular trees had already unfolded and little green plants were pushing their way up through the warm, rich soil. It had only been a few short weeks since the young farmer had come in from doing chores and said, ‘The snow has begun to recede from the Tetons; Spring is on it’s way!’ Even though the Grand Tetons were many miles away, their three stately spires could be seen reaching high into the clear blue sky.

This day, the young mother took her chair out on the lawn to be near her children as they gathered rocks from the little stream behind the log house. She was busy sewing lace on a tiny white frock but took the time to wipe a little nose or look at the pretty colored rocks the children brought to her. 

The robins who were noisily gathering twigs and bits of string to build their nest seemed to sense the mother’s secret held close beneath her heart. They wanted to be the first to tell the whole world. 

Summer was busy and passed quickly, as they always do on a farm with baby calves to feed, long rows of potatoes to cultivate, hay to mow and stack, and wheat to thresh. There were no tractors or other motorized conveniences on this farm. The machinery was all pulled by horses, who were cared for and treated like family members. 

It was the last of October when the farmer announced to his family that winter was on the way because there was fresh snow on the Grand Tetons that very morning. On the 26th of October a baby girl was born to the young farmer and his wife. The baby was named, “Mary” for a grandmother this child would never know. 

Thus, my happy life began on our farm west of Ucon, Idaho. I not only joined six brothers and sisters but also shared the lace from my very first dress with a nest of baby robins.”