Caramel Apple Crumble Buns (Cream Cheese Filled)

In bakeries across Scandinavia and Central Europe, soft enriched buns with a pocket of sweet cheese and fruit in the center are an everyday treat, the kind of pastry people pick up with an afternoon coffee. These caramel apple crumble buns borrow that idea and dress it for fall. A tender, slightly sweet yeast dough rich with egg yolks and butter is shaped into rounds, pressed in the middle and filled with vanilla cream cheese and nutmeg-spiced apples.

A layer of buttery crumble goes on before baking, so each bun comes out of the oven with a golden, crunchy top, a soft, fluffy body and a creamy, fruity center. A thin drizzle of caramel at the end is optional, but it ties everything together and gives the buns their name.

Ingredients

For the dough

• 1 cup (240 ml) whole milk, warmed to about 105 to 110°F (40 to 43°C) – warm to the touch, not hot.
• 2 tsp active dry yeast.
• 4 egg yolks – make the crumb rich, golden and tender, like brioche.
• 2 tbsp sour cream – adds softness and a slight tang.
• 1/3 cup (65 g) granulated sugar.
• 3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour, plus a little for shaping.
• 1/2 tsp salt – not in every version of this recipe, but it brings out the flavor of the dough.
• 3 oz (6 tbsp / 85 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature.

For the cream cheese filling

• 8 oz (225 g) block cream cheese, softened.
• 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar.
• 1 tsp vanilla extract.
• 1 egg – helps the filling set into a smooth, cheesecake-like layer.

For the apple filling

• 2 medium apples, peeled and finely diced – firm varieties such as Honeycrisp or Granny Smith hold their shape.
• 2 tsp cornstarch.
• 2 tbsp brown sugar and 2 tbsp granulated sugar.
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg – or 1 tsp cinnamon with a pinch of nutmeg.

For the crumble and finish

• 6 tbsp (3/4 stick / 85 g) cold butter.
• 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour and 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar.
• 1 egg, beaten, for the egg wash.
• Caramel sauce, for drizzling, optional.

How to Make It

1. Activate the yeast – 10 minutes

Stir the yeast into the warm milk and let it stand for about 10 minutes. The surface should look foamy or creamy. If nothing happens, the yeast may be old or the milk too hot; start again with fresh yeast.

2. Knead the dough – 10 minutes

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the yeast mixture with the egg yolks, sour cream, sugar, flour and salt. Mix with the dough hook on low until it comes together, then add the soft butter a piece at a time and knead on medium-low for about 10 minutes. The dough should be smooth, soft and slightly tacky, and pull away from the sides of the bowl. A small piece should stretch thin without tearing right away.

3. First rise – about 2 hours

Shape the dough into a ball, place it in a lightly greased bowl, cover and leave it somewhere warm. It is ready when it has roughly doubled in size and a floured finger pressed into it leaves a dent that springs back slowly.

4. Make the fillings and crumble – 20 minutes

While the dough rises, beat the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla and egg until completely smooth. In a saucepan, combine the diced apples, cornstarch, both sugars and nutmeg and cook over medium heat, stirring, for about 10 minutes, until the apples soften and the juices thicken. Let cool. For the crumble, rub the cold butter into the flour and sugar with your fingertips until it forms clumps. The cream cheese mixture should have no lumps; the apples should be tender and glossy; the crumble should hold together when squeezed. If it stays sandy, add a little more butter.

5. Shape and second rise – 30 minutes

Punch down the dough and divide it into 12 equal pieces (about 70 g each). Roll each into a smooth ball and place them on two parchment-lined baking sheets, leaving room to spread. Cover and let rise for 30 minutes. The buns should look puffy and feel light.

6. Fill and top – 10 minutes

With two fingers or the bottom of a small glass dusted with flour, press a deep well into the center of each bun, leaving a raised rim. Spoon in a tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture, then a spoonful of apples. Brush the rims with egg wash and scatter crumble over the tops. Fill the wells generously, but keep the filling off the outer edges so it does not run off during baking.

7. Final rise – 30 minutes

Let the filled buns rise, uncovered, while the oven heats to 350°F (175°C). They should puff a little more around the filling.

8. Bake – 350°F (175°C), 18 to 22 minutes

Bake one sheet at a time on the middle rack. Let them cool on the sheet for 10 minutes, then drizzle with caramel sauce if you like. The buns are done when the dough is deep golden, the bottoms sound hollow when tapped, and the cream cheese filling is puffed and set, no longer wobbly. An instant-read thermometer in the dough should read about 190°F (88°C).

Why This Dough Is So Soft

This is an enriched dough, meaning it contains more fat, sugar and eggs than a plain bread dough. Each of those ingredients makes the crumb softer. Egg yolks add fat and lecithin, which coat the gluten strands and keep them from becoming tough, and give the buns their rich color. Butter and sour cream add more fat and moisture, and sugar holds on to water, so the buns stay tender for longer.

Because fat slows down gluten development, enriched doughs need a long knead, about 10 minutes in a mixer, to become strong and elastic enough to hold their shape. They also rise more slowly than lean dough, which is why the first rise takes around two hours. Adding the butter after the dough has started to come together helps the gluten form first, and the butter then works in smoothly.

The dough will feel softer and slightly stickier than bread dough. Resist the urge to add a lot of extra flour; a little on your hands and work surface is enough for shaping, and too much makes the buns dense.

About the Yeast

Active dry yeast needs to be woken up in warm liquid before it goes into the dough, which is what the first step does. The milk should feel warm, not hot; very hot liquid can kill the yeast. University of Illinois Extension explains that active dry yeast is activated by warm liquid, while instant yeast can be mixed straight into the flour and rises a little faster.

If you only have instant yeast, use the same amount, add it directly to the flour and skip the 10-minute wait. The first rise may finish sooner, so start checking after about an hour.

Tips for Perfect Buns

• Cool the apple filling: warm filling can melt the cream cheese layer and soften the dough. Make it first and let it cool while the dough rises.
• Dice the apples small: pieces about 1/4 inch (6 mm) cook evenly and sit neatly in the wells.
• Make deep wells: the dough puffs as it bakes and can push the filling out of shallow wells.
• Keep the crumble cold: cold butter keeps the crumble in distinct clumps that bake up crisp.
• Watch the bottoms: sugar from the crumble and filling can make the bases brown quickly. If they color too fast, slide a second baking sheet underneath.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make the dough the night before?

Yes. After kneading, cover the dough and refrigerate it overnight. The cold slows the rise and adds flavor. Let it sit at room temperature for about an hour before shaping, then continue with the recipe.

Can I knead by hand?

Yes, but it takes longer, about 15 minutes, and the dough is soft and sticky. Use a bench scraper to help, and add the butter gradually as you knead.

Where does the caramel come in?

It goes on at the end. A thin drizzle of store-bought or homemade caramel sauce over the cooled buns adds a buttery, toasty sweetness that pairs well with the apples and crumble.

How do I store them?

Because of the cream cheese filling, keep the buns covered in the refrigerator and eat them within 3 to 4 days. Warm them briefly in the oven or microwave to soften the dough again. They can also be frozen, tightly wrapped, for up to 2 months.

For more fall baking, try the apple crumb cake, the apple pie pull-apart bread or the pumpkin cinnamon rolls. For a quick apple snack, there are the apple pie egg rolls, and you can browse all the dessert recipes.

Caramel Apple Crumble Buns

Soft, brioche-style yeast buns filled with vanilla cream cheese and spiced apples, topped with buttery crumble and a drizzle of caramel.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 45 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Rising Time 3 hours hrs

Total Time 4 hours hrs 5 minutes mins

Servings: 12 buns

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Calories: 520

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

For the dough

• 1 cup whole milk warmed to 105-110°F
• 2 tsp active dry yeast
• 4 egg yolks
• 2 tbsp sour cream
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 3 cups all-purpose flour plus more for shaping
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 oz unsalted butter 6 tbsp, room temperature

For the cream cheese filling

• 8 oz cream cheese softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 egg

For the apple filling

• 2 medium apples peeled and finely diced
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg

For the crumble and finish

• 6 tbsp cold butter
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg beaten, for egg wash
• caramel sauce optional, for drizzling

Method

 

1. Stir the yeast into the warm milk and let stand 10 minutes, until foamy.
2. In a stand mixer, combine the yeast mixture, egg yolks, sour cream, sugar, flour and salt. Mix on low, then add the butter a piece at a time and knead on medium-low for about 10 minutes, until smooth and elastic.
3. Cover and let rise in a warm place about 2 hours, until doubled.
4. Beat the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla and egg until smooth. Cook the apples with the cornstarch, sugars and nutmeg over medium heat for about 10 minutes, until soft and thick; cool. Rub the cold butter into the flour and sugar to form a crumble.
5. Divide the dough into 12 pieces, roll into balls and place on parchment-lined sheets. Cover and let rise 30 minutes.
6. Press a deep well into each bun. Fill with cream cheese mixture and apples, brush the rims with egg wash and top with crumble.
7. Let rise 30 minutes while the oven heats to 350°F (175°C).
8. Bake 18 to 22 minutes, until deep golden and the filling is set. Cool 10 minutes and drizzle with caramel if desired.

Notes

Storage: refrigerate covered and eat within 3 to 4 days; rewarm briefly. Freeze, tightly wrapped, up to 2 months.

Make ahead: refrigerate the kneaded dough overnight; let it sit at room temperature about 1 hour before shaping.

Substitutions: instant yeast in the same amount, mixed straight into the flour; cinnamon instead of nutmeg; firm pears instead of apples.

Nutrition is an estimate per bun without caramel, based on standard ingredient values, not a laboratory analysis.