These Apple Cheesecake Brioche Buns are filled in the center with a sweet cream cheese and apple pie filling, then topped with a crumble, making them a delicious treat.
Fall Baking is so warm and cozy and filled with comforting spices like cinnamon. These Apple Cheesecake Brioche Buns gives all the fall vibes. It's a little bit of a process, but the results are so worth the effort. This recipe is inspired by my Sweet Brioche Buns with Cream Cheese and Lemon Curd. I've been experimenting with different fillings to use with the Brioche Buns and I've come up with some delicious recipes. First up is this cozy fall Apple Cheesecake Brioche Buns!
What Are Brioche Buns?
Sweet Brioche Buns or Brioche Buns are made with an enriched dough and have an added sweetness factor to them than regular dough. Enriched doughs contain milk, eggs and butter. Basically, a lot more fat than a regular dough would have. Brioche dough typically contains more sugar than you would find in a normal dough, as well as a lot more butter.
Brioche Buns Dough Recipe
The dough is pretty simple, but can be a little time-consuming because of the kneading and the two proofs it needs.
Ingredients for Brioche Buns Dough Recipe
- Bread flour
- Milk
- Yeast
- Sugar
- Egg Yolk
- Vanilla extract
- Butter
How to Make Brioche Dough
First, add the yeast ingredients to a small bowl and set aside to activate and foam. Should take about 5 minutes.
Next, in a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a hook attachment, add the dry ingredients, the egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla extract, then add the yeast mixture and let it knead for at least 10 minutes until the dough forms a sort of ball and pulls away from the bowl.
Then, add in the softened butter until combined and let knead until the the butter is incorporated in the dough and it becomes smooth, silky, and satiny and pulls away from the bowl. Could take anywhere from 10-15 minutes, but don't skimp out on the time because this is very important. Transfer to an oiled bowl and let proof/rise for at least an hour.
Apple Filling
Ingredients for Apple Filling
- Apples
- Butter
- Brown Sugar
- Cinnamon
How to Make Apple Filling
- In a pan over medium heat, add the butter and brown sugar.
- Once the butter and brown sugar are melted and combined, add the diced apples and cinnamon and let cook until tender.
- Set aside to cool
Sweet Cream Cheese
The sweet cream cheese filling is incredibly easy to put together. All you need is softened cream cheese, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract. Add them to a bowl and mix until completely combined. Set it aside until you're ready to fill the buns.
How to Shape the Brioche Buns
Once dough has risen, remove from bowl and divide into 8 equal pieces using a kitchen scale. Roll each piece into a ball, then using your fingers press into the center of each Brioche bun ball, forming a center indent (see image), which creates a soft of disc that has a hole where we will fill them with the sweet cream cheese. Let them proof on a baking sheet for 30-45 minutes until puffy and doubled in size.
After the second proof
- Once the Brioche Buns have doubled in size, take a cup or a small bowl (make sure it's floured so it doesn't stick) and create an even larger indent in the center (I used a ¼ cup initially, but found that a ⅓ cup was better).
- Fill each indent with cream cheese
- Then fill top with apple filling
- Sprinkle crumble on top of each
Baking Apple Cheesecake Brioche Buns
- Preheat oven to 375° and bake for 15-18 minutes until golden on the outside and the buns form a color on the bottom.
- Remove from oven and let cool for at least 5 minutes
- Top with powdered sugar if desired.
Tips to Make the Best Apple Cheesecake Brioche Buns Recipe
- The best way to measure your ingredients is using a kitchen scale because it's the most accurate. If you don't have a kitchen scale, use the spoon and level method of measuring your flour.
- First, fluff the flour with a spoon, then spoon the flour into a measuring cup and level off with a butter knife. This will prevent you from adding more flour than necessary.
- Knead the dough for at least 10 minutes before adding the softened butter. This will ensure the dough forms and pulls away from the bowl. Then once you add the butter, knead for another 10-15 minutes until the butter is completely incorporated the dough has pulled away from the bowl again.
- This dough will be tacky, but shouldn't stick to your hands. It will also be very silky (this due to all the butter added). If while kneading, the dough doesn't come together after 15 minutes, you can add one tablespoon of flour at a time. But be patient before adding the flour. You don't want a dry dough.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Why is Brioche Buns Recipe different?
Brioche Buns recipe or Brioche bread recipes are different than regular dough recipes because of the amount of fat it contains. A regular bread recipe typically contains flour, yeast, water, salt. A brioche bread recipe is an enriched recipe that contains milk, eggs, and butter. My Brioche Buns recipe contain 1/24cup of sugar to give it an extra hint of sweetness, which is not typical in a regular bread recipe.
Can I use this Brioche Buns Recipe for Other Recipes?
Absolutely! This Brioche Buns Recipe can be a base for so many bread recipes. You can top it with whatever you desire, sweet or savory. You can even make them into Burger Buns! Stay turned because this will be a base for many great recipes to come.
What Sweet Brioche Fillings Can I use?
If you're not a fan of sweet cream cheese or apple filling but you really want to try this recipe, here are some sweet brioche filling suggestions:
- Jams or preserves of any kind
- Vanilla custard
- Sweet ricotta or mascarpone
- Chocolate or nutella
- Lemon Curd
Are there Store-Bought Alternatives to Brioche Buns?
Unfortunately, you can't really substitute Brioche Buns with anything you'd fund at the store pre-made because the doughs you typically find are pizza doughs which are not enriched doughs. If you really don't want to make a dough but want to try these fillings, you can use puff pastry. It won't be the same texture or taste, but you'll still get a delicious treat.
How Can I Store These Brioche Buns?
Once completely cooled, store the Sweet Brioche Buns in an airtight container or a ziploc bag and keep it at room temperature. You can eat them at room temperature or warm them slightly in the microwave or oven.
Can I Freeze Brioche Buns?
Yes! Once they're completely cooled, store them in a freezer ziploc bag and they should keep for several months.O
More Recipes to Try
- Sweet Brioche Buns with Cream Cheese and Lemon Curd
- Soft and Fluffy Cinnamon Rolls Recipe
- Homemade Bagels
- Apple Galette
📖 Recipe
Apple Cheesecake Brioche Buns
Equipment
- 1 Large baking sheet
Ingredients
Sweet Brioche Dough
- 1 cup warm milk 110°
- 1 package active dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 3 cups (360g) bread flour
- ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 6 tablespoon unsalted butter softened
Apple Filling
- 1 large apple* peeled and diced
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoon brown sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon
Sweet Cream Cheese
- 8 oz. cream cheese room temperature
- 4 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Crumble Topping
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter melted
- ¼ cup (50g) brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ cup (30g) all purpose flour
Instructions
Brioche Dough
- In a small bowl, combine the warm milk, packet of yeast and a teaspoon of sugar and let sit and foam for about 5 minutes.
- In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a hook attachment, add flour, sugar, salt, 2 egg yolks, vanilla extract, and the activated yeast mixture and let knead for at least 10 minutes until the dough comes away from the bowl and forms a sort of ball.
- Start adding the softened butter slowly until all is incorporated and knead for an additional 12-15 minutes until the dough forms a smooth ball and does not stick to the sides of the bowl. When touching with your finger, the dough should not stick at all. The dough will be tacky and a lot smoother/silkier than a regular dough.
- Place the dough in an oiled bowl and cover and let rise for at least an hour.
Apple Filling
- In a pan over medium heat, add the butter and brown sugar.
- Once the butter and brown sugar are melted and combined, add the diced apples and cinnamon and let cook until tender.
- Set aside to cool
Sweet Cream Cheese
- In a bowl, combine softened cream cheese, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract and mix until completely smooth.
Crumble Topping
- Melt the butter, then add the brown sugar, cinnamon, and all purpose flour and combine.
- The mixture will be wet but let it come to room temperature completely before using. Once you're ready to use it, stir the mixture and it should be a crumble consistency.
Shaping the Sweet Brioche Buns
- Prepare a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Once dough has risen, remove from bowl and divide into 8 equal pieces using a kitchen scale. Roll each piece into a ball, then using your fingers press into the center of each ball, forming a center indent, which creates a soft of disc that has a hole where we will fill them with the sweet cream cheese.
- Once all have been formed, transfer them to a baking sheet, cover with saran wrap and let rise for 30-45 minutes. Try to make sure there is enough space between them so that they aren't touching when rising. I like to have 4 on a baking sheet at a time.
- Preheat oven to 375°
- After 30-45 minutes, the buns should now be doubled in side. Take a cup or a small bowl (make sure it's floured so it doesn't stick) and create an even larger indent in the center (I used a ¼ cup initially, but found that a ⅓ cup was better).
- Add the sweet cream cheese to each bun. Then top with some apple filling, then sprinkle the crumble topping over it.
- (optional) brush the sides of each bun with egg wash or milk. This will create a deeper color. Otherwise, it's not necessary.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes until the buns become golden brown and the bottoms have a color.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for at least 5 minutes, then top with powdered sugar.
- These Sweet Brioche Buns are delicious warm, but taste great at room temperature as well.
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container.
Notes
- I used one apple (honeycrisp or gala or any other sweet apple). If you want more apple in the filling, use 1 ½ or 2 apples. You'll need to adjust the brown sugar and cinnamon ratios.
Lindsay Z says
This is such an excellent recipe! I followed it almost exactly, just used slightly more cinnamon than called for. The buns turned out perfectly. I can’t wait to try out your other brioche bun recipes.
Hakima says
Thank you so much for such a wonderful review! I'm so happy you liked the recipe! 🙂