Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
Open the cans of cinnamon rolls and separate them. Cut each roll into quarters and place them in the prepared baking dish.
In a medium bowl, mix the diced apples, ground cinnamon, and brown sugar. Spread the apple mixture evenly over the cinnamon rolls in the baking dish.
Drizzle half of the caramel sauce over the apple layer.
In another bowl, beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth. Fold in the whipped topping until well combined. Spread this mixture over the apple and cinnamon roll layers.
Drizzle the remaining caramel sauce on top and sprinkle with chopped pecans if using.
Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until the cinnamon rolls are cooked through and golden brown. Let it cool for 10 minutes before serving.