There’s nothing that says fall quite like the warm aroma of fresh-baked apple pie, and at our house monkey bread is a sweet treat we can’t resist any time of year. This easy Apple Pie Monkey Bread recipe combines the gooey pull-apart fun of monkey bread with the cozy cinnamon-spiced flavor of classic apple pie. It’s the perfect fall dessert for family gatherings, weekend brunch, or a cozy treat on a crisp autumn afternoon.

Choosing Ingredients and Shortcuts

The secret to the best apple pie monkey bread is picking the right apples. I like Granny Smith or Honeycrisp because they stay firm when baked and their tart flavor keeps the dessert from being too sweet. If you want to save time, you can use canned apple pie filling instead of fresh apples. Just spoon out the fruit and leave most of the syrup behind so your bread stays gooey without becoming soggy. Refrigerated biscuit dough is a real time saver too and still bakes up soft and fluffy with that homemade feel.

If you’re using fresh apples, a good apple corer and slicer can save you time and give you even slices that bake more evenly.

Baking Tips and Serving Ideas

Be sure to coat your Bundt pan well with butter or a good non-stick spray to keep the monkey bread from sticking. Check it during the last few minutes of baking because every oven browns a little differently. You are looking for a golden caramelized top that is still soft and gooey inside. Let it rest in the pan for about 5 to 10 minutes before flipping it onto a plate so the sticky caramel has time to set. For a special fall dessert, drizzle with a simple cinnamon glaze or serve it warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

A sturdy Bundt pan helps the monkey bread bake evenly and release easily after cooling for a few minutes.

Linette Gerlach

Apple Pie Monkey Bread Recipe

Monkey bread is a kid favorite at our house, so I thought it would be fun to put a fall spin on it and add in some apple pie flavors. This recipe is double delicious!

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Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

• Apple Pie Monkey Bread Sweet Dough Ingredients
• 1 package active dry yeast or 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 2 eggs
• 5 cups flour
• ¼ cup warm water
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 ¼ cup milk
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• pinch of salt
• Apple Pie Monkey Bread Ingredients
• 1 ball Monkey Bread sweet dough from above
• 1 cup sugar plus ¼ cup sugar
• 1 stick melted butter
• 1 tbsp apple pie spice
• 1 cup caramel
• 2 apples peeled and diced
• ½ cup apple cider

Method

 

1. Add yeast and warm water to a large bowl to dissolve. As soon as yeast is entirely dissolved add remaining dough ingredients, but only three cups of the flour. Mix ingredients until a soft dough is formed, add the remaining cups of flour one at a time and mix until dough is firm. Place in refrigerator for six hours.
2. While dough is resting peel and dice two apples. In a small saucepan cook diced apples, apple cider and ¼ cup sugar till apples are soft but not mushy. Set aside.
3. Remove dough from refrigerator. Grease your bundt pan. Flour a surface and turn dough out, punching out air pockets. Pinch off about a spoonful of dough at a time and roll into balls, about 40-50 balls total.
4. Ready two small bowls for dough balls, one with a stick of butter that has been melted and the other with a cup of sugar and apple pie spice mixed together. Drop each dough ball into melted butter and then into apple pie spice and sugar mix. Drop spice covered dough balls into your greased bundt pan.
5. Your bundt pan should be about halfway full, which leaves room for the dough to rise. Heat your caramel up for 20-30 seconds in the microwave until it is easy to spoon. Spoon half the diced apple mixture over the top of dough balls and pour half the caramel over apples and dough balls.

Storage and Make-Ahead Tips

You can make this easy apple pie monkey bread a day ahead if you need to save time. Bake it as directed, let it cool completely, then cover it tightly and store it at room temperature. Warm individual pieces in the microwave for 10 to 15 seconds or reheat the whole loaf in a low oven until soft and gooey again. Leftovers will keep for up to two days, although it rarely lasts that long around here.

So delicious, and not too difficult to make! Monkey bread is definitely a kid favorite at our house!

If you love cozy fall desserts as much as we do, you will want to check out a few more of our seasonal favorites. Try our soft and chewy Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chip Cookies for a quick after-school treat, or mix up a big bowl of Kids’ Harvest Party Fall Snack Mix for your next fall get-together. For pumpkin lovers, our Pumpkin Poke Cupcakes are always a hit, and the sweet-and-chewy Candy Corn Magic Bars are a fun dessert to share at any fall party. Save these recipes for your next fall party or bake day.