Warm, gooey, and pull-apart delicious! This Caramel Apple Monkey Bread is the perfect way to usher in fall baking season. Tart apples and buttery caramel sauce weave through layers of cinnamon-spiced biscuit dough, creating a dessert-meets-breakfast bake. It’s sweet, cozy, and smells like the best fall morning in your kitchen.
Speaking of fresh apples, I've also taken the time to round up 40 of the best recipes that use all kinds of apple varieties for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and everything in between.
What is Monkey Bread?
Monkey bread was the name given to pull-apart bread made with bite-sized pieces of dough that were coated in butter, sugar, and spices, then baked together in a bundt pan until golden and sticky. Once flipped out of the pan, the bread is glossy with caramelized sugar, and you can simply tear off chunks with your fingers.
Monkey bread rose to popularity in American kitchens around the 1950s, with celebrity endorsements, (Nancy Reagan famously served it at the White House) helping it gain popularity.
How to Make Caramel Apple Monkey Bread, Step-By-Step
Prep: Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease a bundt pan generously with nonstick spray or for the best flavor, brush with melted butter.
Make the caramel sauce: In a saucepan over medium heat, combine brown sugar, butter, and half & half. Stir until smooth and thickened (5–6 minutes). Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and a pinch of salt. Mix in the chopped apples. Set aside.
Prepare the biscuit pieces: Open the biscuit tubes, separate the biscuits, and cut each one into quarters. In a large zip-top bag, combine sugar, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice. Add biscuit pieces a handful at a time, shake to coat, and set aside.
Layer the bread: Pour ¼ of the caramel apple sauce into the bundt pan (you can add nuts to the pan at this point if using). Then, fill the pan with ⅓ of the sugared biscuit pieces (approximately 20 pieces). Pour ⅓ of the remaining caramel apple mixture over the biscuits in the pan (making sure to get the apples and sauce!) Add another ⅓ of the biscuits and top with half the remaining caramel sauce and apples. Add the rest of the biscuit pieces, then pour the remaining caramel apple mixture over the top.
Bake: Place bundt pan on a baking sheet (to catch any overflow). Cover pan with foil to help biscuits cook all the way, and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 20 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through in the center.
Cool & Serve: Let rest in the pan for 10 minutes before inverting onto a serving plate. Serve warm and pull apart to enjoy!
Why You’ll Love Caramel Apple Monkey Bread
There are plenty of reasons to add this monkey bread recipe to your baking list, but here are the top ones:
- Perfect for the season. What screams fall more than apples and caramel?!
- Great for gatherings. I love monkey bread for entertaining in general. It totally works for breakfast (especially with kids) and dessert, too.
- Make-ahead friendly. Assemble it the night before, then just bake in the morning.
- Beginner-friendly. You don’t need to be a professional baker to make the perfect monkey bread. With refrigerated biscuit dough, it’s basically foolproof.
- Pull-apart fun. No knives or forks needed. Just grab, pull, and enjoy.
Tips for the Best Monkey Bread
- Grease generously. A bundt pan’s ridges can trap sticky caramel, so coat every inch with nonstick spray or brush with melted butter.
- Bake on a baking sheet. The caramel sometimes bubbles over while baking. A sheet pan underneath saves you from cleaning the oven. But if you do happen to make a mess in the oven, here's how I clean mine.
- Don’t rush the cooling step. Give the bread 10 minutes before flipping it out. If you try to flip it too soon, it might fall apart. Too late, and the caramel can harden, causing it to stick.
- Use fresh apples. Soft, mealy apples don’t hold up in the caramel, so pick firm varieties (I always use Granny Smith).
- Check doneness. If the top is golden but the center still seems doughy, tent with foil and bake a little longer.
Make-Ahead and Storage Tips
- Overnight Prep: Assemble everything in the pan, cover tightly, and refrigerate overnight. Bake fresh the next morning.
- Storage: Store leftovers tightly covered at room temperature for up to 2 days. Rewarm in the oven or microwave before serving.
- Freezer-Friendly: You can freeze baked monkey bread in portions. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat before serving.
How to Serve Monkey Bread
- For Breakfast or Brunch: Pair with coffee, tea, or apple cider.
- For Dessert: Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce.
- For Holidays: Place in the center of the table and let everyone pull off pieces family-style.
Frequently Asked Questions About Monkey Bread
Why is it called monkey bread?
The name comes from the way it’s eaten—by pulling apart the pieces with your fingers, much like how monkeys eat.
Can I use homemade dough?
Yes, though refrigerated biscuit dough makes it much quicker. A soft yeast dough also works beautifully.
Do I need a bundt pan?
A bundt pan creates the best shape, but you can use a 9x13 baking dish. Just reduce the baking time.
Can I make this nut-free?
Absolutely. Simply leave out the pecans.
How do I know when it’s done baking?
The bread should be golden brown and no longer doughy in the center. A toothpick inserted should come out clean.
Kick off Your Fall Baking
Let Me Know How It Goes!
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Printable Recipe
Equipment
- saucepan
Ingredients
Caramel Sauce
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ½ cup butter (cut into pieces)
- ¼ cup half and half (or whipping cream)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- 2-3 granny smith apples (about 2 full cups, peeled, cored, and chopped into small pieces)
Bread
- 1 tablespoon melted butter or cooking spray
- 2 16 ounce cans refrigerated buttermilk biscuits (I like Pillsbury Grands)
- ½ cup white granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ½ cup chopped pecans (optional)
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease a bundt pan generously with nonstick spray or for the best flavor, brush with melted butter.
- Make the caramel sauce: In a saucepan over medium heat, combine brown sugar, butter, and half & half. Stir until smooth and thickened (5-6 minutes). Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and a pinch of salt. Mix in the chopped apples. Set aside.
- Prepare the biscuit pieces: Open the biscuit tubes, separate the biscuits, and cut each one into quarters. In a large zip-top bag, combine sugar, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice. Add biscuit pieces a handful at a time, shake to coat, and set aside.
- Layer the bread: Pour ¼ of the caramel apple sauce into the bundt pan (you can add nuts to the pan at this point if using). Then, fill the pan with ⅓ of the sugared biscuit pieces (approximately 20 pieces). Pour ⅓ of the remaining caramel apple mixture over the biscuits in the pan (making sure to get the apples and sauce!) Add another ⅓ of the biscuits and top with half the remaining caramel sauce and apples. Add the rest of the biscuit pieces, then pour the remaining caramel apple mixture over the top.
- Bake: Place bundt pan on a baking sheet (to catch any overflow). Cover pan with foil to help biscuits cook all the way, and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 20 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through in the center.
- Cool & Serve: Let rest in the pan for 10 minutes before inverting onto a serving plate. Serve warm and pull apart to enjoy!
Notes
- Tart apples (like Granny Smith) balance the sweetness of this recipe, but Honeycrisp or Fuji work well for a sweeter bite.
- If you’re in a rush, you can use store-bought caramel sauce and stir in the apples before layering, but homemade is so much better!!
- Pan alternative: If you don’t have a bundt pan, use a 9x13 baking dish—just reduce baking time to about 30–35 minutes.
- Make ahead: Assemble up to the baking step, cover tightly, and refrigerate overnight. Bake fresh in the morning.
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