This Apple Monkey Bread is made with refrigerated biscuit dough, chopped apples, cinnamon sugar, and a buttery brown sugar glaze. It’s an easy, family-friendly brunch recipe that comes together in under an hour and doesn’t require any fancy ingredients or prep, which is exactly why I make it for my family on holidays.
Warm, gooey, and meant to be pulled apart, it’s the kind of bake that works just as well for slow weekends as it does for feeding a hungry crowd.
Try my Cinnamon Cream Cheese Roll Ups (like churros for breakfast!!), or if you have a bit more time, my homemade Caramel Apple Cinnamon Rolls! You can also get more ideas in my post “20 Easy Holiday Breakfasts” too!
Step-by-step photos and instructions are below, but you can jump right to the recipe card if you wish!
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Why you’ll love this recipe
It has everything you love about classic monkey bread with a cozy apple twist. Warm cinnamon sugar, soft pull apart pieces, caramel like glaze, and juicy apple bites tucked in. It feels fancy but takes barely any extra effort.
If you’re building a brunch spread, Million Dollar Bacon is the salty-sweet balance to all that cinnamon sugar.
I have included step-by-step photos and instructions, as well as tips and tricks in the post. If you’d rather skip all that, scoot right on down to the full recipe card located at the bottom of the post.
Key Recipe Ingredients
The full list of ingredients and amounts is found in the printable recipe card below.
- Biscuits. Refrigerated flaky biscuit dough keeps this easy and fast. No mixing, no rising, just cut and go.
- Sugar and cinnamon. This is what coats the biscuit pieces and gives everything that warm, cinnamon roll energy. Don’t skimp – it’s doing a lot of flavor work here.
- Apples. Chop them small so they soften without turning mushy. Honeycrisp or Granny Smith apples are solid choices and hold their shape as they bake.
- Brown sugar and butter. These melt together into the sticky glaze that seeps into all the gaps and caramelizes in the oven. This is the part people fight over. It’s me. I’m people. I use salted or unsalted butter, whatever I have on hand.
How to make this recipe
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This next part is only a photo tutorial of the recipe steps. The full list of ingredients, quantities and instructions can be found in the printable recipe card below.
Preheat the oven: Heat the oven to 350°F and grease a 12-cup bundt or fluted tube pan really well. Get into all the curves so nothing sticks later.
Cut and coat the biscuits: Cut each biscuit into bite-sized pieces (quarters) using a pizza cutter or a large knife. Lay them flat and do not stack them, so you get clean cuts. You should end up with 64 bite-size pieces. But don’t count them. That’s silly.
In a large zip-top bag, combine the sugar and cinnamon, then add the biscuit pieces a handful at a time and shake until evenly coated.
Layer everything: Spread the cinnamon-sugar biscuit pieces in the pan, sprinkling the chopped apples throughout as you go so they are evenly mixed in.
Add the glaze: Melt the butter over low heat, then stir in the brown sugar until smooth. Slowly pour or drizzle it over the biscuits and diced apples, moving around the pan so the sauce settles into all the spaces.
Bake the monkey bread for 30 to 40 minutes, until the top is golden and the center pieces are baked through and no longer doughy. Let it cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, then carefully turn it out onto a serving plate, scooping any pieces that stick back on top while everything is still warm.
Troubleshooting Guide – Common Problems and Solutions
- Center is still doughy. Give it a little more time in the oven and check again, or make sure the biscuit pieces were not packed too tightly in the pan so heat can move through.
- Top is browning too fast. Loosely tent the pan with foil and keep baking until the center is done.
- Sticking to the pan. Bundt pans have a lot of curves, so grease it really well before adding anything. Every nook matters here.
- Apples turned mushy. Use a firmer apple and cut the pieces slightly larger so they hold their shape while baking.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I prep this ahead?
Yes. Assemble up to one hour before baking. Any longer and the biscuits may not rise as well. As soon as you pop the can, they’re active!!
Can I use homemade bread or biscuit dough?
Sure. Just match the total dough weight and cut the pieces small so they bake through. I’ve made this with my hamburger bun dough, with great success.
Kylee’s Notes
- Coat the biscuit pieces well so they don’t bake up dry.
- Don’t pack the dough in too tightly or it won’t bake through.
- Pour the glaze slowly so it seeps into all the gaps.
- Let it cool a few minutes before flipping so it releases more cleanly.
- If the top browns too fast, lay a piece of foil over it.
How to store leftovers
Adorable. You think there will be leftovers! I leave this on my counter with a jar of forks, and, well, it disappears.
Refrigerator
Store in an airtight container at room temp for 2 days or refrigerate up to 3 days.
Reheating Tips
Microwave individual pieces for 20 to 30 seconds on 50 percent power to keep them soft.
More breakfast recipes to love:
- Bacon Sausage Breakfast Sliders. Bacon, sausage, egg and cheese in a soft bun, brushed with garlic-butter… yes please!
- Easy Blueberry Waffles from Scratch. These waffles are light and fluffy and golden brown – and take just a few minutes to whip up. You can have 4 Belgian sized waffles in about 15 minutes! DIG IN!!
- Vanilla Maple Baked French Toast. Delightfully flavored french toast, topped with a sweet/nutty/crunchy topping, be warned – you will get addicted!!
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Apple Monkey Bread
Recommended Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cans refrigerated flaky layers biscuits (16.3 oz each )
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup peeled and chopped apples (one medium apple)
- 3/4 cup butter (cut into pieces)
- 3/4 cup brown sugar (packed )
Directions
- Preheat oven: Heat to 350°F. Grease a 12 cup bundt or fluted tube pan really well.
- Cut and coat biscuits: Cut 2 cans refrigerated flaky layers biscuits into quarters (Cut each biscuit into 4 (~16 biscuits → ~64 pieces). Add 1/2 cup white sugar and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon to a large zip top bag. Add pieces to the bag a handful at a time and shake to coat.
- Layer in the pan: Add coated biscuit pieces to the pan, scattering 1 cup peeled and chopped apples throughout so everything is evenly layered.
- Make the glaze: Melt 3/4 cup butter over low heat in a small saucepan. Whisk in the 3/4 cup butter until smooth. Pour evenly over the biscuits and apples.
- Bake: Bake 30 to 40 minutes until the top is golden and the center pieces are no longer doughy.
- Cool and invert: Cool 5 minutes in the pan, then turn out onto a serving plate. Scoop any stuck pieces back on top.
- Serve: Enjoy warm.
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Notes
- Coat the biscuit pieces well so they don’t bake up dry.
- Don’t pack the dough in too tightly or it won’t bake through.
- Pour the glaze slowly so it seeps into all the gaps.
- Let it cool a few minutes before flipping so it releases more cleanly.
- If the top browns too fast, lay a piece of foil over it.
Nutrition Facts
Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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