Cinnamon Apple Monkey Bread

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This cinnamon apple monkey bread is both fun to make AND eat! It's drizzled with caramel sauce, for an extra indulgent treat.

If you've never made monkey bread before, I highly recommend starting with this recipe right here. This is one of my favorite Fall bakes, because it's much easier than you would think, plus the house smells insanely good when this is in the oven.

When I was writing this recipe, I started with one of my favorite classic Fall flavors: cinnamon apple. My apple cinnamon scone recipe is actually a hit year-round, so I know you all love that flavor combo as much as I do!

But I'm also a big believer in adding salted caramel sauce to anything you can add salted caramel sauce to 😉 so of course I had to experiment with that. So this monkey bread is basically like sticky caramel apple goodness in a bundt pan.

Speaking of which, I know there are a few ways to make monkey bread. I've tried a few of those methods, but always come back to my trusty bundt pan. I just love the end look of it!

What Is Monkey Bread (And Why Is It Called That)?

So before we dive into the recipe, let's take a quick second to chat about monkey bread. Monkey bread is a sweet, doughy treat that usually involves cinnamon sugar. It consists of soft little pieces of dough stacked on top of one another and baked.

I actually had no idea why it's called monkey bread until I started reading up for this post. Apparently, it's because you pick it apart to eat it, similar to how monkeys eat. Isn't that fun? I love that.

Why You'll Love This Cinnamon Apple Monkey Bread...

• That gooey caramel sauce says it all, am I right? It's the perfect sauce to pair with warm cinnamon apple.
• It's SO easy to make. I'm going to talk you through the process but it will really take you no time at all. And it's a fun finger food for a party!
• It doesn't have to be perfect, which is one thing I love about this recipe. You can tell mine certainly isn't, but in my mind monkey bread is meant to be a fuss-free treat that's easy to make and pick apart 🙂

What You'll Need...

• The dry ingredients: flour + baking powder + salt.
• The fat: unsalted butter.
• For delicious fall flavor: Granny Smith apples.
• For added moisture: milk.
• Top it off with: cinnamon + sugar + caramel sauce.

How To Make...

To make my gluten free monkey bread, we're going to start by making a simple cinnamon sugar topping. Set that aside until we're ready to use it, and get started on the dough next.

To make the dough, whisk the dry ingredients together. Add in the cubed butter and just give it a toss to combine. Finally, stir in the milk. From here, we're going to move the mixture over to a stand mixer and use the hook attachment to knead the dough for around 3 minutes.

Once that's ready, transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface. Take just a couple of minutes to knead by hand. The dough should come together nicely at this point. Use your hands to break off small pieces of dough -- it doesn't have to be perfect, but the pieces should be around 2 inches big. Shape them into little rounds that resemble gnocchi. That's the best way I can describe it! The dough should hold together when pressed with your fingers.

Next, we're going to roll each piece of dough in the cinnamon sugar topping. Be gentle, as the dough might start to crumble and fall apart if you work it too much. Toss the pieces of dough into a medium bowl along with the apples and caramel sauce. Again, be gentle, but give it one good stir to combine.

From here, we're just going to transfer the whole mixture into a greased bundt pan. Bake on 350ºF for around 45 minutes. Allow the monkey bread to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before inverting onto a plate and serving.

Tips For Making The Best Apple Monkey Bread...

• As always, my top tip is to weigh your flour using a scale. This is the best way to ensure accuracy, and too much flour can really mess with the texture of the dough. You'll need 370 grams of flour for this recipe.

• If you don't have a stand mixer and/or a hook attachment, you can absolutely do all of the kneading by hand. It will take just a little bit longer, but it's totally feasible.

• When breaking off pieces of dough and shaping them into mounds, it might seem like the dough is going to fall apart on you. When you press it together with your hands, however, it should stick.

• BUT, you still want to be very gentle when coating in cinnamon sugar and tossing with the apples and caramel sauce. If you do experience crumbling or breakage, no sweat! Just press the dough back together with your hands.

Ingredient Substitutions...

• I'm unsure if you can make this apple monkey bread vegan. You should be fine to substitute your favorite non-dairy butter and milk, but you will want to make sure any store-bought caramel sauce you're using is also vegan (or make your own).

• Technically, you can make this recipe with any type of apple you like. My favorite to use here is Granny Smith.

Did you try my cinnamon apple monkey bread? Leave me a comment below or tag me on Instagram @justastastyblog and #justastastyblog!

For More Gluten Free Apple Dessert Recipes, Check Out My...

• Apple cider donuts
• Apple pie cookies
• Simple baked apples
• Muffin tin apple pies
• Apple cake

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