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Apple Pie Monkey Bread with Maple Glaze

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Made with refrigerated biscuit dough, this Apple Pie Pull-Apart Bread is layered with a classic apple pie filling and drenched in a creamy maple glaze. It’s the ultimate breakfast for Christmas morning!

Easy Apple Pie Pull-Apart Monkey Bread

This gooey pull-apart bread is the feel-good breakfast I’ll never stop craving every fall. It’s loaded with apple pie filling, cinnamon, and maple syrup – or as I like to call them, the essentials! It uses store-bought biscuit dough to keep your breakfast quick and fuss-free.

Each ball of biscuit dough is rolled in cinnamon and sugar, making it just as delectable as the other components in the dish. The dough is layered up with the pie filling and the sweet glaze seeps through it all. That means you get plenty of maple and apple goodness in each mouthwatering bite!

Why is it Called Monkey Bread?

This classic holiday breakfast gets its name from the way it’s eaten. Typically, you pick off the chunks of bread with your fingers and pop them into your mouth as a monkey would. Understandably, this can get a bit messy – so nobody will blame you if you decide to use a fork instead!

A batch of maple apple monkey bread on a cake stand with one serving removed

Recipe Ingredients

Let’s break down the ingredients you’ll need between the bread, the filling and the glaze. Everything is super simple!

For the Apple Pie Filling

  • Sliced Apples: Stick with a tart and crisp variety such as Granny Smith, Gala, Braeburn or Honey Crisp.
  • Lemon Juice: Freshly squeezed from about 1 lemon.
  • Light Brown Sugar
  • All-Purpose Flour
  • Maple Syrup: Make sure you’re using pure maple syrup. Artificial alternatives are loaded with corn syrup and lack the same authentic flavor.
  • Ground Cinnamon
  • Apple Pie Spice: This is optional, but I highly recommend using it for the festive flavors it provides.

For the Pull Apart Bread

  • Pillsbury Grands Biscuits: It’s best to use a homestyle biscuit rather than a fancy version with butter and flaky layers.
  • Granulated Sugar
  • Ground Cinnamon

For the Maple Glaze

  • Powdered Sugar: This gives the glaze some structure.
  • Maple Syrup
  • Milk: You can use a plant-based substitute or a lactose-free milk if needed.
Apple pie pull apart bread on a cake stand with maple glaze being drizzled overtop

How to Make Apple Pie Monkey Bread

Making this monkey bread is super easy, thanks to the refrigerated biscuit dough. And the pie filling and glaze come together in minutes!

Make the Pie Filling

  1. Slice Apples & Add Lemon Juice: Slice up the apples into small pieces and place them into a medium-sized bowl. Squeeze a lemon overtop the apples and stir to combine.
  2. Add Remaining Ingredients: Add the brown sugar, flour, maple syrup, cinnamon and apple pie spice to the bowl. Stir to coat all of the apples evenly in the dry ingredients.
  3. Cook: Heat the apples on the stove over medium heat for 15-20 minutes, until they’re nice and soft. Stir occasionally. You want the apples to be mushy like applesauce instead of staying in the larger chunks.
  4. Let Cool: Set aside the pie filling and allow it to cool.

Make the Pull Apart Bread

  1. Heat Oven & Grease Pan: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a bundt pan with Crisco or cooking spray, then coat it with flour. Make sure to get the top of the pan as well.
  2. Prepare Biscuits: Remove your biscuits from the can and divide them into three piles, one pile being slightly larger than the other two. You will be building 3 layers of biscuits. The bottom layer should have the most biscuits.
  3. Form Dough Balls: Take each individual biscuit and cut it into 2-3 strips, then cut each strip in half again. Roll each piece into a small ball.
  4. Coat in Sugar: In a separate bowl, mix the cinnamon and sugar until well combined. Take each piece of dough and roll it in the cinnamon sugar mixture. Each dough ball should be completely coated.
  5. Start Layering: Layer the dough into the bottom and up the sides of the pan. If you have any larger biscuit pieces, go ahead and flatten them out a little bit. Layer in half of the apple pie filling.
  6. Finish Layering: Build another layer of dough on top of the pie filling, then add the remaining filling on top of that. Finally, add the remaining cinnamon-coated biscuits.
  7. Bake: Bake your monkey bread on the middle rack for 28-35 minutes.
  8. Let Cool: Remove the bread from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan for 15-20 minutes.
  9. Transfer to Plate: Place a plate on top of the bundt pan so that when you invert it, the bread will be sitting on the plate.

Make the Glaze

  • Combine Powdered Sugar & Maple Syrup: Combine the powdered sugar and the maple syrup in a small bowl. Stir until the mixture thickens.
  • Add Milk: Add milk 1 teaspoon at a time until the glaze reaches your desired consistency.
  • Pour Over Bread: Pour the glaze over the warm bread just before serving it. Top it with your favorite chopped nuts if desired.
One helping of apple pie monkey bread on a plate with the remaining bread on a cake stand behind it

Can I Make This in Advance?

Yes, you can prepare this breakfast bread the night before you plan to serve it if you’d like. Place the completely cooled monkey bread into a storage bag and seal it with as much air removed as possible. If you can’t fit it into a storage bag, you can keep it in an airtight container instead.

Heat up your pull-apart bread in a 170°F oven until it’s warmed throughout. Then whip up the glaze, pour it over the bread and serve!

Tips for Success

Be sure to follow the tips and tricks outlined below to ensure the success of your monkey bread.

  • Don’t Use Bottled Lemon Juice! Not only does the lemon juice add flavor to your apple pie filling, but it also prevents the apples from browning. Using fresh lemon juice ensures that your filling will have the best taste and appearance.
  • Grease & Flour the Pan Well: Don’t skip either the greasing or the flouring of the bundt pan, and be sure to cover the top rim as well as the sides and bottom. This will help your monkey bread slide right out of the pan when it’s time to remove it.
  • Let the Bread Rest Before Removing it From the Pan: As exciting as it is to flip your monkey bread out onto a plate, hold off on doing so for at least 15 minutes after removing it from the oven. This allows the juices to settle and ensures that everything will be held together when it comes out.
  • Adjust the Consistency of the Glaze: If you want a thicker glaze that stays on top of the monkey bread, add less milk to it. For a thinner glaze, add more milk. Just make sure you add the milk one teaspoon at a time and mix well after each addition so you can assess the consistency as you go.
A serving of apple pie pull apart bread on a plate with a fork and a kitchen towel in the background

How to Store

Once cooled, this bread should be stored in a resealable bag or an airtight container at room temperature. Enjoy it within 2 days of making it. Reheat individual portions in the microwave for 15-second intervals until warm. Reduce the microwave time as needed.

Can I Freeze This?

Yes, you can freeze your cooled pull-apart bread for extended storage if you’d like. Just wrap it well in plastic wrap and keep it in a freezer-safe container. Enjoy frozen monkey bread within 3 months and thaw it out on the counter before reheating it.

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One helping of apple pie monkey bread on a plate with the remaining bread on a cake stand behind it

Apple Pie Monkey Bread with Maple Glaze

  • Author: Julianne Dell
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 50 minutes
  • Yield: 8

Description

Made with refrigerated biscuit dough, this Apple Pie Pull Apart Bread is layered with a classic apple pie filling and drenched in a creamy maple glaze. It’s the ultimate breakfast for Christmas morning!

Ingredients

For the Apple Pie Filling

  • 4 Medium apples, peeled and diced
  • 1 Lemon, juiced
  • 2 tablespoons (28g) light brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons (18g) all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons (30ml) pure maple syrup
  • 2 teaspoons (5g) ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon apple pie spice (2.5) (optional)

For the Monkey Bread

  • 2 cans (16.3oz) Pillsbury Grands Biscuits 
  • ½ cup (95g) granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons (15g) ground cinnamon

For the Maple Glaze

  • ½ cup (65g) powdered Sugar
  • 2 tablespoons (30ml) pure maple syrup
  • 2 teaspoons (10ml) milk

Instructions

Make the Pie Filling

  1. Slice apples into small pieces and squeeze a lemon over top and stir to combine.
  2. Add brown sugar, flour, maple syrup, cinnamon, apple pie spice over top of apples. Stir to mix ingredients.
  3. Heat apples on the stove over medium heat for 15-20 minutes until soft. Stir occasionally. You want the apples to be mushy like apple sauce, instead of the larger chunks. Set aside and allow to cool.

Make the Bread

  1. Pre-heat oven to 350° F. Grease a bundt pan with Crisco or cooking spray and coat with flour. Make sure to get the top of the pan as well.
  2. Remove biscuits from can, and divide into three piles. One pile being slightly larger than the other two. You will be building 3 layers of biscuits. The bottom layer should have the most biscuits.
  3. Take each individual biscuit can cut into 2-3 stripes, each stripe should then be cut in half again. Roll each piece into a small ball.
  4. In a separate bowl, combine cinnamon and sugar and mix well. Take each piece of dough and roll in the cinnamon sugar mix. Layer the bottom of the pan and up the sides of the pan with dough. If you have any larger pieces of biscuits, go ahead and flatten them out a little bit.
  5. Layer in half of the apple pie filling.
  6. Repeat the previous step by rolling the dough in the cinnamon and sugar mix and build another layer.
  7. Pour in remaining apple pie filling and then top with all remaining cinnamon coated biscuits.
  8. Bake at 350° F on the middle rack for 28-35 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool 15-20 minutes. Take a plate and put it on top of the bundt pan so that when invert, the bread will be sitting on the plate.

Make the Glaze

  1. In a small bowl, combine powdered sugar and maple syrup and stir until thickened.
  2. Add milk 1 teaspoon at a time until glaze reaches desired consistency.
  3. Pour glaze over warm bread before serving. Add your favorite nuts if you’d like.

Equipment

Notes

  • To Make Ahead: Place cooled monkey bread into a storage bag or airtight container. Reheat in a 170°F oven until warmed throughout. Add glaze and serve.
  • To Store: Keep cooled bread in a resealable bag or airtight container at room temperature. Enjoy within 2 days. Reheat individual portions in the microwave.
  • To Freeze: Wrap well in plastic wrap and keep in a freezer-safe container. Enjoy within 3 months. Thaw on the counter before reheating.
Nutrition Information:
1
386
42.7 g
729.5 mg
8 g
77.7 g
4.8 g
4.9 g
0 mg
  • Category: Breakfast
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: American

More Holiday Breakfast Recipes

Need more festive breakfast ideas to get your holidays off to a good start? The following dishes are sure to do the trick.

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