Made with sweet and sticky spiced apple bread, this Apple Pull-Apart Bread is the ultimate breakfast or dessert treat. You're going to want seconds!
I've always been a bit intimidated by pull-apart bread recipes, but even though this one looks (and tastes!) impressive, it actually comes together really easily, and you can have it on the table in just over two hours.
I love serving this apple pull-apart bread as a fun and interactive dessert at dinner parties, or you can make a batch at the beginning of the week and then reheat a slice whenever you want it in a warm pan so the edges get all caramelized. It's perfect with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
The flavor of cinnamon and butter with apples is a tried and true favorite, but this is such a fun twist on a Christmas morning classic. I like to make a big spread for Christmas morning, so this pull apart monkey bread get served alongside my overnight french toast bake and a sausage hashbrown breakfast casserole. Everything can be made ahead of time which makes the morning relaxing!
Ingredients
There are three components to this apple pull-apart bread: the bread itself, apples that are tossed with butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon, and a topping of butter and cinnamon. Together they turn out an incredibly delicious apple monkey bread!
- BREAD
- All-purpose flour
- Active dry yeast
- Granulated sugar
- Milk (whole or 2%)
- Unsalted butter
- Water
- Vanilla extract
- Salt
- Ground cinnamon
- Eggs
- APPLE MIXTURE
- Granny smith apples - these are a great baking apple, but you can substitute for one of these if you prefer
- Unsalted butter
- Brown sugar
- Ground cinnamon
- CINNAMON BUTTER MIXTURE
- Unsalted butter
- Ground cinnamon
Instructions
It may seem like there are a lot of steps to this recipe, but once the dough is made, it comes together really quickly. And I assure you that it's worth it!
- Reserve ¾ cup flour, then combine the remaining flour, yeast, and sugar in the bottom of a stand mixer (or large bowl).
- In a small saucepan, gently warm the milk and butter until the butter has just melted. Remove it from the heat and let it sit for about 2-3 minutes. Add in the water and vanilla and stir to combine.
- Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture and, using the dough hook or knead with your hands, mix it together until it's well combined.
- Add the salt, cinnamon and eggs one at a time, making sure to beat well after each one.
- Add the remaining ¾ cup of flour and mix until the dough comes together.
- Place the dough in a large, well-oiled bowl. Cover it with a damp cloth and leave it in a dry, warm place to rise for about an hour.
- Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it down and roll it out to the size of a large rectangle on a well floured surface.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a medium-sized skillet, add the butter, brown sugar and diced apples over medium heat and cook until the apples are soft and tender, stirring occasionally.
- Mix together the butter and cinnamon to make the cinnamon-butter mixture. Spread it over the surface of the dough, then top it evenly with the apple mixture.
- Cut the dough into 5 strips from top to bottom. Then, cut again into thirds going from left-to right.
- Stack the slices together and place in a well buttered 9x5 loaf pan.
- Bake for about 30-40 minutes or until it's golden brown.
Related Recipes
Looking for more delicious breakfast recipes? Try these:
Pull-Apart Apple Monkey Bread
Made with sweet and sticky spiced apple bread, this Apple Fritter Monkey Bread is the ultimate breakfast or dessert treat.
Ingredients
Bread
- 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour, divided
- 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ⅓ cup milk (whole or 2%)
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- ¼ cup water
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 large eggs
Apple Mixture
- 2 small granny smith apples, peeled and diced
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Cinnamon Butter Mixture
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Reserve ¾ cup flour, then combine the remaining flour, yeast, and sugar in the bottom of a stand mixer (or large bowl).
- In a small saucepan, gently warm the milk and butter until the butter has just melted. Remove it from the heat and let it sit for about 2-3 minutes. Add in the water and vanilla and stir to combine.
- Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture and, using the dough hook or knead with your hands, mix it together until it's well combined.
- Add the salt, cinnamon and eggs one at a time, making sure to beat well after each one.
- Add the remaining ¾ cup of flour and mix until the dough comes together.
- Place the dough in a large, well-oiled bowl. Cover it with a damp cloth and leave it in a dry, warm place to rise for about an hour.
- Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it down and roll it out to the size of a large rectangle on a well floured surface.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a medium-sized skillet, add the butter, brown sugar and diced apples over medium heat and cook until the apples are soft and tender, stirring occasionally.
- Mix together the butter and cinnamon to make the cinnamon-butter mixture. Spread it over the surface of the dough, then top it evenly with the apple mixture.
- Cut the dough into 5 strips from top to bottom. Then, cut again into thirds going from left-to right.
- Stack the slices together and place in a well buttered 9x5 loaf pan.
- Bake for about 30-40 minutes or until it's golden brown.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 709Total Fat: 21gSaturated Fat: 12gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 111mgSodium: 131mgCarbohydrates: 113gFiber: 7gSugar: 19gProtein: 16g
This data was provided and calculated by Nutritionix.
She is also a professional food photographer who specializes in editorial, portrait food photography and styling.
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