Caramel Apple Monkey Bread with Canned Biscuits
Tart green apples, cinnamon sugar, and brown sugar caramel in every pull-apart bite. Prepped in 20 minutes.
By KC Coler | Published October 12, 2026
This apple monkey bread with canned biscuits is the easiest fall breakfast you’ll make all year. Tart green apples, cinnamon sugar, and a buttery brown sugar caramel turn two cans of biscuits into a sticky pull-apart treat. Twenty minutes of prep, no yeast, no rising. Save it for your next weekend morning.
This caramel apple monkey bread with canned biscuits is the recipe I make with my girls, and it’s the one they beg for at breakfast and again after dinner. It’s the perfect kitchen job split: they shake the biscuit pieces in the cinnamon sugar bag and layer the green apples into the pan, and I handle the hot caramel and the big flip.
After 15+ years in restaurant kitchens, I can make monkey bread from scratch. I just don’t need to. Tart green apples and a buttery brown sugar caramel turn two cans of biscuits into a sticky, pull-apart pan that tastes like apple pie and disappears before I can find the plates.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Two cans of biscuits do the hard part. No yeast, no rising, no kneading, and nobody waiting two hours for breakfast.
Green apples keep it from being a sugar bomb. The tartness cuts the caramel, so it tastes like apple pie instead of straight candy.
It pulls double duty. Serve it warm for a Saturday breakfast or holiday brunch, or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for dessert.
You can build it the night before. Assemble, cover, chill, and bake while the coffee brews.
Prep time: 20 minutes | Cook time: 40 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 10 minutes (includes a 10-minute rest) | Servings: 12
Ingredients for Apple Monkey Bread
For the Apples
2 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and diced into 1/2-inch pieces (about 2 cups)
For the Cinnamon Sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
For the Brown Sugar Caramel
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Bread
Nonstick spray or softened butter, for the pan
2 cans (16.3 oz each) refrigerated biscuits, 8 jumbo biscuits per can
For the Glaze (optional)
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk
How to Make Apple Monkey Bread
Prep the Pan. Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 12-cup Bundt pan generously with nonstick spray or softened butter, working it into every ridge so the bread releases cleanly.
Make the Caramel. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the brown sugar and salt and let it bubble for 1 minute, stirring, until smooth. Take it off the heat and stir in the vanilla.
Mix the Cinnamon Sugar. Shake the granulated sugar and cinnamon together in a gallon zip-top bag. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of it over the diced apples in a small bowl and toss.
Cut and Coat the Biscuits. Cut each biscuit into quarters. Drop about 10 pieces at a time into the bag, seal it, and shake until every piece is coated. Repeat with the rest.
Layer the Pan. Scatter one third of the apples in the bottom of the pan. Add half the biscuit pieces and pour half the caramel over them. Add another third of the apples, the rest of the biscuit pieces, then tuck the last of the apples into the gaps. Pour the remaining caramel over the top.
Bake. Set the pan on a foil-lined sheet pan to catch drips. Bake 35 to 40 minutes, until the top is deep golden brown and the pieces closest to the center tube spring back when pressed. If the top is dark before the 25-minute mark, lay a sheet of foil loosely over it.
Rest and Flip. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, no longer. Set a large plate over the pan, hold both together with oven mitts, and flip. Lift off the pan and scrape any apples or caramel left behind onto the top. The caramel is very hot, so keep little hands back for this part.
Glaze and Serve. If using the glaze, whisk the powdered sugar and milk until smooth and drizzle it over the warm bread. Serve warm and let everyone pull off their own pieces.
Fluffy in the middle means you nailed it.
Tips and Substitutions
Problem: the middle was doughy. The pieces hugging the center tube sit in the most caramel and apple juice, so they finish last. Fix: press one at 35 minutes. If it squishes, give it 5 more minutes with foil on top. An instant-read thermometer reading about 190°F in the center means you’re good.
Problem: half the bread stayed in the pan. Waiting too long to flip lets the caramel set like glue. Fix: flip at 10 minutes, and grease every ridge before you start.
Problem: soggy, watery bottom. Big apple chunks and soft apples release too much juice. Fix: dice Granny Smith into 1/2-inch pieces. They stay tart and hold their shape.
Problem: caramel all over the oven floor. Fix: always bake on a foil-lined sheet pan. A full Bundt pan bubbles over more often than you’d think.
Swaps that work:
Sweeter apples: Honeycrisp works if your crew wants less tang.
Cinnamon roll monkey bread: Swap the biscuits for 2 cans of refrigerated cinnamon rolls and use their icing as the glaze.
Add crunch: Scatter 1/2 cup chopped pecans between the layers.
Apple pie spice: Use it in place of the cinnamon for a warmer, more fall-forward flavor.
Make it ahead: Assemble the whole pan the night before, cover tightly, and refrigerate. Bake in the morning, adding 5 to 10 minutes since it starts cold.
Storage and Reheating
Room temperature: Cover tightly and keep up to 2 days.
Fridge: Store in an airtight container up to 4 days. It firms up when cold, so warm it before serving.
Reheat: Microwave single portions for 15 to 20 seconds. For a bigger chunk, cover with foil and warm in a 300°F oven for 10 to 12 minutes.
Freeze: Wrap the cooled, unglazed bread tightly and freeze up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat covered in the oven and glaze right before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make apple monkey bread the night before?
Yes. Assemble everything in the greased Bundt pan, cover it tightly, and refrigerate it overnight. In the morning, let the pan sit on the counter while the oven heats, then bake as written, adding 5 to 10 minutes since it starts cold. Check the center pieces before you flip it.
What are the best apples for monkey bread?
Granny Smith is my pick. Green apples stay tart and hold their shape, which balances all that brown sugar caramel and keeps the bottom from turning soggy. Honeycrisp works if you want it sweeter. Skip soft apples like Red Delicious, which break down into mush and water.
Why is my monkey bread doughy in the middle?
The pieces near the center tube sit in the most caramel and apple juice, so they cook last. Bake until those pieces spring back when pressed, and cover the top loosely with foil if it browns first. An instant-read thermometer reading about 190°F in the center is a good sign it is done.
Can I make monkey bread without a Bundt pan?
Yes. Layer everything the same way in a greased 9x13-inch baking dish and start checking at 25 minutes, since the shallower pan bakes faster. You won’t get the tall ring shape, so skip the flip and serve it straight from the dish with a big spoon for the caramel.
Is apple monkey bread breakfast or dessert?
Both, and nobody in my house is going to argue about it. Serve it warm for a weekend breakfast or holiday brunch, or top it with vanilla ice cream after dinner. The tart apples keep it from tasting too heavy in the morning, and the caramel makes it plenty special for dessert.
What to Serve With It
Crispy oven bacon: Salty bacon next to sticky caramel is the whole point of brunch. Both bake at once if you have two racks.
Classic deviled eggs: Make them the night before so your holiday brunch spread has something savory on the table.
More Recipes to Try
Sour cream zucchini bread: Another sweet bread that works for breakfast or dessert.
Lemon blueberry cheesecake dump cake: Same energy: dump, bake, and watch it vanish.
Easy overnight oats recipes: For the weekday mornings when monkey bread isn’t happening.
Find more sweet bakes in Desserts & Treats.
If your crew goes after this as hard as mine does, leave a star rating and tell me in the comments whether it was breakfast or dessert at your house. Save it to Pinterest too, so it’s right there next Saturday morning.
Saucy Spoon Co
Caramel Apple Monkey Bread
Tart green apples and sticky brown sugar caramel in every pull.
Ingredients
For the Apples
- 2 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and diced into 1/2-inch pieces (about 2 cups)
For the Cinnamon Sugar
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
For the Brown Sugar Caramel
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Bread
- Nonstick spray or softened butter, for the pan
- 2 cans (16.3 oz each) refrigerated biscuits, 8 jumbo biscuits per can
For the Glaze (optional)
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Prep the Pan. Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 12-cup Bundt pan generously with nonstick spray or softened butter, working it into every ridge so the bread releases cleanly.
- Make the Caramel. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the brown sugar and salt and let it bubble for 1 minute, stirring, until smooth. Take it off the heat and stir in the vanilla.
- Mix the Cinnamon Sugar. Shake the granulated sugar and cinnamon together in a gallon zip-top bag. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of it over the diced apples in a small bowl and toss.
- Cut and Coat the Biscuits. Cut each biscuit into quarters. Drop about 10 pieces at a time into the bag, seal it, and shake until every piece is coated. Repeat with the rest.
- Layer the Pan. Scatter one third of the apples in the bottom of the pan. Add half the biscuit pieces and pour half the caramel over them. Add another third of the apples, the rest of the biscuit pieces, then tuck the last of the apples into the gaps. Pour the remaining caramel over the top.
- Bake. Set the pan on a foil-lined sheet pan to catch drips. Bake 35 to 40 minutes, until the top is deep golden brown and the pieces closest to the center tube spring back when pressed. If the top is dark before the 25-minute mark, lay a sheet of foil loosely over it.
- Rest and Flip. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, no longer. Set a large plate over the pan, hold both together with oven mitts, and flip. Lift off the pan and scrape any apples or caramel left behind onto the top. The caramel is very hot, so keep little hands back for this part.
- Glaze and Serve. If using the glaze, whisk the powdered sugar and milk until smooth and drizzle it over the warm bread. Serve warm and let everyone pull off their own pieces.
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