Apple Monkey Bread with Cinnamon Rolls

This apple monkey bread is packed full of fresh apples and really delicious! The best sweet pull apart bread I’ve made with refrigerated cinnamon rolls ever.

If you’re looking for the best Christmas morning breakfast recipe or just something to make on the weekend for your family, this fresh apple version of our easy monkey bread recipe is the bomb! (originally published 11/18, affiliate links present)

Apple Monkey Bread with Cinnamon Rolls

I love making Pillsbury cinnamon roll monkey bread because there are SO many possibilities to change it up with fruit, caramel, or anything else you love. This can be a great frozen Rhodes cinnamon rolls recipe, frozen rolls that are more plain, or use the refrigerated type.

We always visit an orchard during the fall months and pick a lot of varieties. I hate to waste to I love to bake with them on a weekly basis until they are all used up. In savory and sweet dishes they add a ton of flavor, moisture and sweetness to all sorts of dishes. This is one of our favorite apple dessert ideas.

Apple Monkey Bread with Rhodes Rolls

Here’s the creation we made here with apple cider mix and fresh apples picked right off the tree! Like I said, making semi homemade monkey bread isn’t anything new in our house. As you can see, we are big fans of the idea…… You can bake them in a bundt pan like this, or make slow cooker apple cinnamon rolls.

Apple Monkey Bread with Canned Biscuits

You could use biscuits instead of the sweeter variety but of course, it won’t be as sweet. You just need to go all out and choose this type. There are the regular sizes and grands, You are going to cut them into large bite size pieces so it doesn’t really matter which you choose.

• Here’s where this apple monkey bread idea began.
• I saw the idea in this magazine while I was waiting in the dentist office. I snapped a picture of it with my phone.
• Changing up the timing a bit and a few other things you have what you see here. I had made this easy monkey bread recipe in the past but using fresh apples was a great idea.

So here it is before I popped it in the oven.

Apple Fritter Monkey Bread

Once it was done before pulling I took a pic. of it out so you can see the color on top.

• It is important to NOT overbake it, you want it to be ooey gooey, but have the dough pieces cooked through in the middle. It is a fine line. Very lightly browned usually is perfect, then let it cool before flipping it over to make it a bit easier.
• If you don’t care about it being pretty on a platter then by all means just flip it right away and use a fork to pull all the pieces right out to eat immediately.
• It’s best to serve warm, we love monkey bread this way.

It will not look sticky sweet when you pull it out, it will look like this. All the goodness is on the bottom so don’t worry, you will get there.

Cinnamon Roll Monkey Bread with Apples

Tips for making the best monkey bread recipe

• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
• Do NOT overbake it, you want it to remain gooey when you flip it over
  • As soon as the top is very lightly browned take it out and put it on a cooling rack
• Use a bundt pan that has a non stick surface AND spray the inside with non stick spray (replace your pan if it’s chipped or washed off)
  • This is my favorite bundt pan that seems to never lose it’s non stick texture and has a pretty design embedded in it
  • I use whichever non stick spray is on sale
• Allow it to cool before flipping over

Reason for this is that it makes it more likely to stay in one “pretty” piece if it has a bit of time to rest in the pan. Use a cake platter or plate that is big enough to fit the whole thing on.

Fresh apple monkey bread

This is what your apple monkey bread should look like once you flip it over and drizzle vanilla icing on the top!

1. 3 containers refrigerated cinnamon rolls
   1. can use biscuit dough but it won’t be as sweet
2. 3 large apples
   1. I like Fuji as we use for our air fryer apples too
   2. a splash of lemon juice works if you dice them a while beforehand to prevent browning
3. 1 box apple cider mix – dry mix like you’d use to make the drink
   1. dumping this sugar mixture into a large baggies and shaking with cinnamon roll pieces is how I do it
   2. you could dip each one in a small bowl with mix too
4. Melted butter
5. 1/2 cup nuts – optional to add these, I used honey roasted pecans
6. Vanilla frosting – use what the ones that come with your cinnamon rolls, but really you need more!
   1. could sprinkle with powdered sugar

Sugar and cinnamon mixture is a nice topping too.

Cinnamon Apple Pull Apart Bundt

How to do you spice up canned cinnamon rolls

• Make them like tike this with an apple pie taste to them!!
• It’s the perfect holiday treat or brunch item to add to your buffet table.
• The apples bring a natural sweetness and texture to your semi homemade monkey bread.
• You can make our cinnamon pull apart bread too.
• It is inexpensive to make, but impressive to serve out of a pretty bundt pan.