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This 6-ingredient apple monkey bread with canned biscuits is SO easy to make and loaded with warm cinnamon-apple flavor – a perfect vegan fall dessert for sharing!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Love warm and cozy vegan apple pie, vegam cinnamon rolls, and cinnamon apple fritters? Combine elements of all three into this simple apple monkey bread – giving a popular childhood classic a fall twist for a crowd-pleasing fall breakfast, brunch, or dessert (perfect for Thanksgiving, too!).
It combines soft, tender cinnamon-sugar coated pillowy biscuit dough layered with tender caramelized apples and a ‘buttery’ brown sugar caramel sauce. The result is sticky, gooey, tender, and completely irresistible. Plus, it’s so easy to make thanks to refrigerated biscuit dough – perfect for when you don’t have lots of time (or effort!).
Looking for even more ways to enjoy apples this fall? Try stuffed baked apples, apple crescent rolls, and vegan apple crumble.
Ingredient Notes
This cinnamon apple monkey bread is made with only 6 simple, inexpensive ingredients. Refer to the recipe card for the full list of ingredients and substitutes.
- Apples: Use any crisp apples. I prefer sweet-tart or tart apples to complement the sweetness. I.e., Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Fuji, or a combination for depth.
- Vegan buttermilk biscuits: Go for the chilled type rather than frozen (otherwise, they’ll need to be thawed). Alternatively, try frozen and thawed dinner rolls.
You can also use ready-to-bake cinnamon rolls (Annie’s and Trader Joe’s work well for vegan monkey bread), and toss the apples in the cinnamon sugar mixture.
Recipe Variations
- Add a glaze: Add a vanilla, maple, or pumpkin spice glaze to drizzle.
- Other spices: Add depth by subbing some cinnamon with pumpkin spice.
- Extracts: Add depth to the caramel with a hint of vanilla or almond extract.
- Dried fruit: Like raisins, cranberries, chopped dates, etc., for sweetness.
- Nuts: Like walnuts, pecans, almonds, etc., for crunch.
- Use pear: Simply swap the apples for pears.
How to Make Apple Cinnamon Monkey Bread
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350F/180C and grease a bunt pan. Also rinse, dry, core, and chop the apples into ½-inch pieces (or slightly finer/chunkier, if preferred). Add half the apples to the bundt pan. Then, mix the cinnamon and sugar in a large bowl.
Step 2: Cut each biscuit into 4 even pieces and, working a few at a time, toss them into the cinnamon sugar to thoroughly coat. Repeat with the remaining dough.
Step 3: Add half the cinnamon biscuits to the pan, the other apples, and the remaining biscuits.
Step 4: Then, in a small bowl, whisk the brown sugar and melted butter (I use a microwave) into a thick caramel-like consistency and pour that over the dough.
Step 5: Bake it for 40-45 minutes, until golden brown on top. Remove the apple monkey bread from the oven. Leave it to cool for a minimum of 20 minutes, 2 hours to fully cool, before removing it from the pan by placing a plate over the top and quickly flipping it. Enjoy!
FAQs
Only if you prefer them peeled for the softest texture, as peels can be a little chewy even once baked. I often leave the peel, though (for extra nutrients).
Sure thing! Use mini bundt pans or a large muffin tray, separate each biscuit into 6 pieces (rather than 4), chop the apple slightly finer, and bake for 25-30 minutes.
Assemble this canned biscuit monkey bread, up to the point of baking, a day in advance and refrigerate. Bring back to room temp for 30 mins before baking.
You can also freeze un-baked vegan monkey bread for up to 3 months, tightly wrapped in plastic wrap and foil. Thaw in the fridge overnight before baking.
Pro Recipe Tips
- Use fresh, crisp apples: Avoid varieties that will become mushy when baked. I like Granny Smith/ Honeycrisp.
- If the top browns too quickly: Loosely cover it with foil.
- Use a rimmed serving container: The sauce may be drippy, so it’s best to serve it on a dish with either a raised edge or a rim.
- Leave it to rest: This is important to allow it to begin cooling and set, so it’s easier to unmold and serve.
Serving Recommendations
Enjoy a portion of this apple cinnamon monkey bread, warm or at room temperature, alone or with:
- Vegan vanilla ice cream
- Vegan whipped cream
- Vegan date caramel sauce
- Mulled apple cider
- Tea, coffee, or homemade vegan hot chocolate)
Storage Instructions
Fridge: Allow it to cool, then store leftover apple cinnamon monkey bread in an airtight container for 2-3 days.
Freezer: Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and foil for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
Reheat: Microwave individual portions for 40-60 seconds, air fry for 4-6 minutes, or bake larger amounts in the oven at 350F/180C for 10-15 minutes.
Easy Apple Monkey Bread
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 (16-ounce) packages of vegan buttermilk biscuits
- ⅓ cup of granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons of cinnamon
- 2 apples cored and chopped
- ¼ cup of brown sugar
- ¼ cup of vegan butter melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and grease a bundt pan.
- Remove the biscuits from their packages, and cut each biscuit into 4 even pieces.
- In a large bowl, mix the cinnamon and sugar.
- Grab a handful of the biscuits and place them in the bowl with the sugar and cinnamon. Toss well to fully cover them in the sugar mixture. Add another handful of biscuit chunks and toss well. Repeat the process until all of the biscuit chucks are in the bowl covered with the sugar-cinnamon mixture.
- Add half of the apples into the bunt pan, add half of the biscuits, add the remaining apples, and top with the remaining of the biscuits.
- In a small bowl, add the brown sugar and melted vegan butter. Whisk until a thick caramel-like consistency is achieved.
- Evenly drizzle the vegan butter mixture over the cake. Bake for 40 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and allow it to cool for 2 hours before removing it from the pan.
- Place a plate over the pan and quickly flip it.
Notes
- Use fresh, crisp apples: Avoid varieties that will become mushy when baked. I like Granny Smith/ Honeycrisp.
- If the top browns too quickly: Loosely cover it with foil.
- Use a rimmed serving container: The sauce may be drippy, so it’s best to serve it on a dish with either a raised edge or a rim.
- Leave it to rest: This is important to allow it to begin cooling and set, so it’s easier to unmold and serve.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Although plantbasedonabudget.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, kindly note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on the product type, the brand that was purchased, and in other unforeseeable ways. Plantbasedonabudget.com will not be held liable for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your doctor first.
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Love this apple bread recipe!