HOMEMADE CARAMEL APPLE MONKEY BREAD
Soft, buttery homemade dinner roll dough rolled in warm autumn spices, layered with tender cooked apples, and baked in a Bundt pan until golden. Drenched in homemade 3-ingredient caramel sauce!
Servings: 12 servings
Cost: $8
Equipment
Ingredients
Great Grandma's Roll Dough Base
- 1 cup whole milk warmed to 100∘F–110∘F
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg room temperature
- ¼ cup salted butter room temp
- 3 to 3½ cups all-purpose flour
Apple Spiced Filling
- 1 Medium apple finely diced, Granny Smith or Honeycrisp
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 2 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Cinnamon Sugar Coating
- ⅓ cup salted butter melted
- ¾ cup brown sugar packed
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon ground allspice
- ⅛ teaspoon ground ginger
Homemade Caramel Drizzle
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup salted butter
- ⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon heavy cream
Instructions
- Make Dough: Proof warm milk, sugar, and yeast for 5–10 minutes until foamy. Add egg, room temp butter, salt, and slowly, while mixing, add flour one cup at a time until dough pulls away from sides. Knead for 6 minutes until smooth and elastic. Let rise in a greased bowl for 60 minutes until doubled.
- Cook Apples: Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add diced apples, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Cook 5–7 minutes until tender and liquid evaporates. Cool.
- Assemble: Grease a 10-12 cup Bundt pan. Divide dough into 30ish small balls. Dip each ball in ⅓ cup melted butter, roll in brown sugar & spices, and layer into the pan, scattering cooked apples between layers.
- Second Rise: Cover loosely and let rise for 30 minutes until puffy. Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Bake: Bake on a rimmed baking sheet for 25-35 minutes until golden brown. Cool in pan for 5–10 minutes, then carefully flip onto a platter.
- Caramel & Serve: Melt 1 cup sugar in a saucepan over medium-low until amber (340∘F). Stir in butter, remove from heat, and whisk in heavy cream. Drizzle warm caramel over the warm monkey bread and serve!
