Pumpkin Apple Monkey Bread
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Pumpkin Apple Monkey Bread is the ultimate fall breakfast! This sticky sweet, crave-worthy recipe is made with real pumpkin, fresh apples and just the right amount of pumpkin pie spice! It’s easy to bake in the oven or toss in your Crock Pot for a breakfast that everyone will love!
Sweet, sticky, buttery goodness, this monkey bread recipe is an absolute show-stopper! Slice it up and serve it with a fork, or dig right in and pull it apart with your fingers. I promise, this sweet pull-apart bread is finger-licking good!
Whether you serve it for breakfast with coffee, a holiday brunch or a sweet afternoon treat, it will be hard to stop eating THE BEST monkey bread ever!
In this recipe, canned biscuits are tossed with pumpkin pie spice and sugar, then layered with creamy pumpkin puree, melted butter and maple syrup. The result is the sweet taste of fall in a super easy recipe!
This recipe is THE BEST because:
- It’s quick and easy to make!
- It has the perfect blend of sugary sweet and pumpkin pie spice!
- It’s made with 8 simple ingredients.
- You can bake it in the oven, or make it in a slow cooker.
- It will give you all the fall feels!
Table of contents
Ingredients
- Granulated sugar
- Brown sugar – light or dark brown sugar will work for this recipe, your choice!
- Pumpkin pie spice – it’s easy to mix up this homemade 5 ingredient spice blend in just a couple minutes. You can also purchase pre-made pumpkin pie spice in the spice aisle at your local grocery store. Or in a pinch, you can simply use 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon + 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg.
- Canned refrigerated biscuits – you’ll want two 16.3 ounce cans of biscuits, that should contain 8 biscuits each. There are a lot of options in the refrigerated biscuit aisle these days, I recommend purchasing something like the southern homestyle biscuits seen pictured above.
- Apples – for this recipe I used honey crisp apples. You could also use jonagold or pink lady, as they’re both great apples for baking.
- Unsalted butter
- Pumpkin puree – when purchasing pumpkin in a can at the grocery store, make sure it says 100% pure pumpkin, and not pumpkin pie filling. They’re generally right next to each other and the labels look very similar!
- Maple syrup – I always recommend using 100% pure maple syrup for the best flavor.
Instructions
I’ve included step by step photos below to make this recipe super easy to follow at home. For the full detailed recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1: combine granulated sugar, brown sugar and pumpkin pie spice in a large mixing bowl.
Step 2: cut each of the refrigerated biscuits into quarters. Peel and dice the apples. Toss the biscuit pieces and apples in the pumpkin pie spice sugar mixture.
Step 3: melt butter in a medium mixing bowl. Stir in the pumpkin puree and maple syrup.
Step 4: spray a bundt pan with cooking spray. Pour half of the pumpkin butter mixture in the bottom of the bundt pan.
Step 5: add the sugar-coated biscuits and apples to the bundt pan.
Step 6: top with the other half of the pumpkin butter mixture. Place on a baking sheet and into a preheated oven at 350°F for 40-50 minutes.
Step 7: remove the monkey bread from the oven and let it cool for at least 10 minutes.
Step 8: place a large plate over the bundt pan and flip the monkey bread out onto the plate. Grab a fork and dig in!
How to make it in a slow cooker
I’ve made this recipe in a Crock Pot over a dozen times. It’s perfect on low in the Crock Pot for up to 7 hours. After that, I have found that it starts to burn. If you want this recipe to cook overnight, you will need to switch it over to warm after 7 hours. This can be done manually, or by using a Crock Pot with a digital timer that will automatically switch over to warm after 7 hours.
You can also make it the day before you want to serve it. After 7 hours, remove the crock with the monkey bread in it and let it cool. Transfer it to the refrigerator, covered, overnight, then in the morning place it back in the Crock Pot on warm for at least 1 hour to reheat before serving.
To make pumpkin apple monkey bread in a Crock Pot, follow steps 1-3 above, then transfer the sugar-coated biscuits and apples to a Crock Pot, set to low. Pour the pumpkin butter mixture over the biscuits in the Crock Pot. Cook on low for at least 4 hours, or up to 7 hours. Turn the Crock Pot to warm after 7 hours, until you’re ready to serve the monkey bread.
The monkey bread comes out just as buttery and sticky-sweet from the Crock Pot, as it does in the oven. Just check out the picture below! I love using the slow cooker method when I’m going to be serving this at a brunch for friends or family. It makes it easy to keep the monkey bread warm and gooey, until guests are ready to eat.
Pro tips
- You’ll know when monkey bread is done in the oven when the pieces of dough start to turn golden brown and get a caramelized crust on the outside. In the Crock Pot, the top pieces of dough will become golden brown and if you run a spatula around the edges, you’ll see the caramelized sugar and pumpkin on the sides of the dough.
- Leftover monkey bread should always be refrigerated. You can then eat it cold, out of the refrigerator, or warm it up in the microwave or oven before eating.
- You can use a different pan to bake monkey bread in the oven. If you don’t have a bundt pan, a 9 inch by 13 inch casserole dish or loaf pan will work just fine. If using a loaf pan, you may need to make it in two batches.
- Always place the bundt pan of monkey bread on a rimmed baking sheet before placing it in the oven! The pumpkin butter mixture can leak over the hole in the middle of the bundt pan and make a huge mess in your oven. So learn from my past mistakes and always slide a baking sheet under your bundt pan to catch any drips!
Storage options
- To store: leftover monkey bread can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
- To reheat: place the monkey bread on a microwave-safe plate and microwave for 1 minute to warm it up. You can also place slices of monkey bread on a foil-lined baking sheet in the oven at 350°F for 10 minutes to reheat the bread.
- To freeze: place the cooked pumpkin apple monkey bread in a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw, move the bread from the freezer to the refrigerator 24 hours before serving. To reheat, place back in a 350°F oven for 10-15 minutes, or until heated throughout.
Additions and substitutions
- Walnuts or pecans – chopped nuts can be added to the bottom of the bundt pan with the pumpkin butter mixture, before adding the sugar-coated biscuits. If adding nuts to the Crock Pot version of this recipe, I recommend tossing them with the biscuits and apples.
- Cranberries – swap the fresh diced apples with 2 cups of fresh cranberries to make this a fall/winter hybrid recipe.
- Caramel sauce – drizzle caramel sauce over the monkey bread before serving for even more sticky-sweet goodness. Or replace the pumpkin puree with 1/2 cup caramel sauce to make caramel apple monkey bread.
- Apple pie filling – instead of using fresh apples, toss the biscuits with a 21 ounce can of apple pie filling. This option is perfect for anyone with a sweet tooth, as this substitution will make this apple monkey bread recipe extra-sweet!
Tools for this recipe
More pumpkin recipes
If you want more delicious fall vibes in your life, add all of these popular pumpkin recipes to your fall menu!
- Pumpkin Spice Apple Oatmeal Bars
- Pumpkin Filled Pastries
- Superfood Pumpkin Smoothie
- Pumpkin Chili
- Pumpkin Spice Cookies
- Cranberry Pumpkin Bread
- Pumpkin Cheesecake Swirled Brownies
Pumpkin Apple Monkey Bread
Ingredients
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 32.6 ounces refrigerated buttermilk biscuits, 2 – 16.3 oz cans
- 2 cups apples, peeled & diced
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, melted
- ½ cup pumpkin puree
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a large bowl combine the granulated sugar, brown sugar and pumpkin pie spice.
- Slice each biscuit into quarters, then add the biscuits and diced apples to the sugar mixture, and toss to combine.
- In a small bowl, whisk the melted butter, pumpkin puree and maple syrup together.
- Spray a bundt pan with cooking spray.
- Pour half of the pumpkin butter mixture in the bottom of the bundt pan.
- Add the sugar-coated biscuits and apples to the bundt pan.
- Pour the other half of the pumpkin butter mixture over the biscuits.
- Place the bundt pan of monkey bread on a baking sheet (to catch any drips) then into the oven for 40-50 minutes.
- You’ll know when monkey bread is done when the pieces of dough start to turn golden brown and get a caramelized crust on the outside.
- Remove the monkey bread from the oven and let it cool for at least 10 minutes.
- Place a large plate over the bundt pan and flip the monkey bread out onto the plate. Serve immediately.
Notes
- To make the monkey bread in a Crock Pot:
- Follow steps 2-4 above.
- Transfer the sugar-coated biscuits and apples to a Crock Pot, set to low.
- Pour the pumpkin butter mixture over the biscuits in the Crock Pot.
- Cook on low for at least 4 hours, or up to 7 hours.
- Turn the Crock Pot to warm after 7 hours, until you’re ready to serve the monkey bread.
- I recommend using honey crispy, jonagold or pink lady apples for this recipe.
- Leftover monkey bread should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will stay good in the fridge for up to 7 days.
- To reheat, place the monkey bread on a microwave-safe plate and microwave for 1 minute to warm it up. You can also place slices of monkey bread on a foil-lined baking sheet in the oven at 350°F for 10 minutes to reheat the bread.
- If you don’t have a bundt pan, use a 9 inch by 13 inch casserole dish or 2 loaf pans to make this recipe.
Nutrition Facts
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12 Comments on “Pumpkin Apple Monkey Bread”
What size crock pot did you use? I need to double the recipe and want to ensure I’ll have a crock pot big enough.
Hi Sarah, I made it in a 6 quart crock pot, but it only filled up about half of the crock pot, so you could easily get away with doubling the recipe in a 6 or 8 quart crock pot. Enjoy!!
If I’m making this for a lunch Thanksgiving dessert can I start it in the morning and cook on high for a shorter cook time? Or should I just cook overnight and turn it to warm when the 7-8 hours are up?
Hi Rachael, I would set it to high, then check it after 2-3 hours to make sure it doesn’t burn, then turn it to low once it’s cooked through. Enjoy 🙂
what could you use in place of the refrigerator rolls for a gluten free version
As far as I know, there are no gluten free refrigerated biscuit doughs at this time. I found this recipe for gluten free monkey bread that might be helpful!
This looks AMAZING!! I can’t wait to make it for my little sis! Except I would rather not use that much butter. Is there a substitute for pat of it that I could use, or can I omit part of it? Thank you so much <3
Thank you Bri! You could try it with less butter. I can’t guarantee the exact same results, as I’ve only made it with the full amount of butter, but I would imagine using half the butter would still get great results. Enjoy 🙂
My sister is allergic to pumpkin but this recipe sounds AMAZING! Any suggestions to swap out the pumpkin for something else?
Would a fruit preserve/jam work?
You could simple omit the pumpkin, and add a little more maple syrup.
I haven’t tried it with fruit preserves, so I can’t guarantee the results with that. I’m not sure if it would work because it’s a different consistency than pumpkin puree.
I would say to try it without the pumpkin puree the first time around. Enjoy 🙂