• All-Purpose Flour: This is the fundamental building block of our soft and fluffy monkey bread dough. For the most consistently accurate results in baking, we highly recommend weighing your flour using a kitchen scale. If you don’t have a scale, remember the proper method for measuring by volume: gently stir the flour in its bag or container to aerate it, then spoon it lightly into your dry measuring cup. Level off any excess with the flat edge of a knife, being careful not to pack the flour down into the cup. This meticulous approach prevents over-measurement, which can lead to a dry, dense, and tough dough.
• Soft, Chewy Caramels: These little gems are the absolute heroes of our gooey filling! Opt for soft, pliable caramels like Werther’s Chewy Caramels, or similar brands. Their soft consistency is crucial because they will melt beautifully during baking to create that luscious, sticky, and utterly irresistible center in each piece. Hard caramels will not yield the same delightful texture once cooled, becoming difficult to bite. Cutting them in half is a clever trick, as it allows you to create smaller, more manageable dough balls and ensures more individual, caramel-packed portions throughout your monkey bread.
• Apples (Granny Smith or Northern Spy): For the best flavor, texture, and structural integrity, choose a firm, slightly tart apple variety such as Granny Smith or Northern Spy. Their crisp texture holds up wonderfully during the baking process, preventing them from becoming mushy, and their natural tartness provides a fantastic, bright balance to the sweetness of the caramel and cinnamon. While these varieties are ideal for their robust flavor, any apple you have on hand will work in a pinch, though the overall flavor profile and texture may vary slightly.
• Ground Cinnamon: This essential warming spice not only makes the “cinnamon apple” flavor pop but also infuses our monkey bread with that cozy, aromatic warmth reminiscent of a classic cinnamon roll or apple pie. Don’t hesitate to experiment with other warm spices for an extra layer of complexity and depth; a pinch of ground nutmeg, cloves, or cardamom can transform this into a truly spiced apple delight, perfect for colder months or holiday baking.
• Active Dry Yeast: This is the magical ingredient responsible for giving our dough its wonderful rise, light texture, and airy crumb. Active dry yeast needs to be “activated” first, typically by dissolving it in warm water with a touch of sugar, which provides it with initial food. Always check the expiration date on your yeast packet; expired yeast won’t activate, and your dough won’t rise, leaving you with flat, dense results. If you’re using instant yeast, you can usually mix it directly into the dry ingredients, but ensure your liquids (like warm water and milk) are still warm enough to encourage activation.
• Light Brown Sugar or Golden Sugar: These sugars play a dual role, contributing to both the rich, caramelized coating of the monkey bread and a subtle, nuanced molasses flavor within the dough. We specifically recommend *light* brown sugar or golden sugar over medium or dark brown sugar because the darker varieties can sometimes lead to an overly dark, slightly bitter crust, and can overpower the delicate apple and caramel flavors. Granulated sugar can be used as a substitute if necessary, offering a cleaner, less complex sweetness.
• Unsalted Butter: You’ll be using a generous amount of butter for both the dough itself and the crucial coating that makes the monkey bread so rich and gooey. Using unsalted butter gives you complete control over the overall saltiness of your monkey bread, allowing the other flavors to shine without being overwhelmed. If you only have salted butter available, simply reduce the amount of added sea salt in the dough slightly to compensate.
• Sour Cream (Room Temperature): This is a wonderful secret ingredient that adds incredible moisture, richness, and tenderness to the monkey bread dough. Sour cream contributes a slight tang that complements the apples beautifully, improves the dough’s texture, and helps it stay fresh longer. Ensuring it’s at room temperature is important, as it helps it incorporate smoothly and evenly into the dough mixture, preventing any temperature shock that could hinder yeast activity.
• Fresh Lemon Juice: A bright squeeze of fresh lemon juice serves multiple important functions in this recipe. Firstly, it effectively prevents the diced apples from browning and oxidizing as you prepare them. More importantly, it beautifully brightens and enhances the natural apple flavor, making it even more vibrant and flavorful. It acts as a subtle but powerful flavor enhancer, cutting through the sweetness and contributing to the overall fresh taste of the monkey bread.

Step 2: Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients. Begin by adding the all-purpose flour into a large mixing bowl. Create a small well in the center of the flour, like a crater. Into this well, carefully add the remaining light brown sugar, softened unsalted butter, room temperature large egg, sour cream, sea salt, pure vanilla extract, and warm milk. Finally, pour in the activated yeast mixture. Using a sturdy Danish dough whisk or a large wooden spoon, mix all the ingredients together until they just form a cohesive, shaggy dough. The goal is to combine thoroughly without overworking; a tender dough is key, so stop mixing as soon as everything comes together.

Step 3: First Rise. Once your dough is formed, cover the bowl with a clean kitchen cloth or plastic wrap. Place the bowl in a warm, draft-free area of your kitchen. Allow the dough to rise for approximately 30 minutes, or until it has visibly doubled in size. This initial rise is crucial for developing the dough’s flavor and texture. While your dough is happily rising, you can use this time efficiently to prepare the apples and the irresistible cinnamon sugar mixture.

Step 4: Prepare the Apples. Start by peeling and coring your chosen apples. Once peeled and cored, cut the apples into small, uniform ¼-inch cubes. Uniformity helps them cook evenly within the monkey bread and ensures a consistent apple flavor in every bite. Place the cubed apples into a bowl and immediately add the fresh lemon juice on top. Stir gently to ensure all the apple pieces are coated; this not only brightens their flavor but also effectively prevents them from browning prematurely. Set these prepared apples aside until they are needed for assembly.

Step 5: Deflate and Divide the Dough. Once the dough has risen beautifully and doubled in size, gently lift the edges of the dough from inside the bowl, stretching them over the rest of the dough. Repeat this deflating process about 6 times until the dough has released most of its trapped air. Lightly dust a clean, flat work surface with flour. Turn the dough out onto the floured surface and dust it with a little more flour to prevent sticking. Cut the dough in half. Set one half aside while you work with the second half. Cut the working half in half again, and then cut each of those halves into eight equal pieces. This precise method should yield approximately 32 pieces of dough in total, ensuring consistent portion sizes for your monkey bread.

Step 6: Prepare the Caramel and Cinnamon Sugar Mixture. Unwrap your soft, chewy caramels and, if desired, cut them in half. Cutting them allows for smaller dough balls and more pieces of monkey bread with caramel centers, but you can keep them whole for an extra gooey surprise. Place the cut caramels on a piece of parchment paper to prevent sticking. In a separate medium bowl, combine the light brown or golden sugar with the ground cinnamon, mixing well until thoroughly combined and aromatic. In another medium bowl, melt the unsalted butter until smooth. These two bowls (one for butter, one for cinnamon sugar) will be used for coating your dough balls.

Step 7: Stuff and Shape the Dough Balls. Take each small, divided piece of dough and gently flatten it into a thin disc in the palm of your hand. Place one half of a caramel (or a whole caramel if preferred for an extra indulgent center) into the exact middle of the dough disc. Carefully pinch the edges of the dough together to completely seal the caramel inside, ensuring there are no gaps for the caramel to escape. Then, gently roll it into a neat, smooth ball between your palms. Repeat this precise process with all the dough pieces, making sure each caramel is fully enclosed within its dough casing.

Step 8: Prepare the Bundt Pan. Generously butter the entire inside surface of a standard 12-cup non-stick bundt pan using a knob of cold butter. This thorough greasing is absolutely crucial to prevent sticking and ensure easy release of your delicate monkey bread later. Sprinkle one tablespoon of your prepared cinnamon sugar mixture into the bottom of the buttered pan, spreading it evenly to create a foundational flavor layer. Then, distribute half of your diced, lemon-coated apples evenly over this cinnamon sugar layer in the pan. This creates a delicious, fruit-filled base for your monkey bread.

Step 9: Coat and Layer the Dough Balls. Now for the fun part! One by one, take each caramel-stuffed dough ball and first dip it into the melted butter, ensuring it’s fully coated on all sides. Immediately transfer the buttered dough ball into the cinnamon sugar mixture, rolling it gently but thoroughly to coat it liberally on all sides. As each piece is coated, arrange it in a single layer within the prepared bundt pan. Once you’ve added about half of the coated dough balls, sprinkle the remaining diced apples evenly over this layer. Continue coating and layering the rest of the dough balls until the bundt pan is completely filled. For an extra boost of gooeyness and flavor, pour any leftover melted butter directly over the assembled dough in the pan – this ensures maximum richness!

Step 10: Final Rise and Bake. Preheat your oven to 355°F (180°C). While the oven is warming up, allow the assembled monkey bread in the bundt pan to undergo a final short rise. This brief second rise helps to ensure a beautifully light and airy texture in the final product. Once the oven reaches its preheated temperature, carefully transfer the bundt pan to the oven and bake for approximately 30-32 minutes. The monkey bread is ready when it’s beautifully golden brown on top and springs back to the touch when gently pressed. Be careful not to overbake, as this can lead to a dry texture and less gooey caramel.

Step 11: Cool and Serve. Once baked to perfection, remove the monkey bread from the oven and allow it to cool in the bundt pan for exactly 10 minutes. This crucial cooling period allows the melted caramel to set slightly and helps prevent the bread from sticking to the intricate details of the bundt pan, ensuring a clean and beautiful inversion. After 10 minutes, place a large serving plate or platter upside down directly over the bundt pan. Carefully, and in one swift motion, flip the entire thing over to release the monkey bread onto the plate. Gently lift the bundt pan away. Your caramel apple monkey bread is best enjoyed warm, while the caramel is still wonderfully molten and the bread is incredibly soft and fragrant.

For the ultimate, most indulgent experience, serve your Caramel Apple Monkey Bread while it’s still deliciously warm and the caramel is molten. It’s a perfect centerpiece for any gathering, a delightful breakfast, or a special weekend treat!

✔️ Expert Tips for Flawless Caramel Apple Monkey Bread

Achieving bakery-level results with your homemade monkey bread is simple when you know a few key tricks. Keep these expert tips in mind for a truly perfect, gooey, and delicious outcome every time.

1. Choose Soft, Chewy Caramels Only: This is arguably the most crucial tip for that signature gooey center. Always use soft, pliable caramels, like the classic Werther’s Chewy Caramels, or similar brands. Hard caramels will not melt down to a soft, molten consistency during baking and will become unpleasantly hard and difficult to chew once the monkey bread cools. The goal is an “ooey gooey” filling, and soft caramels are absolutely essential for this!
2. Accurate Flour Measurement is Key: Baking is a science, and precise ingredient measurements make all the difference, especially with yeast doughs. For the most accurate and consistent results, we strongly recommend weighing your all-purpose flour using a digital kitchen scale. If a scale isn’t available, make sure to measure your flour correctly by volume: gently stir the flour in its container, then spoon it loosely into your measuring cup. Level off the top with the flat side of a knife or a straight edge, without packing the flour down. Over-measured flour can lead to a dense, dry, and tough monkey bread.
3. Timing the Pan Release is Critical: Just like with many bundt cakes, the timing for releasing your monkey bread from the pan after baking is absolutely crucial. Allow it to cool in the bundt pan for exactly 10 minutes after removing it from the oven. This brief, controlled cooling period allows the melted caramel to slightly firm up and helps prevent the bread from sticking to the intricate details of the pan, ensuring a clean and beautiful inversion. Waiting too long will cause the caramel to harden and adhere stubbornly to the pan, making release difficult and potentially tearing apart your beautiful monkey bread.
4. Avoid Overmixing the Dough: Our no-knead dough is designed to be easy and forgiving, but it’s important not to overmix it. Initially, mix the dough just until all the ingredients are combined and it forms a cohesive, slightly shaggy mass. There’s no need to knead it until it’s perfectly smooth and elastic, as you would with a traditional bread dough. Overworking the dough can overdevelop the gluten, resulting in a tough, dry, and less tender monkey bread. A lightly mixed, slightly sticky dough is exactly what you’re aiming for to achieve that melt-in-your-mouth texture.

Absolutely not! For this particular Caramel Apple Monkey Bread recipe, it is critically important to use soft, chewy caramels. The unique appeal and true magic of this dessert lie in the molten, wonderfully gooey caramel center that delightfully oozes out when you pull apart a piece. If you attempt to use hard caramels, they will indeed melt during the baking process, but unfortunately, they will solidify and become very hard again as the monkey bread cools. This will result in an unpleasant, potentially tooth-breaking experience rather than the delicious, soft, and gooey caramel you’re aiming for. Please stick to soft, pliable caramels like Werther’s Chewy Caramels for the best and most authentic results.

Regrettably, this specific recipe is not suitable for a direct substitution with gluten-free flour. Our monkey bread dough relies heavily on active dry yeast, which requires the gluten structure naturally found in all-purpose wheat flour to rise properly, develop elasticity, and achieve its characteristic soft, fluffy, and tender texture. Gluten-free flours behave very differently in yeast-leavened doughs and would not yield the same desired results, likely producing a dense or crumbly bread. For a successful gluten-free monkey bread, we strongly recommend seeking out a recipe specifically developed for gluten-free ingredients and yeast baking, as it will likely incorporate a specialized blend of flours and binders to mimic gluten’s essential properties.

Yes, you can certainly bake this caramel apple monkey bread in a regular baking pan, such as a 9×13 inch rectangular pan, a large round cake pan, or even a deep cast-iron skillet, if you don’t have a bundt pan available. However, there are a couple of important considerations to keep in mind. A bundt pan’s distinctive central hole allows for more even heat distribution throughout the entire bread and generally results in faster, more consistent cooking, especially in the center. When using a regular pan, which lacks this central heating element, you may need to increase the baking time slightly to ensure the monkey bread is cooked completely through to the center without being raw in the middle. Always keep a close eye on it and test for doneness by gently pressing a piece of dough – it should spring back. Also, be aware that while delicious, the presentation might be different, and the bottom layer might be extra gooey due to the lack of a central heating funnel.

Apple Monkey Bread [Stuffed with Caramel]

Mary

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Notes

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