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This easy apple cinnamon pull apart bread is made entirely from scratch! Topped off with a simple caramel sauce, this soft, delicious apple cinnamon bread will be a new family favorite.
Guuuys this is one of those recipes that I tested at least 3 times before bringing it to you! Sometimes I only have to test something once and it works out great, other times I need to tweak again and again until I get it just right. In this case, I really wanted to get the technique nailed down as it’s not my usual simple mix and bake!
BUT I promise you its really quite easy and I’ve got step-by-step photos for you along the way!
Also, can you believe it’s October tomorrow?! I’m not ready. The wind has been so bone-chilling cold these days it makes me want to sit in a sauna all day. The leaves are gorgeous too but they’re nearly all gone now from the trees.
Winter, stay away! At least I’ll have a lot of excuses to bake apple cinnamon pull apart bread!
What is pull apart bread?
If you haven’t made a pull apart bread from scratch, don’t be intimidated! It’s super simple and actually quite enjoyable to make. Pull apart bread is basically a loaf that is already portioned into sections, that you can just pull with your fingers to get your serving, rather than slice.
It’s perfect for getting all the sauce and flavors right into the nooks and crannies of the bread! Plus it’s very fun to share.
How do you make apple cinnamon pull apart bread?
Start the recipe by proofing the yeast in a mixing bowl fitted with the dough hook with warm whole milk and sugar. The yeast will foam up a bit after a few minutes. Add in the salt and butter and one cup of flour, then mix on low. With the mixer running on low, add in the eggs, one at a time, followed by the remaining flour.
Once everything is combined, add the remaining flour and then mix on medium-high for about 3 minutes, or until the dough becomes a soft ball and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
Cover the bowl and allow it to rise for 1-2 hours or until doubled in size.
While the dough is rising its a good time to make the filling!
I used my mini apples from the backyard, but you can use whatever flavor apple you like best. Green Granny Smith apples are a great option!
Dice the apples very small, and add some sugar and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Stir to combine. The fruit will release their juices while sitting in the bowl, and that is totally fine!
Once the dough has risen, lightly flour a surface and then divide the dough into two equal sized portion. You can either use a scale for this to make sure they’re exact, or just eyeball it the best you can!
Place one of the dough halves on the floured surface and use a rolling pin to roll it out to about a 9 x 15″ rectangle. Smear the dough with softened butter and sprinkle it with cinnamon.
Using a sharp knife or a pizza slicer, slice the rectangle into 4 even strips. Using a slotted spoon, sprinkle a few tablespoons of the apple filling all over one of the slices. You’ll be using half of the filling for the first loaf, and the other half for the next loaf.
Place one of the other slices over top of the one with apples, then add filling on top of that too. Repeat until you reach the last slice on top! Sprinkle more of the filling on top.
Tip: Don’t worry about apple pieces falling off, you can add those back into the loaf later!
Slice the stack into 6 even stacks and then place each stack next to each other in a parchment-lined loaf pan. Any apple pieces that had fallen off can be sprinkled over the top of the bread now.
Repeat the whole process with the next ball of dough, placing it into the next prepared loaf pan. Cover both pans with a damp towel and let them rise for another hour to hour and a half or until puffy and risen.
Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Pop both the loaf pans into the oven at the same time and bake for 30 minutes, or until lightly browned on top. Wiggle a piece in the middle of the bread to see if it looks baked or gooey on the inside; if it is gooey, bake it for another 5 minutes before removing from the pan!
You can enjoy the pull apart bread as is, or you can drizzle them with a simple caramel glaze (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED)!!
How do you make the simple caramel glaze?
When dealing with caramel my go-to is usually my easy salted caramel sauce, but it does take a bit more work. This sauce couldn’t be easier. You just whisk together 3 ingredients:
- brown sugar
- heavy cream
- unsalted butter
Heat everything up in a saucepan over medium heat until just simmering, then let everything simmer for 10-15 minutes or until thickened up.
Then it’s ready to drizzle! The glaze will thicken up as it rests.
Do you serve this apple cinnamon pull apart bread warm?
YES – this bread is so fabulous warm from the oven, after its cooled down for about 10 minutes. Use the sides of the parchment paper to pull it out of the pan and then place it on a cutting board. Everyone can dig in and grab their own pieces for breakfast!
The bread also keeps super well at room temperature, in an airtight container, for about 3 days.
Can you freeze this bread?
If you are freezing one of the loaves for later, wait until it cools down completely before placing it in an airtight container or bag. I would recommend not adding the caramel sauce to the bread you plan on freezing, and just adding it before serving!
The bread should be thawed overnight in the fridge.
I also think the second loaf is a great one to gift to your neighbor or friend 😉
If you love this bread you’ve got to try some of my other breads and loaves!
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Apple Cinnamon Pull Apart Bread
- Total Time: 3 hours
- Yield: 2 loaves 1x
Description
These easy apple cinnamon pull apart bread is made entirely from scratch! Topped off with a simple caramel sauce, this soft, delicious apple cinnamon bread will be a new family favorite.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup whole milk, warmed
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 2 1/4 tsp active (instant) yeast (1 pkg)
- 2 3/4 – 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp softened unsalted butter
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Apple Filling
- 3 cups diced apples (small pieces)
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
Caramel Sauce
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 2 tsp butter
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, whisk together the warm milk, granulated sugar and yeast. Allow everything to sit for 5 minutes until the yeast becomes foamy. If it does not foam up, start again with fresh yeast!
- Add in 1 cup of the flour, the salt and 2 tablespoons of softened butter. Mix together on low until things start to come together. With the mixer running on low, add in the eggs, one at a time. Add in the remaining flour to make 2 3/4 cups, then mix on medium-high until everything is combined. Run the mixer for 3 minutes; the dough should pull away from the sides of the bowl. If it is still sticking to the bowl, add in the remaining 1/4 cup of flour, a few tablespoons at a time. Remove the dough, spray the inside of the bowl with nonstick spray and replace the dough. Cover it with a damp towel and allow it to rise in a warm spot for 1-2 hours, or until doubled in size.
- While the dough is rising, prepare the apple filling. Combine the diced apples, cinnamon and sugar together in a small mixing bowl. Set aside.
- Split the dough into 2 pieces (use a kitchen scale or just eyeball it). Keep one half of the dough covered in the bowl, while you place the other half on a lightly floured surface. Roll out the dough to a 9 x 15″ rectangle, then smear 1/4 cup of softened butter all over the dough. Sprinkle the 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon across the dough.
- Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, slice the dough into 4 equal strips. Sprinkle a few tablespoons of the apple filling on one of the strips, then place another strip on top. Place more apples on top of the doubled up strip, then place another strip on top. Repeat with the remaining two strips until you have a tall stack of dough. Slice the dough into 6 equal pieces; if some apples spill out you can add them on to the prepared loaf later!
- Place the little stacks of dough into a standard-sized loaf pan lined with parchment paper. Repeat the process with the second half of dough and remaining apple filling, placing the second half of stacks into another prepared loaf pan. Cover the pans with a damp towel again, letting them rise for another 1 hour, or until puffed up.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. While the dough is rising, prepare the caramel sauce. In a small saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the brown sugar, heavy cream and butter until the butter is melted and the mixture begins to simmer. Reduce the mixture to low and allow the caramel sauce to simmer for 15 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat and set aside while the bread bakes.
- When the oven is preheated, place both pans into the oven to bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown on top. Check to make sure the bread is fully baked by wiggling the middle piece of the bread to see if it looks doughy or fully baked. If it is doughy, the bread needs to be baked for another 5 minutes. Remove the loaves from the oven and allow them to rest for 5 minutes before removing them from the pan to a cutting board. Drizzle the caramel sauce all over the loaves and serve!
Leftover loaves can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Un-glazed loaves can be stored in the freezer for up to 2 months, after being fully cooled.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: breads and loaves
- Method: oven bake
- Cuisine: american
So soft and fluffy!! Love how gorgeous this looks Katherine! xo
Thank you Kim!! It is sooo soft and tender. Delicious!
Pull apart breads are so fun to eat and this one has all of the cozy flavors of fall that I love! Beautiful, Katherine!
Thank you Marissa. I’m loving the apple cinnamon flavor right now!!
Wow. That is beautiful! I could eat that dough raw it’s so pretty!
Thanks Mimi – I would agree with you but I have learned my lesson trying raw cinnamon bun dough (haha)!
Tested at least 3 times? Just admit it didn’t happen because you were perfecting the recipe, but because this delicious bread disappeared faster than you were able to take your camera all these (at least) 3 times. Am I right? Haha This bread looks and sounds terrific. So cozy and inviting!
I think you’re right!! It was so painful to take pictures fresh from the oven instead of just diving into it and eating the whole loaf.
What a beautiful apple bread! So much fun pulling those pieces apart. My kids would love it!
Thanks Michelle! It is so fun pulling those pieces.
Oh, we love colder days ! This pull apart bread will make the days cozier, so tasty and full of great flavours !
Nothing better on a chilly day than a cozy, warm loaf of something baked right!! Thank you!!
My family loves pull apart bread! The apples, cinnamon and caramel make this so perfect for fall baking!
We LOVE it too!! It’s so soft and delicious – I just want everything cinnamon-y and caramel-y all fall long!