We threw a Saturday morning cartoons party to hang out with our kids, watch cartoon and have some quality family time. I wanted to make one of our family’s favorites treats for the occasion, monkey bread. Have you had monkey bread? Gooey lumps of bread coated in a delicious cinnamon caramel sauce. I tried a Apple Fritter Monkey Bread recipe from the Recipes Food and Cooking blog (doesn’t it sound delicious). I made the bread and we all loved it… however it did contain WAY too much fat, sugar and white flour for me.
My original full sugar, full fat version.
I decided I could remake the apple monkey bread recipe in a much healthier way. I reduced the sugar by more than 2 cups and reduced the butter by more than a cup (I also replaced the remaining fat with coconut oil). I exchanged some of the white flour with ground oats and whole wheat flour (I use King Arthur White Whole Wheat) . I make ground oats by processing old fashioned oatmeal in a food processor until it resembles course flour.
The resulting monkey bread is still delicious (even my kids loved it) AND it has 300 less calories, 18 less grams of fat, and 25 less grams of sugar per serving! It also has 9.8 grams of protein and 5.5 grams of fiber. I hope you try my rebooted version of Apple Fritter Monkey Bread or the original (though I’d save that version for a special treat!).
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Monkey bread is a delcious breakfast treat but it has lots of sugar, butter and white flour. This recipe makeover reduces the sugar and butter while adding whole grains. It’s delicious!
Ingredients
Bread
- 2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1/4 cup warm water
- 1 cup warm skim milk
- 2 Tbsp honey
- 2 cups ground oats (old fashioned oats ground to flour in a food processor)
- 1 cup white whole wheat flour
- 1/2 cup applesauce (room temperature)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp salt
- 2–2 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
Cinnamon Caramel Coating
- 3 Tbsp coconut oil (melted)
- 4 Tbsp skim milk
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp honey
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 Tbsp cinnamon
Apple Mixture
- 3 cups apples (peeled and grated (2 ½ ))
- 1/2 cup walnuts (finely chopped (optional))
- 2 Tbsp honey
- 1 tsp cinnamon
Icing
- 4 ounces Neufchatel (reduced-fat cream cheese) (room temperature)
- 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 3 tbsp low-fat milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Combine the yeast, warm milk, warm water and honey in a small bowl. Mix together to dissolve the yeast and let sit for 5 minutes until mixture is foamy.
- In a separate bowl combine the ground oats, white whole wheat flour, applesauce, and eggs.
- Stir in the yeast mixture and set aside in a non-drafty location for 15 minutes (this allows the oatmeal and wheat flour to soften).
- Add 2 cups unbleached flour and salt. Mix with a dough hook until well combined.
- Knead with a dough hook for 7 minutes, dough should pull away from the sides of the bowl and become soft and supple. Add the extra ½ cup of flour if the dough is too wet.
- Place dough in a large bowl greased with coconut oil. Cover and let rise until doubled (I place mine in the oven.)
- While Dough rises: peel and grate apples. Stir in honey, cinnamon and walnuts. Set aside.
- Make the coating mixture: Melt the coconut oils and combine with the milk, sugars, honey vanilla and cinnamon. . Set aside.
- Put dough and apple mixture into the mixer, layering dough then apple mixture then dough then apple mixture.
- Knead with dough hook until well combined. Set aside.
- Grease large bundt pan. Break off 1 ½ inch diameter balls of dough. Roll the pieces the best you can and dip into the coating mixture. This will be a messy step!
- Place the balls in the greased bundt pan. Fill to about 60% full. Do not overfill. Roll and place extra dough in an cake pan pan.
- Pour remaining coating mixture over dough in bundt cake pan.
- Cover bundt cake pan with a clean towel or plastic wrap, place on lined cookie sheet, and let rise until doubled. (I place mine in the oven.)
- Bake at 350 degrees on a cookie sheet for 35-40 minutes. Check at 35 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately invert on a plate.
- Whip together icing ingredients and drizzle over warm monkey bread.
- Serve warm.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 piece
- Calories: 421
Keywords: apple fritter monkey bread, apple monkey bread
What’s your favorite breakfast treat?
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Stephanie
I love monkey bread but never make it because it’s so unhealthy. Love this lightened up version!
★★★★★
Bren
Thanks!