Maple Pecan Pull-Apart Bread
Maple Pecan Pull-Apart Bread is a flipped-over Bundt pan dessert. Every buttery bite is layered with cinnamon, cardamom, sugar and a glaze.
Friends, make this a weekend to remember with this yummy fall bread recipe! I love pull-apart bread recipes, and this gooey, crunchy pecan topping covers this delicious morning treat. The maple, cinnamon, and cardamom blend make the most delicious bites. It’s a brunch or breakfast recipe that everyone loves.
Maple Pecan Pull-Apart Bread
We love the local flavors of Ocean Rolls in our town (a delicious cinnamon roll), that are made with cardamom. This recipe is exceptional because we’ve added the flavors of cardamom spice! You’ve got to try it.
Monkey bread or pull-apart bread
Some call it Monkey Bread, but we call it Pull-Apart Bread. The way this pull-apart bread is served is flipped over from the Bundt pan onto a plate, so that guests can easily pull a piece out with their fingers (the way a monkey would). These kinds of recipes are also called sticky buns, sticky bread, Hungarian coffee cake, and bubble loaf.
You may have already tired our sweet Holiday Pumpkin Monkey Bread recipe. And here’s a savory recipe to try with bacon!
Ingredients for Maple Pecan Pull-Apart Bread
- Flour
- Unsweetened cocoa powder
- Active dry yeast
- Milk
- Butter
- Maple syrup
- Salt
- Egg
- Heavy cream
- Butter
- Powdered sugar
- Milk
- Sugar
- Cinnamon + Cardamom
- Pecans
Why do you use yeast for this recipe?
Yeast is what makes the bread rise. It will activate with a warm, moist environment, which is why you cover the bread with a towel and set it in a warm place. Try sitting the bread by our gas stove. Remember it needs to be warm (not hot).
How do you make Maple Pecan Pull-Apart Bread (print full recipe below)
- Generously grease a 10-inch fluted tube (Bundt) pan.
- Combine flour, cocoa powder, and the yeast; set aside.
- In a medium pan whisk together the milk, butter, maple syrup, and salt and heat until warm, and butter almost melts. Pour the milk mixture into flour mixture; add the egg. Beat with a mixer and add in the flour, reserving a tiny bit for kneading the dough, and mix until combined.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board. Knead in the remaining flour to make a soft dough that is smooth and elastic. Shape dough into a ball. Place in a lightly greased bowl; turn to grease surface of dough. Cover; let rise in a warm place until double in size.
- While the dough is rising, bring heavy cream to boiling in a medium pan; reduce heat. Boil gently, uncovered, until reduced to a half cup; stir occasionally. Stir in one tablespoon butter and cool.
- Gradually whisk in the maple syrup.
Make the drizzle for monkey bread
Next, remove a small amount of the syrup mixture and set aside for the icing. Add to a small bowl and stir in the powdered sugar and enough milk to make a thick drizzling; set aside.
Prepare the pull apart bread
In another small bowl, combine the granulated sugar, cinnamon, and cardamom.
Punch dough down and turn it out onto a lightly floured board. Divide the dough into quarters. Cover and let it rest.
Roll each piece of dough into a rope about eighteen inches long. Cut ropes into one-inch pieces. Roll each piece in sugar-cinnamon mixture. Spoon half of the remaining cooled syrup mixture into the bottom of prepared Bundt pan. Sprinkle with pecans. Arrange half the dough pieces in pan on top of pecans. Sprinkle with half of the remaining sugar-cinnamon mixture.
Drizzle remaining syrup mixture over dough pieces in pan. Repeat the process again with remaining dough pieces, sprinkling with remaining sugar-cinnamon mixture. Cover and let rise in a warm place until nearly double in size.
Bake and then cool before inverting onto a plate.
How do you invert a Bundt pan onto a plate?
With a knife, loosen the sides and center of the baked bread and invert (flip over) onto a serving platter. The bread will be nice and gooey.
Spoon any syrup and nuts that remain in the pan onto the top of the bread. Cool and then drizzle with the maple icing before serving.
Can you make the Pull-Apart Bread ahead?
Yes, you can make this recipe one day ahead! Follow these steps:
- Make the full recipe right up until baking it.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 8-24 hours.
- Before baking, remove pan from refrigerator and let sit out on the counter (keep the plastic wrap on), for 1-2 hours.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.
- Continue to follow the recipe to add the drizzle.
What kind of pan is best for Monkey Bread
We love using a tube pan with fluted side, so we recommend this 12-cup Bundt pan for this recipe. It makes the recipe a breeze when you flip it over (nice and hot) for your guests!
Tips and substitutions:
If this is your first time to use yeast, just follow the simple instructions and do NOT overheat the milk. The thermometer should read 100-110 degrees F. If not, it just needs to be warm to the touch. When ready for the bread to rise, cover the bread with a towel, and sit in a warm place. I like to sit my bread by our gas stove. Remember it needs to be warm (not hot).
Mix up the nuts: You can swap out the pecans for almonds, walnuts, or cashews. Also for nut allergies, you can leave the nuts out.
The mix of cinnamon and cardamom is our favorite, but you can also leave out the cardamom. Try pumpkin pie spice, or just use cinnamon and sugar.
Add dried fruit: You can also add dried blueberries, cranberries, cherries, or raisins.
Add chocolate. Add in your favorite chocolate chips.
This recipe is a recipe that we make for special occasions, like out-of-town company is staying with us, or we’re serving a brunch, or friends are stopping by for breakfast. It’s a fun recipe to sit out and let people dig in.
ENJOY!
Get the Recipe:
Maple Pecan Pull Apart Bread
Ingredients
- 4 - 4 ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 package active dry yeast
- 1 ½ cup milk
- ¼ cup butter, cut up
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ¾ cup pure maple syrup
- 1 ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 - 2 tablespoon milk
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon cardamom
- 3/4 cup toasted pecans, lightly toasted
Equipment
- 12 cup Bundt pan
Instructions
- Generously grease a 10-inch fluted tube (Bundt) pan.
- Combine 2 cups of flour, cocoa powder, and the yeast; set aside. In a medium pan whisk together the milk, butter, maple syrup, and salt and heat until warm, and butter almost melts. Pour the milk mixture into flour mixture; add the egg. Beat with a mixer on medium for about 3 minutes. Add in the flour, reserving a tiny bit for kneading the dough, and mix until combined.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board. Knead in (3 to 5 minutes total) the remaining flour to make a soft dough that is smooth and elastic. Shape dough into a ball. Place in a lightly greased bowl; turn to grease surface of dough. Cover; let rise in a warm place until double in size (about 1 hour).
- While the dough is rising, bring heavy cream to boiling in a medium pan; reduce heat. Boil gently, uncovered, 12 to 14 minutes or until reduced to 1/2 cup; stir occasionally. Stir in 1 Tbsp. butter. Cool 10 minutes.
- Gradually whisk in the maple syrup.
Make the drizzle:
- Next, remove 3 Tbsp. of the syrup mixture and set aside for the icing. Add to a small bowl and stir in the powdered sugar and enough milk to make a thick drizzling; set aside.
- In another small bowl, combine the granulated sugar, cinnamon, and cardamom.
Prepare the dough:
- Punch dough down and turn it out onto a lightly floured board. Divide the dough into quarters. Cover and let it rest 10 minutes.
- Roll each piece of dough into a rope about 18 inches long. Cut ropes into 1-inch pieces. Roll each piece in sugar-cinnamon mixture. Spoon half of the remaining cooled syrup mixture into the bottom of prepared Bundt pan. Sprinkle with pecans. Arrange half the dough pieces in pan on top of pecans. Sprinkle with half of the remaining sugar-cinnamon mixture. Drizzle remaining syrup mixture over dough pieces in pan. Repeat the process again with remaining dough pieces, sprinkling with remaining sugar-cinnamon mixture. Cover and let rise in a warm place until nearly double in size (30 to 45 minutes). IF YOU ARE MAKING AHEAD, STOP HERE.
Bake the bread:
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Bake 40 to 45 minutes. Cool in pan for 5 minutes, and then with a knife, loosen the sides and center and invert onto a serving platter. The bread will be nice and gooey. Spoon any syrup and nuts that remain in pan on top of the bread. Cool about 30 minutes. Drizzle with the maple icing before serving.
To Make Ahead:
- Make the full recipe right up until baking it.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 8-24 hours.
- Before baking, remove pan from refrigerator and let sit out on the counter (keep the plastic wrap on), for 1-2 hours.
- Next, bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.
- Continue to follow the recipe to add the icing.
Hello and welcome to my home and table!
I’m Sandy—lover of food, family, cooking, THE BIG BOARD, travel, and bringing people together. Through great recipes and connection around the table, we become better, stronger, and more courageous people. Feasting on Life is real, and every time we do it, we grow a little more. Read more...
