Skinny Apple Cinnamon Monkey Bread

If you love apples and desserts with apples in them, I think you’ll love this recipe!  It’s a decadent, rich-tasting, sweet monkey bread. It makes a wonderful brunch treat or dessert and is perfect for the holidays. One skinny serving has 196 calories, 7 grams of fat, and 7 Blue WW Freestyle SmartPoints, and 7 Green.  So easy to make and freezes great.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Bake Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

Cooking spray (with flour in it)

3 cups apples, peeled and diced small

2 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

⅓ cup reduced-fat butter or Smart Balance Light

¾ cup brown sugar

2 teaspoon water

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

2 teaspoon cinnamon

2 (12 oz each) cans Pillsbury refrigerated buttermilk biscuits or Pillsbury Golden Layer
Buttermilk Flaky Biscuits (100 calories for each biscuit)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a Bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray.

2. In a microwave-safe bowl, toss together chopped apples, 2 tablespoons sugar, and 2 teaspoons cinnamon. Cook for 2 minutes to soften.

3. In the meantime, in a pan, melt butter, brown sugar, water, and vanilla. Bring to a boil, turn heat to low, and cook for 2 minutes. Stir often. Set aside.

4. In a large bowl, blend 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar and 2 teaspoons cinnamon.

5. Quarter each biscuit from 1 package and roll each piece in about half the sugar/cinnamon mixture. Place biscuit pieces layered evenly in Bundt pan. Spoon ½ of cooked apples evenly over the biscuits. Spoon ½ of cooked sauce over the apples and biscuit pieces.

6. Quarter each biscuit from the 2nd package and roll each piece in remaining sugar/cinnamon mixture. Place these remaining biscuit pieces layered evenly in Bundt pan. Add remaining cooked apples evenly over top of biscuits. Spoon remaining ½ of cooked sauce evenly over apples and biscuit pieces.

7. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven. Let sit for about 5 minutes. While still hot, carefully loosen sides and middle of pan. Invert onto a serving plate.

8. Serve warm. Slice into 16 slices and let everyone pull their slice apart to eat.

Makes 16 servings (It’s so decadent tasting 1/16 of the recipe is very satisfying)

Food Facts
Monkey Bread, also known as Bubble Loaf, Pinch Me Cake, or Hungarian Coffee Cake, began appearing in woman’s magazines and community cookbooks back in the 1950s.  The origin of the name is unknown, though it has been suggested the bread resembles the monkey puzzle tree whose prickly branches make it difficult to climb. Some feel the name derives from the act of pulling the pastry apart with their fingers. Much like monkeys would do if they were presented with such a treat.

Storage Tips
This monkey bread freezes great. Slice into servings and place in an individual plastic containers. Store in the freezer.

WW Freestyle SmartPoints 7-Blue
WW SmartPoints 7-Green
WW POINTS PLUS 6

SKINNY FACTS: for 1 serving 196 calories, 7g fat, 2g sat. fat, 0mg chol, 3g protein, 34g carbs, 2g fiber, 481mg sodium, 18g sugar

FACTS: for Freestyle SmartPoints 182 calories, 2g sat. fat, 3g protein, 13g sugar