Q1: What is the difference between this pull-apart bread and a classic "monkey bread"?

They are very similar! Monkey bread is typically made by cutting dough into small balls, tossing them in butter and cinnamon-sugar, and then baking them piled up in a Bundt pan. This pull-apart bread uses a brilliant shortcut of layering, stacking, and slicing the dough, which creates beautiful, distinct, pull-apart layers in an easy-to-use loaf pan.

Q2: Can I make this a day ahead and bake it in the morning?

Yes, absolutely! This is the perfect make-ahead breakfast for a busy holiday morning. You can fully assemble the unbaked loaf in the pan, cover it tightly with plastic wrap, and let it rest in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning, just pop it in the oven to bake!

Q3: My refrigerated crescent roll dough is very sticky and hard to work with. What should I do?

Refrigerated doughs can become sticky as they warm up. The key is to work quickly and to make sure your work surface is lightly floured , as the recipe suggests. If the dough becomes too soft to handle, you can simply place it back in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes to firm it up again before you continue.

Q4: Can I use a different kind of nut instead of pecans?

Of course! This recipe would be absolutely delicious with an equal amount of chopped, toasted walnuts . For a more sophisticated flavor, you could also try it with chopped hazelnuts or even sliced almonds .

Q5: Can I use a different kind of refrigerated dough, like biscuit dough?

While you could use biscuit dough, the final texture would be quite different. Crescent roll dough is fantastic for this recipe because it is a laminated dough, which means it has thin layers of butter folded into it. This is what gives it its uniquely light, flaky, and tender texture, which is perfect for a pull-apart bread. Biscuit dough would result in a denser, more bread-like final product.

The Easiest Gooey Pecan Pull-Apart Bread

An easy recipe for a sticky pecan pull-apart bread, sometimes called monkey bread, made with a convenient shortcut of refrigerated crescent roll dough. Two sheets of dough are stacked and layered with caramel sauce, a pumpkin pie spice and sugar mixture, and chopped pecans. The layered dough is then cut into squares, stacked up, and arranged on their sides in a loaf pan before being baked. The bread is baked covered and then uncovered to ensure it’s cooked through with a golden-brown top, and finished with an extra drizzle of caramel sauce.

Author: Evelyn
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes (includes cooling time)
Yield: 8-10 servings 1x
Category: Breakfast
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American
Diet: Vegetarian

Ingredients

Scale

Nonstick cooking spray, for coating the loaf pan
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Two 8-ounce cans refrigerated crescent roll dough
All-purpose flour, if needed, for rolling
6 tablespoons caramel sauce
1 cup pecans, chopped

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Coat a 9-by-5-inch glass loaf pan with cooking spray.
In a small bowl, mix together the sugar and pumpkin pie spice.
Unroll the dough from each can and stack them on top of each other. Press them together and roll the dough into a 12-inch square.
Spread 4 tablespoons of the caramel sauce evenly over the dough. Sprinkle the spiced sugar over the caramel, then sprinkle the chopped pecans in an even layer, gently pressing them into the dough.
Cut the dough into 16 small squares. Stack 4 of the squares on top of each other. Repeat to create 4 stacks of 4 squares each.
Place each stack on its side in the prepared loaf pan, arranged like a row of books. Gently separate the dough layers so the dough fills up the pan.
Sprinkle any pecan mixture that fell out over the top of the dough.
Cover the loaf pan with foil and bake for about 50 minutes, until puffed.
Uncover the pan and continue baking for about 15 more minutes, until the top is golden brown.
Let the bread cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes.
Transfer to a serving platter and drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of caramel sauce before serving.

Notes

This recipe uses refrigerated crescent roll dough as a simple and quick alternative to making yeast dough from scratch.
The unique assembly method of stacking the squares on their side creates the ‘pull-apart’ effect.
Baking the bread covered first allows it to steam and cook through, while baking it uncovered at the end creates a golden, crisp top.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1/8 of loaf
Calories: 380-450
Sugar: 30-40 g
Sodium: 450-550 mg
Fat: 20-28 g
Saturated Fat: 6-9 g
Trans Fat: 0 g
Carbohydrates: 45-55 g
Fiber: 2-4 g
Protein: 5-7 g
Cholesterol: 5-15 mg

Find it online: https://cookupjoy.com/pecan-pull-apart-bread/