It's definitely fall like here in Wisconsin! Sweater weather has hit hard, but so has my desire to make more "fall-like" desserts. This easy monkey bread pizookie is another hybrid and was developed by a BJ's restaurant in Indiana. Their variation was different, but I made my recipe to touch on all the fall flavors!
A pull apart sweet biscuit dough that is layered with apple pie filling and then topped with a delicious crumbly streusel! It is all baked within a cast iron skillet! A dollop of vanilla ice cream can be added if you desire! Yum Yum!
What is a pizookie?
A pizookie is a combination between a pizza and a cookie served in a deep dish pizza pan or cast iron skillet and then served with ice cream on top. In addition, monkey bread has also been used to create this hybrid dessert.
My monster cookie skillet could also be considered a part of this trend as well. Please check it out!
Ingredients
- Sweet Dough: I made my own for this recipe, but you can also buy store bought canned biscuits as I used in my Snickerdoodle monkey bread.
- Granulated Sugar
- Cinnamon
- Apple pie spice
- lemon juice
- Unsalted butter
- Granny Smith apples: These work best for apple pie filling, but other apples such as Honeycrisp, pink lady, and braeburn would work as well.
- All-purpose flour
- Brown Sugar: light or dark
Step by step instructions
First, start out by preheating the oven to 350 degrees. Spray the cast iron skillet with a non-stick spray and set aside.
Next, mix your warm water (110 degrees), dry active yeast and sugar and let proof for 5-10 minutes (a nice foam should be on top). Mix one half cup of sugar with 1 tablespoon of cinnamon and set aside.
Second, melt butter and evaporated milk in a saucepan. Pour in a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Whisk in the rest of the granulated sugar. Add in the yeast mixture and bread flour. Knead on low until the dough ball comes together and pulls away from the sides. Cover dough in olive oil and cover with towel. Place in a warm place to let it rise (1-2 hours).
Third, make the apple filling and crumb topping. Dice apples, add in flour, lemon juice, both sugars and apple pie spice. Mix well and set aside. In another bowl, add in the flour, both sugars and butter. Using a pastry cutter, blend the mixture together until coarse crumbs form. Using your hands, squeeze the mixture together until all the butter is absorbed and the topping comes together.
Fourth, punch down down and pull pieces off to make little balls. Roll them in the cinnamon/sugar mixture. Place on the bottom of the cast iron skillet and drizzle with butter. Layer with apple pie filling. Repeat with the dough balls on top of the filling and drizzle with butter. Lastly, sprinkle the crumb topping on.
Bake for 1 hour or until apple filling is bubbly or golden brown on top. Serve with vanilla ice cream or plain! Enjoy!
Tips and tricks
- The edges and top pieces of the pizookie will start to brown sooner in the oven, so cover with aluminum foil
- Drizzle each layer with a ample amount of melted butter as it makes the monkey bread more moist
- A monkey bread pizookie is even better on the second day because the dough becomes super moist and all the flavors are packed in!
Substitutions and variations
- Banana : layer bananas in between the dough.
- Blueberries, strawberries or raspberries: Mix with the cinnamon/sugar mixture and dough and layer in between.
- Nuts: Such as pecans and walnuts can also be added in between or sprinkled on top.
FAQ's
It is best eaten right away, but can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Monkey Bread Pizookie
Equipment
- Kitchen Aid stand mixer with dough hook attachment
- 1 10 inch cast iron skillet
- Mixing bowls
- Whisk
- Peeler
- Apple corer
- knife
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Pastry cutter
Ingredients
Sweet dough monkey bread
- ¾ cup water warm
- 1 tablespoon dry active yeast
- 1 cup evaporated milk
- ½ cup unsalted butter cubed
- ½ cup granulated sugar plus 1 tsp
- 5 cups bread flour
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Cinnamon sugar mixture for dough
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 3 tablespoon unsalted butter
Dutch apple filling
- 4 large granny smith apples diced
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup dark brown sugar
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon apple pie spice
Dutch struesel topping
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup dark brown sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter cold and cubed
Instructions
Sweet Dough monkey bread
- In a small mixing bowl, add in the dry yeast, warm water and 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar. Let it proof for 5-10 minutes (foam on top). Preheat oven to 350°.
- In a saucepan, add the evaporated milk and butter. Melt the butter completely or until small bubbles form around the edges of the pan. DON'T let it boil.
- In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, add the yeast and milk mixture. Add the rest of the granulated sugar and whisk until well combined.
- Add in the 5 cups of bread flour and on low knead until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and forms a smooth ball of dough.
- Put a little bit of vegetable oil on top of the dough and roll it all over it so it is completely covered. Cover bowl with a towel and place in a warm area for 1-2 hours (I use my microwave).
- Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it down. Spray your cast iron skillet with non stick spray and set aside.
- Pull off little pieces of dough to make smaller little balls. Roll each ball in the cinnamon/sugar mixture and put on the bottom of the skillet. Melt butter in microwave and then drizzle over the dough balls.
- Dice apples into small pieces, add the lemon juice, both sugar, flour and apple pie spice. Mix well and then layer on top of the dough balls in the cast iron skillet.
- Layer the last of the dough balls on top of the apple mixture (I ran out of dough, so I just added more apple pie filling).
- In another small bowl, combine the flour, both sugars and butter. Using a pastry cutter, blend the mixture together until coarse crumbs form. Using your hands, squeeze the mixture together until all of the butter is absorbed and the crumb topping comes together.
- Bake for about 55-60 minutes until apple mixture if bubbling or crumbs and crust are golden brown in color. If the edges of the biscuits are getting browned quicker, place aluminum foil around the edges. Take out and serve!
Nutrition
Breads that you will enjoy!
- The best cookie butter banana bread
- From scratch pumpkin cream cheese bread
- Best banana bread without baking soda
- Cinnamon apple amish bread
Fun fact of the day!
You are more likely to be killed by a champagne cork than a poisonous spider! Who studies these facts?
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