Monkey bread is a sweet and sticky pastry that is made by rolling small pieces of dough in cinnamon sugar and then layering them in a bundt pan. As the bread bakes, the pieces stick together and form a deliciously gooey, pull-apart treat.
Why you'll love this recipe
- Easy to make: Monkey bread requires minimal prep work and only a few ingredients, so it's a great option for new bakers or those who don't have a lot of time to spend in the kitchen.
- Customizable: While the classic version of monkey bread is made with cinnamon sugar, you can easily switch up the flavors by adding other spices or toppings. For example, you could try adding chocolate chips or even savory ingredients like cheese and herbs.
- Perfect for sharing: Monkey bread is best served warm and fresh out of the oven, making it a great dessert to share with family and friends. It travels well, and therefore you can bring it to potlucks or other gatherings.
Overall, monkey bread is a delicious and fun treat that's sure to please anyone with a sweet tooth! If you love sweet breads that a quick to prepare, then check out pull-apart wool roll bread, the best banana bread, easy fresh fruit bread, etc.
Ingredients
- Flour is the base of the dough and provides structure and texture to the bread.
- Sugar adds sweetness to the dough and helps feed the yeast.
- Yeast helps the dough to rise and gives the bread its fluffy texture.
- Milk adds moisture to the dough and helps create a tender crumb.
- Butter adds flavor and richness to the bread and gives it a soft texture.
- Cinnamon powder and Brown Sugar are used in preparing the cinnamon-sugar coating that gives the monkey bread its signature flavor and helps caramelize the coating during baking.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions and Variations
Substitutions for Ingredients
There are several popular substitutions for the main ingredients in monkey bread recipe, some of which are:
- Whole Wheat flour or Gluten-free flour such as almond flour or coconut flour, can be used as a substitute for All purpose flour.
- Sugar can be substituted with honey, maple syrup, or agave nectar.
- Use baking powder or baking soda instead. Remember
- Non-dairy milk, such as almond milk or soy milk, can be used instead of regular milk.
- Plant-based butter or oil such as coconut oil or olive oil can be used in place of butter.
- Try spices such as nutmeg or cardamom instead of cinnamon.
- Though brown sugar provides a unique flavor and texture to the bread, it can be substituted with white sugar or a sugar substitute, such as Stevia or Splenda
Variations to the Classic Monkey Bread
Try out these variations to the traditional monkey bread recipe -
- Chocolate Monkey Bread: Add chocolate chips or cocoa powder to the dough, and coat the bread in a mixture of cocoa powder and sugar instead of cinnamon sugar.
- Savory Monkey Bread: Use cheese, herbs, and spices instead of sugar and cinnamon to create a savory bread that's perfect for snacking or as a side dish. For inspiration, check out holiday-favorite cranberry pull-apart bread and Christmas tree pull-apart bread.
- Apple Cinnamon Monkey Bread: Add diced apples and extra cinnamon to the dough, and coat the bread in a mixture of cinnamon sugar. Garnish with chopped pecans.
- Sticky Bun Monkey Bread: Add a layer of caramel sauce and chopped nuts between the dough pieces, and coat the bread in a mixture of cinnamon sugar and more caramel sauce.
- Holiday Monkey Bread or Pumpkin Spice Monkey Bread: Add pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice to the dough, and coat the bread in a mixture of cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1 - Knead the dough and let it rise.
Step 2 - Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a bundt pan.
Step 3 - Roll each piece of dough melted butter, then in the sugar-cinnamon mixture and place in the greased bundt pan, and let it rise again.
Step 4 - Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown.
Step 5 - Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes before flipping onto a serving plate.
Step 6 - Pour sugar syrup, caramel sauce, etc. Garnish with nuts. Serve warm, and Enjoy!
Expert Tips
Here are some expert chef tips to help you make the best gooey monkey bread:
- Make sure your ingredients, especially the milk and butter, are at room temperature before you start making the dough. This will help the dough come together more easily and rise properly.
- It's important not to over-knead the dough, as this can result in a tough and dense bread. Knead the dough until it's smooth and elastic, but don't overdo it.
- Allow the dough to rise in a warm, draft-free place until it has doubled in size. This can take anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour, depending on the temperature and humidity in your kitchen.
- Use a bundt pan, as it helps the bread cook evenly and ensures that the pieces stick together.
- After the bread comes out of the oven, let it cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before turning it out onto a serving platter. This will help the bread hold its shape and prevent it from falling apart.
- Create your own unique version of monkey bread by using different spices, fruits, nuts, or even add a layer of caramel or chocolate sauce for an extra indulgent treat.
Storage and Make Ahead Instructions
- Storage: Monkey bread is best served fresh, but you can store any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. You can reheat the bread in the oven for a few minutes to make it warm and gooey again.
- Freezing: You can freeze the monkey bread before baking. Assemble the bread in the bundt pan, cover it tightly with plastic wrap and foil, and freeze for up to 1 month. When ready to bake, let the bread thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then bring it to room temperature for 30 minutes before baking according to the recipe instructions.
- Make ahead: If you want to make the dough ahead of time, you can do so up to 1 day in advance. After the dough has risen, punch it down and cover it tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate the dough until you're ready to use it, then let it come to room temperature before assembling and baking the bread.
- Reheating: If you have leftover monkey bread that has gone stale, you can reheat it in the oven at 350°F for 5-10 minutes. This will help to restore some of the bread's moisture and make it gooey and delicious!
By following these storage and make-ahead instructions, you can enjoy delicious monkey bread any time, whether you make it fresh or ahead of time.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can use a loaf pan or a muffin tin instead. Just make sure to adjust the baking time accordingly.
Grease the pan well with butter or cooking spray, and sprinkle some flour or cornmeal on top before adding the dough. This will help to create a non-stick surface for the bread.
The bread is done when it's golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. You can also use a kitchen thermometer to check that the internal temperature of the bread is around 190°F.
Yes, you can make the dough in advance and refrigerate it overnight. Then, bring it to room temperature for about 30 minutes before baking.
More Pull-apart Bread Recipes to Love
Did you like this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below and/or a review in the comments section. You can also stay in touch with us through social media by following us on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Recipe card
Best and Easy Homemade Monkey Bread (aka Cinnamon Roll Bites)
Ingredients
For the dough
- ¾ cup Sugar
- 2 cup Milk warm
- 4.5 cup All purpose flour
- 1.5 teaspoon Active dry yeast
- ½ teaspoon Salt
For coating
- 1 cup Brown Sugar
- 1 tablespoon Cinnamon powder
- ½ cup Butter unsalted, melted
For syrup
- 1 cup Sugar
- ½ cup Water
- ¼ teaspoon Cardamom powder or Cinnamon powder
For garnish
- 2 tablespoon Cashews and Almonds, roasted
Instructions
Step 1
- In a large bowl add warm milk, teaspoon of sugar and sprinkle active dry yeast into it. Cover, and let the yeast activate. This will take approximately 10 minutes.¾ cup Sugar, 2 cup Milk, 1.5 teaspoon Active dry yeast
- Now add the remaining sugar, salt and flour and mix it until you have a loose sticky dough. Then knead it for atleast 10 minutes until the dough is soft and elastic.¾ cup Sugar, ½ teaspoon Salt, 4.5 cup All purpose flour
- Grease a large bowl with vegetable oil. Transfer the dough and cover it. Place it in a warm place for about 1 hour or until the dough is doubled in size.
Step 2
- In a plate add sugar and cinnamon powder and mix well. In another bowl, melt the butter. Grease the bundt pan with some melted butter.1 cup Brown Sugar, 1 tablespoon Cinnamon powder, ½ cup Butter
- Once the dough has doubled in size, take small pieces of dough and roll them to lemon-sized balls.
- Roll each ball in the melted butter, then in the cinnamon-sugar mixture, and drop it in the bundt pan. Keep repeating the process until all the dough is used up.
- Cover this and keep it in warm place for 30 to 40 minutes or until it is doubled in size.
Step 3
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and bake for about 35 to 40 minutes or until done. Let it cool down for about 10 minutes. Then run a knife around the bundt pan and turn it onto the serving plate.
Step 4
- In large bowl add sugar and water and heat till you see the bubble. Now add the cardamom powder.1 cup Sugar, ½ cup Water, ¼ teaspoon Cardamom powder
- Drizzle this syrup on the bread and garnish it with roasted almond and cashews. Monkey Bread is ready. Pull apart to serve and enjoy!2 tablespoon Cashews
Notes
- Make sure your ingredients, especially the milk and butter, are at room temperature before you start making the dough. This will help the dough come together more easily and rise properly.
- It's important not to over-knead the dough, as this can result in a tough and dense bread. Knead the dough until it's smooth and elastic, but don't overdo it.
- Allow the dough to rise in a warm, draft-free place until it has doubled in size. This can take anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour, depending on the temperature and humidity in your kitchen.
- Use a bundt pan, as it helps the bread cook evenly and ensures that the pieces stick together.
- After the bread comes out of the oven, let it cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before turning it out onto a serving platter. This will help the bread hold its shape and prevent it from falling apart.
- Create your own unique version of monkey bread by using different spices, fruits, nuts, or even add a layer of caramel or chocolate sauce for an extra indulgent treat.
Hayley Dhanecha
We love monkey bread, it looks so delicious. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Beth
This is such a tasty recipe. I've made a lot of monkey bread and this is one of the best recipes I've made. It's extra gooey, which I love!
TAYLER ROSS
I made this monkey bread for breakfast this morning and it was the best one I've ever tried!
Jess
This easy monkey bread recipe is a winner! The combination of cinnamon and sugar is heavenly!
dina and bruce miller
Love that you used made from scratch dough! GONNA MAKE THIS soon, once our kitchen remodel is done!