As someone who loves to indulge in the joys of a cozy weekend morning, I can confidently say that the best Monkey Bread recipe is also the ultimate lazy breakfast. With just five basic ingredients and a few minutes of easy prep, you can create a brunch masterpiece that will make your whole house smell like cinnamon-sugar heaven. Paired with the aroma of freshly brewed coffee, it’ll be like your own private bakery!
This monkey pull-apart bread is a fun recipe for holiday mornings, those lazy Saturday mornings, or simply a perfect way to add a touch of sweetness to any day. For more sweetly spiced breakfast recipes, check out my cinnamon rolls recipe, cinnamon muffins recipe, and star bread recipe next.
What You Need To Make This Recipe
Refrigerated buttermilk biscuit dough – this is the star ingredient that makes this homemade monkey bread so easy to throw together. If you want to go the extra mile, then you’re welcome to swap in the homemade dough from my buttermilk biscuits recipe instead of canned biscuit dough.
Cinnamon sugar – all you need is ground cinnamon and white sugar to make it.
Unsalted butter – if you only have salted butter, that should work too! It’ll just make your monkey bread taste a little more like salted caramel, which isn’t a bad thing in my book.
Light brown sugar – I prefer the more mild molasses flavor of light brown sugar, but dark brown or muscovado sugar will also work.
How To Make Monkey Bread
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Separate the biscuit dough rounds and cut each biscuit into quarters.
2. Place the pieces in a large zip-top bag. Add the sugar and cinnamon.
3. Seal the zip-top bag and shake until the biscuit pieces are evenly coated in the cinnamon sugar mixture. You can do this in batches if needed.
4. Lightly grease a 10-inch bundt or tube pan with cooking spray and place the coated dough balls in the pan.
5. In a small saucepan, combine the butter and brown sugar. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture starts to boil and the butter is completely melted.
6. Pour the melted butter & brown sugar mixture over the biscuit pieces in the pan. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until the top is deep golden brown. Place the pan on a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes. After cooling, place a large serving plate on top of the pan and carefully flip the pan over to invert the bread onto the plate. Remove the pan and let the bread cool for a few more minutes before serving warm.
Pro Tips For Making This Recipe
- Easy cleanup. The buttery brown sugar sauce may drip a touch, which can be difficult to clean from the bottom of an oven. For easy clean-up, place the pan on a parchment-lined sheet pan before baking.
- Make extra cinnamon sugar. It’s perfect for adding a seasonal sprinkle to things like my overnight oats recipe or my Irish coffee.
- Meal prep. If you’re not much of a morning person, you’re welcome to assemble the pull-apart monkey bread through step 5, cover it well with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight. The next day when you’re ready to back, pull the Bundt pan out of the refrigerator to come to room temperature as the oven preheats. Remove the plastic wrap and bake as directed! I love using this trick so I can bake it off first thing Christmas morning before the kids are awake!
- Brown butter for extra flavor. In step 5, add the butter to the pan without the sugar. Cook until the milk solids brown and the butter smells toasty, then stir in the sugar until combined. This easy extra step adds a load of extra flavor!
- Add mix-ins or additional spices for endless variations. Layer in the small balls of dough with fresh cranberries or blueberries, chocolate chips, toasted nuts, or small pieces of candied fruit. Some additional spices I like to add to the cinnamon sugar include ground cardamom, all-spice, ginger, or a baking blend like pumpkin pie spice. Have fun with the flavors!
Frequently Asked Questions
A tube pan or loaf pan will work equally well! Assemble as directed for a tube pan, and for loaves, divide the biscuit pieces among two 9×5-inch loaf pans.
Monkey Bread gets its curious name from its unique eating method. When this sweet, pull-apart bread is served, it encourages a fun, communal experience where you grab a piece with your fingers, much like how a playful monkey might pick at its food.
This canned biscuit monkey bread is best enjoyed fresh, but if you have more than you can consume within a day or two, store it in the refrigerator. However, it’s important to note that refrigeration can make it slightly less soft and moist. If you plan to consume it within a day, you can keep it at room temperature in a cool, dry place.
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this Monkey Bread recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Monkey Bread
Video
Equipment
- Large Bundt Pan
Ingredients
- 3 (16.3-ounce) package refrigerated buttermilk biscuit dough
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200g)
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup unsalted butter (226g)
- ¾ cup packed light brown sugar (165g)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Separate the biscuit dough rounds, cut each biscuit into quarters, and place the pieces in a large zip-top bag. Add the sugar and cinnamon, seal, and shake until the biscuit pieces are evenly coated (you can do this in batches if needed).
- Lightly grease a 10-inch bundt pan and place the coated biscuit pieces in the pan.
- In a small saucepan, combine the butter and brown sugar. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture starts to boil and the butter is completely melted. Pour the hot sugar mixture over the biscuit pieces in the pan.
- Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until the top is deep golden brown. Place the pan on a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes. After cooling, place a large serving plate on top of the pan and carefully flip the pan over to invert the bread onto the plate. Remove the pan and let the bread cool for a few more minutes before serving warm.
Notes
- Easy cleanup. The buttery brown sugar sauce may drip a touch, which can be difficult to clean from the bottom of an oven. For easy clean-up, place the pan on a parchment-lined sheet pan before baking.
- Make extra cinnamon sugar. It’s perfect for adding a seasonal sprinkle to things like overnight oats or Irish coffee.
- Meal prep. If you’re not much of a morning person, you’re welcome to assemble the pull-apart monkey bread through step 5, cover it well with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight. The next day when you’re ready to back, pull the Bundt pan out of the refrigerator to come to room temperature as the oven preheats. Remove the plastic wrap and bake as directed! I love using this trick so I can bake it off first thing Christmas morning before the kids are awake!
- Brown butter for extra flavor. In step 5, add the butter to the pan without the sugar. Cook until the milk solids brown and the butter smells toasty, then stir in the sugar until combined. This easy extra step adds a load of extra flavor!
- Add mix-ins or additional spices for endless variations. Layer in the small balls of dough with fresh cranberries or blueberries, chocolate chips, toasted nuts, or small pieces of candied fruit. Some additional spices I like to add to the cinnamon sugar include ground cardamom, all-spice, ginger, or a baking blend like pumpkin pie spice. Have fun with the flavors!
