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This easy monkey bread pulls apart one buttery, sticky piece at a time. With canned biscuit pieces rolled in cinnamon sugar and baked in a buttery brown sugar sauce, you only need five ingredients and about 15 minutes of prep.
Monkey bread is an easy showstopper for a special morning: bite-size pieces of biscuit dough are tossed in cinnamon sugar, baked in a Bundt pan under a buttery brown sugar sauce, then flipped out so the sauce runs down every side. I love monkey bread made with homemade brioche dough pieces, but the convenience of canned biscuits is worth the trade here.
When I first tested this, each biscuit piece baked up fluffy, almost like yeasted dough, with no rising time. The only hard part is knowing exactly when the loaf is done baking, so you end up with a fluffy interior instead of a doughy, underbaked one. I retested this recipe, trying different biscuit types, adding temperature indicators and giving more detailed visual cues so you know just when your loaf is ready!
“I made this to treat a group of folks and it came out beautifully! So easy to whip up and assemble. The result looks scrumptious and smells delicious off the charts!”
Fran
Ingredients And Which Biscuits To Buy
These are the main ingredients you need to make monkey bread. You can find the full list of ingredients and measurements in the recipe card below.
Refrigerated buttermilk biscuits — I developed this recipe with Pillsbury Grands! Southern Homestyle buttermilk biscuits, which bake into soft, fluffy chunks. Canned biscuits have a different texture than homemade, which is why I use them here. My homemade biscuits are folded for flaky layers, so they don’t work as well for this recipe. Because they have lots of little chunks of butter throughout, they release more butter into the pan and can make the loaf too gooey and underbaked. I also retested with flaky-layer Grands! and I share how they baked below.
Cinnamon sugar — granulated sugar and cinnamon coat every piece. Coating each piece, not just the sauce on top, is what carries the cinnamon flavor all the way through the loaf.
Unsalted butter and light brown sugar — make the sauce. Unsalted butter lets you control the salt. Salted butter works too; it just tastes more like salted caramel. See my guide on Salted vs Unsalted Butter for more details on the difference and how to swap them. Dark brown sugar gives a deeper molasses flavor.
Homestyle vs Flaky Grands! Biscuits
I tested this recipe with Flaky Grands! Biscuits to compare it to the Southern Homestyle Buttermilk Biscuits. The baked Flaky Grands! monkey bread test baked for 45 minutes and resulted in a gooier, underbaked interior compared to the Homestyle Grands! monkey bread that baked for the same time. As I mentioned above with homemade flaky biscuits, the Flaky Grands! have fat layered in them to produce the pull-apart biscuit layers. This adds more moisture to the syrup so it can underbake more easily.
The flaky biscuits gave the exterior a pretty, almost laminated look, but the interior texture was not as fluffy as using Homestyle Grands! In the same bake time. If you choose flaky biscuits, increase the bake time by at least 10 minutes, and tent the top with foil after 45 minutes to prevent burning.
Choosing And Prepping Your Bundt Pan
The recipe calls for a 10-inch Bundt pan (12- to 16-cup capacity). I tested it in a Nordic Ware 12-cup Bundt pan. Make sure your Bundt pan isn’t too decorative, or the biscuits can be prone to sticking, and that it’s no smaller than 12 cups. The biscuits puff up a lot in the oven, and a smaller pan means sugar syrup will drip over the sides. Other pan sizes and materials can change how fast the center bakes, so rely on the doneness cues rather than just the time. For more on pan types, sizes, and how to determine the volume of your Bundt pan, see Bundt Cake: A Baker’s Guide.
Lightly grease the pan with butter or baking spray, covering every surface, including the center tube, to make sure the monkey bread releases cleanly.
Put a foil-lined baking sheet underneath. While developing the recipe, I noticed a few drips of the butter and brown sugar sauce on the bottom of the oven. Setting the Bundt pan on a baking sheet lined with foil catches them and makes cleanup easy.
Pro Tip For The Best Monkey Bread
Keep the biscuits cold until you’re ready to make the bread. Refrigerated biscuits are firmer when they are cold, so they will be easier to separate from each other after you pop the can open. The pieces are also less likely to smash and stick together when tossing them in the cinnamon sugar.
Let the baked monkey bread rest for 10 minutes. The sauce needs a little bit of time to settle, but wait much longer, and the sugar cools and sets, which can glue pieces to the pan and tear the bread apart when you flip it out. One day, I accidentally left a loaf cooling in the pan for 30 minutes, and by the time I flipped it out, the top 2 inches stayed in the pan, tearing away from the rest of the loaf.
How To Make Monkey Bread
Below, I’ve highlighted portions of the recipe in step-by-step process images along with instructions for making monkey bread. You can find the full set of instructions in the recipe card below.
1. Cut the biscuits in quarters. It helps to separate each one beforehand so they don’t stick together as easily. Place the biscuit quarters in a large Ziploc bag or a bowl with a lid.
2. Coat the biscuit pieces by adding the cinnamon and sugar, sealing the bag, and shaking it well.
3. Check to make sure all of the pieces are fully coated. If your bag feels too crowded, working batches so the pieces have room to tumble.
4. Pile the coated pieces into the greased pan. Don’t press them down, but make sure they are filling the pan somewhat evenly.
5. To make the sauce, put the butter and brown sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the butter is completely melted and the mixture starts to boil, 3 to 5 minutes. Wait for that boil. It’s the sign the sugar has dissolved into a smooth sauce instead of staying grainy.
6. Pour the hot sauce evenly over the pieces, set the pan on your foil-lined baking sheet, and bake for 45 minutes, until the top is deep golden brown. Test the internal temperature if you are uncertain; it should be between 190-200°F. Set the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. The sauce is hot and runny straight out of the oven, so a short rest lets it settle and cling to the pieces. Place a large plate on top, carefully flip the pan and plate together, and lift the pan off. If a few pieces stay behind, press them back on top. Let the bread cool a few more minutes, then serve warm.
Make It Ahead for a Holiday Morning
I love doing this on Christmas Eve so on Christmas morning I can bake it before the kids are up. Assemble the monkey bread without the sauce the night before, cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate it. In the morning, let the pan sit out while the oven preheats, then make the sauce, pour over the top, and bake as directed, adding 10 minutes to the bake time.
When I tested this, I found that the cinnamon sugar will dissolve a bit in the fridge, and you need to bake the monkey bread for about 10 minutes longer so it’s not too gooey.
Variations
When I want to change it up, these are the swaps I reach for.
- Brown butter sauce: Brown the butter in the saucepan before adding the brown sugar. It gives the sauce a toasty, nutty depth.
- Pecans or raisins: Scatter a handful of chopped pecans or raisins between the layers of dough as you fill the pan.
- Warm spices: Add a pinch of cardamom, allspice, ginger, or pumpkin pie spice to the cinnamon sugar.
- Fruit and chocolate: Tuck fresh cranberries, blueberries, or chocolate chips between the pieces. 1-2 cups is plenty. If you use fruit, add another 5-10 minutes to the bake time to account for the added moisture.
Troubleshooting
Why Is The Center Of My Monkey Bread Doughy?
The usual cause is that it needs more time in the oven. I tested this recently without realizing my oven was running about 15 degrees too low. The loaf baked for the full 45 minutes, but it still had a very gooey center. Use an oven thermometer to make sure you’re baking at the right temperature. Use my guide on knowing your oven for testing your oven’s true temperature.
Next time, make sure the top is a deep golden brown, and check the center again. It should be between 190-200°F. Ovens and pans vary, so treat the timer as a guide.
Why Did My Monkey Bread Stick To The Pan?
The usual causes are cooling too long before flipping, or a pan that wasn’t greased well, including the center tube. Flip after cooling for 10 minutes, and if a few pieces stay behind, press them back onto the loaf.
Why Did Sauce Drip Onto My Oven Floor?
The sauce can bubble over the edge as it bakes, especially if your pan is too small. A foil-lined baking sheet under the Bundt pan catches the drips, preventing them from ending up on the bottom of your oven.
Monkey Bread Recipe
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 the oven to 350°F.
- Separate the biscuit dough rounds, cut each biscuit into quarters, and place the pieces in a large zip-top bag or bowl with a lid. 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 (12- to 16-cup capacity) with butter or baking spray, 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, 3 to 5 minutes. Pour the hot sugar mixture over the biscuit pieces in the pan. Place the pan on a baking sheet or large piece of foil to catch any drips.
- Bake for 45 minutes or until the biscuits have puffed up to the top of the pan or just above it and the top is deep golden brown. (You can also test the internal temperature if you are uncertain; it should be somewhere between 190-200°F.) 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
- Tent the top of the monkey bread if needed. It should be a deep golden brown when it is done, but if that happens before 45 minutes or when the center reaches temperature, loosely place a piece of foil on top. This will prevent it from burning while the center finishes cooking.
Nutrition
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How To Store And Reheat Monkey Bread
Monkey bread is best served warm. Keep leftovers covered at room temperature if you’ll finish them within a few hours. Otherwise, cover them tightly and refrigerate them for up to 5 days.
To rewarm, microwave pieces for 15 to 20 seconds, or cover with foil and warm in a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes, until the sauce softens.
To freeze, wrap cooled leftovers tightly in plastic wrap, then foil and freeze them for up to a month. Thaw at room temperature for a couple of hours, and rewarm in the oven or microwave.
Frequently Asked Questions
Monkey bread is a sweet pull-apart bread made from small pieces of dough coated in cinnamon sugar, packed into a tube pan, and baked in a butter and brown sugar sauce. You’ll also see it called bubble bread or pull-apart bread.
Monkey bread vs. cinnamon rolls: Both bring the same cinnamon, sugar, and butter flavor to soft, fluffy dough. Cinnamon rolls are a yeasted dough rolled into a spiral, sliced, baked, and usually iced. Monkey bread skips the rolling: the dough is cut into pieces, every piece gets its own cinnamon sugar coat, and the sauce bakes into the cracks between them.
Yes. When I’ve tested this in a tube pan, it worked the same way. Be sure the tube pan doesn’t have a removable bottom, though (do not use an Angel Food cake pan, for example). You can also divide the pieces between two 9×5-inch loaf pans and start checking them earlier, after about 35 minutes.
Yes, for single servings. I’d use a well-greased nonstick tin, pack the pieces a little short of the top of each cup, and spoon about 2 tablespoons of sauce over the top. Place the muffin pan on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any drips. Start checking around 20 minutes since small portions bake much faster.
More Recipes To Try
Make one of these bread recipes that are perfect for breakfast too:
- Star Bread — a pull-apart bread made with yeasted dough, filled with cinnamon sugar, and cut and twisted to make a star shape.
- Sticky Buns — soft yeasted rolls baked over a gooey brown sugar and pecan caramel, then flipped out of the pan.
- French Toast — fluffy slices of brioche dipped in custard and cooked in a buttery skillet until golden brown.
- Chocolate Babka — a rich, chocolate-swirled loaf for when you want another sweet bread to slice and share at brunch.
- Buttermilk Biscuits — my from-scratch biscuits, folded into flaky layers, for when you want homemade biscuits on the brunch table.
If you’ve tried this monkey bread recipe, then don’t forget to rate it and let me know how you got on in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
