This Easy Monkey Bread can best be described as a giant pull-apart cinnamon roll. It’s ooey gooey, soft and chewy and incredibly addicting. If you’re in the mood for something sweet and simple that the whole family will love, we recommend putting this recipe at the top of your list.
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What is Monkey Bread?
Monkey bread is a sweet breakfast that tows the line between breakfast and dessert (the best kind!), and got its name because you eat it with your fingers, supposedly as a monkey would.
It’s made of small balls of sweet dough, rolled in cinnamon and sugar and covered in caramel sauce just before baking. It is meant to be eaten warm so that it pulls apart easily.
While this version has its origins in the United States, it actually comes from a Hungarian dish called Arany Galuska, which made its way into a Betty Crocker cookbook for “Hungarian Coffee Cake” in the early 1970s.
Easy Monkey Bread Recipe
It seems that some families grew up with monkey bread, and some did not. If you did not, there is no time like the present to begin the family tradition! Trust us, your family will thank you.
This Easy Monkey Bread lives up to its name - it is so quick and easy. We start with refrigerated canned biscuits that are cut into pieces, rolled in cinnamon and sugar and smothered with homemade caramel sauce just before baking. Serve warm either as is, or pipe vanilla icing and sprinkle with chopped pecans for a really decadent breakfast treat.
While the process is simple, the presentation is stunning and the flavor is ah-mazing. You’ll be baking this for every holiday breakfast from now on!
What’s the Best Pan to Bake Pillsbury Monkey Bread In?
Bundt pans are traditionally used to bake monkey bread, and the presentation is beautiful. But, you definitely aren’t limited to just using a bundt pan. Honestly, just about any baking pan with a depth of at least 2 inches will work.
This size batch will work in a 9” x 13” baking pan, a cake pan, 2 loaf pans or even muffin tins if you want to make individual monkey breads. Just remember that if you do use a different pan, the baking time will change - the smaller the pan, the less time it will take to bake.
Monkey Bread Ingredients
- Refrigerated Biscuits - you can use any brand of the refrigerated, canned biscuit dough. Personally we like the Pillsbury Grands brand which you can find at just about any grocery store.
- Cinnamon - any kind of ground cinnamon will work. This would also taste great with a pinch of cardamom added to the cinnamon.
- Sugar - you want to use regular granulated sugar.
- Butter - unsalted butter will taste best in this recipe.
- Brown Sugar - we use light brown sugar in this recipe.
- Cream - any type of heavy whipping cream will work.
- Salt - we like to use sea salt.
- Vanilla Extract - pure vanilla extract tastes best.
How to Make Homemade Monkey Bread
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease a bundt pan with non-stick cooking spray.
- In a small bowl, mix together the sugar and cinnamon and set aside.
- Open and separate the biscuit dough cans, then cut each biscuit into four pieces. Roll a handful of the cut biscuit pieces into the cinnamon sugar mixture at a time, making sure to cover all the dough, then transfer to a separate large bowl and continue until all of the biscuit pieces are covered.
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the brown sugar, cream, and salt to the melted butter, and bring the mixture to a boil. Continue stirring and cooking at a rapid boil for 1 minute, then remove from the heat and add the vanilla extract. Stir to combine.
- Let the butter mixture cool for a minute or so, then pour over the cinnamon sugar coated biscuit pieces in the bowl and gently toss to coat. Once they are evenly coated, add the biscuit pieces into your prepared bundt pan, making sure they are filled evenly around the pan.
- Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30-35 minutes (Note: if you use a dark bundt pan, you may need to bake for an extra 5-10 minutes), or until the edges are golden brown and the dough is cooked through.
- Remove the pan from the oven and let it sit for 10 minutes before inverting it to a large plate or serving platter. Serve warm, and enjoy!
What Else Can I Use Besides Biscuits?
Making Easy Monkey Bread with biscuits is, well… easy. It’s also incredibly delicious. But, you may be wondering what else you can use. We’ve got a couple of ideas:
- Frozen dinner rolls, such as Rhodes brand, work great. You’ll need about 20 for this size recipe, and all you need to do differently is let them thaw before cutting each roll into quarters and making as directed from there.
- If you want to go the “from scratch” route, make your own dough using our Homemade Cinnamon Rolls recipe. You’ll need about a single batch of just the dough from this recipe. Once you mix and let the dough rise the first time, then portion the balls to be about 1” in size, roll in the cinnamon sugar mixture, and let rise again for about 15-20 minutes. During that time you can make your caramel, then pour over and bake as directed.
How to Store Monkey Bread
While monkey bread is really best eaten fresh out of the oven, you can store your Easy Monkey Bread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. If you have a cake stand with a lid, that will work great. Otherwise, you can wrap it well in foil.
When you are ready to serve, transfer onto a baking tray lined with aluminum foil (this is important - it will make sure you don’t drip caramel all over the place!) and warm in a preheated 325 degree oven for about 10-15 minutes, or until warmed through. Once warm, serve immediately.
Can I Freeze Monkey Bread?
You sure can! Just be sure to let it cool completely, then wrap well in aluminum foil and store in a freezer bag, or another airtight container, for up to 2 months.
When you are ready to serve, you can let the monkey bread thaw in the fridge overnight, then transfer to a baking sheet and reheat in a preheated 325 degree oven for about 10-15 minutes, or until warmed through.
Easy Monkey Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 16.3-oz. cans Refrigerated Biscuits Pillsbury Grands or similar brand
- 1 Tablespoon Cinnamon
- ½ cup Sugar
- ⅔ cup Light Brown Sugar
- 6 Tablespoons Butter
- 3 Tablespoons Heavy Cream
- ¼ tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease a bundt pan with non-stick cooking spray.
- In a small bowl, mix together the sugar and cinnamon and set aside.
- Open and separate the biscuit dough cans, then cut each biscuit into four pieces. Roll a handful of the cut biscuit pieces into the cinnamon sugar mixture at a time, making sure to cover all the dough, then transfer to a separate large bowl and continue until all of the biscuit pieces are covered.
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the brown sugar, cream, and salt to the melted butter, and bring the mixture to a boil. Continue stirring and cooking at a rapid boil for 1 minute, then remove from the heat and add the vanilla extract. Stir to combine.
- Let the butter mixture cool for a minute or so, then pour over the cinnamon sugar coated biscuit pieces in the bowl and gently toss to coat. Once they are evenly coated, add the biscuit pieces into your prepared bundt pan, making sure they are filled evenly around the pan.
- Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30-35 minutes (Note: if you use a dark bundt pan, you may need to bake for an extra 5-10 minutes), or until the edges are golden brown and the dough is cooked through.
- Remove the pan from the oven and let it sit for 10 minutes before inverting it to a large plate or serving platter. Serve warm, and enjoy!
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Here are some more sweet breakfast treats that we love!
- Classic French Toast
- Buttermilk Pancakes
- Homemade Buttermilk Syrup
- Mixed Berry French Toast Bake
- Strawberry Cream Scones
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This Easy Monkey Bread is like a giant pull-apart cinnamon roll - ooey gooey, soft and chewy and incredibly addicting. While the process is simple, the presentation is stunning and the flavor is ah-mazing. You’ll be baking this for every holiday breakfast from now on!
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