Monkey Bread
You will love eating this easy soft and sweet Monkey Bread. Enjoy tender pull-apart bread covered in a buttery brown sugar sauce. It is the perfect breakfast treat or afternoon snack.
I found this recipe in my mother’s recipe box years ago after she passed away, and I can’t believe I’d never made it until now. This delicious monkey bread is such a fun recipe for kids because they LOVE to pull the pieces of bread apart. Honestly, I love doing it too! It is just so much fun, and your fingers get all sticky from the cinnamon, sugar, and butter!
This sticky pull-apart bread is a great treat for Christmas morning or other holiday mornings. It’s also a fun treat for special events like a baby shower. But I often find myself making it when I just want to treat the family to something special for breakfast, too.
I adapted this recipe to keep things very simple, but there are endless variations if you want to jazz it up a little!
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What is Monkey Bread?
Monkey bread consists of some sort of bread dough, like biscuit pieces, cinnamon rolls, or even homemade dough. These dough pieces are then rolled in a cinnamon- brown sugar mixture, placed in a greased Bundt cake pan, and drizzled with buttery brown sugar.
This fun recipe is called “monkey bread” because you pick it apart with your fingers like a monkey would! I know it’s kind of a goofy name for this ooey-gooey treat, if you think about it. You might also hear it called bubble bread or pull-apart bread.
Monkey Bread Ingredients
To make this easy monkey bread recipe, I only need a few simple ingredients:
2 loaves of Rhodes Bake-and-Serve bread, thawed
White sugar
Cinnamon
Light or dark brown sugar
Unsalted butter, melted
Find the detailed ingredient list in the printable recipe card below!
How to make Monkey Bread
This is such an easy recipe! It would be so fun and easy to make with your kids.
First, I thaw the dough. To do this, I spray a 9 X 13′-inch baking pan or dish with cooking spray and place the two frozen loaves into it. I spray a sheet of plastic wrap with cooking spray and place it on top of the loaves to prevent sticking as it thaws. Then I place them on the counter to rise / thaw for 4-7 hours, until the dough is about 1 inch above the edge of the pan. The timing depends on the room temperature.
Bake: When ready to bake, I preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Then I generously coat a 15-cup Bundt pan or tube pan with cooking spray and set it aside. You need a large bundt pan because the dough will expand as it cooks.
Sugar- Cinnamon Coating: Next, I mix together the granulated sugar and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Working in small batches, I cut the thawed bread into bite-sized pieces of dough. Then I toss only a few of the dough pieces into the cinnamon sugar mixture at a time and coat thoroughly. This will prevent the dough from sticking together. It’s time-consuming, but believe me– it is SO worth it.
Assembly: I place the small pieces in the prepared pan to make an even bottom layer. Then I sprinkle 4 tablespoons of cinnamon sugar over the pieces. I continue adding pieces layer by layer, sprinkling more cinnamon-sugar mixture on top of each consecutive layer until no more remains. I finish by sprinkling the cup of brown sugar over the top layer and spooning melted butter over the whole thing.
Bake and Serve: I bake the monkey bread for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown, then remove it from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool for 2-3 minutes. I tip the pan over onto a large serving platter or tray and let it sit for another 2-3 minutes before removing the pan.
This sweet treat is best when served warm!
Best Monkey Bread Recipes
Want to jazz up your monkey bread? Try one of the variations below:
Make it with diced apples for an apple cinnamon bread.
Mix in raisins, dried cranberries, or nuts! Pecans and walnuts go really well with the caramel sauce this recipe makes.
Make a savory version for dinner with garlic butter and cheese or your favorite pizza toppings!
Add fresh fruit on top of the monkey bread. Bananas, pineapples, or apple chunks are some great choices!
Make chocolate monkey bread! Wrap each piece of dough around a piece of chocolate before continuing with the recipe!
Make mini versions by dividing the dough pieces rolled in cinnamon sugar into muffin tins, then drizzle the butter and brown sugar over the top. Bake for 12-15 minutes.
FAQs
How do I store leftover Monkey Bread?
My family ate up every bite of this when I made it for breakfast! If you happen to have any of this delicious treat left over, you can store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. You can even freeze it by wrapping it in plastic wrap, then foil, and storing it in the freezer for up to 3 months.
How do I reheat Monkey Bread?
You can reheat this bread in individual portions by microwaving it for about 15 seconds. Or you can reheat the entire thing in a warm oven (200 degrees) covered in foil, for about 20 minutes or until warm throughout.
Can I make this Monkey Bread Recipe ahead of time?
You can make this gooey dish ahead of time and bake it when you are ready to serve it. I love to make this the night before, so I can just wake up and pop it in the oven for a quick, hot breakfast! Follow the recipe up to the point where you would put it in the oven. Instead, cover it with foil or plastic wrap and store it in the fridge for up to 12 hours.
When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven as directed and continue from there!
More Quick Bread Recipes
If you like bread but don’t like the time it takes for things to rise, try one of these favorite recipes:
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Monkey Bread
Equipment
Ingredients
Instructions
Notes
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published on 3/13/2014. It has been updated in format and with pictures on 5/17/2023, and in format on 5/18/26.
The post Monkey Bread appeared first on 365 Days of Baking.