Granny's Monkey Bread is a sweet, gooey, sinful cinnamon sugar treat made with canned biscuit dough and lots of butter. This recipe is incredibly easy to make because it uses store bought biscuit dough (in a tube).
Why this recipe works:
This is my most popular recipe and has been viewed almost 3 Million times!
This easy monkey bread recipe can be prepared the night before so your kids can wake up to the heavenly smell of taste bud heaven. Or, because this is a pretty quick and easy recipe to put together, you can easily assemble and bake the same morning you plan on devouring it.
To make things extra easy like I do for this recipe, cans of biscuit dough are used.
This is definitely a treat everyone should experience at least once. It is gooey, perfectly sweet, and everyone's favorite.
Five simple ingredients:
- You'll need a total of 24 ounces of buttermilk biscuit dough. I use three 8-ounce tubes from Trader Joe's. Opening those pressurized cans is like torture for me, but I put on a brave face and do it anyway. For my readers outside of the US that can't find canned biscuit dough, you can make your own homemade dough or use pizza or bread dough, although it will taste a bit more dry.
- You'll use both granulated sugar and golden brown sugar.
- One cup of butter. That's two sticks! It's worth it.
- And, of course, cinnamon. If you're familiar with my recipes, you'll know that I often substitute pumpkin pie spice for cinnamon, so feel free to do so with this recipe if you wish.
Easy steps to make this recipe:
- I find that this monkey bread cooks best in a bundt pan. I'm sure you can use any other kind of baking dish, but the bundt pan gives it a great shape. You'll need to preheat the oven and heavily greasethe pan.
- The biscuit dough will need to be cut into small bite sized pieces. Clean kitchen shears work better than a knife (photo 1). You'll toss these dough pieces in a mixture of sugar and cinnamon and then set them in the prepared pan (photo 2).
- The syrup is made by combining ½ cup of that sugar cinnamon mixture with the brown sugar and butter in a saucepan (photo 3). You'll bring it to a boil to dissolve the sugars (photo 4) and then drizzle it over the dough in the pan (photo 5).
- Pop it in the oven and cook and bake until it's done (photo 6). When it's still warm, you'll cover the pan with a plate and invert it. Take care not to burn those fingers when fighting for the first bite!
Cooking Tips:
- You can make it ahead of time. Simply prepare the recipe as written and store it in the refrigerator until you're ready to bake it. Keep in mind you'll either need to increase the cooking time or allow it to come closer to room temperature before baking.
- It is sometimes difficult to tell when the monkey bread has cooked through. For best results, ensure the internal temperature has reached 190 F by using a digital thermometer.
It's not just for the holidays.
Want to be a rock star parent? Next time you go camping, delight your kids when you make Monkey Bread on the campfire in the dutch oven. Can you imagine a better treat to wake up to?
How about enjoying a batch on a vacation morning? This is one of those recipes that just becomes tradition.
Related recipes:
If you want to make money bread from scratch, check out my Apple Fritter Monkey Bread and Pumpkin Spice Monkey Bread recipes!
Also, if you love monkey bread, you will certainly love homemade cinnamon rolls.
Full RECIPE and VIDEO below!
Watch me re-create this gooey masterpiece.
Did you make this recipe? Please leave me a comment below to let me know what you think!
Granny's Monkey Bread Recipe
CLICK TO PLAY RECIPE VIDEO
Ingredients
- 24 ounces buttermilk biscuits (I used three 8-ounce packages )
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon (or you can use pumpkin pie spice)
- 1 cup butter (salted or unsalted)
- ½ cup brown sugar (packed )
Instructions
- Prepare Bundt pan by heavily greasing with butter. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Cut each biscuit into four equal bite-sized pieces.
- Combine 1 cup sugar and 2 teaspoons cinnamon in a bowl or plastic bag. Drop roll the pieces of dough in the sugar cinnamon mixture and gently arrange them into the prepared Bundt pan.
- In a small sauce pan, combine ½ cup of the remaining sugar cinnamon mixture (discard remaining or use for another recipe) with ½ cup brown sugar and 1 cup butter. Bring mixture just to a boil and then immediately remove from heat. Stir until sugars have fully dissolved. Carefully drizzle the mixture over the rolled dough balls in the Bundt pan.
- Bake in center of preheated oven for 30 minutes. Time may vary, see note below.
- Allow pan to rest for about 5 minutes, then cover with a large plate and invert. To eat, pull desired amount off with your fingers and enjoy the gooey sweet sinful treat.
Notes
- To prepare the night before, follow all steps except the baking part. Cover and refrigerate. Bake as directed in the morning (may need a few extra minutes if its cold).
- Use the kids! Although the heating and melting of the butter should be handled by the adults, let the little ones cut the dough with kitchen scissors and dip each dough ball in the cinnamon sugar mixture!
- Cooking time may vary depending on oven and pan used. Continue cooking until tops are starting to crisp and turn golden brown. To be entirely sure that the monkey bread is fully cooked and not doughy in the center, use a thermometer to verify that the middle has reached 190 degrees F. If the top is getting overly cooked and the center is still not at 190F, lower the monkey bread in your oven or cover with foil to prevent over-browning.
NUTRITION INFORMATION
This recipe has been viewed over 3 million times since it was originally posted in September 2014 and was most recently updated in November 2019 for your reading pleasure.
Rachel M.
This is such a great recipe! Easy to put together and always a hit with friends and neighbors when I share. I've made monkey bread with many different recipes (including making homemade dough) and this is the best. The sauce is the secret!!
Marilyn
Monkey bread tasted just like my Mom’s. That’s a compliment. Very rich and wonderful with milk or coffee. I had to feed 7 people and it was GREAT!
Sue Tripp
Fantastic so delicious made for breakfast at church..everybody loved it I added pecans to mine.
Elizabeth
Great recipe! Lots of butter!!
Jodi Gingold
I’ve read a lot of the comments, I also love this recipe. The one question I have is why doesn’t anyone put their Bundt pan or cake pan on top of an aluminum foil covered cookie sheet to fix the problem of anything overflowing into the oven. everything I cook including casseroles I put on top of a aluminum foil covered cookie sheet to alleviate any spills in the oven. Also other than apples I have put raisins into my monkey bread. It is absolutely delicious!
Joy Lagle
I made the Monkey bread and it came out so good. Going to make more often. I used a pizza cutter to slice the biscuits, really easy.
Sharon Young
Where is the video for the monkey bread?
Krissy
It autoplays as you scroll down the post. It's possible you clicked the "x" and closed it.
Kathy Yarbrough
How did your monkey bread in jars turn out? would Kathyyou do it again?
Zoey
Is it ok to use croissant dough instead of biscuit dough?
Krissy
I think that will work, but it might end up even more buttery? Not that that's a bad thing.
Adreauna
What do you preheat the oven to?
Krissy
350°F
Adreauna
Thank you!
Alexis
What would be the measurements for 2 6oz cans ?
Krissy
That would be 12oz biscuit dough which would cut the recipe in half. You can use the slider on the recipe card to go from 12 servings down to 6 and it will reduce all of the ingredients by half. Enjoy!
LauraJane
I don't have a bundt cake pan, am I able to use a regular 9x13 pan?
Krissy
Yep! Cooking time might be shorter.
Joan
Made this for Christmas Day 2019. It was fantastic- sweet, gooey, sticky! Perfect with coffee and presents. It’s been requested by everyone for this year as well!
Sarah
I am a stickler for recipe instructions and I have to say this is so easy to follow and my husband is like a kid at Christmas when he sees it baking. If I suggest adding apples, spices, or nuts he gives me a side eye and is insistent that I don’t change anything! Thanks!
Anita
I absolutely love this recipe! For the holidays, I wanted to add chai spice and fresh diced apples and pecans. Is there any way I can bake this then separate into individual mason jars and freeze until needed? Also, do the apples require cooking prior to baking? Trying to distribute covid friendly desserts this year and this is one of my all time favourite recipes!
Krissy
Hi Anita, I've only ever made this in a bundt pan so I can't answer your question about mason jars. If you want to prepare ahead of time, I would prepare it up until the point where you bake, then freeze, then fully thaw before you bake. As far as the apples, it's a matter of preference. If you use raw apples, they will cook and soften in the monkey bread, but won't be as broken down as if you used pre-cooked apples. Hope that helps!
Eve
Can you use a bread pan or even a cake pan? I don't currently own a bundt pan 🙁
Krissy
Yes! You can use either but should count on a thermometer to know when it's done.
Tracy
Yummy! One question. My center pieces were a little dry not so gooey at spots. Should I lightly stir the liquid in between some of it b4 cooking it? We ate some for breakfast and some later rewarmed up with icecream. Yum
Krissy
That should help! Glad you liked it.
Charlyn
Yummy, we used pumpkin pie spice, keeping with the Season!
Krissy
I love using pumpkin pie spice too!
Jennifer
J use pinterest because I'm just a basic cook, i like to try new things... great recipe!! Although you could add a side note when recommending a bundt pan, as mine leaked all over the inside of the oven and had a hay day panic attack with my smoke alarm.. why do they make them in two pieces anyway? Seems stupid to me... any recommendations on getting hardened sugar off the bottom of my oven? Bummer..
Krissy
Oh no! Do you think your bundt pan wasn't big enough? That's just the worst!!! As far as the sugar, I usually try to scrape off as much as possible and then go at the rest with a good oven cleaner.
Ann
Jennifer, It sounds like you maybe used an angel food cake pan, not a bundt pan. Bundt pans are not two pieces, but angel food cake pans are two pieces.
Jennifer
Hi! I’m not at all a baker, but want to add apples into this... any suggestions on how to do that/what would change? Thanks!
Krissy
Hi Jennifer, You can certainly add apples! I would peel and dice into very small pieces. Then I would just layer them in with the dough. Should cook up wonderfully!
Mari
This recipe is DELICIOUS!!!! Followed it exactly and we all loved it! Thank you so much!
Samara Hudson
I used 24 biscuits and it's overflowing the bundt pan and started a flame in my oven with the butter dropping to the bottom. Did you use 2 pans?
Krissy
Oh no! The recipe calls for 24 oz of biscuit dough. Not 24 biscuits. Depending on the size of your biscuit, that may have been way too much. I use one bundt pan to make this recipe.
Anita
Hi there!
I absolutely LOVE this recipe!
I’m planning to make this in several batches, portioning into masonjars and distributing as Xmas gifts this year. Because I need to make so much, I wanted to do everything including baking and freeze it in the jars. Can you help guide this process - would it be ok to freeze cooked monkey bread? Any re-heating required or just allowing it to thaw overnight in the jars? I should mention that I’ll also add cooked apple chunks as well.
Look forward to hearing back really appreciate if you could! Thanks!
Krissy
Oh boy. I've never made this in mason jars. I would just be sure to fully thaw before placing in a hot oven and using a thermometer to check the internal temp to make sure the dough is cooked.
Tami Bayus
You probably used jumbo biscuits. I used two cans of jumbo because she said 24 Oz.
DEBBIE
I am 63 years old & have been making this recipe for about 40 years,my family loves it ! Thisis really good & easy to make I use extra topping to put on after I've baked it,My family has actually requested this monkey bread,they ask me to make 2 each time because they fight for the last pieces...lol this is just a great treat I make for them almost anytime they ask...
Tyrone Jones
Its cool and tastes gucci, thanks granny