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This insanely delicious Monkey Bread is a sweet, gooey, sinful cinnamon sugar breakfast treat made with store-bought canned biscuit dough (in a tube) and lots of butter.
This recipe is incredibly easy to make and is seriously the best monkey bread recipe ever! Perfect for holiday mornings.
What Is Monkey Bread?
Although there are endless variations, monkey bread is basically bite-sized pieces of dough baked with other ingredients that tie all the flavors together. The most common variation is exactly what you see here, made with butter, sugar, and cinnamon.
It is believed that monkey bread got its name because it is eaten by people picking off pieces and putting them straight into their mouths. Much like you would picture how a monkey eats!
This delightful treat, also known as bubble bread or pull-apart bread, has been a staple in many households for generations.
Why I Love This Recipe
This is one of my most popular recipes and has been viewed more than 3 Million times! Homemade monkey bread has similar flavors to cinnamon rolls but is much easier to make. Here are just a few reasons why everyone loves this recipe.
Perfect for Holidays
We always looked forward to Granny making this monkey bread every summer when we had an extended family vacation. It was a highlight for everyone!
But it definitely makes a great treat on holiday mornings too. Especially on Christmas morning.
You can even make monkey bread in a Dutch Oven over a campfire.
Basically, I’m saying you should find any excuse to make it.
Make It Ahead of Time
This recipe can be prepared the night before so you can easily pop it in the oven in the morning. It’s an easy recipe that even the most novice bakers can master.
Canned Biscuit Dough
The heart of monkey bread lies in its dough. Using refrigerated biscuit dough, you’ll create small balls of dough that will transform into heavenly bites of goodness.
Not only does using canned biscuit dough make this recipe super quick and easy to make, but the butter in the dough melts during the baking process.
This is definitely a treat everyone should experience at least once. It is gooey, perfectly sweet, and everyone’s favorite.
Ingredients Needed:
- Canned biscuit dough
- Granulated sugar
- Golden brown sugar
- Melted butter
- Ground cinnamon
How To Make This Easy Monkey Bread Recipe
Step 1: Prepare the Dough
Separate the biscuits and cut each one into four equal bite-sized pieces. Clean kitchen scissors work better than a knife.
Combine the white sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl or plastic bag. Drop each of the dough pieces in the sugar-cinnamon mixture and shake it around to coat. Gently arrange the cinnamon-sugar biscuit pieces into a greased Bundt pan.
Step 2: Make the Brown Sugar Mixture
In a small saucepan, combine the brown sugar and butter. Add 1/2 cup of the remaining sugar-cinnamon mixture to the butter mixture (you can discard the remaining sugar mixture or use it for another recipe).
Gently heat the mixture to melt the butter and bring it just to a boil. Then, immediately remove it from heat. Stir the mixture until the sugars have fully dissolved. Do not overcook the syrup; you simply want to help the sugar dissolve.
Step 3: Bake the Monkey Bread
Carefully drizzle the warm buttery brown sugar sauce over the rolled dough balls in the pan.
Arrange the pan in the center of the preheated oven and bake for about 30 minutes. The cooking time may vary depending on the oven and the type of pan used.
Continue cooking until the tops are starting to crisp and turn golden brown.
Step 4: Serve
Once you take the monkey bread out of the oven, allow the pan to rest for about 5 minutes, then cover it with a large serving plate and invert.
To eat, pull the desired amount off with your fingers (like a monkey would) and enjoy the gooey sweet sinful treat.
Recipe Tip
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°F.
If the top is browning too much and the center is still not at 190°F, lower the monkey bread in your oven and/or cover it with foil to prevent over-browning.
FAQs
Yes, you can use homemade biscuit dough if you prefer. Ensure it’s cut into bite-sized pieces before proceeding with the recipe.
It is sometimes difficult to tell when the monkey bread has cooked through. Cooking times can always vary depending on the size of the pan, starting temperature of the dough, placement in the oven, etc.
For best results, place the pan in the center of the oven and cook roughly 30 minutes until the top is golden brown. Most importantly, ensure the internal temperature has reached 190°F by using a digital thermometer.
Yes, you can assemble it ahead, refrigerate overnight, and bake when ready. Adjust the baking time if the dough is cold.
This recipe really is easy enough to make the morning of, though.
This monkey bread recipe is best enjoyed in a Bundt pan or a fluted tube pan because of the round shape with an open center. You can also use other variations of deep baking dishes. Just be sure they are at least a 12-cup capacity and greased well for an easy release.
I get asked this question all the time. Unless you have a baking dish with a 24-cup capacity, you cannot double the recipe. You can, however, make two batches and use two separate pans.
Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature. Reheat briefly in the microwave for that fresh-from-the-oven feel.
Certainly! Customize your monkey bread by adding chopped nuts or raisins to the sugar-cinnamon mixture before coating the dough.
My loyalty will always lie with Granny’s old-fashioned monkey bread because it is overflowing with buttery cinnamon-sugar goodness.
If you want to get creative, though, you can certainly add fresh fruit or pie filling, nuts, chocolate chips, caramel sauce, or even marshmallows!
You can also try my Pumpkin Spice Monkey Bread and Apple Fritter Monkey Bread which I made using homemade dough from scratch.
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Video
Equipment
- Instant-Read Thermometer to verify doneness
- kitchen scissors to cut dough pieces
Ingredients
- 24 ounces refrigerated biscuit dough I used 8-ounce packages of buttermilk biscuits
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon or you can use pumpkin pie spice
- 1 cup butter salted or unsalted
- 1/2 cup golden brown sugar packed
Instructions
- Prepare the pan: Heavily grease a Bundt or fluted tube pan with butter (12-cup capacity). Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Prepare the biscuit pieces: Separate biscuits and cut each one into four equal, bite-sized pieces. In a bowl or plastic bag, combine granulated sugar and cinnamon (or pumpkin pie spice). Drop and roll each piece of dough in the sugar-cinnamon mixture, ensuring each piece is coated. Gently arrange the cinnamon-sugar biscuit pieces into the prepared pan.
- Create the syrup: In a small saucepan, combine brown sugar and butter. Add 1/2 cup of the remaining sugar-cinnamon mixture (discard the rest or use for another recipe). Gently heat the mixture until the butter melts and the mixture just begins to boil. Immediately remove from heat. Stir until the sugars have fully dissolved. Be cautious not to overcook the syrup; the goal is to help the sugar dissolve. Carefully drizzle the warm mixture over the rolled dough balls in the pan.
- Bake to perfection: Arrange the pan in the center of the preheated oven and bake for about 30 minutes. Keep an eye on it as baking times may vary (see note below).
- Let it Rest: Allow the pan to rest for about 5 minutes.
- Invert and Serve: Cover the pan with a large plate and invert it to release the monkey bread. To eat, pull the desired amount off with your fingers (like a monkey would!) 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 or a butter knife and dip each dough ball in the cinnamon sugar mixture!
- Cooking time may vary depending on oven and pan used. Continue cooking until the top is 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 an instant read thermometer to verify that the middle has reached 190°F. If the top is getting overly cooked and the center is still not at 190°F, lower the monkey bread in your oven and/or cover with foil to prevent over-browning.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This recipe has been viewed over 3 million times since it was originally posted in September 2014 and has been updated with more helpful tips based on reader questions. Don’t worry – the recipe hasn’t changed!
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!
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!
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!
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!
Can you use a bread pan or even a cake pan? I don’t currently own a bundt pan 🙁
Yes! You can use either but should count on a thermometer to know when it’s done.
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
That should help! Glad you liked it.
Yummy, we used pumpkin pie spice, keeping with the Season!
I love using pumpkin pie spice too!
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..
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.
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.
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!
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!
This recipe is DELICIOUS!!!! Followed it exactly and we all loved it! Thank you so much!
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?
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.
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!
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.
You probably used jumbo biscuits. I used two cans of jumbo because she said 24 Oz.
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…
Its cool and tastes gucci, thanks granny