This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Granny’s 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!
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:
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 pan.
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.
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. 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.
To 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.
FAQs
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.Â
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 make it ahead of time and cook it the next day. 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.
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.
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.
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.Â
Granny’s Monkey Bread Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 24 ounces refrigerated biscuit dough I used three 8-ounce packages of buttermilk biscuits – use whatever size as long as it totals around 24oz
- 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 pan: Heavily grease Bundt or fluted tube pan with butter (12-cup capacity). Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Prepare the dough: Separate biscuits and cut each one into four equal bite-sized pieces. Combine granulated sugar and cinnamon in a bowl or plastic bag. Drop roll each piece of dough in the sugar-cinnamon mixture and shake around to coat. Gently arrange the cinnamon-sugar biscuit pieces into the prepared pan.
- Heat syrup: In a small saucepan, combine brown sugar and butter. Add 1/2 cup of the remaining sugar-cinnamon mixture (discard remaining or use for another recipe). Gently heat to melt butter and bring mixture just to a boil and then immediately remove from heat. Stir until sugars have fully dissolved. Do not overcook the syrup; you simply want to help the sugar dissolve. Carefully drizzle the warm mixture over the rolled dough balls in the pan.
- Bake: Arrange pan in the center of the preheated oven and bake for about 30 minutes. Time may vary; see note below.
- Invert: Allow pan to rest for about 5 minutes, then cover with a large plate and invert. 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 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°F. If the top is getting overly cooked and the center is still not at 190°F, lower the monkey bread in your oven 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!
Oooh! I haven’t made monkey bread in eons. This looks amazing!
I have been looking for a tried and true monkey bread recipe, and I’m so glad that I found this one!!!
My boys would LOVE this Monkey Bread! It looks incredible!
My grandma always made monkey bread too. This looks just like it.
I’ve always made monkey bread with biscuits as well – it’s so good!
Currently making your recipe as it is the only only one that looks like my moms recipe thank you so much!!
This is the best monkey recipe I have found. It is awesome! I use yeast roll dough and the result is amazingly yummy! So much so that my family and I enjoy it every time I make bread, usually every other week. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Do you mean a full, rolling boil or boil just around the edge of the pan?
A gentle boil.
This is my go to recipe for pot lucks and Christmas morning and it’s always a hit. Occasionally I find the caramel is gritty and after baking the butter has separated and leaves a greasy puddle. Any suggestions? It doesn’t always happen and I follow the recipe as printed every time!
Occasionally that has happened to me too. I think it has to do with the step when you heat the mixture together. I believe it needs to be just hot enough to dissolve the sugar. Too hot and it will crystalize. What do you think?
Thanks for sharing! I followed the recipe as is and it turned out great!!