Granny's Monkey Bread Recipe (Printable Recipe + Video)

Name: Granny's Monkey Bread Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 24 ounces refrigerated biscuit dough; 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 )

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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.

cutting biscuit dough — cut biscuit dough

rolling biscuit dough in cinnamon and sugar — cut biscuit dough

Make the Brown Sugar Mixture

In a small saucepan, combine the brown sugar and butter. Add ½ 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.

brown sugar and butter in pan — melt butter and brown sugar

cinnamon sugar cooking in butter — melt butter and brown sugar

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.

pouring cinnamon sugar butter syrup over biscuit dough — pour over dough

monkey bread in bundt pan — pour over dough

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

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.

How Can You Tell When It's Done?

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.

Can You Make It Ahead Of Time?

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.

What Kind Of Pan Is Best?

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.

Can You Double The Recipe?

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.

Any Monkey Bread Variations?

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.

Full Recipe Instructions