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There’s nothing more satisfying than tearing off a chunk of soft and sticky biscuit dough that’s been rolled in cinnamon and drenched with caramel sauce. This Easy Monkey Bread is simple to make and perfect for an indulgent breakfast, an easy dessert, or a holiday treat.
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Monkey bread is a soft, sticky, pull-apart breakfast pastry. It consists of balls of dough baked with a sticky cinnamon caramel sauce that are meant to be broken off by hand.
For this easy recipe, I used store-bought buttermilk biscuit dough and drenched it in a finger-licking, caramel cinnamon sauce – pure joy! Drizzled with icing, it makes for a great breakfast treat the kids will love.
I like to serve monkey bread on holiday mornings when the wonderful scents encourage everyone to get out of bed and come into the kitchen. Depending on the season, I’ll alternate between this fall-inspired pumpkin pie monkey bread ,and this 3-ingredient apple pie monkey bread.
Tips for Beginners
- The best dough. I recommend using 2 cans of Pillsbury Grands!™ Southern Homestyle Buttermilk Biscuits. Avoid the “flaky layers” option as the dough balls won’t stay intact while the bread bakes, and don’t use homemade dough.
- For a half batch. Divide all the ingredients in half. Follow the recipe as written and bake in a 9×5-inch greased loaf pan. Bake for 25-25 minutes at 350°F. Keep an eye on it as it bakes.
- Fully cooked monkey bread. The top should be golden brown, the biscuits should no longer be doughy, and the internal temperature should be 190°F.
- To prevent sticking to the pan. Thoroughly grease the Bundt pan, and don’t wait more than 10 minutes to remove it once baked. As it cools, the caramel sauce hardens, making it very difficult to remove from the pan.
Easy Monkey Bread Recipe
Ingredients
For the Bread
- ½ cup granulated sugar 100g
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon 3g
- 32.6 oz. Pillsbury Grands!™ Southern Homestyle Buttermilk Biscuits 2 cans
- ¾ cup unsalted butter 170g (1½ sticks)
- ¾ cup brown sugar 160g
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract 4g
For the Icing
- 1 cup powdered sugar 113g
- 2 tbsp milk 28g
- ½ tsp pure vanilla extract 2g
Video
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 10-cup Bundt pan with butter or oil. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, mix the granulated sugar and cinnamon together. Set aside.½ cup granulated sugar, 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- Open the cans of biscuits and transfer to a cutting board. Cut each biscuit into quarters. Roll each quarter into a ball.32.6 oz. Pillsbury Grands!™ Southern Homestyle Buttermilk Biscuits
- Coat each ball in the cinnamon sugar mixture and place into the prepared pan. Sprinkle any remaining cinnamon sugar over the biscuit balls.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan set over medium heat. Stir in the brown sugar. Cook until well combined, about 1-2 minutes. Turn off the heat, stir in the vanilla, and pour the mixture over the biscuits.¾ cup unsalted butter, ¾ cup brown sugar, 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the biscuits are no longer doughy.
- While the monkey bread bakes, make the icing. Add the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla to a small bowl. Whisk until smooth. Set aside.1 cup powdered sugar, 2 tbsp milk, ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
- Let the monkey bread cool for 5-10 minutes and invert onto a serving platter.
- Drizzle the icing over the monkey bread and serve warm.
Equipment
- Kitchen Scale (optional)
- 10-Cup Bundt Pan
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did you make this? Leave a comment!
How to Make Monkey Bread Step by Step
Get the oven going, prepare the pan, and combine the sugar and cinnamon: Preheat the oven to 350°F, and grease a 10-cup Bundt pan with butter or oil. Set aside. Mix ½ cup granulated sugar and 1 tsp ground cinnamon in a bowl.
Prepare the dough: Remove the dough from the 2 cans of Pillsbury Grands and place it on a cutting board. Cut each biscuit into quarters.
Coat each ball of dough in the cinnamon sugar mixture and place it into the prepared pan. Sprinkle any remaining cinnamon sugar over the biscuit balls.
Make the caramel sauce and bake: Melt ¾ cup unsalted butter in a saucepan over medium heat and stir in ¾ cup of brown sugar. Cook until well combined. This usually takes me about 1-2 minutes. Turn off the heat, stir in 1 tsp of vanilla, and pour the mixture over the biscuits.
Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the biscuits are no longer doughy.
Make the icing and frost: In a small bowl, combine 1 cup of powdered sugar, 2 tbsp of milk, and ½ tsp of vanilla. Whisk until thick and smooth. Set aside.
Let the monkey bread cool for 5-10 minutes, invert onto a serving platter, and drizzle with icing.
Serve: Serve warm and enjoy.
How to Store
If you want to get a head start, prep the recipe up until the dough goes in the oven, then wrap tightly with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning, pop it into the oven and add 5-10 minutes to compensate for the cold pan.
Monkey bread is best enjoyed the day it’s made, but if you have leftovers, you can store them for up to 1 day in an airtight container. I do not recommend freezing monkey bread.
Serving Suggestions
On holiday mornings, I like to serve this monkey bread with something savory like breakfast pizza. On the side, I’ll prepare crispy home fries and have a batch of sugared cranberry mimosas on hand for the adults.
More Biscuit Recipes We Love
- These Cinnamon Sugar Biscuit Bites come together with 4 ingredients and taste just like cinnamon rolls.
- Easy Buttermilk Biscuits are tender, light, and flaky, and best of all, simple to make.
- Angel Biscuits have perfectly golden, buttery tops with a light texture and are delightful to bite into.
more breakfast treats to enjoy
Trademark Note: In the spirit of transparency, I want to note that some of these ingredients are trademarked products. Pillsbury Grands!™ Southern Homestyle Buttermilk Biscuits are a proprietary product that I want to acknowledge and give credit to.
I am maki g this as I speak
Let us know how it goes!