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Monkey Bread

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This classic monkey bread recipe is made with buttermilk biscuits baked in a buttery, gooey, irresistible cinnamon sugar sauce. Easy to make with 5 simple ingredients with minimal prep time!

Now that we’re living in the Land of Canned Biscuits again (a.k.a. the United States), I have happily resumed one of my favorite holiday baking traditions — weekend monkey bread! ♡

We always had to put in the extra time to make homemade biscuits from scratch for monkey bread while we were living in Barcelona. It was, of course, delicious, but not quite the simple and nostalgic version I grew up with. On a lazy December morning, I much prefer to hit the ‘easy button’ and let Pillsbury do most of the work for me.

So for anyone else who also craves this throwback sweet treat this time of year, I thought I’d repost the tried-and-true monkey bread recipe that I’ve been making for the past two decades. It’s made with just 5 simple ingredients — canned buttermilk biscuits, melted butter, brown sugar, white sugar and cinnamon — and it’s always so fun and easy to assemble. (Even more special for us right now with cute little toddler hands to help!)

I’ve included some extra options below for various ways to customize the recipe by adding in nuts, chocolate chips, or dried fruit. Or you can also never go wrong with an extra cream cheese drizzle on top. However you make it, I promise this gooey sweet treat is always a winner. So grab some biscuits and let’s make some monkey bread together!

Monkey Bread Ingredients

Here are a few quick notes about the monkey bread ingredients you will need to make this recipe:

  • Buttermilk biscuits: You’ll need two large (16-ounce) cans of store-bought biscuits for this recipe. I grew up always making this recipe with classic Pillsbury Grands buttermilk biscuits, but feel free to use whatever other flavor you prefer (the honey butter is also delish). You could also use the flaky-style biscuits too!
  • Sugars: We’ll use white granulated sugar here to create a yummy cinnamon-sugar mix to dip the biscuit pieces, plus brown sugar to melt into our butter sauce.
  • Cinnamon: I always grew up making monkey bread with cinnamon sugar, but feel free to sub in any other warming spices or blends you might like here too. (Pumpkin pie spice, for example, would be delicious!)
  • Butter: I’ve written this recipe using salted butter to help season the recipe. But if you only have unsalted butter on hand, simply melt an additional 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt with the butter.

How To Make Monkey Bread

Step-by-step instructions are included in the recipe below, but here are 5 extra tips to keep in mind when making homemade monkey bread:

  1. Use a bundt pan. There’s a reason that monkey bread is traditionally made in bundt or tube pans. The design of the pan allows the biscuits to cook evenly (avoiding an undercooked center) and ensures extra gooey, caramelized eges.
  2. Liberally grease the pan. That gooey cinnamon sugar coating is delicious but definitely tries hard to stick to the pan! To ensure that the monkey bread easily releases and maintains its cute shape once the pan is inverted, be sure to use cooking spray to mist every single nook and cranny before adding the dough.
  3. Cut the biscuits evenly. This ensures that each dough bite will cook evenly and get coated with plenty of cinnamon sugar. You can either separate the biscuits individually and slice them into quarters, or save time and just slice the entire stack of biscuits (still in their cylinder shape from the can) into quarters.
  4. Let cool slightly before inverting. This helps the caramel sauce to thicken slightly so that the monkey bread holds together once it has been inverted.
  5. Don’t worry about perfection. If a few pieces stick to the pan, hakuna matata. Just scoop them out and stick them back on top of the monkey bread. It’ll still be delicious!

Monkey Bread Variations

Here are a few fun monkey bread recipe variations that you’re welcome to try too:

  • Add nuts, chocolate chips or caramel bits: Layer chopped toasted pecans or walnuts, semisweet chocolate chips, or caramel bits in with the biscuits.
  • Add a cream cheese glaze: Drizzle a cream cheese glaze on top for a tangy-sweet finish! Just whisk together 4 ounces softened cream cheese, 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1-2 tablespoons milk until the glaze reaches a drizzle consistency.
  • Use canned cinnamon rolls: To up the cinnamon flavor even more, use canned cinnamon rolls in place of the biscuits. (Just be sure to use 32 ounces of canned cinnamon rolls — you may need to purchase 3 cans depending on how much each weighs.)

More Fun Breakfast Favorites

Here are a few more fun and simple breakfast recipes that we always enjoy:

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Monkey Bread

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  • Author: Ali
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 40 minutes
  • Total Time: 55 minutes
  • Yield: 8 to 10 servings 1x

Description

This classic monkey bread recipe is made with buttermilk biscuits baked in a buttery, gooey, irresistible cinnamon sugar sauce. Easy to make with 5 simple ingredients with minimal prep time!


Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 large (16-ounce) cans refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
  • 1/2 cup granulated white sugar
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup salted butter
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar

Instructions

  1. Prep the oven and baking pan. Heat the oven to 350°F. Mist a bundt pan generously with cooking spray.
  2. Coat the biscuits. Separate out the individual biscuits and cut them into quarters. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the granulated white sugar and cinnamon. Roll each piece of biscuit dough in the cinnamon sugar until it is coated on all sides, then place the dough in the bundt pan, gently stacking the dough pieces in the pan in an even layer. (Avoid pressing the dough pieces together firmly; you want them just lightly stacked.)
  3. Heat the butter sauce. Heat the butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until melted. Add the brown sugar plus any leftover cinnamon sugar and stir for about 30 seconds or until the sugar is melted. Pour the sauce evenly over the dough in the bundt pan to coat. 
  4. Bake. Bake uncovered for 40 minutes or until the top is lightly golden and springs back when touched. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let it cool for 5-10 minutes. Using oven mitts, place a serving plate on top of the bundt pan and very carefully invert the monkey bread onto the plate. 
  5. Serve. Serve immediately while warm and gooey, and enjoy!


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30 comments on “Monkey Bread”

  1. This sounds so mouthwatering yummy!! Wi$l it still work if I prep this the night before and throw it in the oven in the morning?

  2. YUM!!!!!

    i’ve made a recipe similiar to this before. i actually make mine in mini loaf pans or cupcake pans for my b&b guests… this way everyone had their own individual monkey bread!

    yours looks divine!

  3. LOVE this stuff! Have you tried Gorilla Bread? It is TOO DIE FOR! :o)

    https://thecreativekitchen.wordpress.com/?s=gorilla+bread&submit=Search

  4. Yummm! My mom makes this excellent stuff. Those pictures are reminding me of how good it is and my mouth is watering already!

  5. I’ve had this before but never made it…who knew something so delicious could be made with refrigerated biscuits?! I think I’ll make it for breakfast on Saturday with a side of fruit…that’ll balance out all of the butter and sugar, right? :)

  6. Ali –

    This is just the recipe my mother used to make.
    On another note — have you seen the Cook’s Country version of Monkey Bread. I love the show, but it it just hysterical how they can make something so complicated out of something so simple. They make their own dough – why, I ask you? I’m sure it’s great tasting, but I don’t have an army of helpers to make, measure, and especially clean up.

    Thanks again for the recipe – I know what I’m making this weekend.

    Jenn

  7. I love monkey bread. Love it.
    AND I finally got a bundt pan – so I can make it for reals, yo!
    Yeah. Bundt pan for Christmas. Merry Christmas.

  8. Oh no, I actually have buttermilk biscuits in the fridge. You’re killing me with this.

  9. I make monkey bread for my coworkers every Friday before a holiday weekend. It’s sooooo good. I’ve never used the dipping in butter method. Sounds good!

  10. I made this once and ate the entire thing, my husband didn’t like it. I don’t know what is wrong with him. I should never make it again if I’m bymyself.

  11. Thank you for posting this. My husband has never had it, and every time I mention it, he thinks I’m nuts. I think I’ll need to make it for the family soon, just to turn him to the dark side I mean show him what he’s missing.

  12. I just made this and featured it on my blog! You should check it out! Great recipe thanks!

  13. We make it every new years and call it Midnight Monkey bread. The kids love it!!

  14. We make this every year for Christmas brunch…best family tradition ever! Yum!

  15. For an even more indulgent dessert, cut the biscut dough in half. Wrap a Hershey Kiss (caramel, pepperment, milk, or dark etc.) in each half. Continue with the remaining steps. Everyone I’ve served this to have loved the bread plus the little surprise inside! :)

  16. hi, can someone tell me which refrigerated buttermilk biscuits brand u used?

  17. didn’t you forget to put in the recipe that you need to melt the stick of butter with the brown sugar on the stove and pour over the biscuits before you bake it. that is what makes the yummy sauce.

  18. What is the glaze that is on top of the first picture?

  19. I made this tonight. So amazingly delicious and fun to make! I was concerned that your picture had that beautiful glaze, but imagine my excitement when I realized that the butter melted to the bottom of the bundt pan! The only issue I had was that the pieces did not stick together very well, and when I tried to cut it they all tumbled down. Any idea why this happened?

  20. I have company coming and I am going to try this. I know they will love it. Thanks so much!!

  21. This is amazing! Just make sure to use the bundt pan, otherwise the biscuits will rise up and the goo will overflow into the oven (First time making it mistake) :)

  22. I wanted to thank you so much for this recipe!
    I’ve been hearing about my mother in law’s monkey bread from my Hubs for YEARS…like 20 to be exact. I made this tonight. Not only was it super easy and fast…it was a HUGE hit.
    I was told it’s better than his mom’s!
    Thanks!!!! Think I’ll be following you on pinterest!

  23. Do you think this recipe would work with a meatloaf pan? i don’t have a bundt cake pan so i was thinking of using the meatloaf pan but wasn’t sure if it would work?

  24. Do NOT use one of those two piece pans. O.O I did, and I caught my oven on fire.

  25. What can one use if one cannot get tubes of refrigerated biscuits? I live in Europe and such things do not exist.

  26. Great recipe, Ali! I just love the name you gave – Monkey bread :) I tried in last weekend and my kids and wife just loved it. Keep up with the fine recipes.