Best Monkey Bread Recipe Ever

If you’re a fan of sticky buns, cinnamon rolls, and other sweet breakfast pastries, let us introduce you to your new favorite—monkey bread. This cinnamon-sugar pull-apart bread is as fun to make as it is to eat, and makes for a spectacular centerpiece whether you’re serving it for a holiday morning brunch or are bringing it to a breakfast potluck (we’d serve it for dessert without hesitation too). It isn’t fussy to make, is easy to get creative with, and serves a crowd with ease… quit monkeying around and make this already!

“Monkey bread” as a term has been around since the turn of the 20th century, and originally referred to a shortcut to buttered rolls that could be shared with a crowd. Around the same time, a similar Hungarian recipe called Aranygaluska was brought to American attention by Betty Crocker under the name “Hungarian Coffee Cake.” Somehow the two became synonymous, and the sweet, joyful monkey bread we know and love today was born.

To make monkey bread, you’ll generously coat pieces of dough in melted butter and cinnamon sugar, pile them up in a Bundt pan (the hole in the center guarantees everything evenly cooks), then bake. The glaze isn't completely necessary, but who are we kidding? You know you want it.

Grands!™ Monkey Bread Recipe

This recipe takes some extra time since you're making your own yeasted dough (instead of using canned biscuits), but we promise you it's well worth the effort! Making your own dough results in the softest, fluffiest version of monkey bread that’ll be nearly impossible to stop eating.

There’s really no definitive answer here. The most common explanations are that once baked, this bread resembles a “barrel of monkeys” and is then eaten picking it apart with your fingers, like a monkey would, but we may never know the complete truth. To be honest, we’re not sure we care—one bite of this sticky cinnamon bread, and you won’t be worried about the name either.

Though this classic sweet version is pretty perfect, monkey bread also lends itself to a wide variety of flavors. You could stuff your balls of dough with cream cheese (aka “gorilla bread”), add additional sweet flavors like we did in our babka monkey bread or our blueberry monkey bread, or even go savory, like in our breakfast monkey bread. Once you’ve got the method down, feel free to have fun with it.

The Best Monkey Bread Recipe Ever

Makinze is currently senior food editor at , where she develops recipes, creates, and hosts recipe videos and is our current baking queen. She is our expert pie crimper, believes you should always have the ingredients for chocolate chip cookies on hand, and everyone needs to know a perfect roast chicken recipe.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!

This is one of my most popular recipes and has been viewed more than3 Milliontimes! 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.

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!

Easy Monkey Bread (4 Ingredients)

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.

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.

Combine the white sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl or plastic bag. Drop each of the dough piecesin the sugar-cinnamon mixture and shake it around to coat. Gently arrange the cinnamon-sugar biscuit pieces into a greased pan.

Easy Rhodes Rolls Monkey Bread Recipe

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.

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.

Mom's Monkey Bread

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.

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 servingplate and invert. To eat, pull the desired amount off with your fingers (like a monkey would) and enjoy the gooey sweet sinful treat.

The Best Homemade 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. 

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.

Best Monkey Bread Recipe

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 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.

Cinnamon Roll Monkey Bread

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.

If you want to get creative, though, you can certainly add fresh fruit or pie filling, nuts, chocolate chips, caramel sauce, or even marshmallows!

Granny’s Monkey Bread is a sweet, gooey, sinful cinnamon sugar treat that will be loved by young and old alike. Be careful, this recipe is dangerously addictive.

Homemade Monkey Bread

Serving: 12 g , Calories: 260 kcal , Carbohydrates: 29 g , Fat: 16 g , Saturated Fat: 9 g , Cholesterol: 40 mg , Sodium: 201 mg , Potassium: 31 mg , Sugar: 25 g , Vitamin A: 475 IU , Calcium: 19 mg , Iron: 0.3 mg

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!

I love to create the BEST versions of your favorite recipes. If you love to cook, love to eat, or just have a deep appreciation for good food, you’re in the right place! Stick around… I have hundreds of recipes for you to make.Homemade monkey bread combines several tiny balls of dough coated in butter, cinnamon, and sugar. It’s basically a giant Bundt pan of gooey cinnamon rolls! Finish this fun breakfast or dessert treat with vanilla icing and serve pull apart style.

Ooey Gooey Monkey Bread Recipe! — Buns In My Oven

Have you ever had monkey bread before? You either (1) have eaten it and love it (2) have no idea what I’m talking about. If you fall into the latter category, let me explain what this outrageous recipe is.

Monkey bread is a sweet, gooey Bundt cake made from balls of dough rolled in cinnamon sugar. Arrange the dough balls in a Bundt pan, then top it all with a buttery brown sugar sauce before baking. Invert it onto a serving plate, then drizzle with creamy vanilla icing. Each bite tastes like the sticky delicious center of cinnamon rolls. Monkey bread is served pull apart style, similar to my