How to Make Monkey Bread

Sticky, gooey, and meant to be torn apart by hand. That’s monkey bread in five words. If you’ve never made it before, don’t worry. I’ve burned my share of batches over the years, and I’m going to save you from doing the same.

What Is Monkey Bread, Exactly?

Monkey bread is a pull-apart bread made from balls of dough rolled in cinnamon sugar, stacked in a bundt pan, then baked in a pool of butter and brown sugar. Once it’s out of the oven, you flip the pan, and the caramel drips down over the whole thing, no knife required. You just pull off a piece with your fingers, which is exactly why kids (and let’s be honest, adults) go nuts for it.

What You’ll Need

You don’t need fancy equipment for this one. Here’s the shopping list, plus a few swaps if you’re missing something:

• Refrigerated biscuit dough (2 cans) – or homemade dough if you’ve got the time
• Granulated sugar (1/2 cup) mixed with cinnamon (2 tablespoons)
• Unsalted butter (1 cup, melted) – salted butter works too, just skip extra salt elsewhere
• Brown sugar (1 cup, packed) – dark or light both work fine
• A bundt pan – a regular tube pan does the job too

FYI, the biscuit dough shortcut isn’t cheating. It’s what makes this recipe doable on a weeknight instead of an all-day project.

How to Make Monkey Bread

Cut the dough.
Open your biscuit cans and cut each biscuit into quarters. You’ll end up with small, bite-sized pieces, which is exactly what you want.

Coat each piece.
Roll every piece in the cinnamon sugar mix until it’s fully covered. This step gets messy. Embrace it.

Layer the pan.
Drop the coated pieces into your greased bundt pan in a loose, even layer. Don’t press them down. They need room to puff up.

Make the topping.
Melt your butter, stir in the brown sugar, and pour the mixture evenly over the dough. This is what turns into that caramel coating everyone fights over.

Bake it.
Pop the pan into a 350°F oven for 30 to 35 minutes. It’s done when the top is deep golden brown, and the center isn’t doughy anymore.

Flip and wait.
Let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then flip it onto a plate. Waiting is the hardest part, but a fresh flip means the caramel actually stays put instead of sliding everywhere.

My Best Tips for Foolproof Monkey Bread

A few things I’ve learned the hard way:

• Don’t skip the cooling time. Flip it too early, and the whole tower collapses into a puddle.
• Grease the pan generously. Every ridge and groove needs coverage, or your bread sticks and tears apathe rt wron wayg.
• Check for doneness in the center, not just the top. The middle stays gooier longer, so a toothpick test in the thickest part saves you from a raw center.
• Add chopped pecans or walnuts between layers if you want some crunch. It’s optional, but IMO it’s worth it.

Common Questions

Can I make monkey bread the night before?
Yes. Assemble everything in the pan, cover it, and refrigerate overnight. Pull it out 30 minutes before baking so it’s not ice cold, then bake as normal.

Why did my monkey bread turn out dry?
It’s almost always overbaking. Pull it at the first sign of deep golden brown and trust your toothpick test over the clock.

Monkey bread isn’t complicated. It’s sticky, it’s sweet, and it’s built for sharing straight out of the pan. Give it a try this weekend, and don’t stress if your first flip isn’t picture-perfect. Mine wasn’t either.

How to Make Monkey Bread

Recipe by Noah Nomlee

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

Calories

822

kcal

Ingredients

• Refrigerated biscuit dough (2 cans) – or homemade dough if you’ve got the time

• Granulated sugar (1/2 cup) mixed with cinnamon (2 tablespoons)

• Unsalted butter (1 cup, melted) – salted butter works too, just skip extra salt elsewhere

• Brown sugar (1 cup, packed) – dark or light both work fine

• A bundt pan – a regular tube pan does the job too

Directions

• Cut the dough.
  Open your biscuit cans and cut each biscuit into quarters. You’ll end up with small, bite-sized pieces, which is exactly what you want.
• Coat each piece.
  Roll every piece in the cinnamon sugar mix until it’s fully covered. This step gets messy. Embrace it.
• Layer the pan.
  Drop the coated pieces into your greased bundt pan in a loose, even layer. Don’t press them down. They need room to puff up.
• Make the topping.
  Melt your butter, stir in the brown sugar, and pour the mixture evenly over the dough. This is what turns into that caramel coating everyone fights over.
• Bake it.
  Pop the pan into a 350°F oven for 30 to 35 minutes. It’s done when the top is deep golden brown, and the center isn’t doughy anymore.
• Flip and wait.
  Let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then flip it onto a plate. Waiting is the hardest part, but a fresh flip means the caramel actually stays put instead of sliding everywhere.