Homemade Monkey Bread – A tender, fluffy homemade dough is smothered in a mixture of cinnamon, brown sugar and butter to create a gooey masterpiece. I bet you won’t be able to stop at just one bite!
Hey friends! I can’t believe it. We are supposed to get up to TWO FEET of snow this weekend! So far this year we only had a small coating of snow and I normally turn my nose to the snow because I hate being cold. What is worse than cold snow getting into your boots OR soggy wet gloves?! UGH. But, now that I have a child, it’s so much more fun. We love making snow men and all of the fun snow stuff and I’m so looking forward to getting snowed in with my family! Also, I’m 99.9% sure that my homemade monkey bread is going to be making an appearance on this snowy weekend!
This is the most requested dessert in our house and for good reason, it’s to die for! Every piece tastes like the inside of a cinnamon roll and we all know that’s the best part! Every time I flip my monkey bread over my jaw drops every time. Nerd much? Maybe. But just wait until you see the beautiful sight that is the gooiest monkey bread and I bet you’ll do the same. The brown sugar mixture caramelizes and sinks to the bottom of the bundt pan while baking, which ultimately becomes the top and once it’s flipped, it runs down the top and sides sinking into each crevice making it the ultimate gooey treat!
The homemade dough takes this entire monkey bread over the top. There are so many recipes you’ll find online that use store-bought biscuit dough and while I have succumbed to using them when I’m in an absolute pinch (because ya know, your family can have an absolute need-to-have-monkey-bread-now craving and you’ve got to curb that craving!), it truly doesn’t compare to homemade dough! What you get is soft, tender and fluffy little pillows. I can’t get enough!
To make the dough, everything gets made easily in a stand mixer (or you can prepare it by hand) and you set it to rise for one hour or until doubled inside. You’ll then flatten the dough, cut it up into pieace, roll them into balls and dip them in a butter/cinnamon sugar mixture. They’ll get staggered into a well-greased bundt pan and left to rise one more time until doubled and puffy and then you’re ready to bake it up! To tell if the monkey bread is done, I usually move around a few pieces around the center to see if they are too doughy. If not, you’re good to go! Just do not over-bake! You want your monkey bread to be ultra gooey and delicious, not dry and crumbly.
To add to the sugar coma that is most likely coming on, pour a little vanilla glaze on top of each serving for the ultimate cinnamon roll experience!
The Best Monkey Bread {Ever}
Ingredients
*Dough*
- 4 tbs unsalted butter divided, 2 tbs softened and 2 tbs melted
- 1 cup milk warm
- 1/3 cup water warm
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast 1 standard packet
- 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour plus extra for work surface
- 2 tsp salt
*Brown Sugar Coating*
- 1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
- 3 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted
*Glaze*
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoons cream or milk
Instructions
- Grease a bundt pan very well with 2 tbs of softened butter being sure to get into all of the crevices. Set aside.
- In a large measuring cup, mix together milk, water, melted butter, sugar and yeast packet. Allow the yeast to get foamy so you know it's alive, about 5 minutes.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a dough hook (or a large bowl with a spoon if you are making this by hand), add flour and salt. Turn mixer on low and slowly add the milk mixture. Once the dough starts coming together, increase speed to medium and mix until the dough is smooth about 6-7 minutes. If the dough is too wet, add 1 tbs more flour at a time. The dough should still be sticky, but workable with floured hands. Take the dough out and either use the same bowl or grab another large bowl. Grease bowl well with non-stick cooking spray and place dough in, then flip to be sure all areas are coated. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about one hour.
- Tip: I like to turn my oven to 170 degrees, turn it off and place my bowl of dough in there to create a warm environment for my dough to rise.
- While dough is rising, get the brown sugar and cinnamon coating together. Once dough is done rising, melt butter and set it in a shallow dish beside the brown sugar mixture.
- To form the bread, remove the dough from the bowl and press it into a rough 8-inch square. Using a bench scraper or knife, cut the dough into 60-64 pieces. Roll each dough piece into a ball, it doesn't have to be perfect. Working one at a time, dip the balls in melted butter then quickly into the brown sugar mixture. Layer the balls in the bundt pan, staggering the seams randomly to build layers.
- Cover the bundt pan tightly with plastic wrap and let the monkey bread rise in a warm place again until puffy and it has risen almost to the top of the pan, about one hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350°. Unwrap the pan and bake until the top is deep brown and it begins to bubble around edges, 27 to 35 minutes. Mine was done in 27. Cool the monkey bread in the pan for 5 minutes ONLY, then turn out on a large plate and allow to cool slightly, about 10 minutes.
- While the bread cools a bit, mix up the glaze. Whisk the powdered sugar, cream or milk and vanilla together in a small bowl until the mixture is smooth. Drizzle the glaze over the warm monkey bread, letting it run over the top and sides. Serve warm.
Recipe slightly adapted from Cook’s Illustrated
Looking to bring this to a Thanksgiving potluck and want to make it ahead. How is it the second day?
Monkey bread is still good the next day, but it is best when it’s served fresh and gooey. If you’d like, you can make everything ahead of time up until the second rising. Once all of the dough balls are coated and in the pan, you can refrigerate until ready to use. When ready to bake, take the pan out of the fridge, let the dough come to room temperature and complete the second rise and follow the baking instructions from there. Hope this helps! Everyone will love it!
Jessica, I came upon your blog today and I feel in love with it. Very good and simple instructions along with beautiful and mouthwatering pictures! You are doing an amazing job, that as soon as I saw a picture of your Monkey bread, I went into the kitchen and made it with my 6-yr old. My little one said that it tastes so much better than donuts at the store. Thank you for sharing your talents with us!
Oh, thank you so very much Tanya, you just made my night!! It’s readers like you who make my job worthwhile! This monkey bread is definitely the perfect recipe for little hands to get in the kitchen with all of the rolling 😉 I’m so happy your daughter loved it!
Wow!! This monkey bread really was amazing! The gooeyness and flavor was to die for. You are a true artist 😉
Oh, thanks so much Farah! So happy you enjoyed my monkey bread. It’s one of our favorites, too. 🙂
Can you use something other than a bundt pan? I dont have one. Thanks
I don’t understand, I followed the recipe but my bundt pan is only half filled. What could have gone wrong?
Once you give the dough time to rise, it will puff up. Also, when baked.
Mine too, I didnt get 60 I was dissapointed with this recipe
I absolutely LOVE this recipe. Thank you for sharing!!! My family loves your monkey bread and is always asking me to make it!
You’re very welcome!!
– Jessica
I am making your recipe as I write this and am so, sooo excited! I have one question however, I looked at and read over a dozen different recipes and noticed that many of them included egg in the recipe? Is there reason yours recipe excluded eggs?
Just curious. Can’t wait to eat the yummy Monkey Bread!
I hope it came out amazing! Nope, no particular reason. The recipe just doesn’t need eggs. 🙂
I’ve made this for Christmas breakfast for the last few years and its a great hit!
Such a great idea! Thank you for making my recipe!
Great recipe! My family loves the monkey bread. So glad I found it. Any advice on halving the recipe? I think cutting everything in half but the yeast may work…