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Best Monkey Bread Recipe Ever!

This easy and quick monkey bread recipe is made with canned buttermilk biscuits, making it quick and easy to prepare. It’s the perfect dessert for kids and adults alike!

Monkey bread is a classic American treat that is easy to make and always a hit with kids and adults alike. This recipe uses canned biscuits, making it easy and quick to prepare. 

There’s nothing like a delicious monkey bread fresh out of the oven. The smell of cinnamon and sugar wafting through the house is sure to bring a smile to anyone! 

The best part of this easy recipe is that monkey bread can be customized to your liking – add in your favorite flavors or mix-ins for a unique dish every time, there are endless variations. The result is a sweet and sticky pull apart dessert that will have everyone reaching for more.

Monkey Bread

What is monkey bread?

Traditional Monkey bread is a type of sweet, pull-apart bread. It is made from premade biscuit dough that is rolled into balls, dipped in cinnamon sugar, and then layered into a Bundt pan.

The dough rises as it bakes and the end result is a gooey, sweet bread that can be enjoyed by both children and adults. Monkey bread is a popular breakfast food item, but can also be served as a dessert.

It is often served with a cream cheese glaze or icing.

When is a Good Time to Enjoy an Easy Monkey Bread Recipe?

There’s no wrong time to enjoy monkey bread, but it’s often considered a dessert or as a sweet treat.

Some people like to enjoy this great recipe as a delicious breakfast treat. It’s perfect for Christmas morning or as a brunch recipe on special occasions. Either way, the final product will be a big hit!

monkey bread recipe

How to make the Best Monkey Bread Recipe

Ingredients

*Find the full recipe in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

  • 3 cans of biscuits
  • granulated sugar
  • cinnamon
  • A pinch of salt
  • 1 cup of brown sugar
  • a stick of butter
  • 1 tablespoon of water
  • Optional: pecans, chocolate chips or any other mix ins you like
  •  4 ounces of softened cream cheese
  • vanilla extract
  • Milk
  • powdered sugar, sifted
monkey bread ingredients

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and prepare a bundt cake pan by spraying it with nonstick cooking spray or use homemade cake release.

To make the caramel sauce, heat a small saucepan over medium heat and add in the water, butter and brown sugar. Stir constantly until it starts to simmer.

Remove the saucepan from the heat and pour a third of it into the prepared pan.

caramel in a bundt pan

Make the cinnamon-sugar mixture by combining the white sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl together.

Pop open each can of biscuits and cut each of them into four small pieces with a pizza cutter or kitchen scissors.

Lightly roll the biscuit pieces or fold the corners into the center and then toss the dough balls in the cinnamon sugar mix.

Rolling balls of biscuits into cinnamon sugar

Drop in a third of the dough balls into the pan over the brown sugar mixture.

Biscuits in a bundt pan

Sprinkle in your mix-ins of choice, such as chocolate chips, pecans, cashews and anything else that sounds tasty!

Pecans over cinnamon sugar biscuits in a bundt pan

Next pour half of the remaining caramel over the dough balls.

Repeat the process one more time until all of the dough pieces and the caramel are finished.

Caramel over biscuits

Place your homemade monkey bread on a cookie sheet in a preheated oven and for a bake time of 35-40 minutes until golden brown.

Monkey Bread in a bundt pan

After you remove the monkey bread from the oven and let sit for ten minutes before serving like that or turning it over on a large serving plate and serving with a cream cheese drizzle.

monkey bread up close

How to Make the Cream Cheese Drizzle

cream cheese frosting

Mix the cream cheese in a large bowl with a spoon until smooth and creamy.

Add in the vanilla extract and stir completely.

Add the milk in one tablespoon increments and stir well between each add in.

Finally, add in the powdered sugar and stir completely.

Add a bit more milk if it needs to be thinned or powdered sugar if it needs to be thickened.

cream cheese drizzle

Drizzle it right over pieces of the monkey bread!

monkey bread pieces
How to Store Monkey Bread Leftovers 

Monkey Bread is best served fresh and warm. However, you can store leftovers in an airtight container for 1 week if needed and serve at room temperature.

Do I have to use a bundt pan to make a simple monkey bread recipe?

No, you do not have to use a bundt pan to make monkey bread – in fact, many people prefer to use a loaf pan. The key is finding a baking pan that is tall and narrow so that the bread can rise evenly and be easily removed from the dish after baking.

Another great idea is to use a muffin tin to make monkey bread muffins.

monkey bread up close
monkey bread with powdered sugar

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Best Monkey Bread Recipe Ever

Best Monkey Bread Recipe Ever

Yield: 8-10 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
This easy and quick monkey bread recipe is made with canned buttermilk biscuits, making it quick and easy to prepare. It's the perfect dessert for kids and adults alike!

Ingredients

  • 3 cans of biscuits
  • ½ cup of white sugar
  • 3 teaspoons of cinnamon
  • A pinch of salt
  • 1 cup of brown sugar
  • 1 stick of butter
  • 1 tablespoon of water
  • Optional: pecans, chocolate chips or any other mix ins you like.
  • Ingredients for the cream cheese drizzle:
  • 4 ounces of softened cream cheese
  • 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
  • 1/4 – 1/2 cup of milk
  • 1/2 cup of powdered sugar, sifted

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and prepare a bundt cake pan by spraying it with butter spray.

2. Heat a small saucepan over medium heat and add in the water, butter and brown sugar and stir constantly until it starts to simmer. Remove from the heat and pour a third of it into the greased bundt pan.

3. Mix the white sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl together.

4. Pop open the cans of biscuits and cut each of them into four pieces.

5. Lightly roll the pieces or fold the corners into the center and then toss the dough balls in the cinnamon sugar.

6. Drop in a third of the dough balls into the pan over the brown sugar caramel.

7. Sprinkle in your mix-ins of choice, such as chocolate chips, pecans, cashews and anything else that sounds tasty!

8. Next pour half of the remaining caramel over the dough balls.

9. Repeat the process one more time until all of the dough balls and the caramel are gone.

10.  Bake your monkey bread in the oven for thirty-five to forty minutes.

11.  Remove monkey bread from the oven and let sit for ten minutes before serving like that or turning it over on a large serving plate and serving with the cream cheese drizzle or milk. 

To make the cream cheese drizzle:

1. Mix the cream cheese in a bowl with a spoon until smooth and creamy.

2. Add in the vanilla extract and stir completely.

3. Add the milk in one tablespoon increments and stir well between each add in.

4. Finally, add in the powdered sugar and stir completely.

5. Add a bit more milk if it needs to be thinned or powdered sugar if it needs to be thickened.

6. Enjoy! 

Notes

How to Store Monkey Bread Leftovers 

Monkey Bread is best served fresh and warm. However, you can store leftovers in an airtight container for 1 week if needed and serve at room temperature.

Do I have to use a bundt pan to make a simple monkey bread recipe?

No, you do not have to use a bundt pan to make monkey bread – in fact, many people prefer to use a loaf pan. The key is finding a baking pan that is tall and narrow so that the bread can rise evenly and be easily removed from the dish after baking. Another great idea is to use a muffin tin to make monkey bread muffins.

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