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.
This recipe is brought to you in partnership with Red Star Yeast.
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.
What is Monkey Bread?
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 cinnamon roll wreath, where everyone tears off a piece—just like how monkeys pick at their food.
We love making monkey bread for special brunches and it’s always fun for Mother’s Day or as part of your Father’s Day recipes, too! You can have monkey bread for breakfast or dessert. Or dinner, or 2nd dessert, or lunch, or snack. (Hey, I’m not judging! Every time is a good monkey bread time!)
I published a caramel monkey bread recipe several years ago and followed up with this traditional recipe. I decided it was time to update the photos, add a video tutorial, and include more helpful information so you can have monkey bread recipe success!
Video Tutorial: Monkey Bread Recipe
Here’s a video tutorial displaying each step. Use this as your guide.
4 Parts to Monkey Bread
There are 4 parts to this monkey bread. It sounds like a lot, but most of the ingredients are repeated in each. One thing to note is that you pour the brown sugar sauce over the dough balls before baking. It’s the secret to monkey bread’s gooey sticky texture!
- Homemade Dough: milk, sugar, yeast, eggs, butter, salt, flour
- Dough Ball Coating: butter, cinnamon, sugar
- Brown Sugar Sauce: butter, brown sugar, vanilla extract
- Vanilla Icing: confections’ sugar, milk, vanilla extract
Homemade Monkey Bread Dough
Before we walk through each individual step in this monkey bread recipe, let’s talk about the dough. This is the best monkey bread I’ve ever had because it starts with a rich homemade dough. Nothing compares to the flavor of homemade and you’ll be surprised how quickly the dough comes together. You can even get started on the dough the night before!
This is a rich dough, which means that it’s prepared with fat like milk, butter, and eggs. Rich doughs make soft breads such as Nutella babka, dinner rolls, and glazed doughnuts. Lean doughs, on the other hand, are made without much fat and produce crusty bread such as focaccia, homemade bagels, and pizza dough.
You need 7 ingredients for monkey bread dough:
- Milk: Liquid activates the yeast. Nondairy or low fat milks are fine, but whole milk produces phenomenal flavor and texture.
- Yeast: You can use active dry yeast or instant yeast. I recommend Platinum Yeast from Red Star, which is an instant yeast blended with natural dough improvers. Review my Baking with Yeast Guide before getting started if you need a little refresher on working with yeasted dough.
- Sugar: Sugar feeds the yeast, increases its activity, and tenderizes the dough.
- Eggs: Eggs provide structure and flavor.
- Butter: Butter promises a flavorful dough.
- Salt: You can’t make flavorful bread without salt!
- Flour: All-purpose flour is the structure of the dough.
Overview: How to Make Monkey Bread
- Prepare the dough: The dough comes together with a mixer. You can also make the dough by hand, but it requires a bit of arm muscle. After the dough comes together in the mixing bowl, it’s time to knead. You can simply continue beating the dough with the mixer for this step or you can knead the dough by hand. See my How to Knead Dough video tutorial for extra help with this step.
- Let the dough rise: The dough rises in about 1-2 hours in a relatively warm environment.
- Punch down the dough: Punch down the dough to release the air.
- Shape & coat dough balls: Pull off little pieces of dough and roll into balls. Dunk the balls into melted butter, then coat with cinnamon sugar. Little bakers love to help out with this step! Good thing to note: the heavier the cinnamon-sugar coating, the more these little monkey bread bites will taste like gooey cinnamon rolls.
- Let the shaped monkey bread rest for 20 minutes: Arrange the coated balls in a Bundt pan or tube pan, cover lightly, then set aside to rest as you preheat the oven. The balls will slightly rise during this time.
- Top with buttery brown sugar sauce: Before baking the monkey bread, mix melted butter, brown sugar, and vanilla extract together. Pour this sauce all over the dough balls.
- Bake: Bake until the top is lightly browned, about 40 minutes.
- Invert onto serving plate: Allow the monkey bread to cool for 5-10 minutes, then invert it onto a serving plate.
- Drizzle with vanilla icing: Whisk confectioners’ sugar, milk, and vanilla extract together until smooth. Drizzle all over the warm monkey bread.
Imagine the best cinnamon roll you’ve ever tasted. This monkey bread is even better because it’s stickier, softer, sweeter, and piled extra high. You’ll be licking your fingers clean and grabbing more and more bites. Though from-scratch monkey bread takes longer to prepare than a shortcut version made with canned biscuit dough, the results are incomparable. Once you smell the gooey cinnamon sugar bubbling in the oven, you’ll know you made the right decision.
More Indulgent Breakfast Recipes
- Star Bread
- Biscuit Breakfast Casserole
- Raspberry Twist Bread
- Apple Cinnamon Rolls
- Giant Cinnamon Roll Cake
- Berry Fritters
Homemade Monkey Bread
- Prep Time: 2 hours, 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours, 20 minutes
- Yield: 12-14 servings
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
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.
Ingredients
- 1 and 1/2 cups (360ml) whole milk, warmed to about 110°F (43°C)
- 2 and 1/4 teaspoons Platinum Yeast from Red Star (1 standard packet)
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1/3 cup (5 Tbsp; 71g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 5 cups (625g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
Coating
- 3/4 cup (12 Tbsp; 170g) unsalted butter, divided
- 1 and 1/4 cups (250g) granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 2/3 cup (130g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Vanilla Icing
- 1 cup (120g) confectioners’ sugar
- 3 Tablespoons (45ml) whole milk
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Prepare the dough: Whisk the warm milk, yeast, and sugar together in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a dough hook or paddle attachment. Cover and allow to sit for 5 minutes.
- Add the eggs, butter, salt, and 1 cup flour. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, scrape down the sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula, then add the remaining flour. Beat on medium speed until the dough comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 2 minutes. *If you do not own a mixer, you can mix this dough with a large wooden spoon or silicone spatula. It will take a bit of arm muscle!*
- Knead the dough: Keep the dough in the mixer and beat for an additional 5-7 full minutes, or knead by hand on a lightly floured surface for 5-7 full minutes. (If you’re new to bread-baking, my How to Knead Dough video tutorial can help here.) If the dough becomes too sticky during the kneading process, sprinkle 1 teaspoon of flour at a time on the dough or on the work surface/in the bowl to make a soft, slightly tacky dough. Do not add more flour than you need because you do not want a dry dough. After kneading, the dough should still feel a little soft. Poke it with your finger—if it slowly bounces back, your dough is ready to rise. You can also do a “windowpane test” to see if your dough has been kneaded long enough: tear off a small (roughly golfball-size) piece of dough and gently stretch it out until it’s thin enough for light to pass through it. Hold it up to a window or light. Does light pass through the stretched dough without the dough tearing first? If so, your dough has been kneaded long enough and is ready to rise. If not, keep kneading until it passes the windowpane test.
- 1st Rise: Lightly grease a large bowl with oil or nonstick spray. Place the dough in the bowl, turning it to coat all sides in the oil. Cover the bowl with aluminum foil, plastic wrap, or a clean kitchen towel. Allow the dough to rise in a relatively warm environment for 1-2 hours or until double in size. (I always let it rise on the counter. Takes about 2 hours. For a tiny reduction in rise time, see my answer to Where Should Dough Rise? in my Baking with Yeast Guide.)
- Generously grease a 10-12 cup Bundt pan with butter or nonstick spray. (Nonstick spray is best for this recipe.)
- Prepare the coating: Melt 1/2 cup (115g;1 stick) of unsalted butter in a medium bowl. Mix granulated sugar and cinnamon together in another medium bowl. You will use the rest of the butter, brown sugar, and vanilla later.
- Shape the dough: Use the video tutorial above as a guide for this step. When the dough is ready, punch it down to release the air. Working one at a time, take small pieces of dough and roll into balls (about 1.25 inches in diameter each). You will need 40-45 balls total, so be modest with their size. Dip each ball, one by one, in the melted butter and then generously roll in the cinnamon-sugar mixture to coat them. You may need more cinnamon-sugar depending how heavy you coat each ball. Arrange the balls in the Bundt pan as you go. Cover the pan with aluminum foil, plastic wrap, or a clean kitchen towel and allow the shaped monkey bread to rest for 20 minutes. The balls will slightly rise during this time.
- Adjust oven rack to a lower position and preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). (It’s best to bake the monkey bread towards the bottom of the oven so the top doesn’t burn.)
- Finish the coating: Melt remaining 1/4 cup (60g; 4 Tbsp) butter, then whisk in the brown sugar and vanilla extract. Pour evenly all over the shaped monkey bread.
- Bake for 35-45 minutes or until golden brown on top. Cover loosely with foil if the top is browning too quickly. Cool for 5-10 minutes, then invert onto a large serving plate or cake stand.
- Make the icing: Whisk all of the icing ingredients together. Drizzle over monkey bread. Cut the bread into generous slices or let everyone pick off the gooey pieces themselves. That’s the fun of this treat!
- Monkey bread tastes best served on the same day. Cover leftovers tightly and store at room temperature for 1 day and in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: Prepare recipe through step 4. After dough rises, punch it down to release the air, then roll into 40-45 small balls as directed in step 7. Do not coat the balls. Place shaped dough balls on a baking sheet, then refrigerate for 30 minutes. Once cold, the dough balls won’t stick together anymore. Place them in a freezer bag or freezer-friendly container, then freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw dough balls in the refrigerator or at room temperature, prepare the coating and Bundt pan, then coat the dough balls as instructed in step 7. Continue with the recipe.
- Overnight Instructions: Prepare the recipe through step 3. Cover the dough tightly and refrigerate for up to about 15 hours. At least 3 hours before you serve the monkey bread the next day, remove the dough from the refrigerator, keep covered, and allow to rise on the counter for about 1-2 hours. Continue with step 5.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Electric Stand Mixer or Large Glass Mixing Bowl and Silicone Spatula/Wooden Spoon | Whisk | 10- to 12-cup Bundt Pan
- Yeast: Red Star Platinum Yeast is an instant yeast. You can use Red Star Yeast active dry yeast instead. Rise times will be slightly longer using active dry yeast. Reference my Baking with Yeast Guide for answers to common yeast FAQs.
This post is sponsored by Red Star Yeast.
Reader Comments and Reviews
I didn’t rate this recipe because I followed the ingredients exactly, but I deviated from the make ahead directions. After the first rise, I went ahead and rolled the cinnamon dough balls and put into the Bundt pan and poured the glaze over them. I covered with plastic wrap and left it in the refrigerator overnight. The next day I left them out for a few hours while I traveled to a family event and baked them when I got there. They came out perfect!! I’m commenting to help others because in my opinion this do-ahead approach is way easier!!
The first time I made it exactly as the recipe states and it was wonderful.
The second time, instead of using the coating from the recipe, I made a quick salted caramel sauce, poured over before baking and the end result was incredible! You’d better believe I still put the glaze on it as well.
Hi! We just love your recipes! I was wondering if nuts can be added? Also, is there any way to halve the recipe.? This recipe is just too much for two people. Plus, I only have one medium-sized bundt pan. Thanks!
Hi Valerie, absolutely! Feel free to add up to 1 cup of your favorite nuts. Rather than halving the recipe (which can be tricky for yeast recipes), we recommend making it as is and then making two separate Bundts in your smaller Bundt pan. Or you could freeze the second half of the dough for another time. Hope this helps!
Do you think is possible to make this in a muffin pan for mini versions?
Hi Anita, We haven’t tried this recipe in mini form with a muffin pan, but don’t see why it wouldn’t work – let us know if you give it a try!
Hi Sally,
Could I bake this in a 9×13 or 9×9 pan if I don’t have a bundt pan?
Hi Lindsey, We haven’t tested it but you could try placing a single layer of the dough balls in a 9×13 but you might have some leftover. You can also use a loaf pan- simply layer the dough balls in a 9×5 pan. You’ll have enough for two loaves. We are unsure of the exact bake time for either. Happy baking!
can I use salted butter for the coating?
You certainly can, if that’s your preference. Here’s a general rule: reduce or add 1/4 teaspoon of salt per 1/2 cup (1/4 lb; 115g; 1 stick) of butter. Since there isn’t any salt in the coating, it doesn’t really apply here, but you can reference it if you’re wondering about the swap in future bakes.
Hi!! First time dough maker, lol is sticky dough after it’s risen okay to proceed baking with, or should I just start over?
Hi Claudia, if the dough is too sticky to work with, you can flour your hands and work surface when shaping the dough in step 7.
Aw shoot I wish we could leave pictures but man oh man is this THE monkey bread recipe. I followed the recipe to a T, but ran out of apf so it was half apf and half bread flour. The bread came out super fluffy and it was overall a total hit in my house. My husband grew up on store bought monkey bread, which he loved but after having this for breakfast this morning, he says we can’t go back to store bought anyway, keeper recipe and one we’re gonna keep for years as the kids get older ❤️
Hi Sally! Can I use skim milk instead of whole?
Hi Lauren, that will work in a pinch.
Could I make this in a crock-pot?
Hi ST! We’re unsure – have you made monkey bread in a crockpot before? The dough may puff up too much in the low heat and then collapse, but we can’t say for sure that it wouldn’t work. We would love to hear how it goes if you give it a try.
Absolutely delicious and made to perfection both times following directions!!
My bunt pan is probably a 12 -14 cup size, is that ok?
Hi Brittany, that should be fine, yes. Enjoy!
Thanks for this recipe! I’ve been making it every Christmas morning since 2019! Delicious!!
Can I use bread flour instead of all purpose flour?
Definitely!
I have made this before and loved it!
I want to freeze it and make it early in the am for a brunch. I was planning on taking it out of the freezer about 18 hours before and putting it in the refrigerator to thaw. Is that too much or too little time? Do I need to leave it on the counter after the fridge for a certain time?
I made this last year and my family loved it. This year we will be at elevation (6000ft) for the holidays. Do you have recommendations for how to tweak for elevation baking?
Hi Jennifer, We wish we could help, but we have no experience baking at high altitude. Some readers have found this chart helpful: https://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/high-altitude-baking.html
hi sally, would subbing out the dough for 2 biscuit cans and following instructions for coating & cooking time work? thank you 😉
Hi Sonny! We’re sure it could, but it may be better to search for a recipe with instructions for using canned biscuits.
We made Hungarian Coffee Cake in the 1970/80s for Christmas morning, and this recipe is even better! I subbed 1:1 evaporated milk and water for the whole milk and used active yeast, but otherwise followed the recipe. I pulled it out when my probe thermometer read 190F. It turned out delicious and tender but did overflow my 1950s Bundt pan a bit – thank you to those who said to use a sheet pan under it. Next time I’ll put a few of the balls in a small loaf pan. I didn’t make the icing as it was plenty rich and sweet without it. Thanks for the great recipe!
Wonderful recipe! I tweaked it slightly by adding vanilla extract to the dough and some extra salt and it was delicious! Highly recommend 🙂
This sounds great! Would I be able to make an apple money bread by alternating pieces of apple with pieces of the dough?
Hi VJ! We haven’t tested an apple version of this monkey bread, but it sounds delicious. It may take some testing. Let us know if you try!
It worked great on my 1st try! The family all approves and I’ve been told it’s a do-over! Thanks so much!
Sally, can I use muffin tins as I need to make about 140 small monkey breads the first of December 2024?
Hi Rick, we can’t see why not! We’re unsure of the exact bake time.
Hi, I’d like to know if you made these in the muffin tins because I’m planning that this week.
how long are you supposed to cook it for
Hi Payton, bake for 35-45 minutes or until golden brown on top.
made this about a yr ago and it turned out fantatsic! I’d like to make it again but i have a question– I’m wondering how well this would adapt to an overnight rise in the fridge for the first rise? do you have any recommendations or thoughts on that? most bread recipes work fine but i saw a comment or two say it didnt work well so I’m curious if it was user-error or i should modify the recipe somehow?
please let me know! thank you for the delicious recipe, this blog is my go-to for baked goodies!!
Hi Sama, see recipe notes for instructions on the overnight rise—no modifications to the recipe needed. Enjoy!
Brilliant recipes made simple by Sally
-Jack
another banger. one weird thing that happened… when mine baked, the brown sugar mixture overflowed and crystallized to the outside of the bundt tin a little. while the bread was still hot, i scraped crystal pieces off of the tin and inserted them back into the monkey. the flavor was phenomenal and the pastry was airy. will definitely bake again.
Delicious recipe! I especially love that it doesn’t call for tube biscuits which I never have on hand. The only problem I encountered is my large bundt pan was too small for all the dough. I put about a quarter of the dough balls in a second bundt pan and the main pan still bubbled over. We got to try them with and without the sauce that way and my family prefers without. So next time we’ll split the dough evenly between 2 bundts and skip the sauce. Thank you for the recipe!
Hi! I winged it in a part of the directions. 🙂
I think the above recipe is missing the cinnamon sugar mixture amounts that the dough gets rolled in.
Hi Kristina, above the recipe directions is a full list of ingredients including the amount of cinnamon and sugar needed in the coating.
I love all of your recipes and they have all turned out perfectly! I don’t own a bundt pan or angel food pan, can I use a large rectangular cake pan? If yes, would there be any rise/cook time changes?
Hi Pam, You can use a loaf pan- simply layer the dough balls in a 9×5 pan. You’ll have enough for two loaves. You could also try placing a single layer of the dough balls in a 9×13 but you might have some leftover. We’re unsure of the exact bake time for either. Happy baking
Dough was really sticky with just a tiny bit of extra flour, but I let it rise in a greased bowl and it was workable after the first rise to form the balls. For the pour-over part of the coating, I used a modified banana caramel, which took this to the next level! I put my bundt pan on a sheet pan as others suggested and it was a solid idea, as there was a bit of liquid overflow, but only one dough ball casualty. It turned out phenomenal and I would definitely make again! I do wish there was a less labor intensive way to do the butter and cinnamon+sugar coating of the dough balls.