Classic Monkey Bread Recipe

Southern Living Classic Monkey Bread on a plate to serve — Photo:
Stacy K. Allen; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely

Active Time:

15 mins

Total Time:

1 hr 5 mins

Servings:

Classic monkey bread is simple to make and guaranteed to please a crowd. Decadent, rich, and totally indulgent, the gooey confection is just plain fun to eat.

In this version, toasted pecans lend a distinct nuttiness and cherries impart a tartness that balances the overall sweetness of the recipe; swap with any dried fruit and nuts (or none at all) to make it just your own. And pumpkin pie spice lends a hint of complexity, with notes of nutmeg, allspice, clove and ginger.

What Is Monkey Bread?

Monkey bread is a sweet brunch treat or dessert made from pieces of dough baked together in a pan that can be pulled apart using the hands. It goes by many other names, including pull-apart bread, bubble bread, and jumble bread.

Why Is It Called Monkey Bread?

Monkey bread gets its name from its pull-apart structure: To eat it, you pinch off a small piece with your fingers, similar to the way a monkey eats.

Classic Monkey Bread Ingredients

To make this classic monkey bread, you will need granulated sugar, pumpkin pie spice, refrigerated cinnamon rolls, pecans, brown sugar, and unsalted butter. You’ll also need cooking spray, and may optionally toss in pitted tart cherries or golden raisins as you prefer.

How To Make Monkey Bread

To make classic monkey bread, first preheat the oven to 350°F and coat a Bundt pan with cooking spray. Next, stir together the granulated sugar and pumpkin pie spice.

Open the can of cinnamon rolls, and set the icing aside. Cut the rolls into quarters and add the pieces to the sugar mixture, tossing to coat. Stir in the nuts and cherries or raisins if you like. Transfer the coated roll pieces to the prepared Bundt pan.

Whisk together brown sugar and melted butter before drizzling the mixture evenly over the cinnamon roll mixture in the pan. Bake until golden brown (about 40 minutes), then let cool in the pan (about 10 minutes). Invert onto a plate and drizzle with icing for serving.

How To Serve Monkey Bread

Classic monkey bread is a wow-worthy brunch food for any special occasion with friends and family. For the perfect pairing, serve with a spiced whipped cream dipping sauce and a strong cup of brewed coffee.

Southern Living Classic Monkey Bread on a plate to serve with a few servings on plates beside — Stacy K. Allen; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely

More Great Pull-Apart Bread Recipes

Additional reporting by Alesandra Dubin.

Ingredients

Cooking spray
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
3 (12.4-oz.) cans refrigerated cinnamon rolls (such as Pillsbury Original with Icing)
1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans (optional)
1/2 cup dried pitted tart cherries or golden raisins (optional)
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup (6 oz.) unsalted butter, melted

Directions

Prepare pan:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a Bundt pan with cooking spray, and set aside.

Stacy K. Allen; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely
Make spiced sugar:

Stir together granulated sugar and pumpkin pie spice in a large bowl.

Stacy K. Allen; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely
Quarter cinnamon rolls:

Set aside icing from cans of cinnamon rolls. Separate cinnamon rolls, and cut each into quarters.

Stacy K. Allen; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely

Add cinnamon roll pieces to granulated sugar mixture, and toss to coat evenly.

Stacy K. Allen; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely

Stir in pecans and dried cherries or golden raisins, if desired.

Stacy K. Allen; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely

Transfer sugar-coated cinnamon roll pieces, cherries, and pecans to prepared Bundt pan. (Discard any remaining granulated sugar mixture in bowl.)

Stacy K. Allen; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely
Make brown sugar sauce:

Whisk together brown sugar and melted butter in a medium bowl until glossy and smooth.

Stacy K. Allen; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely

Drizzle brown sugar mixture evenly over cinnamon roll mixture in pan.

Stacy K. Allen; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely
Bake monkey bread:

Bake in preheated oven until golden brown, about 40 minutes.

Stacy K. Allen; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely

Remove from oven, and let cool in pan 10 minutes. Invert onto a plate.

Stacy K. Allen; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely

Drizzle with reserved icing, if desired. Pull apart to serve. Serve warm.

Stacy K. Allen; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely

Frequently Asked Questions

What is monkey bread made of?

Monkey bread is made with balls of rolled dough for a pull-apart presentation. This recipe makes it easy with the use of pre-made refrigerated cinnamon rolls (such as Pillsbury). Other recipes use canned biscuits for similar ease with a bit less sweetness.
What kind of pan do you make monkey bread in?

This recipe calls for baking monkey bread in a Bundt pan. But you can bake monkey bread in many other types of pans, too, including a loaf pan, tube pan, skillet, or even a cookie sheet.
Can you make monkey bread ahead of time?

To save time and effort on hosting day, you can make monkey bread ahead of time. Just prepare the recipe and store it in the fridge until you’re ready to bake.