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This easy monkey bread recipe uses canned biscuit dough and is sweetened with white and brown sugar and flavored with cinnamon. It’s a delicious pull-apart bread that is easy to make and is sure to be a hit whenever you choose to make it. As you’d expect, this monkey bread recipe smells incredible while it cooks, and you won’t be able to resist trying a bit as soon as it’s ready. The melted buttery brown sugar sauce on top is especially delicious. This sticky, sweet pull-apart bread is going to be a new favorite! A buttery cinnamon sugar topping makes this a Pillsbury monkey bread that you will make often!
You’re going to love how simple it is to make monkey bread that tastes this good. It’s a soft, sweet loaf baked in a bundt pan and it’s so tasty everyone will want a second helping.
Looking for more delicious treats? Try this giant maple cinnamon roll cake with butterscotch glaze, these melt-in-your-mouth chocolate mocha bundt cake with cheesecake filling or this pistachio pudding coffee cake to add to your brunch menu. For something crunchy, these pecan sugar cookies are great!
Why You’ll Love It
Tasty: This has to be the most delicious way to make monkey bread and the sweet flavors and cinnamon kick makes it irresistible. If you love monkey bread you will find this one to be the best monkey bread recipe ever.
Simple: It’s an easy recipe that even beginners in the kitchen will be able to master with ease.
Versatile: You can tweak the recipe if you want, adding different flavors to it, to customize it and make it your own.
Ingredients for Easy Monkey Bread
You’re going to need canned biscuit dough (Pillsbury or similar), white and brown sugar (either light or dark brown sugar), butter, and cinnamon, and that’s all!
How to Make this Monkey Bread Recipe
For more detailed instructions with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card.
Make the cinnamon sugar: Shake the cinnamon and white sugar together in a Ziploc bag.
Prepare and coat the dough: Cut the bread dough into quarters and toss the pieces with the cinnamon sugar mixture.
Prepare the monkey bread for baking: Arrange the coated dough balls in a greased bundt pan, mix the melted butter with brown sugar and pour this buttery brown sugar sauce over the monkey bread.
Cook the money bread: Bake for about 35 minutes or until golden brown and fully cooked through, then invert the monkey bread on to a plate and serve warm.
Substitutions and Variations
If you prefer nutmeg or allspice or even ginger to cinnamon, you can use one of those instead. You can also sub Swerve or another sweetener for the granulated sugar and/or in the brown sugar mixture.
How to Serve this Monkey Bread Recipe
This delicious monkey bread with cinnamon sugar and the buttery brown sugar sauce on top makes a gorgeous breakfast or brunch and it’s perfect served lovely and warm from the oven. Unlike some other baked breakfast options it doesn’t take much time to prepare either.
You might like to pair it with some other brunch dishes such as Starbucks copycat egg bites or egg breakfast muffins.
There are plenty of other breakfast ideas to choose from too, or you might wish to serve it just as it is with fruit cups and coffee on the side.
How to Store Monkey Bread
Store: Leftovers should keep for up to 3 days in an airtight container at room temperature.
Freeze: You can freeze it in portions for up to 3 months but it won’t be quite as good as when served fresh.
Reheat: Microwave leftover monkey bread for about 30 seconds to warm it back up again, or if you prefer pop it in a 200 degrees F oven for about 10 minutes.
Monkey Bread FAQs
The brand is up to you but choose regular canned biscuit dough and not the flakey type of biscuit dough, so the texture of your homemade monkey bread is perfect.
If this happens, don’t worry – just tent some foil loosely over it for the last 10 minutes or so of the cooking time so it keeps cooking but doesn’t become too dark or burn on top.
You might like to add a cup of finely diced apples, pears, apricots, or peaches while layering the dough, or try raisins or chopped nuts. You could even add some chocolate chips in there, or mix and match two or more add-ins.
You can use any kind of pan you want. If you don’t have a bundt pan (here) then you might want to use a loaf pan or another type of tube pan for your homemade monkey bread instead.
The origin of the name monkey bread is uncertain, but it could be due to the bread’s resemblance to the way monkeys eat or its knotted and twisted appearance resembling the tangled mess of monkey tails.
Monkey Bread Recipe
Easy Monkey Bread
Ingredients
- 3 Cans buttermilk biscuits, 16 Ounce cans
- 1 Cup granulated sugar
- 2 Teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 12 Tablespoons butter
- ¾ Cup light brown sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, and prepare a bundt pan by spraying generously with cooking spray.
- Cut biscuit dough into quarters, or desired size.
- In a gallon ziploc bag, add granulated sugar and cinnamon seal and shank to combine.
- Place 8 to 10 cut pieces of dough in bag, seal, and shake bag to coat dough with sugar. Add coated pieces to pan and repeat until all dough has been coated and added to pan.
- Melt butter and add brown sugar, stir to thoroughly combine. Pour butter mixture evenly over top of monkey bread.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Remove pan from oven, place a serving plate inverted on the top of the monkey bread. Holding plate and pan together, carefully flip to invert bundt pan, lift pan leaving bread on serving plate.
- Serve while warm.
Notes
- Store leftovers in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- To reheat, place desired portion in the microwave and heat on high for 30- 40 seconds.
- Bread can be reheated in the oven, place bread in an oven safe dish, cover with foil and place in a 200-degree oven for 10-15 minutes until heated.
- Regular canned biscuits work best for this recipe, not the “flakey” variety.
- It is important the pan is well coated with spray; this will ensure an easy release from the pan and a beautiful presentation.
- Bread may need to be tented with foil for the last 5 to 10 minutes of baking if becoming too dark.
- Sugar and cinnamon mixture can be made in a large bowl, add cut dough and toss with spoon to coat.
- Dark brown sugar can be used in place of light.
- Monkey bread can have several kinds of add-ins in any combination.
- Add 1 cup of chopped pecans or walnuts while placing in dough.
- Add 1 cup of raisins while layering dough for raisin monkey bread.
Nutrition
This wonderfully simple monkey bread recipe makes a change from cinnamon rolls. It’s really quick and easy to prepare and makes an extra-special breakfast or brunch for the whole family to enjoy. Served warm, this cinnamon sugar money bread recipe is sure to impress everyone at the breakfast table, and you’ll want to make monkey bread again and again. Go ahead and add this to the list of your favorite Pillsbury recipes.
Other Recipes to Try
- If you’re in the mood for a simple yet elegant dessert, consider trying out this Easy Lemon Posset Brûlée.
- Get ready to impress your guests with this flavorful Garlic Herb Bread Wreath.
- Planning a camping trip? Don’t forget to pack the ingredients for Campfire Apple Crisp for a delicious outdoor treat.
- Treat yourself to these colorful Confetti Squares.
- Enjoy the deliciousness of a Canadian classic with this Homemade Beaver Tail Recipe.
Bella Bucchiotti
Bella Bucchiotti is a Canadian-based syndicated food, travel, and lifestyle writer, photographer, and creator at xoxoBella. She founded xoxoBella in 2015, where she shares her love for food, dogs, sustainability, fitness, crafts, outdoor adventures, travel, and philanthropy to encourage others to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places, and stand for a cause. Bella creates stress-free and family-friendly recipes for weeknight dinners and festive feasts.
I was intimidated to try it first but it turned out good. Thanks for the recipe.
I made this for my family and they went crazy for it. They’re begging me to make it again.
I just tried this recipe. It was so tasty! Will make it again. Thanks! 🙂