Scratch-made Monkey Bread

Name: Scratch-made Pull-Apart Monkey Bread
Prep time: 60 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 270 min
Ingredients: 1/4 cup water; 3/4 cup milk; 2 1/4 teaspoons (7 g/0.25 oz) dry yeast; 1/4 cup (56 g/2 oz) butter, melted; 1 large egg; 1/4 cup (50 g/ 1.7 oz) granulated sugar; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 3 1/4 – 3 1/2 cups ((about 450 g/16 oz) all-purpose flour); 1/2 cup (113 g/4 oz) butter, melted; 1 cup (200 g/7 oz) dark brown sugar; 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

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Sticky, gooey, fluffy, and soft, this cinnamon caramel bread (aka monkey bread) is created with several layers of homemade fluffy dough balls coated in brown sugar and cinnamon and baked until bubbly.

Pull-apart monkey bread baked in a bundt pan made from scratch with caramel sauce drizzle.

I was first introduced to monkey bread with a buttery brown sugar sauce at a friend’s sleepover when I was 10 years old and it felt life-changing. Who knew mornings could be so delicious?! Although traditionally eaten for breakfast or brunch, I can easily eat this for dessert, too! Fast forward ten years later and I had a habit of making monkey bread in college during finals week to fuel late-night studying with my roommates.

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Why is it called monkey bread?

The name’s origin is unknown, but I have a hypothesis. Since this is a pull-apart bread, you pull it apart by hand like a monkey! Once you take your first bite, though, you’ll only care about how delicious it is.

Pull-apart monkey bread made from scratch with caramel sauce drizzle.

What is monkey bread?

Monkey bread is similar to cinnamon rolls in taste, but is bite-sized and much more fun to snack on! It’s made of a fluffy, soft dough cut into small balls, coated in a cinnamon-sugar mixture, and layered in a Bundt pan. When baked, the sugar turns into a gooey caramel sauce, and since there are more than 60 balls, there are multiple layers of this caramel goodness everywhere. You’ll taste it in every single bite!

You’ll need a bundt pan for this recipe. The first time I made this, I was afraid that the sugar would stick to the sides of the pan when I inverted it onto a plate, but it came out smoothly and beautifully. I made pretty much the same dough as my favorite cinnamon rolls recipe, so these really do taste like cinnamon roll bites!

Overhead view of sliced monkey bread with gooey caramel sauce drizzle.

How to make monkey bread

Start by making the dough (once again, you can find a step-by-step recipe for a similar dough here). You’ll need to make it in a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment. Once the dough has doubled in size for the first time, pat it into an 8 or 9-inch square – it doesn’t need to be exact – and cut it into 64 pieces using an 8×8 grid. Now here’s where the fun starts! 😉

Roll dough balls and coat. Using your hands, roll each piece of dough into a ball. Roll the balls in the melted butter, then generously roll in the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Once coated, place into the pan. This process may sound tedious, but it’s fun and goes by fast, I promise! I use dark brown sugar for the sugar-cinnamon coating mixture for a deeper caramel flavor, but you can use light brown sugar if that’s what you have on hand.

Layer the balls, rise, & bake. One by one, lay the dough balls into the pan, keeping in mind that they’ll stick to each other while baking. Since this cake will be flipped once it’s baked, be sure to flatten the top layer by pressing gently to ensure a flat cake bottom. Once you’re done layering the balls in the pan, cover and let it rise for about 45-60 minutes. My bread was ready after exactly 30 minutes in the oven. The top should have a deep brown color and the caramel will bubble all around. I’m warning you, the smell filling your entire house will drive you crazy! 🙂

Cool and serve. When the bread has been out of the oven for 5 minutes, invert it onto a large plate. Don’t wait more than 10 minutes to do this or the caramel will harden and the bread will stick to the pan. If you generously buttered the pan before baking, it should turn out perfect. You’ll be so proud of yourself!

Slice of monkey bread with a gooey, buttery caramel sauce sitting on a plate for breakfast.

Gorilla Bread (Cream-cheese stuffed variation)

Full disclaimer – I learned this variation called Gorilla Bread from Paula Deen years ago… To make monkey bread extra delicious, add a small cube of cream cheese to the center of the dough balls before assembling the monkey bread. It’s ridiculously delicious, but adds an extra step.

To make gorilla bread, just cut a block of cream cheese into small cubes about 1 cm in size. When creating your dough balls, flatten them slightly into discs and place the cream cheese inside. Then close them up tightly, completely surrounding the cream cheese in dough.

Optional: add chopped nuts. Walnuts or pecans are sprinkled in layers surrounding the dough balls.

Drizzle of homemade caramel being poured over homemade monkey bread.

How do I make the quick version of monkey bread?

You can easily do the shortcut easy version of monkey bread that uses store-bought canned biscuit dough. I feel the homemade version from scratch is better, but sometimes I use biscuits when I’m short on time too. Simply cut the biscuit pieces into 4.

How do you serve monkey bread?

You now have two choices on how to serve the bread. You can either cut into generous pieces as you would a cake, or pull the balls apart by hand. Optional, serve with a topping (options below).

What topping do you pour on top of monkey bread?

Toppings add extra moisture and flavor. As pictured, you’ll see a homemade caramel sauce I poured on top. Other versions use a basic powdered sugar icing glaze. To make a glaze, mix: ½ cup (60g) powdered sugar, ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract, and 1-2 tablespoons heavy cream or whole milk.

What other pans can I use for monkey bread?

You could use 2 9×9-in square or 9-inch round cake pans with room for 1-2 layers in each. Baking time would decrease. This recipe would also work in two 9×5-in loaf pans.

How do I store leftover monkey bread?

The best way to store any unused monkey bread is in an airtight container (freezer bag) on the counter at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Alternately, freeze the monkey bread for up to two months. Reheat slowly in the oven or microwave.

5 from 1 vote

Scratch-made Pull-Apart Monkey Bread

Sticky, gooey, fluffy, and soft, this cinnamon caramel bread (aka monkey bread) is created with several layers of fluffy dough balls coated in cinnamon brown sugar and baked until bubbly.

Prep Time 1 hour

Cook Time 30 minutes

Rising time (2 Rises) 3 hours

Total Time 4 hours 30 minutes

YIELD 1 bundt cake

Author Stephanie @ Pretty.Simple.Sweet.

Ingredients

Dough:

¼ cup water
¾ cup milk
2 ¼ teaspoons (7 g/0.25 oz) dry yeast
¼ cup (56 g/2 oz) butter, melted
1 large egg
¼ cup (50 g/ 1.7 oz) granulated sugar
½ teaspoon salt
3 ¼ – 3 ½ cups (about 450 g/16 oz) all-purpose flour

Cinnamon-sugar coating:

½ cup (113 g/4 oz) butter, melted
1 cup (200 g/7 oz) dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

In a small saucepan, heat water and milk until lukewarm (110F-115F). Pour the mixture into a mixer bowl and sprinkle yeast over it. Let sit for 10 minutes until frothy.
Add butter, egg, sugar, and salt to the milk mixture and stir until combined. Add 3 ¼ cups of flour. Fit your mixer with the dough hook attachment and mix on a low speed (or if you don’t have a mixer, mix by hand) until the dough comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. If the dough is still wet at this point, add more flour – 1-2 tablespoons at a time (up to 3 ½ cups total). The dough should be soft, smooth, elastic, and just slightly sticky. Once it has reached this consistency, keep kneading on low speed in the mixer for 5 minutes, or by hand on a floured surface for 7-8 minutes.
Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let rest in a warm place for 1-2 hours until it doubles in size.
Make the cinnamon-sugar coating: In a medium bowl, mix together cinnamon and sugar. In a separate bowl, place the melted butter. Set aside. Generously butter a 12-cup Bundt pan and set aside.
When the dough has doubled in size, gently punch it to remove air. Pat the dough into an 8-inch square and cut into 64 pieces by using an 8×8 grid. It’s ok if the pieces are slightly different in size. Roll each piece of dough into a ball, then roll into the melted butter and generously in the cinnamon-sugar coating. Place each piece in the Bundt pan and layer. Gently press the top layer to make it even. Cover the pan and let rest to rise for 45-60 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350F/180C.
Bake bread in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes until the top has browned and a skewer inserted into the dough comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then invert onto a large serving plate.
You can either cut the bread into generous slices like a cake, or pull apart the balls by hand.
Serve warm or reheat before serving.
Monkey bread is best served the same day it’s made.

Recipe Notes

See full post for variations and more details.

Serving Instructions

Best served at room temperature or still warm out of the oven.
Toppings add extra moisture and flavor. As pictured, you’ll see a homemade caramel sauce I poured on top. Other versions use a basic powdered sugar icing glaze. To make a glaze, mix: ½ cup (60g) powdered sugar, ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract, and 1-2 tablespoons heavy cream or whole milk.
Store monkey bread in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 3 days for maximum freshness, texture, and taste. Reheat for a few seconds in the microwave to warm up.