Homemade Monkey Bread Recipe
This scrumptious Homemade Monkey Bread Recipe is an outstanding, 5-Alarm breakfast or brunch treat that will thrill your family!!
Much as I love my easy monkey bread or bubble rolls made with a box of pudding mix, this scratch Cinnamon Bread Recipe is worth the effort! Brown sugar and butter coat each delectable nibble with a caramel glaze.
Why You Must Make
- It’s super fun to eat! Made of individual rolls, it’s a pull-apart bread that’s addictive!!
- Every roll is encased in sweet, gooey caramel sauce. If you love sticky buns, these will rock your world.
- I love making an easy version with roll dough, but this homemade version trumps it by a mile!
What is Monkey Bread?
Monkey Bread, also known as Bubble Roll, Bubble Loaf, or Bubble Bread, is a “sweet yeast bread formed by arranging small clumps of dough (which are usually dipped in butter) in 3 or 4 overlapping layers in a pan.” It can be sweet or savory.
It got its name since it’s a pull-apart food, and you eat it as a monkey would, with your fingers. You’ll love this fun twist on a cinnamon bread recipe!
How to Make Monkey Bread from Scratch
- My first tip on how to make monkey bread is to use a Bundt or Angel Food Cake Pan with a solid bottom. If your pan has a removable bottom, there will be a big mess in your oven after baking. Or even a fire! There is an Amazon link in the recipe for a one-piece tube pan (affiliate link).
- A non-stick pan is nice, but no need to buy one just for this recipe.
- Next, do not force the dough to rise in a too-hot oven. 85º is the goal. My new oven has a proofing setting which is set at 85. Placing a bowl of very hot water into your oven can also gently raise the temperature, but double-check with an oven thermometer.
- Forcing the dough to rise will compromise the flavor and texture.
- Let the monkey bread cool on a rack for at least 5 minutes before inverting. This allows the caramel topping to cool a bit so it doesn’t all slide off the bread. If there’s any topping left in the pan, scrape it out over the rolls.
Expert Tips
64 balls of tender dough were dipped in melted butter and rolled in a mixture of brown sugar and cinnamon to create a gooey coating over every piece of bubble roll. You can’t stop at just one. Or two. This is one addicting brunch treat.
Can you see why this is called monkey bread? Just like a monkey, you’ll be pulling off piece after piece and savoring every bite!!
- The bread dough is made with yeast. PRO-Tip: Be careful not to add liquid over 120 degrees to the mixture as you do not want to kill the yeast. 110-120 degrees is ideal.
- Yeast is a living organism and will produce carbon dioxide when fed with sugar and provided with a warm environment.
- I love using my stand mixer and dough hook to knead the dough. I have a heavy-duty version, but if you do not, make sure to feel the motor area of your mixer as the vigorous workout from kneading could overheat the motor, even rendering it inoperable. Kneading by hand is always an option.
- PRO-Tip: Forming your dough into an 8 x 8-inch rectangle and cutting it dividing it into 64 1 x 1-inch pieces is a great trick for getting evenly sized dough balls.
- PRO-Tip: It’s best to proof your dough in a warm humid environment. The temperature ideally should be between 80 and 90 degrees. Any hotter will cause the dough to rise too quickly and affect the quality of the results.
- To ice is up to you. My family’s motto is “Everything tastes better with frosting!” So a simple powdered sugar glaze sealed in the moisture as well as dried into another melt-in-your-mouth component. I heard no complaints about this decision!
Frequently Asked Questions
This sweet yeast bread is made of small pieces of dough that are coated with melted butter, then dipped in either cinnamon and sugar or savory ingredients. The dough balls are layered in a tube pan and baked.
To eat, you pluck a piece of dough from the loaf, like a monkey grooming another monkey.
The first recipe I made was from a small cookbook I got in Sedona, Arizona. The recipe was called Bubble Roll, so that name stuck with our family. Other names include bubble bread, bubble loaf, pull-apart bread, jumble bread, and pinch-me-cake to name a few.
Cinnamon can have an effect on blood sugar, lowering the body’s insulin resistance and possibly beneficial to those who are categorized as pre-diabetic.
Loaded with healthy antioxidants, cinnamon can help protect your body from free radicals which can cause cell damage.
Cinnamon may improve your good cholesterol, bad cholesterol, and triglyceride numbers.
Full of antibacterial properties, cinnamon may help decrease plaque development on teeth. Cinnamon oil is also great for helping with tooth pain until you can see your dentist.
You May Also Like:
- Chocolate Chip Banana Bread from Barefeet in the Kitchen
- Cinnamon Crusted Pumpkin Bread
- Sugar Crusted Zucchini Bread
- More of the Best Breakfast Recipes
Homemade Monkey Bread Recipe
Yeast rolls rolled in cinnamon sugar and baked with a caramelly glaze for a magnifent breakfast or brunch treat.
Ingredients
Dough
- 4 tablespoons butter, divided, 2 tablespoons softened (to grease the Bundt pan) and 2 tablespoons melted
- 1 cup warm milk (about 110 degrees)
- 1/3 cup warm water (about 110 degrees)
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 package rapid-rise yeast (or instant)
- 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour , plus extra for work surface
- 2 teaspoons salt
Cinnamon Coating
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 8 tablespoons butter (1 stick), melted
Optional glaze:
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200º, then turn it off. Grease Bundt pan with the softened butter. Set aside.
- In a large measuring cup, mix together milk, water, melted butter, sugar, and yeast. Mix flour and salt in a standing mixer fitted with the dough hook. Turn machine to low and slowly add milk mixture. When the dough comes together, increase speed to medium and mix 6 to 7 minutes. Remove from bowl, and place in a large bowl coated with cooking spray. Cover bowl with greased plastic wrap and place in a warm oven (85 degrees) until dough doubles, about an hour.
- While the dough is rising, mix brown sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl. Put melted butter in a second bowl.
- Pat dough into an 8 inch by 8-inch square. Cut dough into 64 pieces.
- Roll each dough piece into a ball, then coat balls in melted butter, one at a time. Roll in brown sugar mixture, then place the balls into the greased Bundt pan. Try to place the second layer of dough balls over the seams of the first layer...it makes a better presentation.
- Cover pan with plastic wrap and place in your slightly warm oven (about 85 degrees) for about an hour or till dough rises about an inch above sides of pan.
- Remove pan from oven and preheat oven to 350º. Bake until top is deep brown, about 30 to 35 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes, then turn out onto plate and let cool about 10 minutes before icing.
- While bread cools, whisk icing ingredients until smooth. Drizzle glaze over warm monkey bread. Serve warm.
Notes
Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated
Total time does not include proofing time.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 523Total Fat: 18gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 49mgSodium: 692mgCarbohydrates: 84gFiber: 2gSugar: 42gProtein: 7g
Photo courtesy of my son, Tom, who loves to document our family foibles.
Story Behind the Fire Truck
Have you ever had a firetruck, with its lights flashing and sirens blaring, race down your quiet street and stop in front of your house? Not once, not twice, but at least 3 times? Granted, this has been over a couple of decades, but the initial episode was the most memorable. I was baking my first Cinnamon Monkey Bread Recipe.
We had been to Sedona, Arizona, and I had purchased a mini-cookbook from our bed and breakfast for Bubble Roll. It was made with frozen roll dough, a box of butterscotch pudding, butter, and LOTS of sugar. I arranged the bread dough in the pan, topped with the dry ingredients, let it rise, and popped it in the oven. Well, little ol’ me didn’t realize that the 2 piece angel food pan I had used would leak the sugar syrup ALL over the bottom of the oven. Whoops. Well, the problem could easily be solved. I turned on the self-cleaning oven and went on with my day.
It was shortly after when one of the kids reported there was smoke coming from the kitchen, then the hubby suggested there might be flames in our oven. The queen of denial said no way until the smoke alarm started blaring thus notifying our fire department that our home was in jeopardy.
I was just baking, I told the fireman, sheepishly, when he walked up our driveway. Eventually, I learned my lesson. When something starts smoking in my oven (which happens more than I care to admit!), I call my alarm company and instruct them to ignore any smoke signals from us that come their way. But you’re smarter than I am, and when you make this delicious cinnamon monkey bread, it will go off without a hitch! If you’re curious about my first attempt, it was an Easy Monkey Bread, made with a box of butterscotch pudding mix.
71 Comments on “Homemade Monkey Bread Recipe”
I had a similar run in with monkey bread. Luckily I don’t think the smoke alarm went off. It was just a pain to clean up. I still want to try monkey bread again, and this one looks great, not dry like many out there.
HAHAH, that’s hilarious, your sweet little boys must have a funny grin now reading this right..
Liz, the bread looks yummmm. I just might bake one before school starts…I don’t know why I am in a rush to bake and cook a ton, I do it even during school days…maybe it’s just that it’s so stress free now.
Oh MY Lizzy Thanks God all is ok!
I love this pretty monkey bread!!
This is about the prettiest monkey bread I’ve every seen and a very funny story to go along with it!! 🙂
Lizzy , you need to bake some goodies and bring it to the Fire Station ! I bet those nice firemen would love some of your gorgeous bakes 😀
Your bread looks incredible, you’ve completely outdone yourself! 🙂
That’s a very funny story and it looks like you live in a nice neighbourhood. I love how level and green your lawn is. And I’ve never heard of monkey bread but it sure does look very yummy and perfect for a Sunday breakfast xx
This is just hilarious..I hope the firemen weren’t too upset about that…did you at least offer them some of your delicious monkey bread?
Ohh, yes please!! I could have this cinnamon monkey bread with that drooling sauce anytime! You always have such tasty, great looking recipes Liz!
I’ve never had monkey bread so whenever I see a great recipe for it like yours I start swooning and saying “you must make it!”. Thank you!
I always blame my oversensitive smoke alarm. All I was doing was making bacon the other day, and it was going off. Ugh! But your monkey bread looks ooey gooey awesome!
I loooooooove monkey bread…I am so salivating right now and wishing I could have a big chunk of this one.
LOL I have burnt down a kitchen but I’ve never had the fire truck show up for monkey bread. 🙂 This looks SO good, Liz!
Never a dull moment at your house!!! I only make Monkey Bread when the kids are home at Christmas. They would think it was the seventh sign if I made it at any other time.
What a fun story! Kids make sure we never forget such events! This recipe looks excellent.
Fortunately Liz, (and I say this cautiously because you know what happens when you think or say something like this) the fire company has not had to come put out an oven fire here yet. However, my grandma, who always cooked up a storm, set her smoke alarm off weekly – lol. I’ve never made monkey bread and I have no good reason why. I know we would devour it – especially if it turned out looking as delicious as yours 🙂 Your son is a good at documenting history. A good story for his children someday…
I’ve never seen a monkey bread before but that glaze and cinnamon just sounds lovely! xx
We have a similar alarm system – quite embarrassing when my sister tried to make scrambled eggs one morning, then my stepbrother charred up a pot by walking away from boiling pasta… at least the firemen are hot too!
I love cinnamon bread FWIW and would dive into this
Thanks for the laugh, Liz! I love that your son took a photo of the fire truck. 🙂 We had a similar incident when I was finishing the cooking of a pot of chili for my sister and, because I hadn’t started the thing, I completely forgot about it there on the stove on simmer and WENT OUT. Can you imagine?! The firemen were called and I was called by the alarm company. We met at the house and when they walked through to check for fire, the pot was dry and smoking like heck. The fireman carried it carefully outside, set it in the yard and removed the lid. The funniest part was when he asked me what I was cooking. I said, “Chili.” And his response was a shocked, “You put BEANS in your chili?!” In Texas that is sacrilege. I replied, “Absolutely not! That is my sister’s chili!” We both shook our heads at her oddness.
Monkey bread has been on my list for longer than I can remember but I’ve never made it. Your beautiful recipe has been pinned to my Recipes to Try board because I must remedy that!
LOL!!! Better safe than sorry!!! The monkey bread looks absolutely wonderful!!!