Monkey Bread
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How to make the best gooey monkey bread ever! This recipe is made from scratch with homemade biscuit dough, cinnamon sugar, & a buttery brown sugar glaze.
This is a sponsored post, written by me and created in partnership with Keller’s Creamery Butter. All opinions expressed herein are straight from my heart.
Hey there! Today I am sharing my new favorite treat: monkey bread! I made this recipe last week and fell head over heels in love. It’s so easy to make, and so dang good. I love how tender and fluffy the bread is, and that sticky, buttery glaze is everything!
Nothing beats an indulgent brunch recipe, especially around the holidays. It’s so nice to bake up a batch of crumb muffins, or orange cranberry scones, or cinnamon rolls for breakfast! But monkey bread is really ideal when you’ve got a big crowd to serve, and it whips up in a snap. So you can keep your focus on your loved ones, instead of fussing over a complicated recipe.
With a recipe like this, the butter really plays the starring role. It’s the main ingredient in the biscuit dough, and it totally makes that glorious gooey glaze too. The flavor of butter really shines, so I always make sure I’m using the best butter I can get my hands on for a recipe like this.
Keller’s Creamery has been my go-to butter brand for as long as I can remember. It’s been a Philadelphia family tradition for over 100 years, and this holiday dish just wouldn’t have the same great flavor without the smooth, creamy taste of Keller’s Creamery butter. It’s got no added hormones, and there are a variety of butter options that you can feel good about adding to your family’s meals.
WHAT IS MONKEY BREAD?
Monkey bread is an indulgent treat that’s made by rolling balls of dough in cinnamon sugar, then placing them in a pan and pouring on a sticky, gooey glaze made with butter and brown sugar. Once you’ve tried it, you’ll fall in love!
The flavors are similar to a sticky bun. You get that homey cinnamon spice, the warm brown sugar, and the rich butter, all along with a tender, fluffy biscuit.
As it bakes, the bubbles of biscuit dough puzzle-fit together and become one glorious ring, but they still remain somewhat distinct from one another, and can be pulled apart and enjoyed one by one. It’s sort of like a pull-apart loaf or a tear and share.
HOW TO MAKE MONKEY BREAD
This recipe is a great way to spoil your loved ones with a homemade treat, without having to spend hours in the kitchen. It only takes about 30 minutes to prep, and the result is truly delicious and so memorable!
Start by mixing up a homemade biscuit dough. (If you don’t want to make homemade biscuits, you can just pop 2 cans of refrigerated biscuits, and chop them into little pieces. But homemade biscuit dough is so quick and easy to make, and they taste so much yummier!)
To make the dough, just whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together, then cut in cold butter. I like to make biscuits with all butter because the flavor is so rich and delicious!
Once only pea-sized pieces of butter remain, stir in the buttermilk until a dough forms.
Then scoop balls of dough (about a tablespoon in size) and roll them in cinnamon sugar. Place them in the pan, drizzle on the buttery brown sugar glaze, and bake!
WHAT PAN TO USE FOR MONKEY BREAD
Monkey bread is traditionally made in a big bundt pan. It’s so fun to place a towering ring of this in the center of the table, and just let everyone go at it, pulling off pieces and gobbling them up. It’s like a cross between sticky buns and a pull-apart loaf. So great to share!
But if you don’t want to use a bundt, you have other options. You could make individual monkey breads in a cupcake pan. Or you could bake it in a 9×13 rectangular pan. You could even halve the recipe and use a 5-cup loaf pan.
Whatever size pan you choose, just keep in mind that the different size/shape may require a change in bake time. You’ll know your monkey bread is done when it’s puffy and crisp on the top, and when a skewer inserted in the thickest part comes out clean.
GLUTEN-FREE MONKEY BREAD
To make a gluten-free version of this monkey bread recipe, just substitute the all-purpose flour for a gluten-free flour blend. Look for one that that subs 1:1 for regular flour. Here are a few good options:
- King Arthur Flour Gluten-Free Measure for Measure Flour
- Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free All-Purpose Baking Flour
- Cup4Cup Multi-Purpose Gluten-Free Flour
WHEN TO SERVE MONKEY BREAD
I honestly don’t think there is a wrong time for monkey bread!
It’s great for breakfast or brunch, with its cinnamon-y flavor and buttery brown sugar glaze. If you’re serving a crowd, it’s perfect for Christmas morning.
But it’s also so great for dessert or for a snack. Have some with a cup of coffee and you’ll be in heaven!
CAN MONKEY BREAD BE MADE AHEAD?
Nothing beats a freshly baked monkey bread, still warm from the oven. If you can, I highly recommend you make it just before serving. Since it only requires about 30 minutes of prep, I think most of the time this should be pretty do-able.
But if you absolutely must make it ahead, just whisk the dry ingredients together and cut in the butter, and keep that mixture refrigerated until you’re ready to bake it. You can also mix up the cinnamon sugar ahead, and whisk the glaze together as well.
About an hour before serving, stir the buttermilk in to the dry mixture and make the dough. Then just scoop, roll in cinnamon sugar, pour on the glaze, and bake.
HOW LONG DOES MONKEY BREAD LAST?
This monkey bread should keep at room temperature for a day or so, or in the fridge for up to a week.
It can also be wrapped tightly and frozen for up to a couple of months. Just thaw it at room temperature and reheat before serving.
HOW TO REHEAT MONKEY BREAD
Monkey bread is definitely best enjoyed warm! To reheat, zap each portion in the microwave for about 15 seconds, or place the whole thing in a 170 degree F oven, covered tightly in foil, for about 20 minutes.
I hope you enjoy this homemade monkey bread recipe, and I hope you’re able to get your hands on some Keller’s Creamery Butter to use when you make it!
Keller’s Creamery varieties of creamy-fresh butter can be found at all major grocers in the Philadelphia metropolitan area.
- Keller’s Salted – the perfect choice for everyday cooking
- Keller’s Unsalted – the go-to butter for baked goods, seafood and more
- Keller’s Whipped – light and fluffy whipped butter with lesser calories
- Keller’s Spreadable Butter with Canola Oil – lightly salted and perfectly spreadable
- And for the holidays, to enhance your gathering’s festive look, add a Keller’s Creamery Christmas Tree Butter Sculpture. You can find them at your local grocery store, but hurry, they sell out quickly!
To learn more about Keller’s Creamery, its Philadelphia heritage, and to find chef-inspired recipes for your next holiday or special occasion, visit www.kellerscreamery.com.
This post contains affiliate sales links.
Monkey Bread
Ingredients
- 4 cups (500 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 cup (113.5 g) Keller's Creamery unsalted butter, , cold
- 1 1/2 cups (360 ml) buttermilk, , cold
- 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 cup (220 g) brown sugar , (loosely packed)
- 3/4 cup (170.25 g) Keller's Creamery unsalted butter, , melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, and generously mist a 10-cup bundt pan* with non-stick spray.
- Place the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl, and whisk to combine.
- Cut the butter in until only pea-sized pieces remain.
- Stir in the buttermilk until a dough forms, and gathers itself into a ball that pulls cleanly away from the sides of the bowl.
- Place the sugar and cinnamon in a shallow dish, and stir together.
- Scoop the dough into 1-tablespoon sized balls, roll them in the cinnamon sugar to coat, and place them in the prepared pan.
- When all the dough has been scooped and rolled in cinnamon sugar, whisk the brown sugar and melted butter together in a medium-sized bowl, then pour over the unbaked monkey bread.
- Bake the monkey bread for 30 to 35 minutes, or until it's puffed and crusty on the top. (A skewer or toothpick inserted in the thickest part of the bread should come out clean.)
- Cool the monkey bread for 10 minutes, then invert onto a serving plate and enjoy!
Hi there,
What can i use as a substitute for buttermilk?
If you don’t have buttermilk, you can substitute by stirring 1 1/2 tablespoons of lemon juice or white vinegar into 1 1/2 cups of regular milk. Allow the mixture to stand for 5 minutes, or until thickened and slightly curdled.
This is such a tasty treat!! My kids love this as a special breakfast 🙂
This looks so gooey and delicious! Thank you for the note about alternative pan sizes – I have a 6 cup bundt pan and I keep finding recipes for the bigger size, so I always wonder about adapting recipes. Would cook time be the same?
Hey Robyn! No I think you may have to adjust the cook time, and you’d probably want to halve the recipe as well. Good luck!
Great butter makes ALL the difference ~ this bread looks perfect for a lazy holiday morning!