How Long Do You Cook Monkey Bread For

collage of monkey bread photos.

MONKEY BREAD is a classic breakfast treat that the kids (and adults!) absolutely go nuts over! Sweet, sticky biscuits coated in cinnamon and sugar and baked in a simple caramel sauce. We make this for holiday mornings, but it's a fun treat to sneak in anytime of the year.

Pretty sure every American out there has at least heard of monkey bread, if not eaten it at least once.

I'm not sure about the rest of the world though. I don't believe canned biscuit dough is a hugely popular thing outside of the US, and that is the standard start to a quick monkey bread.

Of course, this is about the only time I use canned biscuits, because my dad's homemade biscuits are life-changing! I get comments and emails from readers almost daily about how that biscuit recipe is THE ONE TRUE BISCUIT. 😉

Anyway, this is a classic monkey bread, nothing new or surprising here, but I wanted to share the recipe because 1) it's good stuff, 2) every kid needs this in their life, and 3) it's a holiday breakfast staple and there's always another holiday around the corner.

How to Make Monkey Bread:

ziptop bag full of cinnamon sugar biscuit pieces.

We're doing a monkey bread with biscuits, so to start, remove the refrigerated biscuits from the can, and cut each biscuit into 4 pieces.
Place the cut biscuits into a large zip top bag and add the granulated sugar and cinnamon. Shake the bag well to coat the the biscuits.
Add the cinnamon and sugar coated biscuit pieces to the Bundt pan.

Add the butter and brown sugar to a small sauce pan over medium heat, stirring often. Once it has reached a smooth, almost caramel like consistency it will be ready.
Pour the mixture over the biscuit pieces in the Bundt pan.

biscuit dough in bundt pan coated in caramel sauce.

Bake for 35 minutes at 350 degrees.
Allow to cool for 5 minutes before flipping onto a serving dish. Do not wait much longer or the mixture may begin to cool and stick to the pan.
Difficult as it may be, allow the bread to cool for up to 10 minutes before serving. You want the bread and sticky mixture to be warm, not lava hot.

Helpful TipS!

Make sure you use a 9 cup (or larger) Bundt pan for this recipe, anything smaller and it will overflow and create a sticky mess. Be sure to place the Bundt pan on a baking sheet just in case.
Do not let it cool for too long before flipping it onto a serving dish or the mixture could cool and begin to stick to the Bundt pan.
Monkey Bread is best when warm. It can be reheated! If you are going to eat it all within a couple of days, it can be stored at room temperature in a plastic zip top bag. You can also freeze monkey bread for up to a few months by tightly wrapping it in plastic wrap and foil.

Additions!

Monkey Bread can be made in many ways, with many different ingredients. Some possible additions include:

Nuts – pecans and walnuts are a great choice.
Raisins – my family would revolt, but maybe this will work for you. 😉
Drizzle a simple vanilla glaze over the bread and sprinkle with sprinkles for a fun birthday breakfast.
Check out this maple bacon Monkey Bread!

Can I make this with homemade biscuits?

So, here's the million dollar question…do I think homemade biscuit dough would work in monkey bread?

The answer…yes, I THINK so, but I've not tried it.

If you want to attempt, double a batch of my dad's biscuits (recipe linked above) and pat the dough out into a large rectangle and the just cut into 1-inch square. I would be a bit more liberal with the flour so that the dough is a bit sturdier and not quite as soft.

I have not tested this myself, but this is where I would start if I were going to.

What We Love About Monkey Bread!

This is a kid-favorite, but it takes the adults right back to their childhood as well.

Sticky, sweet, and fun to eat, this makes any special day start off a bit more special and it's fairly simple to whip up with a bit of prep work and time.

More breakfast favorites!

Air Fryer Donuts
Cinnamon Crunch Bagel
Sausage Gravy
Chocolate Glazed Donut
Chaffle
Old Fashioned Donut

Prep 20 minutes

Cook 35 minutes

Total 55 minutes

▢ 2 tubes refrigerated biscuit dough 8 biscuits each
▢ 3/4 cup granulated sugar
▢ 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
▢ ¾ cup butter
▢ 1 cup brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Liberally grease a 9 cup bundt pan.
Remove the biscuits from the can and cut each biscuit into 4 pieces.
Place biscuit pieces into a large zip top bag and add the granulated sugar and cinnamon. Seal the bag and shake to coat the biscuit pieces in the cinnamon and sugar.
Add the biscuit pieces to the prepared bundt pan.
Melt the butter and brown sugar in a small sauce pan over medium heat, stirring often. Once smooth and combined, pour the mixture over the biscuits.
Bake for 35 minutes or until no longer doughy in the center.
Let cool for 5 minutes and then carefully flip onto a serving dish.
Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Test the size of your bundt pan, by measuring water and pouring it into the pan. A 9 cup bundt pan will hold 9 cups of water. A larger bundt pan will also work fine, but do not use a smaller pan with this recipe.

We like to put our pan on a baking sheet before placing in the oven, just in case the caramel leaks over the edges. It's much easier to clean the baking sheet than the oven.

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Keyword: easy breakfast recipes, holiday recipes, kid-friendly recipes

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