This monkey bread always disappears fast, usually even before I've finished my coffee! Sweet yeast dough is flavored with brown sugar and cardamom then dipped in melted butter and cinnamon sugar before baking in a Bundt pan to caramelized perfection.
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The Cozy Pull-Apart Monkey Bread I Make for Every Brunch!
Monkey bread takes me straight back to childhood. On weekends, my dad would wake up early to bake something special for us, and the aroma of warm cinnamon, brown sugar, and butter was usually what enticed me out of bed.
My version was inspired by my pull apart cinnamon bread, and builds flavor right into the dough itself with cinnamon and cardamom. So even the interior tastes spiced, not just the coating! And while it's irresistible as-is, I love adding texture by sprinkling chopped walnuts or pecans in the pan as I arrange the coated dough balls.
I tested this recipe a few different ways to make sure it stays simple but still delivers that classic finger-licking flavor. At first, I skipped the dip in melted butter to save time, but the buns didn't have as much caramelization & were drier and chewier, closer like my rustic cinnamon roll bread than sticky monkey bread.
And a syrup isn't necessary for these sticky pull apart rolls, since the topping creates its own caramel. However, if you really want to take it into overdrive, sprinkle three tablespoons of brown sugar in the bottom of your greased Bundt pan before adding the dough balls.
Let's Gather Our Ingredients: milk, granulated sugar, active dry yeast, eggs, all purpose flour, cinnamon, cardamom, salt, unsalted butter, brown sugar, and nutmeg.
Welcome to My Kitchen! Let's Bake Monkey Bread!
For the full step-by-step directions and ingredient quantities, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Overnight Bake
If I want to serve monkey bread early in the morning, I like to prep it the night prior. After arranging all the coated dough balls in the Bundt pan, cover it tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 8-12 hours in advance. Just be sure to let it sit out and warm back up to room temperature before baking.
Tips from My Kitchen
- Knowing when Bundt pan monkey bread is done baking can be tricky, so I recommend pulling it out when a kitchen thermometer shows that it has an internal temperature of 190 F to avoid gummy bread.
- I like serving it as-is for weekend brunch, but if you reeeally want to make it something special for the holidays or mother's day, drizzle espresso glaze on the top and down the sides. It makes it look extra pretty and cuts back on the sweetness a bit.
Old Fashioned Monkey Bread
Equipment
Ingredients
DOUGH
- 1¼ cup milk
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 2¼ teaspoon active dry yeast (one packet)
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 4 cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon cardamom (optional)
- 1½ teaspoons salt (use table salt or fine sea salt)
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
FILLING
- ½ cup dark brown sugar
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
- In a microwave-safe bowl, warm the milk in the microwave for about 45 to 60 seconds, until it's between 98°F to 105°F.
- Mix the warm with the granulated sugar and active dry yeast. Set aside for 10 minutes until it becomes frothy on top.
- Whisk the yeast mixture with the eggs.
- Sprinkle the flour, cinnamon, optional cardamom, and salt on top of the wet ingredients, and mix with a large spoon until it starts to form a sticky dough.
- Add the softened butter and continue mixing until there's no dry flour visible.
- Lightly dust a clean work surface with flour, and knead the dough by hand for 8 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic. Add a little more flour as you knead the dough to prevent it from sticking, but try to only add as little as possible.
- Shape the dough into a ball. Place the dough ball in a clean mixing bowl, and cover the top of the bowl with a large plate or kitchen towel. Let it rest and rise in a warm place for about 2 hours, until it doubles in size.
- Grease a Bundt pan. Set aside.
- Mix the dry filling ingredients in a small bowl (½ cup brown sugar, ⅓ cup granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon cinnamon, and ½ teaspoon nutmeg). Set aside.
- Melt the 6 tablespoons of butter for the filling in a medium bowl in the microwave. Set aside.
- Tear off a small piece of dough (about 35 grams or 1½ inches in diameter) and roll it in your hands to form a ball. Dip the dough ball in melted butter, then in the cinnamon sugar. Place it in the greased Bundt pan. Continue shaping, coating, and arranging the dough in the Bundt pan. (I end up with around 35 balls in total.)
- Cover the Bundt pan with a clean kitchen towel and let it proof at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Position your oven rack in the lower third (so the buns in at the top of the Bundt pan don't burn.)
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until golden brown on top and a kitchen thermometer reads at least 190°F when inserted into the middle of the bread. Cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then flip the Bundt pan upside down on a serving plate. Enjoy!
Notes
- Be careful not to roll the dough pieces too large, or else it can end up gummy in the center.
- Tent the top with foil if it looks like the bread is browning too quickly before it's done baking.
- As for a topping, I usually serve mine plain since the coating creates a delicious sauce on each bun. But you can drizzle the top and sides with glaze or dust it with powdered sugar for a more elegant look.
I'm eggcited to hear from you :)