A good monkey bread recipe makes cinnamon-sugar bites you can pull from a warm, glossy ring. This one starts with refrigerated biscuit dough, so there is no yeast dough to mix or proof. Each quartered biscuit gets coated in cinnamon sugar, then a buttery brown sugar mixture runs between the pieces as they bake. The result is soft in the middle, golden at the edges, and easy to share.
The important part is baking the center all the way through. A dark top can hide doughy pieces near the Bundt pan tube, so test a piece from the middle before you turn the bread out. Grease every groove and the center tube well, and allow ten to fifteen minutes of cooling before inverting. The recipe card below has the exact amounts and a simple order for the steps.
Check a center piece for cooked dough before the Bundt pan comes out of the oven.
Serving Suggestions
Monkey bread is at its best warm, when the buttery cinnamon coating still feels soft and each bite pulls away easily. Place the ring on a large plate with a rim to catch any glaze, and let everyone take pieces by hand or with small tongs. A pot of coffee or Dishora’s chai latte makes it a relaxed brunch treat.
If you are serving dessert, offer the bread after a lighter meal and keep the portions small. It is sweet and rich on its own, so it does not need icing. Fresh berries or sliced apples on the side add a cool contrast. If you want another baked fruit dessert for a larger table, Dishora’s apple crumble gives guests a different texture.
The glaze is hottest just after baking, so let the pan rest before turning it over. Place the serving plate over the pan, hold them firmly together, then flip with oven mitts. Lift the pan slowly. If a few pieces remain in a groove, loosen them gently and nestle them back onto the ring. Warm bread is forgiving and inviting even when it is not perfectly shaped.
Bring it to the table while warm, with a plate large enough to catch every cinnamon drip.
Variations
A little chopped toasted pecan can add crunch between the dough pieces. Scatter it lightly as you fill the pan rather than packing the layers down. For orange aroma, rub a small amount of zest into the granulated sugar before coating the biscuits. Vanilla in the butter mixture is optional; cinnamon and brown sugar already give the classic flavor.
This shortcut version differs from yeast-raised monkey bread. If you prefer to make dough from scratch, King Arthur Baking’s cinnamon pull-apart method offers a yeast-dough approach and explains how to use a Bundt pan. Here, refrigerated biscuits keep prep short, but choose standard biscuits rather than flaky-layer dough for a more even pull-apart texture.
You can use a plain tube pan if it has a fixed bottom, but avoid a loose-bottom pan unless it is well sealed because the buttery syrup can leak. Place a baking sheet below the Bundt pan to catch drips. If the top browns too quickly while the middle still needs time, tent loosely with foil and continue baking until the center is cooked.
The shortcut saves time; the center-doneness check is still the step that matters.
Health Benefits and Practical Notes
This is a dessert with a substantial amount of added sugar and butter, best enjoyed as an occasional treat. The recipe card’s nutrition is an estimate per one-twelfth of the ring and will change with the biscuit brand and portion size. The USDA MyPlate guidance encourages limiting added sugars and saturated fat, which is a useful reminder when deciding how much to serve.
Let leftovers cool, then wrap them tightly and keep them in the refrigerator for up to three days. Rewarm a portion briefly in the microwave or a low oven until soft. The glaze becomes firmer when cold, but gentle heat brings back its pull-apart feel. If freezing, wrap portions separately so you can thaw just what you need without warming the whole ring again.
A small warm portion gives you the best texture without needing an oversized serving.
Why This Recipe Stays in Rotation
Monkey bread is easy to assemble with pantry sugar and cinnamon, and it gives everyone a reason to gather around the plate. The steps are simple enough for a weekend morning but festive enough for a holiday table. Once the center is baked and the glaze has settled, the only thing left is to pull apart a warm piece.
Monkey Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 16-oz cans refrigerated biscuit dough not flaky layers; 32 oz total
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted
- 1 pinch fine salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract optional
Equipment
- 10-inch Bundt pan Grease all grooves and center tube.
- Mixing bowl
- Serving plate Large enough to catch glaze.
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350°F. Grease a 10-inch Bundt pan thoroughly, including the center tube and grooves.
- Cut each biscuit into quarters. Mix granulated sugar and cinnamon in a wide bowl, then toss the dough pieces in the mixture until coated. Arrange loosely in the prepared pan.
- Stir melted butter, brown sugar, salt, and optional vanilla until combined. Pour evenly over the dough, letting it run between the pieces.
- Bake 35–45 minutes until the top is deeply golden and the center pieces are cooked through with no raw dough. If the top darkens early, tent loosely with foil.
- Cool in the pan 10–15 minutes, then carefully invert onto a serving plate. Lift off the pan and serve warm so pieces pull apart easily.
Nutrition
Video
Notes
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it turned out!Emily Parker is DISHORA’s recipe-writing persona, bringing a warm, practical voice to everyday cooking. Her focus is simple ingredients, comforting flavors and clear steps that make a dish feel approachable. From cozy dinners to something sweet, Emily’s recipes invite readers to try something delicious and make it their own.