Monkey Bread

Monkey Bread – Soft, fluffy pieces of homemade bread coated in buttery cinnamon sugar and finished with a sweet vanilla glaze. A delicious pull-apart treat that’s perfect for sharing!

If you love cinnamon rolls, you’re going to adore this homemade Monkey Bread! It’s made with soft, fluffy pieces of sweet bread dough, each generously coated in melted butter and cinnamon sugar before being baked together until beautifully golden and sticky.

This delicious pull-apart bread is wonderfully fun to make and even more enjoyable to eat! The cinnamon sugar creates a sweet, caramel-like coating, while a drizzle of creamy vanilla glaze adds the perfect finishing touch. Serve it warm for a cosy breakfast, weekend brunch, or indulgent dessert that everyone can pull apart and enjoy.

Looking for more delicious cinnamon recipes? Try my Easy Cinnamon Rolls, Cinnamon Raisin Bagels, or Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Cookies.

Happy baking,

Marsha x

From the recipe box

Monkey Bread

Soft, fluffy pieces of homemade bread coated in buttery cinnamon sugar and finished with a sweet vanilla glaze. A delicious pull-apart treat that's perfect for sharing!

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5 from 1 vote

Prep 1 hour hour

Cook 35 minutes minutes

Rise 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Total 3 hours hours 5 minutes minutes

Yields 64 balls

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Ingredients

For the Dough

• 180 ml whole milk, warmed to 43°C (110°F)
• 50 g caster or granulated sugar
• 7 g active dry yeast
• 56 g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 375 g bread flour
• ½ teaspoon salt

For the Cinnamon Sugar Coating

• 170 g unsalted butter, melted
• 150 g caster or granulated sugar
• 150 g light brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

For the Vanilla Glaze

• 125 g icing/powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 – 4 tablespoons double/heavy cream

Instructions

For the Dough

• In a large measuring jug, stir together the warm milk, sugar, and yeast. Set aside for about 5 minutes, or until the mixture becomes foamy and bubbly.
• Pour the yeast mixture into a large mixing bowl. Add the melted butter, egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract, and whisk until combined.
• Add the flour and salt, and mix until a sticky dough forms.
• Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead for about 5 minutes, or until smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky. If the dough is too sticky to handle, sprinkle over a little extra flour, 1 teaspoon at a time, until manageable. Avoid adding too much flour.
• Place the dough into a lightly greased large bowl. Cover with cling film/plastic wrap or a clean tea towel, and leave to rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
• Grease a 25 cm (10-inch) bundt tin and set aside.

For the Cinnamon Sugar Coating

• Pour the melted butter into a small bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together the caster sugar, light brown sugar, and cinnamon.
• Once the dough has doubled in size, gently punch it down to release the air, then transfer it to a lightly floured surface.
• Roll or pat the dough into a rough 23 × 23cm (9 x 9-inch) square. Cut into 64 equal-sized pieces using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, then roll each piece into a ball.
• Dip each dough ball into the melted butter, then roll in the cinnamon sugar mixture until evenly coated. Arrange the coated dough balls in the prepared bundt tin.
• Mix any remaining melted butter with the remaining cinnamon sugar mixture, then pour evenly over the dough balls.
• Cover the tin with cling film/plastic wrap and leave to rise in a warm place for a further 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C Fan/350°F/Gas 4.
• Remove the cling film and bake for 30–35 minutes, or until the monkey bread is golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 88–93°C (190°F-200°F).
• Allow to cool in the tin for 5–10 minutes, then carefully invert onto a large serving plate or cake stand.

For the Vanilla Glaze

• In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the icing sugar, vanilla extract, and double cream until smooth. Add a little more cream if needed to reach a thick but pourable consistency.
• Drizzle the glaze over the warm monkey bread and serve.

Recipe notes

Yeast: Use active dry yeast for this recipe. The milk should be warm (about 43°C/109°F), not hot, to help activate the yeast without damaging it.

Bread flour: Strong white bread flour gives the monkey bread its soft, slightly chewy texture. Plain/all-purpose flour can also be used, although the texture may be slightly less chewy.

Rising the dough: For a warm place to rise, briefly heat the oven to 43°C/109°F, then switch it off before placing the covered dough inside. Make sure the oven is switched off and not too hot.

Storage: Monkey bread is best enjoyed warm on the day it is baked. Store leftovers tightly covered at room temperature for up to 1 day, or in the fridge for up to 4 days. Warm gently before serving.

Make ahead: Prepare the dough as instructed, place it in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and refrigerate overnight. The following morning, leave it to rise in a warm place for 1–2 hours before shaping and coating the dough balls.

Freezing: Place the uncoated, shaped dough balls on a baking tray and freeze until solid, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag or container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, allow the dough to come to room temperature and rise as needed, then coat and bake as instructed.