The Ultimate 5-Ingredient Cinnamon Monkey Bread (So Easy!)
Imagine waking up on a crisp weekend morning to the intoxicating aroma of cinnamon, brown sugar, and baking bread filling your entire home. That, my friends, is the promise of this incredible, gooey, and ridiculously easy Cinnamon Monkey Bread. This isn’t just a breakfast pastry; it’s an event, an interactive experience of pulling apart warm,…
Imagine waking up on a crisp weekend morning to the intoxicating aroma of cinnamon, brown sugar, and baking bread filling your entire home. That, my friends, is the promise of this incredible, gooey, and ridiculously easy Cinnamon Monkey Bread. This isn’t just a breakfast pastry; it’s an event, an interactive experience of pulling apart warm, sticky, cinnamon-sugar-coated bites of dough drenched in a buttery caramel sauce
I promise you, there is no greater joy than inverting this golden-brown ring of deliciousness onto a platter and watching that rich caramel sauce cascade down the sides. It’s a true show-stopper that requires absolutely no special baking skills. Each pull-apart piece is a perfect, doughy bite of heaven, and it’s guaranteed to be the first thing to disappear from the table.
Get ready to master the easiest, most beloved pull-apart bread you will ever make. This is the recipe that creates smiles.
Why This Will Be Your Go-To Breakfast Treat!
You are going to be completely obsessed with how effortlessly this spectacular bread comes together. It’s a fan favorite for so many reasons:
- Just 5 Simple Ingredients: You read that right! You only need five basic, easy-to-find ingredients to create this incredible, gooey masterpiece.
- A Genius Shortcut Recipe: Using refrigerated biscuit dough is a game-changing hack that saves you all the time and effort of making yeast dough from scratch.
- The Ultimate Pull-Apart Fun: This isn’t a “slice and serve” dessert. It’s a fun, interactive experience where everyone gets to pull off their own sticky, delicious pieces.
- Incredibly Gooey and Delicious: Every bite is coated in cinnamon sugar and drenched in a simple, homemade buttery brown sugar caramel sauce. It’s pure indulgence.
- Perfect for a Crowd: Made in a Bundt pan, this recipe is perfect for serving at a holiday brunch, a family breakfast, or a weekend get-together.
Recipe Snapshot
| Prep Time | 20 minutes |
| Cook Time | 35 minutes |
| Total Time | 55 minutes |
| Servings | 16 servings |
| Calories | 133 kcal per piece* |
| Course | Breakfast, Dessert |
| Cuisine | American |
| Difficulty/Method | Easy / Baking |
*Nutrition per “piece,” not a full serving slice. See notes for full serving estimate.
Your 5-Ingredient Shopping List
It truly doesn’t get much simpler than this! Here’s all you need to create this legendary treat.
→ For the Monkey Bread
- 4 tubes (7.5 ounces each) refrigerated buttermilk biscuits → This is our amazing shortcut! The small, flaky-style biscuits work best.
- ½ cup granulated sugar → For the sweet cinnamon coating.
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon → The essential warm spice.
- ½ cup butter, melted → For our simple, rich caramel sauce.
- ½ cup packed brown sugar → Creates that delicious, gooey caramel flavor.
Let’s Make Monkey Bread! Your Step-by-Step Guide
Ready for the easiest, most impressive breakfast bake of your life? Let’s get started!
Part 1: Prep the Dough Balls
- Preheat and Prep Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Generously grease a 9- or 10-inch fluted tube pan (a Bundt pan). This is a very important step!
- Cut the Biscuits: Open the tubes of biscuits and separate them. Using a kitchen shear or a knife, cut each individual biscuit into 4 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a small ball.
- Make the Cinnamon Sugar: In a medium bowl (or a large zip-top bag for easy cleanup), combine the granulated sugar and the ground cinnamon.
- Coat the Balls: Add the biscuit balls to the cinnamon sugar and toss them until each piece is generously coated.
Part 2: Assemble and Bake to Perfection
- Arrange in Pan: Arrange the cinnamon-sugar-coated balls evenly in your prepared fluted tube pan. Sprinkle any remaining cinnamon sugar from the bowl over the top.
- Make the Caramel Sauce: In a small bowl, combine the melted butter and the packed brown sugar. Whisk until the sugar is mostly dissolved into the butter.
- Pour Over the Top: Carefully pour this buttery brown sugar mixture evenly all over the top of the dough balls in the pan.
- Bake!: Place the tube pan on a larger baking sheet (to catch any potential drips). Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until the top is a deep golden brown and the dough is cooked through.
- Cool and Invert: Let the pan cool on a wire rack for exactly 5 minutes. This is the magic window! Place a large serving platter over the top of the pan and, with confidence, quickly flip it over to invert the bread. Lift the pan away and marvel at your creation!
Easy 5-Ingredient Cinnamon Monkey Bread
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously grease a 9- or 10-inch fluted tube pan.
- Cut each biscuit into 4 pieces and shape them into balls.
- In a medium bowl or large zip-top bag, combine the sugar and cinnamon. Roll or shake each ball in the cinnamon sugar until evenly coated.
- Arrange the coated balls evenly in the prepared tube pan. Sprinkle with any remaining cinnamon sugar.
- In a small bowl, combine the melted butter and brown sugar. Pour this mixture evenly over the top of the dough balls.
- Place the tube pan on a baking sheet to catch any drips. Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until the dough is golden brown and cooked through.
- Cool for exactly 5 minutes in the pan before inverting the bread onto a serving platter. Serve warm.
Notes
WiseRecipes’ Top Tips for Perfect Monkey Bread
These simple secrets will guarantee your pull-apart bread is gooey, delicious, and comes out of the pan perfectly.
- Grease That Pan Liberally! This is the most important step. Caramel is sticky! Use butter or nonstick spray and get into every single nook and cranny of your fluted tube pan to ensure a clean release.
- Use Kitchen Shears for Easy Cutting. The fastest and least messy way to cut the sticky biscuit dough into quarters is with a pair of clean kitchen shears. It’s so much easier than using a knife.
- The “Shake and Bake” Bag Method. For the easiest coating, put your cinnamon and sugar in a large zip-top bag. Add the biscuit pieces, seal the bag, and shake until everything is coated. It’s fast, fun, and contains the mess.
- The 5-Minute Rule is Crucial. Don’t skip the 5-minute cooling time before you invert the pan. If you flip it too soon, the bread might be too fragile and fall apart. If you wait too long, the caramel will cool and harden, sticking the bread to the pan forever. Set a timer!
- Serve it WARM. Monkey bread is at its absolute peak of gooey, delicious perfection when it’s served warm from the oven. If you have leftovers, a quick 15 seconds in the microwave brings it right back to life.
Keep It Fresh! Storing Your Pull-Apart Bread
You likely won’t have leftovers, but if you do, here’s how to store them.
- Room Temperature: The best way to store monkey bread is to simply cover it tightly with plastic wrap or foil on its serving platter. It will stay fresh at room temperature for up to 2 days.
- Reheating: To bring back that glorious gooeyness, you can reheat the entire loaf in a 300°F oven for about 10 minutes, or just microwave individual servings for 15-20 seconds.
- Freezing: I do not recommend freezing the finished monkey bread, as the texture of the biscuit dough can become tough upon thawing and reheating.
FAQs: Your Monkey Bread Questions, Answered!
Why is it called Monkey Bread?
The name is thought to come from the way you eat it! You pick and pull the sticky pieces apart with your fingers, much like a monkey might. It’s a playful name for a fun, hands-on treat.
My monkey bread is doughy in the middle. What went wrong?
This is the most common issue, and it’s usually a sign of underbaking. Because the bread is so dense, it can look perfectly golden on the outside before the inside is fully cooked. If you’re unsure, you can use an instant-read thermometer—the internal temperature should be around 190°F. You can also gently pull a piece from the center to check.
Can I make this ahead of time?
Yes, this is a great make-ahead brunch item! You can fully assemble the bread in the pan the night before (up to the point before baking). Just cover it tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate. In the morning, let it sit on the counter while the oven preheats, then bake as directed, adding 5-10 minutes to the baking time.
Can I add other ingredients?
Absolutely! This is a fantastic base recipe. You can tuck in chunks of cream cheese between the dough balls for a creamy surprise, add a cup of chopped pecans or walnuts for crunch, or even toss in some chocolate chips for an extra-decadent version.
Final Thoughts: The Ultimate Shared Treat
There is nothing more joyful than a dessert that brings everyone together around the table, pulling and sharing from the same beautiful creation. This Easy Cinnamon Monkey Bread is the epitome of that feeling. It’s a celebration of simplicity, comfort, and the pure, sticky-fingered fun of a delicious, shared treat. I hope it brings a lot of smiles to your home. Happy baking!
