The “Monkeyiest” Monkey Bread Recipe (Also the Easiest!)
Sticky, fluffy and ready to be pulled apart in perfectly bite-sized balls, this ultra-easy monkey bread recipe is a real sanity saver. I use store-bought biscuit dough (just like my mom did — she made this ALL the time!) so there’s almost no prep and (thanks to a zip-top bag trick) clean up is a breeze.
I suggest adding gooey, rich monkey bread recipe to your Christmas morning tradition! It’s got all the yummy, warmly-spiced goodness that we all crave, but it’s simple enough that it won’t interfere with your very important plan to have a relaxed Christmas day. Win, win! Try easy French Toast for another holiday brunch win!
Ingredients for Easy Monkey Bread
Just seven ingredients are all you need to make our vanilla-walnut monkey bread recipe! You might even have most of this stuff on-hand already, which is the best case scenario -especially at the holidays. Here’s everything you’ll need to make this recipe:
- Biscuit dough: Using store-bought biscuit dough is a shortcut that saves time without sacrificing flavor in the slightest. Who doesn’t love that?!
- Sugar: White sugar and brown sugar.
- Cinnamon: Or for an autumnal version, try a teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice.
- Vanilla: Or try maple extract for a fun riff.
- Butter: My go-to is salted butter, but if you only have unsalted, just use it and add a pinch of salt.
- Walnuts: To keep walnuts fresh, store them in the fridge after purchase. If you don’t want nuts, it’s fine to leave them out.
How To Make Monkey Bread
My easy monkey bread recipe has a bit of a shake-n-bake vibe! Shaking the biscuit pieces with cinnamon sugar is also a fun job for kiddos, so go ahead and get the littles involved if you feel like it!
- Cut each biscuit into four bite-sized pieces.
- In a zip-top bag, toss the dough with cinnamon sugar to coat.
- Layer the dough into a buttered Bundt pan. Layer it with walnuts, then dough, then walnuts
- Melt butter the butter with brown sugar and vanilla gently in a saucepan.
- Pour the sugar-butter over the monkey bread.
- Bake!
How To Store and Freeze
Store leftover monkey bread covered or in an airtight container on the counter for up to 2 days. If you want to, you can reheat it in the microwave in small portions for 15-20 seconds. Monkey bread freezes well! Bake it, then cool it completely, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and freeze for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to serve it, thaw it in the fridge overnight. Swap the plastic wrap for foil and reheat in the oven set to 300°F for 10-15 minutes.
Tips For Monkey Bread Success
- Take your time to make sure all the dough pieces are evenly coated in the sugar! That’s the key to monkey bread success.
- Work quickly with the butter and sugar mixture. If you let it warm for too long it will separate, and if it sits in the pan for too long or it may stick.
- If you don’t have a Bundt pan, use a 9x13 inch baking dish, but adjust the baking time to 25-30 minutes. The presentation won't be as pretty, but it will taste just as good!
More Easy Holiday Baking Recipes To Try!
Don’t Even Monkey Around With Other Monkey Bread Recipes
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