Last updated: November 6, 2026
Monkey bread is the cinnamon sugar pull-apart treat you can make from two cans of refrigerated biscuit dough in about an hour. The recipe card below has the full ingredient list and steps, and we walk you through every stage right here first.
How to Make Monkey Bread With Refrigerated Biscuit Dough
You make monkey bread by cutting refrigerated biscuit dough into bite-size pieces, rolling them in cinnamon sugar, stacking them in a bundt pan and pouring a buttery brown sugar caramel over the top. It bakes at 350°F for 35 minutes and needs no yeast, no rising time and no rolling pin.
What You Need for Monkey Bread
You need two cans of refrigerated large flaky biscuit dough, 16.3 ounces each, which gives you 16 biscuits in total. The flaky layers style is the one to look for, since those biscuits pull apart into tender, buttery bites once baked.
The coating is 1 cup of granulated sugar mixed with 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon. The caramel is 1/2 cup of unsalted butter, 1 cup of packed light brown sugar, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and 1/4 teaspoon of salt.
You also need cooking spray and a 10-cup bundt pan. The bundt pan gives you the classic ring shape and the most caramel-coated surface.
Prep the Pan and the Cinnamon Sugar
Preheat the oven to 350°F and coat the inside of the bundt pan generously with cooking spray, getting into every ridge. A well-greased pan is the difference between a clean flip and a stuck mess.
Whisk the granulated sugar and cinnamon together in a large zip-top bag or a wide bowl. Set it next to the pan so you can work in an assembly line.
Cut and Coat the Dough
Cut each of the 16 biscuits into four pieces, which gives you 64 pieces of dough about the size of a large marshmallow. Kitchen scissors are faster than a knife and keep the pieces from squashing.
Drop the pieces into the cinnamon sugar in batches and shake or toss until every side is coated. Place the coated pieces into the bundt pan in loose, even layers, and do not press them down.
Make the Brown Sugar Caramel
Combine the butter and brown sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the butter melts and the mixture turns smooth and bubbly, which takes about 2 minutes.
Pull the pan off the heat and stir in the vanilla extract and salt. Pour the hot caramel evenly over the dough, making sure it reaches the pieces near the center tube.
Bake and Flip the Monkey Bread
Bake the monkey bread for 35 minutes, until the top is deep golden brown and the caramel is bubbling around the edges. If the top browns too quickly, tent it loosely with foil after 25 minutes.
Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then place a serving plate upside down over the pan and flip it in one confident motion. Spoon any caramel left in the pan over the top and serve warm.
Monkey Bread Tips for a Gooey Center and Clean Release
The three things that decide whether your monkey bread turns out gooey and golden are a well-greased pan, loose layering and the 10 minute cooling window. Get those right and the rest is hard to mess up.
Why You Should Not Press the Dough Down
Packing the pieces tightly squeezes out the air gaps that let heat and caramel move through the pan. Loose layers bake through evenly and leave pockets where the caramel can pool.
If the center still looks pale or doughy when the timer ends, tent the pan with foil and bake it 5 more minutes. Pull a piece from the center to check, since the outside always looks done first.
Do Not Wait Too Long to Flip
Brown sugar caramel sets as it cools, and it acts like glue once it does. Flipping after 10 minutes keeps it fluid enough to slide out and coat the top.
If a few pieces stick, scrape them out with a spoon and press them back into place on the plate. Nobody will notice once the caramel is spooned over.
Set the Pan on a Baking Sheet
Caramel can bubble over the edge of a very full bundt pan. Setting the pan on a rimmed baking sheet catches any drips and saves you from scrubbing the oven floor.
Line the sheet with foil if you want cleanup to take even less time.
Monkey Bread Variations and Substitutions
You can change the flavor of monkey bread with a few simple swaps without changing the method or the bake time. Each of these is optional, and the recipe card keeps to the classic version.
Add Chopped Nuts
Chopped pecans or walnuts add crunch and a toasty flavor. The recipe card leaves them out, so treat 1/2 cup of chopped nuts as optional and scatter them between the layers of dough.
Toast the nuts in a dry skillet for a few minutes first if you want deeper flavor.
Swap the Spice
Replace 1/2 teaspoon of the cinnamon with ground cardamom for a warmer, slightly floral note. Pumpkin pie spice works the same way and suits fall mornings.
Finish With a Vanilla Glaze
For a bakery-style finish, whisk 1 cup of powdered sugar with 2 tablespoons of milk and drizzle it over the warm bread. The card leaves the glaze out because the caramel is already sweet, so it is purely a bonus.
Use a Different Size of Biscuit Dough
If you cannot find the large biscuits, use the same total weight of refrigerated biscuit dough, about 32.6 ounces, and cut the pieces to roughly the same bite size. Check for doneness a few minutes before the 35 minute mark in case smaller biscuits bake faster.
How to Store, Make Ahead and Freeze Monkey Bread
Cover leftover monkey bread and refrigerate it within 2 hours of baking, where it keeps for up to 4 days. That follows the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service guidance to refrigerate perishable leftovers promptly and eat them within 3 to 4 days.
Reheat Monkey Bread
Warm single portions in the microwave for 15 to 20 seconds until the caramel softens again. To reheat the whole ring, cover it with foil and warm it in a 350°F oven for 10 minutes.
Freeze Monkey Bread
Wrap the cooled bread tightly in plastic wrap and then foil, and freeze it for up to 2 months for the best quality. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat it with the method above.
Plan Ahead for a Crowd
The easiest way to get ahead is to bake the monkey bread, refrigerate it and rewarm it on the day you serve it. It is at its gooiest straight from the oven, so reheating is a fair second best.
What Is Monkey Bread and Where Did It Come From?
Monkey bread is a sweet pull-apart bread made from pieces of dough coated in butter and cinnamon sugar and baked together in a tube or bundt pan. Every piece tears off by hand, which is why it is a favorite for brunch tables and holiday mornings.
Where the Recipe Started
The exact origins are debated, and food writers often point to Hungarian aranygaluska, a dessert of golden dumplings, as a close relative. Versions made with canned biscuit dough became popular in American home kitchens through community cookbooks and recipe cards.
How It Got Its Name
Several explanations for the name circulate, including the idea that people pick at the pieces the way monkeys would. The bread also goes by pull-apart bread and bubble bread, and none of the name stories has been confirmed.
Ready to bake? Use the recipe card below for the exact ingredients, measurements and steps.
Easy Monkey Bread
Soft biscuit dough pieces rolled in cinnamon sugar and baked in a buttery brown sugar caramel for an easy pull-apart treat.
Ingredients
- 2 cans (16.3 ounces each) refrigerated large flaky biscuit dough (16 biscuits total)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Cooking spray, for the pan
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and coat a 10-cup bundt pan generously with cooking spray.
- Whisk the granulated sugar and cinnamon together in a large zip-top bag or wide bowl.
- Cut each of the 16 biscuits into four pieces, for 64 pieces in total.
- Toss the dough pieces in the cinnamon sugar in batches until fully coated, then place them in the bundt pan in loose, even layers without pressing down.
- Combine the butter and brown sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat and stir until melted, smooth and bubbly, about 2 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the heat, stir in the vanilla extract and salt, then pour the caramel evenly over the dough.
- Bake for 35 minutes, until deep golden brown and bubbling at the edges, tenting loosely with foil after 25 minutes if the top browns too quickly.
- Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, invert onto a serving plate, spoon over any caramel left in the pan and serve warm.
Notes
Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Freeze wrapped tightly for up to 2 months and thaw overnight in the refrigerator. To reheat, microwave single portions for 15 to 20 seconds or warm the whole ring covered with foil in a 350°F oven for 10 minutes. If the center looks doughy at 35 minutes, tent with foil and bake 5 more minutes. Chopped pecans or walnuts (1/2 cup) are optional and can be scattered between the layers.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1 slice (about 5 or 6 pieces)Amount Per Serving: Calories: 430Total Fat: 18gSaturated Fat: 9gSodium: 780mgCarbohydrates: 64gFiber: 1gSugar: 36gProtein: 5g
Monkey Bread FAQ
Can you make monkey bread without a bundt pan?
Yes, but the card is written for a 10-cup bundt pan. A 9×13-inch baking dish bakes it as a flatter pan of bites, so start checking for doneness a few minutes early.
Why is my monkey bread doughy in the middle?
The pieces were most likely packed too tightly, or the bread needs a few more minutes. Tent it with foil and bake it 5 more minutes, then check a piece from the center.
Can you use homemade dough for monkey bread?
You can, but the card is built for refrigerated biscuit dough. A yeasted dough needs time to rise and a different bake time, so expect to adjust.
How many people does this monkey bread serve?
The recipe makes 12 servings. Each serving is about five or six pieces of dough with a generous spoonful of caramel.
Can you make monkey bread ahead of time?
The best approach is to bake it, refrigerate it for up to 4 days and rewarm portions in the microwave or the whole ring in a 350°F oven. Freezing works too, for up to 2 months.
Why This Monkey Bread Recipe Works
Refrigerated biscuit dough already has its leavening and flaky layers built in, so the bread bakes up tender without any rising time. Cutting each biscuit into four pieces multiplies the surface area, which means more cinnamon sugar in every bite.
The caramel is poured over the dough before it goes into the oven, so it runs down through the gaps while the bread bakes. Stirring the butter and brown sugar over medium heat until bubbly dissolves the sugar, which keeps the caramel smooth instead of grainy.
A small amount of salt balances the sweetness, and the 10 minute rest in the pan lets the caramel thicken just enough to cling to the bread when you flip it.
Loose layering matters just as much as the ingredients. Leaving the pieces unpressed gives the caramel room to travel and gives the heat room to cook the center, which is why the bread comes out soft instead of dense.
The whole method uses one bag, one saucepan and one pan, so there is very little to wash up. That simplicity is why monkey bread works for a busy morning as well as a holiday table.
Make This Monkey Bread Tonight
This monkey bread is the easiest way to turn two cans of biscuit dough into a warm, gooey centerpiece for breakfast, brunch or dessert. You only need a bundt pan, a saucepan and about an hour.
Scroll up to the recipe card, gather your ingredients and bake a pan today. If you make it, leave a star rating and a comment to tell us how it turned out.
Serve it warm for breakfast with hot coffee, set it out at a brunch next to fresh fruit, or bring it to a potluck where it will disappear before the main dishes do. Everyone tears off their own pieces, so there is no slicing and no fuss.
If you have leftovers, refrigerate them and rewarm a portion the next morning. Then pin this monkey bread recipe so you can find it the next time a cinnamon sugar craving hits.
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