Homemade Monkey Bread from Scratch
Monkey bread is one of those recipes everyone gathers around for! Soft, buttery dough is rolled in cinnamon sugar, baked until perfectly golden, and finished with a sweet vanilla glaze. Pull it apart while it’s still warm, and watch it disappear in minutes.
Monkey bread is my go-to when I’m hosting a special brunch, whether it’s Mother’s Day, Easter, or Christmas morning. It’s got all the cozy flavor of cinnamon rolls, that same buttery cinnamon-sugar combo, minus the fuss of rolling out dough. Here you’re rolling little dough balls in cinnamon sugar and butter, then piling them into a bundt pan to bake into one big, gooey, pull-apart loaf. This version is made completely from scratch with a simple yeasted dough, and it’s finished with a warm vanilla glaze drizzled right on top.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- No special skills required. Pinch, roll, and dunk! There’s no shaping, braiding, or cutting individual rolls involved.
- A showstopper straight from the pan. Baked in a bundt pan, it comes out golden and ready to serve with zero decorating needed.
- Caramelized, gooey edges. The brown sugar coating melts into every nook of the pan, so every piece gets sticky, caramelized edges.
- Meant for sharing. Everyone tears off their own piece, making it as fun to eat as it is to watch disappear.
Ingredient Notes
- Instant yeast: Instant yeast can be mixed right in with the other ingredients, so there’s no need to proof it first. Make sure your milk is warm, not hot, to help the dough rise properly.
- Milk, egg & butter: Using warm milk and a room temperature egg helps the dough come together smoothly and rise more evenly.
- All-purpose flour: Creates a tender homemade dough that bakes up light and fluffy. Skip the canned biscuit dough for a texture that’s softer and more bakery-style.
- Brown sugar & cinnamon: This classic combination coats every piece of dough, creating the gooey, caramelized layers that make monkey bread so irresistible.
- Butter: Every dough ball gets dipped in melted butter before being rolled in the cinnamon sugar. This helps the coating stick and creates rich, buttery flavor throughout.
- Vanilla glaze: A simple glaze made with powdered sugar, milk (or cream), and vanilla adds the perfect sweet finishing touch while the bread is still warm.
Refer to the recipe card for the full list of ingredients and measurements.
Recipe Variations
Add chopped pecans or walnuts. Sprinkle chopped nuts between the dough layers for extra crunch and flavor.
Mix in raisins. Add a handful of raisins with the dough balls for a cinnamon raisin twist.
Try a maple glaze. Replace the vanilla in the glaze with maple extract or drizzle with maple icing for a cozy fall version.
Chocolate chips. Tuck mini chocolate chips between the dough balls before baking for extra decadence.
How to Make Homemade Monkey Bread
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together warm milk, egg, sugar, melted butter, vanilla and yeast together.
- Whisk in 1 cup flour.
- Attach the dough hook to the stand mixer and add remaining 2 1/2 cups flour and salt. Knead the dough until it forms a ball. If the dough is sticking to the sides of the bowl, add more flour, 1 Tablespoon at a time.
- Cover and let the dough rise in a warm place for 1 to 2 hours, or until doubled in size. Meanwhile, generously grease a Bundt pan. Punch down the dough, divide it into 4 pieces, then pinch off and roll each piece into about 12 small balls (48 total).
- In a small bowl, whisk together the brown sugar and cinnamon.
- Dip each dough ball in melted butter.
- Then, roll in the cinnamon sugar until coated.
- Transfer to the prepared bundt pan. Repeat with remaining dough balls, tucking them in close to one another. Cover the pan and let the dough rise for 45 to 60 minutes, or until doubled. Bake until golden brown. Cool in the pan, then invert onto a wire rack. Make the glaze and drizzle over the warm monkey bread and serve.
Expert Tips
Measure the flour carefully. For the most accurate results, use a kitchen scale. If measuring by cups, spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level it off. Too much flour can make the dough dense instead of soft and fluffy.
Keep the dough balls small. Bite-sized pieces create more buttery, cinnamon-sugar layers and make the bread easier to pull apart.
Don’t rush the rise. Let the dough double in size before moving on. This gives you the light, pillowy texture that makes homemade monkey bread so good.
Don’t leave it in the pan too long. Invert the bread after about 5 minutes. If it cools too much in the pan, the sticky sugar can harden and make it difficult to remove.
Glaze while it’s still warm. The warm bread helps the glaze melt into the cracks for even more flavor in every bite.
Storage Tips
At room temperature. Store monkey bread tightly covered or in an airtight container for up to 2 days. It’s best enjoyed fresh, but it stays soft for a couple of days.
Refrigerator. For longer storage, refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Let it come to room temperature or warm it slightly before serving.
Freezer. Freeze individual pieces or the whole loaf (without the glaze, if possible) for up to 3 months. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and then foil or place in a freezer-safe container.
To reheat. Warm individual pieces in the microwave for 15–20 seconds or heat larger portions in a 300°F oven for about 10 minutes until warmed through.
Recipe FAQ
Yes! Monkey bread is a great make-ahead breakfast. Assemble it in the Bundt pan, cover tightly, and refrigerate overnight for up to 15 hours. Let it rise at room temperature for 1–2 hours before baking.
The most common reasons are inactive yeast, milk that was too hot or too cold, or not giving the dough enough time to rise. Make sure your yeast is fresh and allow the dough to rise in a warm, draft-free spot.
The top should be golden brown, and the center should feel set. If you have an instant-read thermometer, the internal temperature should be around 190°F.
Yes! You can use a tube pan or a 9×13-inch baking dish, though the baking time may need to be adjusted depending on the size and depth of the pan.
More Brunch Recipes You’ll Love
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Get the Recipe: Homemade Monkey Bread from Scratch
Ingredients
Dough
- 2 ½ teaspoons (12 g) instant yeast, (see notes for active dry yeast)
- 1 cup (240 ml) whole milk, warmed
- 1 (1) large egg, room temperature
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 2 Tablespoons (30 g) melted butter
- ½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) pure vanilla extract
- 3 ½ cups (437 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon (5 g) salt
Coating
- 1 ¾ cups (350 g) light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons (10 g) ground cinnamon
- ½ cup (113 g) butter, melted
Glaze
- 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar
- 2 Tablespoons (30 ml) milk or cream
- ½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) vanilla extract
Instructions
Dough
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together warm milk, egg, sugar, melted butter, vanilla and yeast together. Whisk in 1 cup flour.
- Attach the dough hook to the stand mixer and add remaining 2 1/2 cups flour and salt. Knead the dough until it forms a ball. If the dough is sticking to the sides of the bowl, add more flour, 1 Tablespoon at a time.
- Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for 1 to 2 hours or until doubled in size. Meanwhile, generously grease a bundt pan with vegetable oil and set aside.
- Punch dough down and transfer it to a lightly floured surface. Divide dough into quarters. Pinch off pieces of dough and roll into balls. Each quarter should yield about a dozen small dough balls (48 balls total).
Coating
- In a small bowl, whisk together the brown sugar and cinnamon.
- Dip each dough ball in melted butter, then roll in the cinnamon sugar until coated. Transfer to the prepared bundt pan. Repeat with remaining dough balls, tucking them in close to one another.
- Cover the pan with plastic wrap or a damp cloth. Let the dough rise for 45 to 60 minutes or until doubled in size.
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Bake monkey bread until golden brown, about 35 minutes. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes (see notes), then invert onto a wire rack set over a parchment lined baking sheet.
Glaze
- For the glaze, whisk together powdered sugar, milk and vanilla. Drizzle over the warm bread and serve.
