My old fashioned monkey bread is made with canned buttermilk biscuits tossed in cinnamon sugar, piled into a Bundt pan and baked in a buttery brown sugar sauce. It's the same sticky, pull-apart treat that became a hit in the 1960s, with just 5 ingredients and no dough to make. It goes into the oven in about 15 minutes, and you can even put it together the night before.
If you love baking in a Bundt pan, try my 25+ classic Bundt cake recipes, and find more old favorites in my 25 classic recipes from Grandma's cookbook.
What to Know About Old Fashioned Monkey Bread
- Just 5 ingredients - canned biscuits, sugar, cinnamon, butter and brown sugar. No yeast, no rising time and no dough to roll out.
- Regular biscuits, not Grands: the smaller biscuits bake all the way through, so there's no doughy middle. I use three 8-ounce cans of regular buttermilk biscuits.
- A cooked butter sauce - the butter, brown sugar and a little cinnamon sugar warm on the stove until they bubble, so the sauce bakes into a sticky caramel coating.
- Bakes at 350°F for about 30 minutes in a 12-cup Bundt pan, until the center reaches 190°F. It serves 12.
- Make it the night before: assemble it, cover and refrigerate, then bake in the morning with a few extra minutes.
Ingredients for Easy Monkey Bread
- Refrigerated buttermilk biscuits - three 8-ounce cans (24 ounces total). Can sizes vary by brand, so check the weight, and skip the jumbo Grands.
- Granulated sugar and cinnamon: this is the coating for every biscuit piece. Pumpkin pie spice works in place of the cinnamon for a fall version.
- Butter - the base of the gooey sauce.
- Light brown sugar: packed, for a deep caramel flavor that soaks into the biscuits.
Full amounts are in the recipe card below.
How to Make Monkey Bread with Canned Biscuits
Step 1: Prep the pan
Preheat your oven to 350°F and generously grease a 12-cup Bundt pan with butter. Get into every groove so the bread turns out cleanly.
Step 2: Cut and coat the biscuits
Cut each biscuit into 4 pieces. Toss them in the cinnamon sugar in a large bowl or zip-top bag until every piece is coated, then layer them in the pan. Save the leftover cinnamon sugar for the sauce.
Step 3: Make the butter sauce
Warm the butter, brown sugar and ½ cup of the leftover cinnamon sugar in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until the butter melts and it just begins to bubble. Take it off the heat and stir until the sugars dissolve.
Step 4: Pour and bake
Pour the warm sauce evenly over the biscuits. Bake for about 30 minutes, until golden brown and the center reaches 190°F. If the top browns too fast, cover it loosely with foil.
Step 5: Rest and flip
Let the monkey bread rest in the pan for 5 minutes, then carefully flip it onto a large serving plate. Serve it warm.
Grandma's Tips for the Best Old Fashioned Monkey Bread
- Grease every groove. The sugar sticks anywhere the butter missed.
- Shake, don't stir. A zip-top bag coats the pieces evenly without squishing them.
- Flip it at 5 minutes. The caramel is still loose enough to let go of the pan. Wait much longer and it sets and sticks.
- Trust a thermometer. A golden top doesn't always mean the middle is done. 190°F in the center means no doughy spots.
- Scrape the pan. Spoon any caramel left behind over the top.
How to Make Ahead and Store Monkey Bread
- Make ahead: Assemble it the night before, cover and refrigerate. Bake it the next morning, adding a few extra minutes.
- Store: Keep leftover monkey bread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerate it for up to 5 days.
- Freeze: Wrap individual portions tightly and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
- Reheat: Microwave individual servings for 15 to 20 seconds, until warm and gooey. For larger portions, cover with foil and warm in a 300°F oven for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Best served warm: Monkey bread tastes best fresh from the oven, while the buttery cinnamon-sugar coating is soft and sticky.
Modern Updates
- Pumpkin spice - swap pumpkin pie spice for the cinnamon for a cozy fall version.
- Add pecans: sprinkle chopped pecans in the bottom of the pan before the biscuits.
- Cream cheese glaze - drizzle a simple cream cheese glaze over the warm bread.
What to Serve With Monkey Bread
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Old fashioned monkey bread fits right into a holiday morning spread. Set it out with slices of honey roast ham, a plate of classic deviled eggs and a stack of easy pumpkin pancakes. For a Christmas brunch, a bowl of one of my vintage holiday punch recipes makes it feel like a party.
FAQs
Why is it called monkey bread?
Nobody knows for sure. One popular theory is that you pick the pieces off with your fingers, like a monkey would. Another is that the bumpy clusters look like the fruit of the monkey puzzle tree.
Is monkey bread a breakfast or a dessert?
Both. It's most often served for breakfast or brunch, especially on holiday mornings, but a warm plate of it after dinner works just as well.
How long does monkey bread take from start to finish?
About 50 minutes. That's 15 minutes to cut and coat the biscuits, 30 minutes in the oven and a 5-minute rest before you flip it.
How do you eat monkey bread?
With your fingers. Pull off the pieces instead of slicing it, and grab a napkin for the caramel.
More Vintage Desserts
- Red Velvet Bundt Cake
- Peach Dump Cake with Canned Peaches
- Old-Fashioned Christmas Cookies
- Vintage Cakes
- Old-Fashioned Pumpkin Pie
- 25 Classic Recipes from Old Church Cookbooks
Easy Pull Apart Monkey Bread
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat the oven. Preheat to 350°F and generously grease a 12-cup Bundt pan with butter.
- Coat the biscuits. Cut each biscuit into 4 pieces. Combine the granulated sugar and cinnamon in a large bowl or zip-top bag. Toss the biscuit pieces until evenly coated, then arrange them in the prepared Bundt pan.
- Make the butter sauce. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the butter, brown sugar, and ½ cup of the remaining cinnamon-sugar mixture. Heat until the butter melts and the mixture just begins to bubble. Remove from the heat and stir until the sugars dissolve.
- Add the sauce. Pour the warm butter mixture evenly over the biscuit pieces.
- Bake. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through. If the top browns too quickly, loosely cover with foil.
- Cool and serve. Let the monkey bread rest in the pan for 5 minutes, then carefully invert onto a large serving plate. Serve warm.
Notes
- Biscuit dough: Use regular-size refrigerated buttermilk biscuits, not jumbo or Grands biscuits. I used three 8-ounce cans (24 ounces total). Biscuit package sizes vary by brand, so check the total weight before starting.
- Cinnamon sugar: Use ½ cup of the remaining cinnamon-sugar mixture in the butter sauce. Discard any extra.
- Check for doneness: Baking times vary by oven and pan. For best results, check that the center reaches 190°F with an instant-read thermometer so the biscuits aren't doughy.
- Make ahead: Assemble the monkey bread the night before, cover, and refrigerate. Bake the next morning, adding a few extra minutes if needed.
- Easy variation: Substitute pumpkin pie spice for cinnamon for a fall-inspired version.
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