Easy Monkey Bread Recipe
This Monkey Bread recipe is the ultimate gooey, buttery, pull-apart delight, perfected with expert-tested techniques, ready in just over 60 minutes! Using canned biscuits keeps this recipe quick and easy while rolling the dough into balls, and a few key ingredients elevate the flavor and texture of this decadently sticky treat.
Servings 8 servings
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 tablespoons butter for greasing
- 2 16 oz. packages refrigerated biscuit dough (I use Pillsbury Grand's Buttermilk Biscuits-do NOT use the flake ones-see Notes)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon cardamom
- 1 cup chopped pecans (optional)
- 16 tablespoons unsalted butter (or salted and omit the salt)
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Grease the Pan: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Heavily grease a 12-cup capacity Bundt pan (this is the exact pan I use) with softened butter using a pastry brush. (Use a crumpled piece of wax or parchment paper if you don’t have a brush). Be sure to cover all the nooks and crannies, or the caramel can stick! Sprinkle the bottom of the pan with ½ cup of pecans and set aside.
- Prep the Biscuits: Cut each biscuit into 4 quarters (I use a pizza wheel for ease), then roll each quarter into a ball. Forming balls is optional but makes the pieces fluffier-and prettier!
- Coating and Layering: Whisk the granulated sugar, cinnamon, and cardamom in a freezer-size plastic bag. Working with about 12 balls at a time, add them to the bag and shake to evenly coat. Line the coated dough balls in the Bundt pan, adding pecans in between the layers. Be sure to offset the balls so they aren't stacked directly on top of each other. Don’t discard the leftover Cinnamon-Sugar Mixture.
- Caramel-Like Sauce: In a small saucepan, add HALF CUP of the remaining Cinnamon-Sugar Mixture, the brown sugar, butter, and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the butter melts and the mixture comes to a boil. Once boiling, remove the pan from the heat immediately. Stir in the vanilla and continue stirring until the sugars have fully dissolved.
- Drizzle the Sauce: Evenly pour the Caramel Sauce over the dough balls in the pan, stopping occasionally to shake and tilt the pan to ensure the sauce is evenly distributed and reaches the bottom of the pan.
- Bake in the center of the oven at 350°F for 30-35 minutes until the dough is cooked through. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the biscuits should read 190°F to 200°F.
- Cool and Invert: Let the bread cool for 10 minutes before inverting it onto a large plate to remove it from the pan. If there is any sauce left in the bottom of the pan, use a pastry brush or spoon to brush it over the top of the monkey bread. Best served warm.
Notes
Biscuits: There are two types of Pillsbury buttermilk biscuits—one that boasts "flaky layers" and a traditional one that sometimes describes itself as "fluffy." Please do NOT use the flaky layers biscuits; they won’t hold together as well.