Monkey Bread Recipe from Scratch (Soft & Gooey)

This monkey bread recipe starts with a soft, enriched yeast dough—not canned biscuits—then turns it into pull-apart bites coated in cinnamon sugar and a buttery brown-sugar sauce. The outside bakes golden while the center stays tender. It takes longer than a shortcut version, but most of the time is hands-off while the dough rises.

If you have only made monkey bread with refrigerated biscuits, this monkey bread recipe gives you a softer, more bread-like bite and warm homemade flavor. You can knead by hand or use a mixer; the main cues are a smooth, slightly tacky dough and a fully baked center. For this monkey bread recipe, allow time for two rises; most of the work is shaping the small dough balls.

Why the dough stays soft

The dough in this monkey bread recipe is enriched with milk, eggs, and butter, which help the small pieces bake up tender. Rolling each piece in cinnamon sugar adds flavor between the layers, while a modest amount of brown-sugar sauce seeps into the gaps without flooding the pan.

This monkey bread recipe relies on two visual cues: dough that has expanded during its rises and a deeply golden top after baking. Because the Bundt pan hides the center, color alone can be misleading. An instant-read thermometer gives you a more dependable doneness check and helps prevent a gummy middle.

Ingredients that matter

For this monkey bread recipe, measure the flour and coating ingredients before mixing so you can work steadily once the dough is ready.

• Whole milk: Warm it to about 105–110°F before adding yeast. Hot milk can damage the yeast; cool milk simply slows it down.
• Yeast: Instant yeast can go in with the dry ingredients. If using active dry yeast, bloom it in the warm milk with a little of the measured sugar first.
• Eggs and butter: These enrich the dough and contribute to a soft, tender pull-apart texture.
• All-purpose flour: Weigh it if possible. If measuring by cups, spoon flour into the cup and level it; packing it can make the dough stiff.
• Cinnamon sugar and brown sugar: The cinnamon-sugar coating flavors each dough ball. Brown sugar and butter make the thin sauce that caramelizes around the pieces.

For this monkey bread recipe, flour is the 100% base in the dough. The percentages below show how the other ingredients compare by weight.

How to make it from scratch

This monkey bread recipe is easiest to manage when the ingredients, pan, and coating are ready before you begin shaping.

• Mix the dough. Stir together the warm milk, yeast, sugar, eggs, melted butter, salt, and most of the flour. For this monkey bread recipe, add the reserved flour gradually so the dough stays soft instead of dry.
• Knead until smooth. Knead by hand or with a dough hook until the dough is elastic and slightly tacky. If it clings heavily to your hands, add flour a spoonful at a time; a little tackiness is better than a stiff dough.
• Let the dough rise. Cover the bowl and leave it in a warm place until the dough has roughly doubled. The first rise for this monkey bread recipe may take longer in a cool kitchen, so use the dough’s size—not the timer alone—as your cue.

• Shape and coat. Gently deflate the dough and divide it into about 40 similar-sized pieces. Roll each into a ball, dip it in melted butter, then coat it in cinnamon sugar. Similar-sized pieces help this monkey bread recipe bake evenly.
• Arrange and add the sauce. Place the coated balls in a generously greased 10- to 12-cup Bundt pan, leaving some room for expansion. This pan size gives the monkey bread recipe room to rise without crowding the center. Set the pan on a rimmed baking sheet in case the sauce bubbles over. Drizzle the warm brown-sugar sauce over the dough.
• Let it puff again. Cover the pan and let the pieces rise until visibly puffy. They do not need to double a second time. This monkey bread recipe uses a second rise so the dough bakes into connected, easy-to-pull-apart layers.
• Bake and check the center. Bake at 350°F until the top is deep golden and the center reaches about 190°F. For this monkey bread recipe, use an instant-read thermometer because the Bundt pan hides the center. If the top browns before the center is ready, tent it loosely with foil and continue baking.
• Rest, then invert. Let the pan stand for about 10 minutes, then carefully turn the bread onto a serving plate while the sauce is still warm. Waiting too long can make the caramel stick to the pan.

If cinnamon-sugar bakes are your favorite, try our cinnamon-sugar pretzels. For another homemade loaf, see our banana bread with yogurt.

Troubleshooting

If this monkey bread recipe is not rising, baking, or releasing as expected, check these common causes before changing the ingredient amounts.

• The dough barely rises: Check that the milk was warm rather than hot and that the yeast is fresh. Give the dough more time in a warmer spot instead of adding extra yeast mid-rise.
• The dough feels stiff: Too much flour is a common cause. Knead in a teaspoon of milk at a time until the dough softens; avoid adding flour just because the surface feels slightly tacky.
• The center is doughy: If your monkey bread recipe is golden on top but the center needs more time, tent the pan loosely with foil and keep baking. Check the center with an instant-read thermometer rather than relying on the crust color.
• The bread sticks to the pan: Grease every ridge and the center tube well. Rest the pan briefly, then invert while the sauce is warm so the caramel can release.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use active dry yeast?

Yes. For this monkey bread recipe, dissolve active dry yeast in the warm milk with a teaspoon of the measured sugar and wait until foamy; instant yeast can be mixed directly with the flour. Active dry yeast may rise more slowly, so follow the dough’s size cues, especially in a cool kitchen.

How do I know when it is done?

For this monkey bread recipe, the top should be deeply golden, and the center should reach about 190–195°F on an instant-read thermometer. If the top darkens first, tent the pan loosely with foil and continue baking until the center reaches temperature.

Can I bake it without a Bundt pan?

A Bundt pan gives this monkey bread recipe the most reliable shape and bake. Another pan changes how deeply the dough is packed and how quickly the center cooks, so do not assume the same baking time; check the center temperature.

Is monkey bread breakfast or dessert?

Both. It is often served warm for brunch, but the cinnamon, butter, and brown-sugar flavors also make it a shareable dessert. For another cozy sweet, try our apple crisp without oats.

How should I store and reheat leftovers?

Let leftovers cool, then cover and refrigerate. To reheat this monkey bread recipe, warm individual pieces briefly in the microwave, or cover a larger portion loosely with foil and warm it in a low oven until soft.

Monkey Bread from Scratch

Soft yeast-dough bites coated in cinnamon sugar and baked with a buttery brown-sugar sauce; finish with optional vanilla glaze.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

1 hour hr 55 minutes mins

Total Time 3 hours hrs 5 minutes mins

Servings: 8

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Calories: 560

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

Dough

• 3/4 cup whole milk 180 g, warmed to 105–110°F (40–43°C)
• 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast 7 g; active dry yeast may be substituted and bloomed in the warm milk with 1 teaspoon of the measured sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar 50 g
• 2 large eggs room temperature
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter 57 g, melted and cooled
• 1 teaspoon fine salt 5 g
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 420 g, spooned and leveled; hold back 2–4 tablespoons from this amount to adjust the dough

 Cinnamon-sugar coating

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter 85 g, melted
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar 100 g
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Brown-sugar sauce

• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar 100 g
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter 57 g
• 1 tablespoon whole milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Optional vanilla glaze

• 1/2 cup powdered sugar 60 g
• 1 tablespoon whole milk plus more as needed
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Equipment

• 1 10- to 12-cup Bundt pan Grease all ridges and the center tube well
• 1 Rimmed baking sheet Place under the Bundt pan to catch any bubbling sauce
• 1 Stand mixer with dough hook or large bowl and sturdy spoon Mixer is optional; the dough can be kneaded by hand
• 1 Digital Kitchen Scale Best for measuring flour and dividing even dough pieces
• 1 set Measuring cups and spoons For ingredients not weighed
• 2 Mixing Bowls One for the dough, one for cinnamon sugar
• 1 Small saucepan Melt the brown-sugar sauce
• 1 Instant-read thermometer Check the center of the bread for doneness
• 1 Serving plate or cake stand Invert the warm monkey bread onto it
• 1 Whisk, Stir the sauce and optional glaze

Method

 

1. Generously grease a 10- to 12-cup Bundt pan, including the center tube. Set it on a rimmed baking sheet. Measure the ingredients before starting.
2. Warm the milk to 105–110°F (40–43°C). If using active dry yeast, stir it into the warm milk with 1 teaspoon of the measured sugar and let stand until foamy, about 5–10 minutes. If using instant yeast, mix it with the flour instead.
3. Add the remaining sugar, eggs, melted and cooled butter, salt, and most of the flour. Mix until a shaggy dough forms. Knead with a dough hook for about 6–8 minutes or by hand for about 8–10 minutes, adding the reserved flour a little at a time only if the dough is very sticky. The dough should be smooth, soft, and slightly tacky.
4. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, turn once to coat, and cover. Let rise in a warm place until roughly doubled, about 60–90 minutes. Follow the dough’s size rather than the clock.
5. Stir the granulated sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl. Melt the coating butter. Gently deflate the risen dough and divide it into about 40 similar-sized pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, dip it in melted butter, and coat it in cinnamon sugar. Arrange the balls in the prepared Bundt pan, leaving a little room for expansion.
6. Cover the pan and let the dough balls rise until visibly puffy, about 25–40 minutes. They do not need to double a second time.
7. Near the end of the second rise, heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). In a small saucepan, warm the brown sugar, butter, milk, and vanilla over low heat, stirring until smooth. Do not boil. Drizzle the warm sauce evenly over the puffy dough balls just before baking.
8. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for about 35–40 minutes. If the top browns before the center is ready, tent it loosely with foil. Check the center with an instant-read thermometer; the provisional target is 190–195°F (88–91°C).
9. Rest the pan for about 10 minutes. Carefully invert the monkey bread onto a serving plate while the sauce is still warm. For the optional glaze, whisk the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until pourable, adding milk a little at a time. Drizzle over the warm bread and serve.

Notes

Dough texture: The dough should be smooth, soft, and slightly tacky after kneading. Hold back 2–4 tablespoons of the measured flour and add only as needed; adding too much can make the bread dry.

Yeast: The base formula uses instant yeast. If substituting active dry yeast, dissolve it in the warm milk with 1 teaspoon of the measured sugar and wait until foamy before mixing the dough.

Shaping: Divide the dough into about 40 similar-sized pieces. A scale helps keep the pieces even so the center and outside bake at a similar rate.

Pan and sauce: Use a well-greased 10- to 12-cup Bundt pan and place it on a rimmed baking sheet. Let the shaped dough become puffy before adding the warm brown-sugar sauce immediately before baking.

Doneness: Check the center with an instant-read thermometer; the provisional target is 190–195°F (88–91°C). If the top browns too quickly, tent it loosely with foil.

Serving: Rest the bread in the pan for about 10 minutes, then invert while the sauce is warm. The optional vanilla glaze is not included in the base dough or coating.

Storage: Cool leftovers, cover, and refrigerate. Rewarm individual portions briefly in the microwave or warm a larger portion, covered with foil, in a low oven. Confirm the best storage duration after testing.