Description
This easy Monkey Bread recipe features soft, fluffy biscuit dough coated in a spiced cinnamon-sugar mixture and drenched in a buttery caramel sauce. Perfect for breakfast or brunch, this pull-apart bread is simple to prepare and delightfully sweet with a hint of cardamom, making it a crowd-pleaser for any occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Dough and Coating
- 2 16 oz. packages refrigerated biscuit dough (use Pillsbury Grand's Buttermilk Biscuits, not the flaky ones)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon cardamom
- 1 cup chopped pecans (optional)
For Greasing and Sauce
- 1 1/2 tablespoons butter for greasing the pan
- 16 tablespoons unsalted butter (or salted, omit salt)
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Grease the Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Generously grease a 12-cup Bundt pan with softened butter using a pastry brush, or a crumpled piece of wax or parchment paper. Make sure to cover every nook and cranny to prevent sticking. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of pecans evenly on the bottom of the pan and set aside.
- Prep the Biscuits: Cut each biscuit into four quarters using a pizza wheel or knife. Roll each quarter into a ball to create fluffier and more attractive pieces, though this is optional.
- Coating and Layering: In a freezer-size plastic bag, whisk together the granulated sugar, cinnamon, and cardamom. Working in batches of about 12 balls, place the dough balls inside the bag and shake to coat evenly. Line the coated dough balls in the Bundt pan, layering pecans between the layers. Offset the balls to avoid stacking directly on top of each other. Save the leftover cinnamon-sugar mixture for the sauce.
- Caramel-Like Sauce: In a small saucepan, combine 1/2 cup of the reserved cinnamon-sugar mixture, brown sugar, butter, and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until butter melts and the mixture boils. Immediately remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract. Continue stirring until sugars dissolve fully.
- Drizzle the Sauce: Pour the caramel sauce evenly over the dough balls in the pan. Pause occasionally to tilt and shake the pan gently, ensuring sauce reaches the pan’s bottom and coats all pieces.
- Bake: Place the Bundt pan in the center of the oven and bake at 350°F for 35 minutes until the dough is cooked through. Check doneness with an instant-read thermometer inserted into the biscuits—it should read between 190°F and 200°F.
- Cool and Invert: Allow the monkey bread to cool for 10 minutes in the pan. Then invert it onto a large plate to remove from the pan. Use a pastry brush or spoon to spread any remaining caramel sauce from the bottom of the pan over the top. Serve warm for the best experience.
Notes
- Use Pillsbury Grand's traditional buttermilk biscuits for the best texture; avoid the flaky layer variety as they won’t hold together well.
- You can omit pecans if you prefer a nut-free version, or substitute with walnuts for a different flavor.
- Rolling biscuit quarters into balls is optional but helps create fluffier and more uniform pieces.
- For a less sweet variation, reduce the amount of brown sugar in the caramel sauce.
- Be careful not to overbake; the bread should be fully cooked but still soft and pull-apart textured.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 22 g
- Sodium: 300 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 42 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg
