Introduction: [Collegiate Meals] How to Make Monkey Bread
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![[Collegiate Meals] How to Make Monkey Bread](https://content.instructables.com/FZ0/GOMY/F6B7SUCJ/FZ0GOMYF6B7SUCJ.jpg?auto=webp&fit=bounds&frame=1&height=1024&width=1024auto=webp&frame=1&height=300)
Monkey Bread - the ultimate finger licking, finger picking dessert of all time. Soft balls of dough, coated in a cinnamon sugar crust of sweet goodness. Your uncle Joe can't be accused of taking the large slice of triple decker ultra fudge chocolate cake when you're serving monkey bread. Monkey bread is self service with full service portion control.
That is, if you can resist 1 monkey bread ball.
For the record... Monkey Bread is totally better than fruit cake, but perhaps not as the traditional fruit cake bowling ball. Yeah, that would be messy.
Step 1: Ingredients
2 "tubes" of pizza dough OR biscuits*
1 Stick of Butter
Cinnamon
Sugar
You'll also need a bunt pan OR a bowl and cup that can be placed in the oven. Cinnamon/Sugar should be mixed in a ratio of 1 Tablespoon of Cinnamon per 1 cup of sugar.
*Today, I discovered you can use pizza dough. I accidentally got pizza dough instead of biscuit dough - and I'm quite satisfied with the results.
Step 2: Preparation
Preheat oven to 375
Grease bowl or bunt pan with butter
Melt the remainder in a small bowl
Combine Cinnamon/Sugar in a bowl
Step 3: Balls
Tear off small bits of dough and roll into balls. They don't need to be equal, and they don't need to be perfect. Place balls on a plate.
Once you've rolled all of your dough into dough balls, dip in butter - then dip in cinnamon sugar. It may be useful to go in small batches and be sure to use one hand for "wet" jobs and the other for "dry" tasks. This keeps your hands a little bit cleaner.
As each ball is coated, place in your pan/bowl.
If you're not using a bunt pan - simply place a cup inside a bowl (see image). This makes a pseudo bunt pan in the traditional monkey bread shape.
Step 4: Bake
Before throwing in the oven, drizzle any remaining butter on top of the dough - then sprinkle with remaining cinnamon/sugar. This will make a glaze.
Bake for about 30-45 minutes. Keep a watch on your bread. It will be done when the top starts darkening. The time may vary with the size of the dough balls.
Step 5: Demold and Serve
Once you've removed the monkey bread from the oven - allow to cool until you can keep your hand on the pan/bowl without being burned. Remove your cup (if applicable) and place a plate on top and flip over. Allow gravity to pull your bread down and remove your pan/bowl. If a few balls refuse to drop, fear not - these are victory snacks for the hungry cook.
Monkey bread is best served near napkins. Monkey bread fears large crowds, only because too much monkey bread is almost enough when it comes to feeding hordes of monkey bread loving guests.
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116 Comments
11 years ago on Introduction
Do you happen to have the amount of sugar and cinnamon you use/is needed?
13 years ago on Step 5
what is the gooyness on it at the end?
Reply 11 years ago on Step 5
well thats the glaze... you only put half of the glaze in the middle the rest goes on top
Reply 12 years ago on Step 5
That's the caramelized cinnamon sugar with butter that formed while in the oven. When you've finished putting all the coated balls of dough into the pan, you drizzle the remaining butter over the dough in the pan, and then sprinkle the rest of the cinnamon and sugar over the top.
While it's in the oven, the butter melts the sugar into the butter and makes a delicious, sticky caramelized glaze at the bottom of the pan. Once you flip the monkey bread out of the pan, that glaze is now on top of the monkey bread. It's truly the best part!
I made this for years when my husband and I were in college. It was delicious!
14 years ago on Introduction
Have you ever tried making this with the actual pillsbury cinnamon bun dough instead of the biscuit dough? Or would that be a diabetic coma waiting to happen? lol
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
or maybe actually making dough instead of just opening a can?
Reply 12 years ago on Introduction
I agree. My mother used to make them using frozen bread dough (she wasn't a complete from scratch cook) but I prefer to make my own. Any sweet dough recipe should work or even just a plain white dough. When all the dough balls are made and in the pan, sprinkle with the remainder of the sugar/cinnamon mix then pour over whatever butter you have left. Paula Deen would be proud.
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
I've tried it... and frankly, it's not as tasty as I'd like... it's just no gooey enough...
12 years ago on Introduction
I. NEED. THIS. NOW. *Shoves fiancé out of the door to go shop the ingredients and continues drooling*
At first it looked only mushy and gooey pile of weirdness, then I read what's in it and I now have a serious craving for this. I got to try this out!
12 years ago on Introduction
You can also bake this in a regular cake pan, or loaf pan, glass or metal, round or square or oblong. Just watch it.
12 years ago on Introduction
Another addition to this is to add Instant Butterscotch Pudding as you put the sugar/cinnamon balls in the bundt pan. Take small box of the dry instant pudding mix and sprinkle it over each layer of the balls as you build them up in the pan. You want extra gooey. You'll have it It is AWESOME!!!!!
Reply 12 years ago on Introduction
Butterscotch, I like it :)
13 years ago on Introduction
I know this recipe by a name I have forgotten. My version is worlds more awesome though. I use a peanut butter bread dough I make from a book called "Electric Bread" I use a TON of honey as well as clarified butter, Saigon cinnamon and enough white sugar to kill all diabetics within 10 miles. The dough is the secret, I forget the exact recipe, but it doesn't taste as good when made into its intended use....a little bland, I'll maybe post an 'ible when I get back home, who knows, maybe even make my version of this sugar coma inducing pile of awesome:D Thanks for reminding me of this wonderful desert.
13 years ago on Step 5
Definitely gotta make this for my family. They buy the stuff from a bakery out of town. But I bet they'd love it if I made some. Hehe.
14 years ago on Introduction
Any idea how/how long to store them?
14 years ago on Introduction
Props on the recipe.
Another variation that we do is to separate the pre-formed biscuits, coat with sugar/cinnamon and then insert into bundt pan on their edge. Glaze with butter. Then, you get monkey bread slices, which are awesome for breakfast. =D
I think that all of us college people should get a group going for our recipes!
Cory
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
Then, you get monkey bread slices, which are awesome for breakfast. =D
Totally breakfast tomorrow - sounds awesome :p
14 years ago on Introduction
I LOVE MONKEY BREAD! Until I made it for my friends they thought i was crazy. But after I made it All those around (who partook of the glorious Monkey Bread) instantly be came my mindless love drones. p.s. You are only the second person (outside of family) I have heard, that has called it Monkey Bread Also you can quarter any cheap canned biscuit. (saves time on the rolling)
14 years ago on Introduction
I didn't realize those Pillsbury tubes were pressurized. I shat cinder blocks when I opened it. I'm still shaky.
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
hahaa