Monkey Bread Recipe – With A Surprise Stuffed Inside! (2024)

FAQs

How to tell when monkey bread is done? ›

Pour the warm caramel over the dough immediately before baking. The monkey bread needs 40 to 45 minutes in the oven, or until the top of the bread looks crispy with caramelized sugar and is golden brown.

Monkey bread is a sweet, gooey Bundt cake made from balls of dough rolled in cinnamon sugar. Arrange the dough balls in a Bundt pan, then top it all with a buttery brown sugar sauce before baking. Invert it onto a serving plate, then drizzle with creamy vanilla icing.

I bake mine in one of the best Bundt pans, but a tube pan works, too. You could even bake it in a muffin tin for individual monkey bread "muffins." Wouldn't that be cute?! Just be sure to adjust the baking time.

During the 1980s, Nancy Reagan popularized serving monkey bread during Christmas by making it a staple of the Reagan White House Christmas.

Inserting a toothpick into the center of a baked good is a tried and true method to test for doneness. If the toothpick comes out clean, your bread is likely fully baked. It needs a bit more time if it comes out wet with dough or crumbs.

Your monkey bread may still be doughy if it wasn't baked for long enough, if the oven temperature was too low, or if the dough wasn't fully cooked before serving.

If you somehow end up with leftovers, save them for later! This Grands!™ Monkey Bread can be stored, tightly covered, on the counter for 1–2 days. To keep it fresh for 3–4 days, pop it into the fridge. And if you want to put a treat aside for future you, you can freeze monkey bread for up to two months.

Also known as Hungarian Coffee Cake, Bubble Loaf, and, my favorite, Pinch Me Cake, the term Monkey Bread didn't start popping up until the 1950's in various women's magazines.

Can you bake a Bundt cake in a 13×9 pan? Yes—but don't overfill the pan. Be sure to leave about 1/2″ to 1/4″ of space at the top to give the cake room to grow. You'll also need to adjust your baking time.

Can you reheat monkey bread? ›

Carefully lift up the Bundt pan (it will still be hot) and the monkey bread should slide right out. Serve warm or at room temperature. To reheat individual servings, place on microwave-safe plate and microwave for 15-20 seconds or until warmed throughout.

Follow directions to determine doneness. Quick bread loaves will usually rise about the edge of the pan and the top will crack. The streak of batter visible through the crack will appear dry and the bread will pull away slightly from the sides of the pan when it is done.

What bakers call the “poke test” is the best way to tell if dough is ready to bake after its second rise. Lightly flour your finger and poke the dough down about 1". If the indent stays, it's ready to bake. If it pops back out, give it a bit more time.

Sandwich bread and pan loaves: “The color should be a rich golden brown and the top crust should feel firm. Don't be afraid to tilt the loaf out of the pan to be sure the sides and bottom are also nicely golden brown and sturdy.”