Cinnamon Roll Monkey Bread

Content… Is It Yeast Bread? Recipe Ingredients How to Make It Recipe Variations Tips and Tricks Make-Ahead Instructions Serving and Storage Instructions FAQs What to Serve More Beautiful Bread Recipes to Try Conclusion Watch How to Make It

Is Cinnamon Roll Monkey Bread Yeasted?

Why, yes, it is! Yeast is what makes this dough rise and also the reason it has that lovely soft and stretchy texture that makes it perfect as a tear-apart loaf. Preparing the yeast is super simple, so don’t panic. All you have to do is dissolve active dry yeast in some warm water.

Warm tap water works perfectly. After just a few minutes, you’ll notice the mixture bubbling and frothing. That means it’s doing its job, and your bread is going to be nice and airy. 🙌 Not only is this dough yeasted, but it’s also enriched. That means it’s got extra ingredients like milk, eggs, and sugar that make it softer and richer. See! You’re becoming a bread expert already! 😉

Recipe Ingredients

1. The Dough – We’re going to enrich all-purpose flour with sugar, milk, butter, an egg, and a little vanilla extract. Add the yeast and water, and you’ve got a sweet, tender dough in the making.
2. Cinnamon Sugar – Granulated and brown sugar, plenty of cinnamon, a dash of nutmeg, and some melted butter make a filling to die for. 
3. Cream Cheese Drizzle –  Milk, butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar, and a little vanilla extract come together to create the perfect topping for this treat. 

How to Make Cinnamon Roll Monkey Bread

Make the Dough

• Activate Yeast – In a small bowl, add the water and yeast. Let it sit until it dissolves for about 3-5 minutes.
• Warm the Liquids – Add the sugar, milk, and butter to a large microwave-safe mixing bowl. Microwave them for about 30 seconds. 
• Melt Butter – Then, take the bowl out of the microwave and stir the ingredients until the butter has completely melted. 
• Mix – Next, add the yeast mixture, egg, and vanilla extract, and mix thoroughly.
• Add Dry Ingredients – Add the salt and flour, one cup at a time. Mix everything together using your clean hands. You can expect the dough to be pretty sticky here. 
• Knead – Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead it for a minute or two more. Form the dough into a ball shape, and then place it in the large mixing bowl, covered loosely with a clean cloth.
• Rise – Let your dough rise in a warm, draft-free area for 1½-2 hours or until doubled.

Assemble

• Make Cinnamon Sugar – While the dough rises, make cinnamon sugar by combining sugars, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside until ready to use.
• Prep Bundt Pan – Then, spray a Bundt pan with baking spray and set aside.
• Roll out the Dough – Punch the risen dough down. Next, lightly flour a hard surface and roll the dough out into a rectangle about an inch thick.
• Butter It – Generously brush it with melted butter and then sprinkle it with half of the cinnamon sugar, leaving a 1-inch border around the edges of the dough.
• Add Sugar – Pat the sugar mixture down gently into the surface to help it stick to the dough.
• Roll It – Then, starting with the end nearest you, roll the dough up tightly around the filling (like a jelly roll), finishing the roll with the seam side down.
• Pinch the seam to seal it so it doesn’t break apart when making the monkey bread dough balls.
• Slice the roll into 4 equal pieces, then slice each piece into 4 equal pieces for a total of 16 cinnamon rolls.
• Cut – Next, cut each cinnamon roll into quarters and roll them on the counter to form a small ball. 
• Roll each ball in the other half cinnamon sugar mixture until it’s well coated.  

Final Stretch

• Fill the Bundt Pan – Place the sugar-coated dough balls in the prepared Bundt pan. 
• Rise – When all the dough balls are in the Bundt pan, cover them with a clean cloth and let them rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes.
• Melt More Butter – Add the remaining cinnamon sugar to the melted butter, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Pour this sugar-butter mixture over the risen cinnamon roll dough in the bundt pan.
• Bake – Finally, bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the dough is set in the center and golden. 
• Rest – Let the monkey bread rest for about 5 minutes before flipping the bundt pan over onto a serving platter.
• Glaze – Whip cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla, and 2-3 tablespoons of milk until it’s very creamy. Add milk as necessary to reach your desired drizzle consistency.
• Serve – Pour the cream cheese glaze on the cinnamon roll monkey bread and serve warm.

Recipe Variations

1. Make it nutty! A cup of chopped walnuts or pecans in the cinnamon sugar filling is incredible if you are so inclined. It’s delish! 😋
2. Spoil the chocolate lovers by adding chocolate chips to the dough (after the first rise) or to the cinnamon filling to give it a little kick of chocolate. 
3. Have fun with fall flavors. Swap out the cinnamon for apple pie spice in the filling. Add some chopped roasted apples for a warm, spiced autumn treat. 🍎
4. Skip the drizzle. You can tone down the sweetness by simply skipping the cream cheese drizzle. 

Tips and Tricks

1. If your dough feels too sticky after you’ve added all the flour, you can add more but do so just a little at a time. Less flour is better. If you overdo it, your bread will get tough and chewy. 
2. Grease your bundt pan well! Get in all the nooks and crannies with your baking spray to prevent these sticky, sugary buns from sticking.
3. You can use two cans of Grands premade cinnamon rolls to put this recipe together a little faster. Just pick up in the recipe where we quarter and roll the cinnamon rolls. 

Make-Ahead Instructions

You can make this dough the day before baking if you’d like. Assemble the dough in the bundt pan and seal it with plastic wrap. Store it in the fridge. Before baking it the next day, take it out of the refrigerator for an hour or two to let it proof again.

Serving and Storage Instructions

Serve cinnamon roll monkey bread after cooling and drizzling. I like to place it on a big serving platter where everyone can rip off plenty of bread from wherever they are seated.

Store leftovers in an airtight container. If you opt to douse it with the cream cheese drizzle (as you should 😜), keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days. If you skip the drizzle, you can keep it out at room temperature for a day or two.

FAQs

What Goes With Cinnamon Roll Monkey Bread

As a breakfast item, I love to serve this bread with a side of something savory. It pairs great with egg muffins, bacon, or even a serving of sausage egg casserole. 

If you serve it as an afternoon treat or a dessert, pair it with all the best hot drinks. I love it with a plain cup of coffee or a chai tea latte. Even a hot cup of ginger tea tastes amazing with this bread. 

More Beautiful Bread Recipes to Try

1. Coco Bread
2. Apple Bread
3. Cinnamon Bread Rolls
4. Classic Monkey Bread
5. Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Conclusion

Get ready to knock the socks off of your friends and family with this irresistible, indulgent dessert-slash-breakfast bread! And remember to give me a follow on Facebook and Instagram for more crowd-pleasing recipes that are totally easy to make. 😁

Watch How to Make It

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