Do you have a recipe that immediately brings you back to a memory? The smell rising from the stove transports you to another day, holiday, experience? This Monkey Bread does that for me. I was one of those kids who believed in Santa until I was probably 12. Embarrassing, I know. But that’s me, I loved the magic of it all. Waking up to fresh snow on the ground. Presents surrounding a tree where the previous night it was empty. Christmas music filling the house, and the smell of this monkey bread reminding us of just how special this day was. That’s the only way I can describe this breakfast, magical.
But Emily, why are you posting this recipe now? Well, now that I’m an adult I’ve realized that I can have sweets for breakfast whenever I want! Also, why not turn a random Saturday breakfast or Sunday brunch with friends into a festivity? Also, when in quarantine, why not eat the most delicious/affordable/easy meals? Listen, the point of my story is that everyone has a dish that brings them back to a fond memory of a person or event, and this recipe does that for me 🙂 It’s not only delicous, but an absolute show stopper at brunch! You need a bundt pan for this recipe and this is my favorite one.
What is monkey bread?
Monkey bread is a dish composed of dough balls made into a pastry that you can eat like finger food. Monkey bread can be sweet or savory and are typically made in a bundt pan. My mom always made it using butterscotch pudding and not to knock other versions, but this one is sooooooo delicious. It’s so good that I made a version of Sticky Buns using a similar butterscotch/pecan topping. What my mom would call the ‘goo factor’ is off the charts and when I asked for any tips she wanted to share with my readers, she said regarding the butter ‘don’t be shy’. <- I mean how great is my mom?!?
How early can you make this up?
Since you’re making this dish with frozen raw rolls, you need to allow the dough time to defrost and rise. I tend to always make this the day of (mostly because I’m not much of a planner) however my mom always made it up the night before and let it rise in a cold oven overnight. That way, when she came downstairs in the morning, the dish would be ready to bake!
I really hope you enjoyed my story around this dish. Food is what brings people together, and this recipe will always bring a smile to my face. Whether you’re making this for a birthday, holiday with family, or brunch with friends, just imagine their faces when they see this beauty!! I dedicate this post to my mom, and hopefully, I did the recipe justice 🙂 Looking for other breakfast dishes? Check out this link!
Monkey Bread
Ingredients
- 1 bag frozen raw dinner rolls you will use between 20-24 rolls
- 2 tbsp salted butter, softened
- 8 ounces pecans, chopped, about 2 cups you can also use walnuts
- ¾ cup salted butter, melted 12 tbsps
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 3.5 oz box Cook & Serve Butterscotch pudding Do not use Instant!
Instructions
- Remove the frozen dough balls from the freezer and set aside. Use the 2 tablespoons softened butter to grease the inside of a bundt pan.
- In a medium-sized bowl combine the melted butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Cover the bottom of the pan with the chopped pecans and drizzle on about ⅓ of the butter mixture. Then add the frozen rolls, filling the pan to about ⅔ of the way full. For my pan, I use between 20-24 rolls. The dough will rise so give them some room to grow!
- Sprinkle dry pudding mix and the rest of butter mixture over and between rolls. Cover loosely with Saran wrap sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Turn the oven onto the lowest heat for 3 minutes. Turn the oven off and place the bundt pan in the oven. Do not forget to turn off the oven! Let rise for 2 hours. If making the night before, let it rise in a cold oven until morning before proceeding to the next step!
- Once the dough has risen, gently push down the rolls back into the pan. Do not smoosh them down too hard, you're really just making sure they don't balloon over the pan as they bake. Preheat the oven to 325°. Bake for 35 minutes, or until the dough is golden brown on top. Remove from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes. Invert onto a dish, and cut slices to serve!
Laura
This was a stunner at brunch! So delicious too!
Brittany P
I made this for a brunch and it was a total hit. Everyone is blown away by how beautiful it looks and yet it is the easiest thing to make. 10/10 in my book for that reason! Must have at any brunch for sure.
Emily
So happy you’re a fan!
Tony
I always make extra cinnamon sugar butter mix to add. I learned that waiting at least 10 minutes post baking is the most important step or else it can become a disaster! Easy to make and always receives compliments.
Emily
Extra cinnamon sugar butter is always okay 🙂