Description
This easy monkey bread recipe features fluffy biscuit dough coated in a cinnamon-cardamom sugar mixture and layered with pecans, then drizzled with a rich caramel-like sauce before baking to golden perfection. It's a perfect sweet treat for breakfast, brunch, or dessert that's both fun to make and delicious to eat.
Ingredients
Scale
Pan Preparation
- 1 1/2 tablespoons butter for greasing
Dough and Coating
- 2 16 oz. packages refrigerated biscuit dough (Pillsbury Grand's Buttermilk Biscuits, not flaky ones)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon cardamom
- 1 cup chopped pecans (optional, plus 1/2 cup for the bottom of the pan)
Caramel Sauce
- 16 tablespoons unsalted butter (or salted butter and omit additional salt)
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup reserved cinnamon-sugar mixture
Instructions
- Grease the Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Generously grease a 12-cup Bundt pan with softened butter, making sure to cover all crevices to prevent sticking. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of chopped pecans evenly over the bottom of the pan. Set aside.
- Prep the Biscuits: Cut each biscuit into 4 equal pieces and roll each piece into a ball. This step helps the pieces become fluffier and more visually appealing.
- Coating and Layering: In a large freezer-size plastic bag, whisk together granulated sugar, cinnamon, and cardamom. Working in batches of about 12 dough balls, add them to the bag and shake to coat evenly. Place the coated dough balls into the Bundt pan in layers, adding pecans between layers and offsetting them so they don’t stack directly on top of each other. Reserve leftover cinnamon-sugar mixture for the sauce.
- Prepare the 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 the butter melts and the mixture reaches a boil. Remove from heat immediately, then stir in the vanilla extract until sugars are completely dissolved.
- Drizzle the Sauce: Pour the caramel sauce evenly over the layered dough balls, tilting and shaking the pan occasionally to distribute the sauce so it coats the dough and seeps to the bottom of the pan.
- Bake: Place the Bundt pan in the center of the preheated oven and bake for 35 minutes until the dough is fully cooked. Check doneness with an instant-read thermometer, which should register between 190°F and 200°F.
- Cool and Serve: Allow the monkey bread to cool for 10 minutes before inverting it onto a large plate. If any sauce remains in the pan, brush it over the top of the bread. Serve warm for the best flavor and texture.
Notes
- Use Pillsbury Grand’s Buttermilk Biscuits that are described as fluffy, not flaky, for best results as flaky biscuits won’t hold together well.
- This recipe yields 8 servings, ideal for a small group or family brunch.
- Use a crumpled piece of wax paper if you don’t have a pastry brush for greasing.
- You can omit pecans if you prefer a nut-free version, or substitute with walnuts or another favorite nut.
- This monkey bread is best enjoyed warm because the caramel sauce is at its gooey best right after baking.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450 kcal
- Sugar: 30 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 50 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 50 mg
