I love Overnight Monkey Bread. It’s like getting just the best part of a cinnamon roll, the ooey, gooey middle in every bite.
You might have also heard Monkey Bread called Bubble Bread or Pull Apart Bread-same thing different name! This makes a great food for holidays because you can prep it the night before. Perfect for Christmas morning or Easter.
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Overnight Monkey Bread
Monkey bread, also known as pull-apart bread, is a sweet, sticky, and gooey pastry that is often served as a dessert or breakfast treat. It consists of small balls of dough, which are coated in a mixture of melted butter, sugar, and cinnamon, then baked in a bundt.
The dough balls are typically made from a yeast-based dough, but recipes can also use refrigerated biscuit dough or homemade dough without yeast. We opted for a homemade version of dough for this overnight recipe.
Get it ready in the evening, let it rest in the fridge overnight, and then bake it in the morning. The prep time in the morning is short and you’ll have a real treat for breakfast. We make this for birthdays and holidays often.
Ingredients
- Butter
- Milk
- Sugar
- Salt
- Active dry yeast
- All-purpose flour plus
- Light brown sugar
- Cinnamon
- Confectioners’ sugar
Recipe Instructions
- Whip up the simple dough and let it rest for about an hour.
- Cut the dough into small pieces and dip them in butter and then roll the buttered pieces in cinnamon and sugar. Place the coated dough balls in a bundt pan. Repeat with all the dough.
- Wrap up the pan and place it in the fridge overnight.
- In the morning let the dough rest for about an hour at room temperature (or while the oven preheats).
- Bake up your monkey bread.
- Mix up a little frosting drizzle.
- When the monkey bread comes out of the oven flip it out onto a platter and drizzle it with the frosting.
- Serve hot and enjoy.
Frequently Asked Questions
You eat monkey bread by pulling off chunks with your fingers and eating it. It is loosely tied to the way monkeys groom each other. Kind of weird, but it’s so delicious you won’t think twice about it.
Monkey Bread is also known as Bubble bread, bubble loaf, sticky bread or pull-apart bread.
This is a loaded question because my monkey bread is always devoured within minutes. However, it will stay fresh in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
If you don’t have a bundt pan that you can use for Monkey Bread, you can bake it in a tube pan or 2 loaf pan as well.
More Recipes
- Overnight Lemon Monkey Bread
- Overnight Pumpkin Monkey Bread with Maple Icing
- Overnight Apple Fritter Monkey Bread
- Easy Pizza Monkey Bread
If you’ve tried this Overnight Monkey Bread or any other recipe on Barbara Bakes, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some pictures of it, share it with me on Instagram so I can repost on my stories.
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Overnight Monkey Bread
Ingredients
Dough
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 1 cup milk warm (about 120 degrees)
- ⅓ cup water warm (about 120 degrees)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons table salt
- 2 ½ teaspoons 1 package active dry yeast
- 3 ¼ cups all-purpose flour plus extra for work surface*
Brown Sugar Coating
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 stick, melted
Glaze
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Butter a 12-cup Bundt pan generously with softened butter. Set aside.
- In large measuring cup, mix together melted butter, milk, water, sugar, and salt. Stir to dissolve.
- Mix 2 ½ cups flour and yeast in stand mixer fitted with a beater blade. Turn machine to low and slowly add the milk mixture. After the liquids are incorporated, switch to the dough hook, increase the speed to medium and gradually add the remaining flour (add more or less as necessary*) until dough clings to the hook and almost cleans the sides. Knead until the dough is shiny and smooth, 6 to 7 minutes. You want the dough to be slightly sticky.
- Turn dough onto lightly floured counter and knead briefly to form smooth, round ball. Coat large bowl with nonstick cooking spray. Place dough in bowl and coat surface of dough with cooking spray. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm, draft free place until dough doubles in size, 50 to 60 minutes.
- While dough is rising, mix brown sugar and cinnamon together in bowl. Place melted butter in second bowl. Set aside for the sugar coating.
- Remove dough from bowl, and pat into rough 8-inch square. Using bench scraper or knife, cut dough into 64 pieces.
- Roll each dough piece into a ball. Working one at a time, dip balls in melted butter, allowing excess butter to drip back into bowl. Roll in brown sugar mixture, then layer balls in Bundt pan, staggering seams where dough balls meet as you build layers.
- Cover Bundt pan tightly with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator overnight.
- Approximately one hour before you want to bake your Monkey Bread, remove it from the refrigerator and let the dough come to room temperature and the dough will begin to rise. (It should have risen some in the refrigerator overnight.)
- Heat oven to 350 degrees. Unwrap pan and bake until top is deep brown and caramel begins to bubble around edges, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool in pan for 5 minutes, then turn out on platter and allow to cool slightly, about 10 minutes.
- For the glaze: While bread cools, whisk confectioners' sugar and milk in small bowl until lumps are gone. Using whisk, drizzle glaze over warm monkey bread, letting it run over top and sides of bread. Serve warm.
Nutrition
Overnight Monkey Bread is a recipe that you are going to make over and over again. It is quick, easy and tastes yummy.
Sarah, Maison Cupcake
The name Monkey Bread always makes me smile and the first place I saw it was on Not Quite Nigella. I hope to get around to trying it some day!
Megan
What a nice tradition to carry on! Gotta love monkey bread.
Megan
I’ve never tried Monkey Bread, but this looks amazing! I don’t have a bundt pan, though. I assume it will work well in a loaf pan too?
Claire @ Claire K Creations
Ooh this does look good. I love the thought of eating the inside bit of the buns!
susieqtpies
Passss….. I love putting sweet dough like this in the fridge and baking it in the morning.
susieqtpies
Thank you for the homemade version. I make it with can biscuit dough and we call it Monkey Brain. I’m making yours this weekend. Susie
Nisrine | Dinners & Dreams
Barbara, you are a great baker. I envy you for that. Lovely monkey bread!
Anna Johnston
Such a yummy & lovely family tradition, it looks so tasty.
shaz
Happy New Year Barbara! Monkey Bread is on my to-do list this year, and I love the idea of one that rises overnight, very handy. I love that oozy shot, and brown sugar, oh my! Definitely going to try this Cook’s Illustrated recipe soon, thanks 🙂
lisaiscooking
I like that description of every bite being like the best bite of a cinnamon roll. Perfect!
Linda Blevins
I love getting this recipe. I should have had it years ago for Paul. This was his favorite thing at The Chuckarama. He always ate some as he walked around to get the rest of what he was going to eat for his meal. His motto was, Life is short, eat dessert first.
Love, Linda
Barbara
Of course you’re going to be amazed when I say: 1. I’ve never made it and 2. I’ve never eaten it. I mean it’s got everything I love in it. I certainly knew about it….why has this been a forgotten recipe in my life? No longer. I’m copying this right now!
Blond Duck
I’ve always wanted to try monkey bread!
natalie (the sweets life)
oh my gosh I LOVE monkey bread….haven’t had it in years but I definitely want to try this homemade version! Great post 🙂
Janet
This looks SO good! Can you believe the first time I ever made monkey bread was actually just 2 days ago?! I used the Rhodes dough and butterscotch pudding. It was good, but not what I thought it should be. So I am definitely going to make your recipe ASAP! Your mom would sure be proud 😉
Alison @ Ingredients, Inc
This looks fantastic. I love Monkey Bread!
fajas colombianas
It looks perfect! and very yummy. Will be trying this out later on, mokey bread is my favorite past time.
Cristina
I luv the thought of ooey-gooey cinnamon rolls in bits and chunks within a Monkey bread. I admit, though, that I do like nuts in my baked goods. 🙂 This will be my first attempt at monkey bread with your recipe!
Happy New Year to you Barbara!
cindy harris
Monkey bread with homemade rolls. This has to be yummy! I have a fun recipe for Monkey Bread that uses maple syrup and orange peel for flavor. I think I will be trying your recipe soon! Have a great day.
teresa
what a fabulous tradition! i’m pretty sure i could eat this all up myself!