Overnight Monkey Bread

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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.

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

Why is it called Monkey Bread?

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.

What is another name for monkey bread?

Monkey Bread is also known as Bubble bread, bubble loaf, sticky bread or pull-apart bread.

How long does homemade monkey bread last?

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.

What can I use instead of a Bundt pan for monkey bread?

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

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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4.67 from 3 votes

Overnight Monkey Bread

Cook Time35

Total Time12 35

Course: Breakfast

Keyword: cooking, food, most popular, recipe

Servings: servings

Calories: 346kcal

Author: Melissa Griffiths

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.

Overnight Monkey Bread

Overnight Monkey Bread

Ingredients

Recipe Instructions