Bread Machine Monkey Bread

Bread Machine Monkey Bread is a fun recipe that turns simple ingredients to a mouthwatering treat that is fluffy and gooey.  The magic begins in the bread machine, where we create a perfect dough that's then shaped into bite-sized pieces and baked to golden perfection in the oven. We then finish it off with a simple glaze. This hands-on recipe is a delightful way to introduce the joys of baking to the whole family.  Best of all, it results in a scrumptious dessert that everyone will adore.

Today, I'm excited to share with you one of my all-time favorite recipes.  This monkey bread recipe for the bread machine is something my 10-year-old daughter and I have been working on for a while.

We love monkey bread and cinnamon rolls, but tubes of pre-made cinnamon rolls are always disappointing. 

And while biscuits and frozen pizza dough can be used to make pull-apart bread, they always come up lacking.  Pizza dough is too chewy, and biscuits are too dense.

Thanks to the magic of your bread machine, you can whip up the perfect dough for monkey bread using the dough cycle.  It just takes a few minutes (and a little patience) to make bread machine monkey bread dough.

Whether you're a seasoned baker or a kitchen novice, this monkey bread bread machine recipe is an absolute must-try.

Ingredients

• Whole Milk: If you're looking for a dairy-free option, you can use almond or soy milk as a substitute, but the texture will be impacted slightly.
• Unsalted Butter: Margarine can be used as a substitute.
• Vanilla Extract: A dash of vanilla extract enhances the sweet flavors in our monkey bread dough.
• All-Purpose Flour: The backbone of our dough. For a gluten-free version, use a gluten-free flour blend.
• Sugar: Granular sugar is best here.
• Bread Machine Yeast (Instant Yeast): Use bread machine or instant yeast.
• Salt: Use sea salt, kosher salt, or table salt.
• Brown Sugar: Used in the coating, it gives a caramel-like sweetness. Dark brown sugar can be used for a deeper molasses flavor.
• Ground Cinnamon: Adds warmth and spice to the coating. Try adding cardamom or nutmeg in addition to the cinnamon for a twist.
• Confectioners’ Sugar: If you don't have any on hand, you can make your own by blending granulated sugar until it's a fine powder.

Step by Step

For the full bread machine monkey bread recipe with measurements, see the recipe card at the end of the post.

Tips and Tricks

• Make the Dough Ahead: If you want to plan ahead, you can make the dough a day or two ahead of time and keep it in the refrigerator until you are ready to put the monkey bread together. 
• Make the Entire Recipe Ahead: The recipe can be entirely put together in your tube pan and stored in the fridge overnight as well. (This is perfect for Christmas morning!)  Bring everything to room temperature before baking.
• Roll With Love: Rolling the dough balls in the sugar mixture might get a bit messy, but it's also a lot of fun. Get the kids involved – they'll love this part!
• Patience Pays Off: Don't rush the rising process when making dough from scratch.
• Don’t Have a Bread Machine?: You can make the dough in a stand mixer using a dough hook.  Just let it rise for an hour to an hour and a half and process according to the recipe directions.

Tools

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• Bread Maker
• Bundt Pan

More Bread Machine Recipes to Try

• Bread Machine Garlic Bread: Imagine the aroma of fresh garlic wafting through your kitchen as you whip up our easy, mouth-watering Bread Machine Garlic Bread.
• Bread Machine Banana Bread: Turn those overripe bananas into a sweet treat that's perfect for breakfast or dessert with our cozy and delicious Bread Machine Banana Bread recipe.
• Bread Machine White Bread: Elevate your everyday sandwiches with our simple yet scrumptious Bread Machine White Bread - it's a classic that never disappoints!
• Bread Machine Burger Buns: Say goodbye to store-bought and hello to homemade with our Bread Machine Burger Buns recipe, guaranteed to make your next BBQ the talk of the town.

Print Recipe

5 from 2 votes

Bread Machine Monkey Bread

Bread Machine Monkey Bread is a fun recipe that turns simple ingredients to a mouthwatering treat that is both fluffy and gooey. The magic begins in the bread machine, where we create a perfect dough that's then shaped into bite-sized pieces and baked to golden perfection in the oven. We then finish it of with a simple glaze. This hands-on recipe is a delightful way to introduce the joys of baking to the whole family, resulting in a scrumptious dessert that everyone will adore.

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Cook Time30 minutes mins

Dough3 hours hrs 50 minutes mins

Total Time4 hours hrs 50 minutes mins

Course: Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegetarian

Keyword: Holiday

Servings: 16

Calories: 250kcal

Author: Wendy Polisi

Equipment

• Bread Machine

Ingredients

Dough

• 1 cup whole milk
• ⅓ cup water
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup sugar
• 2 ¼ teaspoons bread machine yeast
• 2 teaspoons salt

Coating

• 1 cup packed brown sugar 7 ounces
• ¼ cup sugar 1 ¾ ounces
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ½ cup unsalted butter melted and cooled slightly

Glaze

• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 2 tablespoons whole milk

Instructions

• Add the milk, water, butter, vanilla, flour, sugar, yeast and salt to your bread machine. Process on the dough setting according to manufacturers instructions.
• Refrigerate the dough overnight if desired. If refrigerated, allow to sit at room temperature before proceeding.
• When ready to put the bread together, make the coating by combining the brown sugar , sugar, and cinnamon in a shallow bowl.
• Put the melted butter in another bowl.
• Grease a 12-cup nonstick Bundt pan very well.
• Lightly flour a pastry mat or clean counter. Press the dough into an 8-inch square.
• Cut the dough into 8 strips, and then cut each strip into 8 pieces, for a total of 64 pieces. Cover loosely with plastic.
• Form the balls into small circles with your hands. Dip the balls in melted butter, and roll in the sugar mixture to coat.
• Place the sugared balls in the prepared pan, staggering the seams to build the layers.
• Cover with plastic wrap, and let rise for 1 ½ to 2 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 350° F. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top is a deep golden brown.
• Let the bread cool in the pan for 5 minutes, and then carefully invert onto a platter and let cool for 10 minutes.
• Make the glass by whisking together the confectioners sugar and milk.
• Drizzle the glaze over the bread. Serve warm.

Nutrition

Calories: 250kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 21mg | Sodium: 315mg | Potassium: 91mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 249IU | Vitamin C: 0.01mg | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 1mg