Caramel Pecan Monkey Bread

This homemade Monkey Bread is the perfect breakfast or dessert to serve during the holidays or on special occasions.

Just like my favorite Pumpkin French Toast Bake, this decadent sweet treat is always a family favorite – my boys say it’s the absolute best Monkey Bread ever and I agree!

🔎 What Is Monkey Bread?

Monkey Bread is a sweet and sticky bread made with small balls of dough dunked in melted butter and rolled in cinnamon sugar. The dough balls are arranged in a bunt cake pan. When baked, the rolls can be pulled just as in a pull apart bread. The dough texture and flavor is similar to a cinnamon bun.

Monkey bread is also known as monkey puzzle bread, sticky bread, pinch-me bread, golden dumpling coffee cake, bubble bread and funky bread.

🔎 How To Make This Monkey Bread Recipe

Don’t be intimidated by the process. It’s actually quite simple and easy. It just takes a bit of “inactive time” as the dough needs to rest for several hours.

✔️ Make The Dough

• Make the dough. Mix the yeast and lukewarm water (imagine the temperature of a baby bath) in the bowl of a stand mixer. Let it rest for a few minutes. If it bubbles up, you are good to go! Don’t expect millions of bubbles! Just a few bubbles tell us the yeast is active and alive.
• Add the milk, water, eggs, sugar, salt and some of the flour. Attach the dough hook. Mix. A very sticky dough will form. Add the rest of the flour and mix.
• Your dough should be firm and elastic. Dump it on a floured surface and knead it a few times.
  Place the dough in a greased bowl (butter or cooking spray works). Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours.

✔️ Make The Caramel

• Grease a bundt pan with butter or cooking spray. Then, gather the pecan caramel ingredients.
• Bring the sugar, butter, and cream to a boil. It bubbles up pretty strongly! Nothing to fear!
• Stir for about 5 minutes or until slightly darker.
• Take the caramel off the heat and pour half into the bundt pan.
• Sprinkle half the pecans! Set aside.

✔️ Assemble

• Roll the dough into balls. Most likely all the balls will look irregular and “non-perfect”. It’s OK you only live once! Have some fun!
• Next, dunk each ball into melted butter and then roll it into cinnamon sugar. I always use one hand for wet (butter) and one hand for dry (sugar).
• Place the balls into the bundt pan – over the caramel and pecans.
• When you are halfway done (about 20 dough balls in the bundt pan), pour over the rest of the caramel and nuts.
• Continue with the rest of the dough balls until you are done.

✔️ Bake

• Bake until golden brown on top.
• Remove from the oven and let it cool for about 10 minutes.
• Invert onto a plate and enjoy!

🔎 Does Monkey Bread Need To Be Served Warm?

Monkey bread is best eaten warm. However, I have never said no to room temperature sweet and gooey bread!

🔎 How Long Is Monkey Bread Good For?

• This sweet bread will keep at room temperature for about 2 days.
• You can refrigerate the leftovers covered, for about 3-4 days.
• To reheat, preheat the oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the bread on an oven-safe pan (a sheet pan lined with parchment paper works great), and heat up until warm throughout.

This post was first published in 2017 and has been updated to provide the reader with additional information. The recipe remains the same.

Try These Fabulous Savory Versions Of Monkey Bread:

• Pretzel Monkey Bread
• Chicken Ranch Monkey Bread

Caramel Pecan Monkey Bread

5 from 1 review

Kathy McDaniel

Monkey Bread made with balls of sweet dough smothered in caramel and topped with crunchy pecans. This Monkey Bread recipe is gooey, sticky and delicious!

Print Pin

Prep 8 hours hrs 40 minutes mins

Cook 40 minutes mins

Total 9 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Makes 10 servings

Ingredients 

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For the Dough

• ▢ 1 (1/4-ounce) envelope active dry yeast
• ▢ 1/4 cup lukewarm water, (105 to 110 degrees Fahrenheit)
• ▢ 1 1/4 cups 2% milk, lukewarm, (105 to 110 degrees Fahrenheit)
• ▢ 5 1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter melted, plus more for the bowl and pan
• ▢ 2 eggs
• ▢ 1/4 cup sugar
• ▢ 1 teaspoon sea salt
• ▢ 5 cups all-purpose flour

For the Caramel

• ▢ 2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
• ▢ 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed
• ▢ 1/4 cup heavy cream
• ▢ 3/4 cup pecans, chopped

Topping

• ▢ 1 cup sugar
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ▢ 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Instructions 

For the Dough

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, dissolve the yeast in 1/4 cup lukewarm (105 to 110 F) water. Let it sit for about 5 minutes. Add the milk, butter, eggs, sugar, salt and 3 cups of flour. Use the dough hook attachment and mix on medium for 4 minutes. Stir in the remaining flour and mix until well combined and a firm dough has formed.
2. Remove the dough from the bowl and onto a floured surface. Knead for about 6 minutes or until smooth and elastic.
   Place the dough into a greased bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
3. The next day when ready to make the caramel, grease a 10-inch bundt pan with butter or cooking spray.

To Make the Caramel

1. Into a small saucepan over high heat, add the brown sugar, butter and cream. Bring to a boil. Cook stirring constantly for about 5 minutes or until slightly dark and thick.
2. Remove from the heat and pour half of the caramel into the bundt pan. Sprinkle with half of the pecans.

To Make the Topping

1. In a shallow bowl, combine the cinnamon and sugar. Have the melted butter ready in a small bowl.

The Rest

1. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and press it down. Shape the dough into balls of about 1 1/4 inch. You will have about 40 balls.
2. Dip each dough ball into the melted butter and then roll it into the cinnamon sugar. 
3. Arrange about 20 dough balls into the bundt pan and pour the rest of the caramel over them. Sprinkle with the remaining pecans. 
   Top with the rest of the dough balls. Cover and let it rise for about 45 minutes.
4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 
5. Bake for about 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes. Invert onto a serving platter. Enjoy!

Notes

• Make sure you proof your yeast by mixing it with the lukewarm water and waiting about 5 minutes to see if the yeast bubbles. The bubbles mean that the yeast is alive. Do not expect a foam fest! Some bubbles is all you need. If the yeast does not bubble, throw the mixture away and start over.
• Nutrition facts are only an estimate.

Nutrition

Calories: 660.82 kcal, Carbohydrates: 90.07 g, Protein: 9.68 g, Fat: 30 g, Saturated Fat: 15.21 g, Cholesterol: 95.92 mg, Sodium: 441.78 mg, Potassium: 177.81 mg, Fiber: 2.61 g, Sugar: 41.23 g, Vitamin A: 777.33 IU, Vitamin C: 0.09 mg, Calcium: 79.35 mg, Iron: 3.36 mg

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Recipe Summary

Recipe adapted from Bobby Flay’s Brunch Cookbook