Every editorial product is independently selected, though we may be compensated or receive an affiliate commission if you buy something through our links. Ratings and prices are accurate and items are in stock as of time of publication.
andresr/Getty Images
The store-bought ingredients in this recipe make it simple enough for the kids to get hands-on in the kitchen. This is how to make monkey bread together!
I think my kids like saying “monkey bread” as much as I like hearing them pronounce cinnamon as cimmanin. My 6-year-old was endlessly curious about why it’s called monkey bread, and wouldn’t stop asking until I Googled it. Turns out, it’s meant to be eaten like a monkey, pulling apart the sticky pieces with your hands.
I’ve got to admit—I cook a lot, but have never made monkey bread. I’ve tasted (and loved) it in our Test Kitchen, shared it with my mom at a local brunch spot, but never made it myself.
When to Make This Recipe
I intended to let this rise overnight to bake one morning, but kitchen projects with young kids late in the day are tough when bedtime is an hour after you’ve made dinner (and maybe not cleaned up yet). I wanted to make sure we’re not all eating caramelly, sticky monkey bread willy-nilly. No sir, this is a morning treat.
In reality, we started making this around 10 a.m. That made it the perfect dessert after lunch.
Step 1: Kids prep the dough, grownups prep the pan
This simple recipe starts with dividing the dough into 1-inch pieces and placing them in a greased 13×9-inch pan.
I used two different kinds of store-bought dough because these are strange times and that’s what the store had: pizza dough and biscuit dough. I’ve got to tell you, the biscuit dough made my absolute favorite pieces. The flakiness of the biscuit dough makes the pull-apart texture even better.
You can amuse your kids with the pop of the dough tube opening, then show them the magic inside. My kids wanted to tear apart the dough themselves. So I let them. They tore pieces that were pretty tiny, but I quite liked that because it gave the monkey bread: A) smaller serving sizes and B) more crispy edges.
Step 2: Kids mix, grownups simmer and pour
Measure the remaining ingredients before the kids join in, if you prefer order to chaos. I was out of brown sugar, but I made my own with a quick baking substitution.
Let the kids add the ingredients to the saucepan before it gets hot. Bring to a boil; grownups cook and stir 1 minute. Remove from the heat and pour over dough pieces.
Step 3: Wait, then bake
Cover your pan with parchment or foil and let raise in a warm spot for 45 minutes. Turn the kids’ attention to lunch, home learning or, if you have a magic wand, the dishes.
This bread rises longer than it bakes. I let it rise in my oven for about 40 minutes on the “proof” setting. I took it out before time was up so that I could preheat the oven to 350° and get this bad boy done as soon as possible. (Once you smell the sauce, you’ll understand.)
Bake, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes. You can invert the whole pan immediately onto a serving dish, or skip this step to avoid dirtying another dish. It’s perfectly delicious no matter your angle of attack.
How to Customize This Recipe
Don’t stress over the ingredients. If you don’t have vanilla pudding mix, fine. Use butterscotch, banana or even chocolate pudding mix. You can also skip the pudding mix altogether—you’ll have a thinner, more buttery sauce.
Use your favorite dough, store-bought or otherwise. I wholeheartedly recommend biscuit dough, as its buttery, flaky layers brought a lovely texture to the party. You could even use cinnamon roll dough—my family prefers this monkey bread sauce to the vanilla frosting that comes with cimmanin rolls, anyway.
Make the texture extra fun by adding chopped nuts to the sauce. Top with banana slices to really drive the “monkey” theme home for your kids. Blueberries bake up nicely with a recipe like this, though you may want to have extra napkins ready.
How to Store Your Monkey Bread
It’s cliche when it comes to recipes, but I really doubt there’ll be anything left after those little hands get ahold of this one. You can seal leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 days. It’s really best enjoyed fresh and warm, so recreate the magic by microwaving portions for 30 seconds or less.
My mom used to make pinwheels every Christmas, and I still love them. They are so colorful, and perfect for sharing in gift boxes. —Jill Heatwole, Pittsville, Maryland
Get Recipe
I created this recipe based on our family's love of chocolate-dipped ice cream cones. Red heart-shaped sprinkles make them fun for Valentine's Day. Vary the color to match the occasion. —Jennifer Gilbert, Brighton, Michigan
My daughter loves all things pink, so this recipe was just right for her birthday. Even my teenage son (not a fan of pink) ate his share, too. —Paulette Smith, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
My little nieces love to help decorate these doughnut-shaped cookies. They top them with sprinkles, chopped pecans or crushed candy canes. —Jolie Stinson, Marion, Indiana
These cookies have been a Christmas tradition in my family since I was a little girl. The big bears are so soft and chewy that we can hardly wait until they come out of the oven!—Elizabeth Manzanares, Gloucester, Virginia
When my kids were small, I could never get pancakes on the table while they were all still hot. Then I got the idea for these breakfast tarts. They're a good and simple recipe for any busy family. —Joan Elbourn, Gardner, Massachusetts
Some cakes stand on their own without icing. For this bright Rainbow Cake, use a little whipped cream to make fluffy clouds. —Janet Tigchelaar, Jerseyville, Ontario
This is a very quick, easy and fun dessert for any occasion. The possibilities are endless with these cute bites. Customize them for any occasion by using different toppings. —Evelyn Moore, Elk Grove, California
This is a moist and fluffy vanilla cake with lots of sprinkles and a whipped vanilla buttercream. It's almost impossible not to feel happy when you see the fun pop of rainbow confetti! —Courtney Rich, Highland, UT
Kids can help make these perfect fall bites by dipping the baked cookies in caramel and nuts. It's a fun food craft for all of us. —Darlene Brenden, Salem, Oregon
I take this dessert to work for Friday pick-me-ups. It's one of my favorite yellow cake bar recipes. I love to share them because they're so easy to eat, easy to make and easy on the wallet. —Amy Rose, Ballwin, Missouri
I came up with these cookies as a treat for my kids’ class parties. Not only do they look cute, but they are also delicious.—Starrlette Howard, Ogden, Utah
These spiced-just-right whoopie pies combine two popular flavors in one fun treat. The moist cookies are rolled in sugar before baking for a bit of crunch. —Jamie Jones, Madison, Georgia
This is a delightful, fun way to serve a cupcake. I share these with the neighborhood kids and they love the ice cream cone look and ease of eating. Adults who try them say snacking on them makes them feel like kids again. —Barb Kietzer, Niles, Michigan
When it's too difficult to take along root beer floats on a picnic, take these cookies instead! I've found the flavor is even better the next day. The hard part is convincing my family to wait that long before sampling them.—Violette Bawden, West Valley City, Utah
Traditional rocky road ice cream has nuts, marshmallows and chocolate. Using prepared cookie dough makes it easy to put the flavors together in these fast, kid-friendly rocky road cookis. —Charlotte McDaniel, Jacksonville, AL
This recipe is one of my family's favorites, and I make the treats a lot, especially at Christmas. I have three children and eight grandchildren, and every one of them loves those "peanut butter thingies," as the grandchildren call them! —Jodie McCoy, Tulsa, Oklahoma
Rich chocolaty cupcakes include a cream cheese surprise. Get kids in on the fun by letting them help decorate. ‐Mrs. Walter Jacobson, Ashland, Ohio
Everyone who tries these beloved gems is amazed that they use only five ingredients. Baking cookies doesn't get much easier than this. —Dee Davis, Sun City, Arizona
When my daughter, Katie, was 2, the juicy, ripe raspberries in my backyard inspired me to create this cutout cookie. It's become a mother-daughter tradition to pick the raspberries, choose the cutter shapes, cut out the cookies and frost them. —Cindy Beberman, Orland Park, Illinois
Kids and adults alike will find these Oreo cupcakes irresistible. If you want to pipe the frosting, be sure to thoroughly crush the cookies. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
My family simply adores my daughter's fudgy s'mores brownies. The cinnamon graham cracker crust and the dark chocolate brownies bring our passion for s'mores to a whole new level! —Jennifer Gilbert, Brighton, Michigan
Mom and I took up cake decorating. Funfetti was our favorite cake, so we used the mix to make cutout cookies. Plain or decorated, they’re a fave at parties. —Danielle DeMarco, Basking Ridge, New Jersey
It's a family tradition for my grandmother and me to make these colorful cookies every year for the holidays. —Cheyenne Fink, Pleasantville, Pennsylvania
You can easily make several of these pretty palaces with a boxed cake mix, canned frosting and a few common confections. Grab a goblet of milk and enjoy one with your prince of princess. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
These little bites are fun for kids to make. Simply wrap strips of pastry around apple wedges and shake on some cinnamon-sugar. Then just bake and watch them disappear! —Taste of Home Test Kitchen, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
I have fond memories of baking and frosting these cutout cookies with my mom. Now I carry on the tradition with my kids. It's a messy but fun day!
—Sandy Nace, Greensburg, Kansas
The recipe for these cookies is the easiest to find in my book because the page is a beautiful mess covered with fingerprints, flour smudges and memories of more than 30 Christmases! I made these with my daughters, and now I make them with my granddaughters. —Judy Taylor, Quarryville, Pennsylvania
How could you not love pizza for dessert? A fudgy brownie base is layered with a whipped topping sauce, then topped with fresh strawberries, chopped nuts and a drizzle of chocolate syrup. —Karen Heleski, Ubly, Michigan —Karen Heleski, Ubly, Michigan
I layer a creamy, coffee-flavored filling between buttery shortbread, then dip the sandwiches in chocolate. Guests always love them.—Bertha Seyer, Oak Ridge, Missouri
Cake. Doughnuts. Now you don't have to choose between the two. Impress your family with this easy jelly-filled cake. Try your best to center the jelly in the middle of the half-filled Bundt pan so that it will not leak out the edges of the cake. —Colleen Delawder, Herndon, Virginia
Liz is an unapologetic homebody who loves bowling and beers almost as much as food and fitness. The highlight of her week is making cheesy popcorn for her family on movie night. She's been hooked on Taste of Home since interning for the magazine in 2010.