Two of my all-time favorite easy breakfast recipes have to be cinnamon rolls and monkey bread. So this cinnamon roll monkey bread recipe was a no-brainer for me.
With only 5 ingredients, this recipe couldn’t be easier. Using prepared large cinnamon rolls instead of Grands biscuits makes this version of traditional monkey bread so simple. Even better, if you want to add frosting, you can literally just use the premade frosting that comes with the cinnamon rolls.
If you’re looking for another great recipe idea, make sure you try our peanut butter monkey bread. It’s another fantastic take on the classic monkey bread recipe. For another great breakfast option, check out our sausage breakfast casserole.
CINNAMON ROLL MONKEY BREAD:
My whole family goes crazy when I make monkey bread. This gooey, pull-apart breakfast is definitely a favorite in our house. Perhaps, second behind banana pudding.
There was a time when I didn’t think monkey bread could get any better. But the idea to make it cinnamon roll style seemed like a genius combination of two delicious breakfast sweets (try our copycat Cinnabon cinnamon rolls, too!).
Baking the monkey bread is really easy. The way that the monkey bread gets its pull-apart texture is by cutting the dough and rolling it into balls. When you put the cinnamon roll pieces together in a pan, they bake into one another, but they don’t completely combine, which makes it easy to pull apart when enjoying.
A bunch of food on a table, with Monkey bread and Cinnamon roll
CINNAMON ROLL MONKEY BREAD INGREDIENTS YOU WILL NEED
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 (17.5-ounce) cans of Pillsbury Grands Cinnamon Rolls
¾ cup unsalted butter, melted
Garnish: reserved icing from both the containers of Grands Cinnamon Rolls
HOW TO MAKE CINNAMON ROLL MONKEY BREAD
First, you’ll want to preheat the oven to 350°F so that it’s ready to go when you finish putting everything together. Spray a standard, 12-cup volume, bundt pan very well with baker’s spray. Set aside.
Next, in a medium bowl, mix together the sugar and cinnamon. Take the prepared cinnamon roll dough out of its package and cut each of the cinnamon rolls into 4 pieces and then roll each of the pieces into a ball.
Transfer the icing into a microwave-safe small bowl with a pour spout. You will use this to garnish your baked cinnamon roll monkey bread.
Roll 4-6 of the cinnamon roll balls in the cinnamon-sugar mixture and place them into the prepared bundt pan. Repeat until all the balls have been rolled in the sugar and placed into the bundt pan
After you’ve cut up all of the cinnamon rolls, coated them with the cinnamon sugar, and added them to the bundt pan, you are ready to mix the melted butter in with the remaining cinnamon and sugar.
Mix them together well. You will create a sort of caramel-looking sauce. Immediately pour this mixture over the dough balls in the bundt pan. Then, bake the bread and sauce in the bundt pan for about 30 minutes or until golden, and the dough has fully risen in the pan. When finished, let it cool for about 10 minutes.
When the monkey bread has finished baking and cooling, you will flip the bundt pan upside down on a plate to remove it from the pan. Be sure the monkey bread is still warm when flipping but not hot.
In addition, make sure when flipping that you place it onto the plate you will serve it on. It’s not easily transferred to a new plate. I like to serve my monkey bread on a platter, and I find it’s easier for people to remove a portion of monkey bread if they use a fork.
To garnish, you will drizzle the reserved icing over the top of the cinnamon roll monkey bread. Note: you may need to warm your icing for 7-10 seconds in the microwave to make it a little easier to pour over the bread.
The bread is sweet on its own, so icing isn’t completely necessary. But, if you’re like me, and you love icing… you can’t help but add it! It’s so delicious, and it comes with the prepared cinnamon rolls anyway (try our yummy crescent roll cinnamon rolls, too!) (try our yummy Gorilla Bread, too!)! You can always keep the icing on the side and dip it too.
This is a go-to recipe when we have a family breakfast planned. It’s easy and delicious and combines two of my all-time favorite breakfast items. I can’t wait for you to try it out in your home!
Ingredients
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 Pillsbury Grands Cinnamon Rolls, (17.5-ounce cans)
¾ cup unsalted butter, melted
reserved icing from both the containers of Grands Cinnamon Rolls for garnish
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a standard, 12-cup volume, bundt pan very well with baker’s spray. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, stir together the granulated sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.
Open both canisters of the Pillsbury Grands Cinnamon Rolls and remove the cinnamon rolls and the containers of icing. Transfer the icing into a microwave-safe small bowl with a pour spout. You will use this to garnish your baked cinnamon roll monkey bread.
Cut all the individual cinnamon rolls into quarters and gently roll them into individual balls using the palm of your hand.
Roll 4-6 of the cinnamon roll balls in the cinnamon-sugar mixture and place them into the prepared bundt pan. Repeat until all the balls have been rolled in the sugar and placed into the bundt pan.
To the bowl of melted butter, add the remaining cinnamon-sugar mixture and stir to combine.
Pour the butter and sugar mixture evenly over all the cinnamon roll balls in the pan.
Bake for 30 minutes or until golden and the dough has fully risen in the pan.
Allow the cinnamon roll monkey bread to cool for 10 minutes in the pan before flipping it out onto a serving plate.
To garnish, you will drizzle the reserved icing over the top of the cinnamon roll monkey bread. Note: you may need to warm your icing for 7-10 seconds in the microwave to make it a little easier to pour over the bread.
