Skip the morning stress with this 5-ingredient make-ahead monkey bread hack that delivers a gooey, cinnamon-sugar masterpiece while you sleep. Using frozen rolls for a bakery-style rise, this "set it and forget it" recipe is the ultimate effortless treat for holiday brunches or cozy weekends.
While Monkey Bread is a classic holiday breakfast staple for Christmas and Easter, it’s honestly too good to save for just twice a year. This easy breakfast treat is a total crowd-pleaser that I find myself whipping up whenever we need a little extra morning magic.
The best part? You don’t need a fancy excuse to indulge in this pull-apart sweet bread. Everyone obsesses over the warm cinnamon and buttery glaze that drapes perfectly over every flaky, delicious bite.
I mean, who wouldn't enjoy pulling off a piece or two of this buttery, sticky cinnamon deliciousness?
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🥘Ingredients
- Frozen Parkerhouse style rolls- these provide a superior, "from-scratch" rise compared to canned biscuits, ensuring your pull-apart bread is incredibly light and pillowy
- Melted butter- this acts as the ultimate binder, helping the cinnamon-sugar coating stick to every inch of the dough while adding a rich, savory depth
- Cook and serve butterscotch pudding- unlike instant versions, the "cook and serve" variety melds with the butter and sugar to create a thick, velvety butterscotch glaze that won't turn watery
- Cinnamon and sugar- this classic duo creates the signature sweet spice profile that caramelizes into a warm, aromatic crust during the overnight resting period
🔪Instructions
- Step 1: Arrange frozen rolls in Bundt pan; melt the butter and pour it over the rolls.
- Step 2: Sprinkle the pudding, cinnamon, and sugar on top. Allow the bread to absorb the flavors and rise overnight.
- Step 3: The next morning, the bread will be puffed and ready to bake.
- Step 4: Bake, invert, and enjoy!
Hint: As a word of caution, you are going to encounter quite a bit of very warm, wonderful syrupy magic when you flip it. Allow the bread to cool a few minutes before enjoying.
📖Variations
Deluxe- add ½ c. raisins and ½ c. chopped (but not too fine) walnuts or pecans; add these after sprinkling on the cinnamon and sugar
🍽Equipment
- Sturdy, metal, well coated Bundt pan (one part style, fluted is fun if you have it)
- large, rimmed cookie sheet or jelly roll pan, lined with foil
- small spouted pot with lid or microwaveable safe dish
- pastry brush
- small mixing bowl
🍶Storage
Store in an airtight container. Do not refrigerate. Enjoy within 5 days.
Make Ahead Monkey Bread tastes really good warm, but is also delicious at room temperature. They are two different palate experiences and I suggest you try them both. If you choose to reheat it, cover loosely with foil and place in a 300 degree oven until slightly warm.
💭Top tip
Before making monkey bread, line a rimmed jelly roll or cookie pan with parchment paper or foil. Place your Bundt pan on top and then assemble the bread. It will sit this way overnight and will go in the oven on the pan. This not only minimizes spillage, it's much easier to transfer this way.
✅Food Safety
When making Make Ahead Monkey Bread, many people worry about leaving the butter out overnight, but it is actually perfectly safe. Because the butter is melted and then thoroughly coated in a high concentration of sugar and cinnamon, it acts as a preservative that prevents bacterial growth.
Additionally, the frozen rolls keep the mixture cool as they slowly thaw, and the entire dish is eventually baked at a high temperature, which eliminates any safety concerns. Just ensure your kitchen is at a normal room temperature and you'll have a delicious, worry-free breakfast ready to bake in the morning.
🥄Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
📋Recipe
Make Ahead Monkey Bread
Equipment
- one-part Bundt pan
- jelly roll pan (lined with foil)
- microwave safe bowl
- measuring spoons
- pastry brush
Ingredients
- 1 (22-25 oz.) package frozen rolls (Parkerhouse Style) Bridgford brand highly recommended due to its small size
- 1 stick butter melted
- 2 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 box (3.5 oz.) cook and serve butterscotch pudding NOT instant
Instructions
Make Ahead Instructions (The Night Before it Bakes):
- Grease a one part Bundt pan.
- Place the entire package of frozen rolls into the pan.
- Melt butter; then pour evenly over the frozen rolls. Use a pastry brush to make sure all rolls are covered with the butter.
- Mix cinnamon and sugar together; then sprinkle evenly over the buttered rolls.
- Sprinkle pudding over top, taking time to evenly distribute it.
- Line a large, rimmed baking sheet/jelly roll pan with foil. Sit the Bundt pan on top.
- IMPORTANT: Let the bundt pan sit on the baking pan OVERNIGHT on top of your counter.
Bake it the next morning:
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
- Place bundt pan and baking pan into preheated oven. Bake for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, remove from oven. Let sit 5 minutes before inverting onto serving plate. Once inverted, let sit another 5 minutes for additional cool off before serving.
Notes
While this recipe is a family favorite, please note that it is provided for informational purposes only and Kitchen Ready Betty assumes no liability for any food safety issues or health risks that may arise from individual preparation or storage.
Barbara K. says
Made this once and plan to make it again. Thanks for the recipe.
Kitchen Ready Betty says
You're welcome! So glad you like it!
Marie K. says
So, the first time I made this, I didn't let it sit overnight as you advised and it was a sticky disaster that didn't rise. Second time, I followed the instructions, and what a difference. We loved it!
Kitchen Ready Betty says
I'm so glad you tried it again! I tried skipping the overnight step once too and had the same experience. It really does make a difference!