This easy Grands monkey bread recipe can be totally customized with your family's favorite chopped nuts and dried fruits! Or just leave it plain -- it's delicious either way...
Easy Grands Monkey Bread
Doesn't this Grands monkey bread just scream special occasion?!? It looks like you slaved for hours making it, but since it starts with Pillsbury Grands biscuits, it's so SUPER EASY to make. We'll be making it again for Christmas morning tomorrow, alongside a big tray of oven baked bacon!
But how does it taste? Well, my almost 13-year-old is the breakfast connoisseur around here... His all-time favorite breakfast is my Hawaiian roll French toast bake recipe. I know this because, not only does he rave about it every time I make it, but he also posts a picture of it to his Instagram feed to brag about it (as he did on Thanksgiving morning).
So when I saw he shared a pic of his plate of monkeybread a few days ago, I knew this easy monkey bread recipe was a winner!
What Is Monkey Bread?
You might be wondering where monkey bread got its name from... I know my kids were all very curious! Monkey bread is a sweet or sometimes savory pull-apart bread that is eaten by pulling off little chunks, much like the way monkeys eat. So the most common theory is that it's derived from the act of picking it apart, which is pretty fitting since I'm always telling my kids they're little monkeys!
Monkey bread is most commonly made in a bundt pan, though you can use a loaf pan, as well. I always make it in this classic cast bundt pan, which has a nonstick finish that makes for easy release and cleanup. Plus the 12-cup capacity is perfect for this monkey bread recipe.
NOTE: you absolutely DO NOT want to use a tube pan that has a removable bottom! The hot sugar syrup can leak out of removable bottom pans, so be sure to use a one-piece pan.
Customizable Recipe For Monkey Bread
This monkey bread with biscuits can be easily customized to your family's tastes. The original monkey bread recipe called for optional chopped walnuts and raisins, but I opted to use chopped pecans and dried cranberries because it seemed to fit the holiday season. I'm dying to try some shredded coconut and macadamia nuts, though!
Of course you can just skip the optional add-ins altogether. The classic buttery cinnamon-sugar flavor is quite tasty all on its own..
PRO TIP: don't let the monkey bread cool all the way in the pan. Turn it over onto a serving plate roughly 10 minutes after you remove it from the oven.
This way it pops out easily and the still warm (but not scalding!) extra sugary syrup drizzles its way down through the bread. Enjoy!
Grands Monkey Bread
Ingredients
- 2 (16.3-ounce) cans homestyle buttermilk biscuits
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 12 tablespoons salted butter
- ½ cup chopped nuts, optional
- ½ cup dried cranberries, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a one-piece 12-cup or larger tube pan.
- In a large plastic food storage bag, mix together granulated sugar and cinnamon. Separate the biscuit dough into 16 biscuits, and cut each biscuit into 4 pieces.
- Shake the biscuit pieces up in the bag to coat with the cinnamon-sugar mixture, and layer in the greased pan. If you're adding chopped nuts and/or dried fruit, sprinkle them among the pieces as you layer. Note that the pan will not be filled to the top, but the biscuits will expand while baking, almost doubling in size.
- In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the brown sugar and vanilla until the brown sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat and then pour over top of the biscuit pieces in the tube pan.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 32-35 minutes or until golden brown and no longer doughy in center.
- Cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Turn upside down on to serving plate, and serve warm.
More Easy Brunch Recipes
If you like this bacon candy recipe, you might also enjoy these other delicious brunch recipes:
- Sweet Cinnamon-Sugar Popovers
- Cinnamon Roll Waffles
- German Apple PancakeRecipe
- Simple Cream Puffs Recipe
- Maple Pecan Candy Bacon Recipe
Did you make this recipe?
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