Monkey Bread Recipe | The Black News Report

Glazed monkey bread on marble platter.

This vegan Monkey Bread Recipe is pillowy soft, sticky in the best kind of way, and full of sweet cinnamon brown sugar flavour. It’s perfect for holiday breakfasts and brunch get-togethers because this pull-apart bread is always a hit!

If you follow along with my blog, you know I love to bake bread! There’s something so satisfying about the process of making something from scratch that most people buy—and that isn’t always vegan! This vegan monkey bread recipe is the perfect example. Normally, it’s made with enriched dough (kind of like Vegan Cinnamon Rolls), which means egg, butter, and milk. This plant-based version swaps those out, but it’s still a soft, tender pull-apart bread bathed in a buttery brown sugar and cinnamon mixture. Such a treat!

Why This Recipe Is the Perfect Addition to Your Next Brunch

If you’re looking for a show-stopping brunch recipe, this vegan monkey bread is it. Each sticky, gooey bite-sized dough ball is absolutely divine!

Cozy flavour. Sweet cinnamon, a sticky caramelised glaze, and soft dough create the coziest breakfast treat.
Perfect for sharing. This pull-apart bread is fun for sharing with friends and family, and kids especially love it! (It’s also easier to serve than regular bread—no slicing needed!)
Simple ingredients. There’s nothing fancy or hard-to-find here! You might even have everything in your kitchen already.

Notes on Ingredients

Here are the ingredients you’ll need for this vegan monkey bread recipe. Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.

For the Dough:

Instant yeast – Learn more: Is Yeast Vegan?
Vegan milk – Make sure it’s unsweetened and unflavoured.
All-purpose flour
Granulated sugar
Vegan unsalted butter – You can use store-bought or Homemade Vegan Butter.
Sea salt

To Assemble:

Vegan butter – You’ll soften some of this to grease the pan and melt the rest.
Sugar – You’ll need granulated sugar and light brown sugar.
Ground cinnamon

For the Glaze:

Powdered sugar – Don’t have it on hand? Here’s how to make Homemade Powdered Sugar.
Vegan milk
Vanilla extract – You can use vanilla bean paste if you want little flecks of vanilla bean in the glaze.

How to Make Vegan Monkey Bread

There’s nothing intimidating about this monkey bread recipe! Here’s a step-by-step guide to show you how it’s done.

Wet ingredients for monkey bread dough in bowl. — Combine the milk and yeast.

Monkey bread dough in bowl with wooden spoon. — Combine the milk and yeast.

Activate the yeast. Whisk the warm vegan milk and yeast; rest until the mixture is foamy.
Make the dough. Add the sugar, melted butter, and salt to the yeast mixture, then stir in the flour and knead until smooth.

Monkey bread dough in bowl after first rise. — Let the dough rise.

Dough cut into 50 small portions. — Let the dough rise.

First rise. Transfer the dough to a greased bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled in bulk.
Cut and shape. Roll the dough into a rectangle and cut it into 50 pieces; shape each piece into a ball.

Dipping ball of dough in cinnamon sugar. — Roll into balls and coat with cinnamon sugar.

Monkey bread in pan before second rise. — Roll into balls and coat with cinnamon sugar.

Coat the dough. Dip each ball of dough in the melted butter, then roll in the cinnamon sugar.
Second rise. Grease a bundt pan and layer in the dough balls. Cover and let the monkey bread rise until puffy.

Caramel mixture for monkey bread. — Make the caramel.

Monkey bread in bundt pan before baking. — Make the caramel.

Make the syrup. Melt the butter with the brown sugar; boil briefly, then pour this mixture over the dough.
Bake. Bake the monkey bread at 350°F for 30 to 35 minutes, or until golden and bubbling.

Monkey bread in bundt pan. — Bake and rest.

Spoon drizzling glaze onto monkey bread. — Bake and rest.

Cool and invert. Rest for 10 minutes, then flip the bread onto a serving plate.
Glaze. Whisk the glaze ingredients and drizzle over the warm monkey bread before serving.

Tips and Variations

Don’t use hot vegan milk. If it’s too hot, it could kill the yeast. It’s always better to err on the side of cooler because cooler milk will simply slow the yeast, while hot water will kill it.
Watch the dough, not the clock. You always want to look at the dough to make sure it’s rising, rather than setting a timer and going by that. If your kitchen is cooler (or warmer), it can affect the rise time. Sometimes I even take a picture of the dough before the rise so I have a better idea of when it’s doubled!
Add some nuts. Sprinkle chopped pecans or walnuts between the layers of dough balls for crunch.

Serving Suggestions

Although I could definitely make a meal out of this monkey bread recipe alone, it’s best paired with something a little more substantive! If I’m making it for a holiday or brunch party, I’ll serve it with my Overnight Breakfast Strata Recipe or Biscuits and Gravy Casserole, along with a side of Hash Browns.

How to Store and Reheat Leftovers

Store: Leftovers of this monkey bread recipe can be stored covered at room temperature for 1 day, or refrigerated for up to 4 days.
Freeze for later: Wrap the bread tightly and freeze it for up to 2 months; thaw in the fridge before reheating.
Reheat: Warm individual portions in the microwave for 10 to 15 seconds or reheat larger portions in a 300°F oven until warmed through.

Monkey bread on platter with pieces removed to show texture inside.

More Vegan Bread Recipes

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Vegan Monkey Bread

Soft, gooey and sticky, this Vegan Monkey Bread recipe is an irresistible pull-apart treat that's perfect for weekend brunches and holidays!

Course Breakfast, brunch

Cuisine American

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 35

Rising Time 1 30

Total Time 2 35

Servings -12 servings

Calories 690kcal

Author Jessica Hylton

Ingredients

For the Dough:

1 packet instant yeast about 2 ¼ teaspoons – 7g
2 cups warm vegan milk 100–120°F / 38–49°C, warm to the touch – 480mL
5 ¾ cups all-purpose flour 690g
¼ cup granulated sugar 50g
¼ cup vegan unsalted butter melted – 55g
¼ teaspoon sea salt 1.5g

To Assemble:

2 tablespoons softened vegan butter for greasing the pan – 30g
1 cup granulated sugar 200g
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 5g
1 cup vegan unsalted butter melted (divided) – 226g
⅔ cup light brown sugar 135g

For the Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar 120g
1-2 tablespoons vegan milk 30–45mL
½ teaspoon vanilla extract 2.5mL

Instructions

In a large bowl, whisk together the warm vegan milk and yeast. Let sit for about 5 minutes until slightly foamy.
Make the Dough: Add the sugar, melted vegan butter, and salt to the yeast mixture and stir. Gradually add in the flour, mixing until a dough forms. Turn onto a floured surface and knead for about 8–10 minutes, until smooth and elastic.
Instructions for stand mixer: Add the sugar, melted vegan butter, and salt to the yeast mixture and stir to combine. Attach the dough hook to your stand mixer and gradually add the flour on low speed. Once the flour is incorporated, increase to medium speed and knead the dough for about 6–8 minutes, until it becomes smooth, soft, and elastic and pulls away cleanly from the sides of the bowl.
Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover with a clean towel, and let rise in a warm spot for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
Punch down the risen dough and roll it out into a large rectangle about 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick.  Cut the dough into about 50 equal pieces, roughly 1 to 1½ inches (2.5–4 cm) each. Roll each piece into a small ball.
In a small bowl, mix the granulated sugar and cinnamon.  Melt ½ cup (113 grams) of the vegan butter and set aside.  Dip each dough ball into the melted butter, then roll in the cinnamon-sugar mixture until fully coated.
Generously grease a bundt pan with the softened vegan butter.  Layer the coated dough balls evenly in the pan.
Cover the pan and let rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes, until puffy. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) while the bread is rising.
Prepare the Brown Sugar Syrup: In a small saucepan, melt the remaining ½ cup (113 grams) vegan butter with the brown sugar over medium heat.  Bring to a gentle boil and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.  Pour the hot syrup evenly over the dough balls in the pan.
Bake the monkey bread for 30–35 minutes, until deep golden brown and bubbling around the edges.
Remove from the oven and let rest in the pan for 10 minutes.  Carefully invert onto a serving plate while still warm.
Whisk together the powdered sugar, vegan milk, and vanilla extract until smooth.  Let the monkey bread cool slightly, then drizzle the glaze over the top before serving.

Notes

Store: Leftovers of this monkey bread recipe can be stored covered at room temperature for 1 day, or refrigerated for up to 4 days.
Freeze for later: Wrap the bread tightly and freeze it for up to 2 months; thaw in the fridge before reheating.
Reheat: Warm individual portions in the microwave for 10–15 seconds or reheat larger portions in a 300°F oven until warmed through.

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