Cinnamon Monkey Bread with Cream Cheese Frosting - Making this gooey cinnamon pull apart dessert from scratch is an easy way to impress your guests! Drizzled in a cream cheese glaze, every bite is better than the one before!
This homemade monkey bread recipe is my go-to for serving anytime I need something a little extra special for a special occasion breakfast, weekend brunch, or around the Christmas holidays. It’s a pull-apart bread which makes it easy to share and easy to serve!
This easy monkey bread with cream cheese glaze is made completely from scratch and delivers soft pillowy bites of cinnamon sugar coated dough balls drizzled in a sweet and tangy cream cheese glaze. It’s the ultimate crowd-pleaser for Christmas morning, Easter brunch (next to the hot cross buns), or a sweet and sticky late night treat!
Looking for more brunch recipes that double as desserts? Try my sourdough pumpkin muffins with a cream cheese frosting, blueberry cake, and strawberry stuffed french toast with whipped cream cheese.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Fun texture. Crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside, and coated with a sweet frosting!
- Tastes like a cinnamon rolls. The warming cinnamon sugar with the cream cheese glaze without the extra work!
- Versatile. You’ll never run out of reasons to bake up gooey cinnamon monkey bread.
- Easy to make. And it’s all made from scratch!
Ingredients for Sweet Monkey Bread Bundt Cake
For the Dough
- Warm whole milk: It needs to be warmed to about 110°F (43°C) so it helps activate the yeast. If it’s too hot it’ll kill it, and if it’s too cold, the yeast won’t foam up.
- Active dry yeast: Make sure to use fresh yeast otherwise your dough won’t rise.
- Sugar: Yeast feeds on sugar as well. It also helps to sweeten the dough.
- Large eggs: To bind the dough. Bring them out to room temperature so all your ingredients will bake at an even rate.
- Unsalted butter and salt: I used unsalted butter to control the amount of salt I add in after. If you only have salted butter on hand, you can use it and omit the added salt.
- Pure vanilla extract: For flavor!
- All-purpose flour: Spoon and level the flour into the measuring cup so you’re using the right amount of flour and no more.
For the Coating
- Unsalted butter: You need the butter to help the sugar and cinnamon stick.
- Granulated sugar and brown sugar: For the delicious coating on every single piece of the pull-apart bread. You can use packed light or dark brown sugar, it’s up to you.
- Cinnamon and vanilla: Warming flavors for extra deliciousness.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Cream cheese and butter: Bring them out to room temperature to soften about 40 minutes before. You want them both to be soft enough to become creamy.
- Powdered sugar: To make the glaze sweet but not gritty.
- Vanilla extract: For flavor.
- Milk: You’ll add this to help thin out the glaze.
See the recipe card for the full information on recipe ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Monkey Bread with Cream Cheese Frosting
Step 1: In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk the warm milk, yeast and sugar together. Let that sit until it starts to foam.
Step 2: On low, mix in the egg, melted butter, salt, vanilla, and a cup of flour. Then, add the remaining flour and mix until the dough comes together, about 5-7 minutes, until smooth and elastic.
Step 3: Place the dough into a greased bowl, cover with a kitchen towel and let it rise in a warm, draft-free area for 1-2 hours until it has doubled in size and bulk.
Step 4: In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter. In a separate bowl, mix the sugar and cinnamon. Then, grease the bundt pan.
Step 5: Once the dough has risen, punch it down. Divide it into 60 balls. It helps to use a kitchen scale, so your dough is divided evenly, but if you don’t have one, you can eyeball it.
Step 6: Dip each ball in melted butter, roll it in cinnamon sugar, and place it in the bottom of the pan. As you layer the dough in your pan, pour part of the butter and brown sugar mixture halfway through and the rest on top. Repeat with all 60 dough balls, arranging them so that they are layered in the bundt pan on top of one another, staggered.
Step 7: While the oven preheats to 350°F, cover and let the monkey bread dough sit and rest.
Step 8: Bake for 35-45 minutes until golden brown. Let them cool for 5-10 minutes before, flipping the monkey bread over onto a plate.
Step 9: In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth, add the powdered sugar and vanilla, and thin it out with milk until it’s easily pourable. Drizzle over the warm monkey bread and serve!
Tips for the Best Gooey Monkey Bread
- Grease your bundt pan well. This will help the monkey bread release out of the pan without sticking.
- Tent with foil. Only do this in the oven if you notice it’s browning too quickly.
- Use fresh yeast. You’ll know it’s not fresh if it doesn’t foam. If this is the case, discard and get fresh yeast.
- Don’t overbake the monkey bread. You want to keep the dough nice and soft, and not hard and dry!
- Add glaze to warm monkey bread. When the dough is still slightly warm, the glaze gets soaked right in, adding even more flavor.
- Thicken the glaze. If you prefer a thicker glaze, something that resembles a light frosting, you don’t need to add too much milk (or any at all, depending on how thick you want it).
FAQs + Monkey Bread Troubleshooting Guide
This pull-apart monkey bread with cream cheese frosting is meant to be eaten with your hands by pulling each piece from the mound of dough balls. Since monkeys like to pick things off of one another, the name is only fitting!
Can I make it ahead of time?
Yes you can! Assemble the coated dough balls in the bundt pan, cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge overnight. Bring them out to room temperature as you let your oven preheat, then bake as directed.
Sure you can. Try a maple glaze, chocolate glaze, or a thicker cream cheese frosting instead. Sometimes I get inspired by my nutella cinnamon rolls, and dip each piece of monkey bread straight into Nutella!
It won’t have that signature look, but you can certainly make it anyway without a bundt pan. Use a loaf pan and bake for 35-40 minutes or a 9x13 baking dish and bake for 25-30 minutes.
Keep leftovers stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. You can keep it fresh for a few extra days by keeping it in the fridge. Warm it up in the microwave just before serving.
If your butter and brown sugar sauce leaks or bubbles over while baking, your pan is likely too full. Use a 10–12 cup bundt pan and fill it only about two-thirds full to give the caramel room to expand.
Using a wooden spoon gently push the dough away from the edges to minimize any spills during baking.
You can also place a foil-lined baking sheet on the rack below to catch any drips. If it still overflows, don’t stress — that extra caramel usually turns into crispy, buttery bits that taste amazing!
If you’re using yeast dough, make sure your yeast is fresh and active. The dough should double in size before baking.
For biscuit dough monkey bread, the rise comes mostly from steam and baking powder, so avoid overmixing and make sure your oven is fully preheated. A hot oven gives it that beautiful lift and soft, pull-apart texture.
Dry monkey bread usually means it baked too long or didn’t have enough sauce. Check for doneness around the 30-minute mark — the top should be golden and bubbling, but not hard.
Always use real butter (not margarine) for a rich, glossy caramel coating that keeps every piece moist and gooey.
If the top is done but the center is still doughy, cover the pan loosely with foil and continue baking for 5–10 more minutes. This traps steam and helps the middle cook through without burning the top.
Let it cool for at least 10 minutes before flipping to help the caramel set and prevent sogginess.
This sweet, sticky pull-apart cinnamon bread pairs perfectly with coffee, fresh fruit, or a savory dish like breakfast burritos or breakfast scrambled eggs and sausage. It’s great for holidays, brunches, and cozy weekend mornings.
More Dessert Recipes You’ll Love
- Best Cheesecake Chocolate Brownies
- Chocolate Rugelach Cookies
- White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies (Soft, Chewy & Easy)
- Easy Apple Cobbler Recipe
- Best Pumpkin Pie Recipe
- Sourdough Pumpkin Muffins (with Cream Cheese or without!)
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📖 Recipe
Cinnamon Monkey Bread with Cream Cheese Frosting – Gooey Pull-Apart Dessert
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 1 ½ cups whole milk about 360 ml, warmed to about 110°F (43°C)
- 2 ¼ teaspoon dry active yeast
- ¼ cup granulated sugar 50 g
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- ⅓ cup butter melted, 5 Tbsp, 71 g
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 5 cups all purpose flour spooned & leveled, 625 g
For Coating
- ¾ cup butter divided = ½ cup + ¼ cup, 12 Tbsp, 170 g
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar 250 g
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- ⅔ cup brown sugar 130 g
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Icing
- 4 oz cream cheese softened, 113 g
- 2 tablepoons butter softened, 28 g
- 1 cup powdered sugar 120 g
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1-2 tablespoons milk to thin the icing
Instructions
Make the Dough
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk warm milk, yeast, and sugar. Cover and let sit for 5 minutes until foamy.
- Add eggs, melted butter, salt, vanilla extract, and 1 cup flour. Mix on low.
- Add remaining flour and mix until dough comes together. Knead for 5–7 minutes until smooth and elastic.
- First Rise: Place dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise in warm place for 1–2 hours or until doubles in size.
Prepare the Coating
- Melt ½ cup (115 g) butter. In another bowl, mix granulated sugar + cinnamon. Grease Bundt pan.
- Butter and Sugar Sauce: Melt remaining ¼ cup (60 g) butter. Stir in brown sugar + vanilla. This is the mixture you will be pouring over dough balls in the pan.
Shape the Dough Balls
- Punch down dough, divide into 60 balls.
- Dip each ball in melted butter, roll in cinnamon-sugar, and arrange in greased bundt pan. As you layer the dough in your pan, pour part of the butter and brown sugar mixture halfway through and the rest on top.
- Cover and rest 20 minutes while oven preheats to 350°F (177°C).
Bake
- Bake 35–45 minutes until golden brown. Tent with foil if browning too quickly. To prevent spills, make sure you’re using a standard 10–12 cup bundt pan and only fill it about two-thirds full. If your pan is smaller or you’ve added extra mix-ins (like nuts, apples, or chocolate chips), place a baking sheet underneath to catch any drips.Great tip: melt your butter and brown sugar just until combined — not boiling — before pouring over the dough. If it’s too hot, the mixture can thin out and bubble over more easily. Another great tip: during baking, if the butter and sugar syrup starts going over the edges of the pan, using a wooden spoon gently push the dough away from the edges to minimize any spills.
- Cool 5–10 minutes, then invert onto serving plate.
Make the Cream Cheese Frosting
- Beat cream cheese + butter until smooth.
- Add powdered sugar + vanilla. Thin with milk until pourable.
- Drizzle cream cheese frosting over warm monkey bread. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Start by using a well-greased bundt pan or tube pan — this helps the pull-apart bread bake evenly and lets that rich brown sugar sauce coat every piece.
- Keep your dough slightly chilled before rolling. Cold yeast dough is easier to cut, shape, and toss in cinnamon sugar without sticking to your hands. Make sure each piece is evenly coated for that golden, caramelized crust that makes gooey monkey bread so addictive.
- If you love make-ahead recipes, you can assemble monkey bread the night before. Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight, then bake fresh in the morning for an effortless brunch dessert or holiday breakfast treat. Add chopped pecans, walnuts, diced apples, or mini chocolate chips between the layers for a fun flavor twist.
- Always use real butter for the best texture and taste — it gives the sauce that rich, silky finish. Drizzle warm cream cheese frosting over the top just before serving. Every pull-apart piece will be sticky, sweet, and totally irresistible.
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