Do you remember your mom making yummy, caramelly monkey bread when you were a kid? Well I do, and I loved it. And that buttery cinnamon sugar scent wafting from the kitchen brings it all back. Honestly, I think that's one of my favorite scents in the world. And it's so much fun to eat, just pull off a piece.... or two, or three. So why is it called Monkey Bread? There's no banana in it, though that may be a yummy addition - caramelized banana - yum! But seriously, the origin of the term "Monkey Bread" comes from the pastry being a fun finger food. We pick at it as a monkey would. Kind of weird, but true! Because I like to veer from tradition a bit, I added toppings to my monkey bread and I'll show you how.
Here's how to make it:
Ingredients
1 bag frozen dinner rolls (20-24), thawed. I like to use Rhodes Yeast Rolls.
1 cup light or dark brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated white sugar
2 TSP cinnamon
12 TBS melted butter
(optional) If you want to add toppings, use whatever you like -nuts, chocolate chips, coconut. I used slivered almonds, shredded coconut and butterscotch chips because that's what I had in the pantry. :)
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350° F.
Grease a bundt pan and set aside. I used baking spray and it worked great, or you can use butter.
Mix both sugars and the cinnamon in a bowl.
Add the melted butter to another bowl.
Cut each roll into quarters with a sharp knife or kitchen shears.
If you want to add toppings, place them evenly around the bottom of the pan. If you want additional yum, you can put some in between the layers of dough.
Place each piece of dough into the butter and toss to fully coat them. Next dredge the dough in the cinnamon sugar mixture and toss to coat.
Add the dough to the bundt pan, starting with the first layer and moving onto a second.
Bake uncovered for 15 minutes.
Cover the pan with foil sprayed with cooking spray (or use non-stick foil) and bake for an additional 20 minutes.
Remove the foil and bake for another 5-8 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted in the center comes out clean and enjoy the yum!
Did you make this? Share pics in the comments!