Looking for a fun breakfast that'll make everyone smile? These monkey bread muffins are your answer! Imagine warm, gooey cinnamon sugar dough balls baked into individual portions; each one a perfect little treat you can grab and go. Unlike traditional monkey bread that serves a crowd, monkey bread muffins let everyone have their own personal pull-apart treasure.
The best part about monkey bread muffins? You get all that sticky, buttery brown sugar glaze goodness in every bite. Whether you're hosting a brunch or need a sweet breakfast bake for busy mornings, these mini monkey bread muffins deliver big flavor without the fuss!
Background & Why This Recipe Stands Out
Monkey bread has been a beloved American treat since the 1950s, traditionally baked in a bundt pan and served family-style. But let's be honest; sometimes you want portion control, and that's where monkey bread muffins shine! This brunch treat combines the nostalgic appeal of classic monkey bread with the convenience of muffin tin individual portions. You get that same gooey sticky texture and pull-apart fun, but everyone gets their own perfectly portioned serving.
What makes this monkey bread muffins recipe stand out is its versatility and simplicity. You can use refrigerated biscuit dough for an easy baking shortcut that takes 10 minutes of prep, or go with a from-scratch dough version if you're feeling ambitious. Either way, the result is spectacular; warm served fresh out of oven with that irresistible buttery glaze cascading down the sides. These sweet breakfast muffins pair beautifully with scrambled eggs, fresh fruit, or your morning coffee. They're also fantastic alongside other breakfast favorites like Mini Pancake Muffins Recipe or Mini Pies in Muffin Tin for a complete brunch spread!
Jump to:
Ingredients
Cinnamon Sugar Coating
- Granulated sugar
- Ground cinnamon
- Melted butter
Dough
- Refrigerated biscuit dough
- Homemade dough (flour, baking powder, salt, milk, butter)
Buttery Brown Sugar Glaze
- Brown sugar
- Melted butter
- Heavy cream
- Vanilla extract
Optional Toppings
- Chopped pecans or walnuts
- Powdered sugar
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Step 1: Prepare Your Muffin Tin and Dough
- Preheat your oven to 375°F and generously grease a 12-cup muffin tin with butter or non-stick spray. You can also use muffin liners or greased muffin cups, though I prefer direct greasing for crispier edges.
- Open your refrigerated biscuit dough and separate the biscuits. Cut each biscuit into quarters using kitchen scissors or a sharp knife; you should have about 64-80 small dough pieces total.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the granulated sugar and cinnamon until well combined. Place your melted butter in a separate small bowl.
- Working in batches, dip each dough piece into the melted butter, then roll it in the cinnamon sugar mixture until completely coated. This double-coating method ensures maximum flavor in your monkey bread muffins!
Step 2: Assemble the Muffins
- Place 5-7 coated cinnamon sugar dough balls into each prepared muffin cup, stacking them gently. Don't pack them too tightly; they need room to expand and create those perfect pull-apart layers.
- If you're adding pecans or nuts topping variant, sprinkle a few pieces over each muffin now. The nuts will toast beautifully as the muffins bake, adding wonderful texture.
- Repeat until all dough pieces are distributed evenly among the 12 muffin cups. You want each cup filled about ¾ of the way for the best results.
Step 3: Make the Glaze and Bake
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine brown sugar, melted butter, heavy cream, and vanilla extract. Stir constantly until the mixture is smooth and the sugar has dissolved, about 2-3 minutes. This creates that signature buttery brown sugar glaze!
- Carefully spoon about 1-2 tablespoons of the warm glaze over each muffin, making sure it seeps down between the dough balls. Don't worry if it seems like a lot; this creates that gooey sticky texture everyone loves.
- Place the muffin tin in your preheated oven and bake for 18-22 minutes, until the tops are golden brown and the dough is cooked through. The edges should be slightly crispy while the centers remain soft and gooey.
Step 4: Cool and Serve
- Remove the muffin tin from the oven and let the monkey bread muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes. This resting time allows the glaze to set slightly while keeping the muffins warm and gooey.
- Run a butter knife around the edges of each muffin to loosen them, then carefully remove them from the tin. Place them on a serving plate or cooling rack.
- Serve immediately while still warm for the best experience! The muffins are perfect for pulling apart with your fingers, making them a fun, interactive brunch treat or breakfast bake that everyone will enjoy.
Expert Cooking Tips
Key Tips for Success:
- Adjust glaze ; Too thick? Add cream. Too thin? Simmer another minute
- Don't skip the butter dip ; It helps the cinnamon sugar stick to each dough ball
- Use fresh cinnamon ; Old spices won't deliver that aromatic punch
- Grease generously ; These monkey bread muffins are sticky, so don't be shy
- Work quickly ; Assemble and bake promptly after cutting dough
- Check doneness ; Toothpick should come out with just a few moist crumbs
Recipe Variations & Substitutions
Dietary Modifications
For a lighter version, substitute half the butter with unsweetened applesauce; you'll reduce calories while maintaining moisture. Use coconut sugar instead of white sugar for a lower glycemic option, though the flavor will be slightly different. Gluten-free friends can use gluten-free biscuit dough or a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend for the from-scratch version.
Creative Flavor Twists:
- Apple Cinnamon ; Add ½ cup finely diced apples mixed with the dough pieces for a fruity variation
- Chocolate Chip ; Toss mini chocolate chips between the dough layers for chocolate lovers
- Maple Pecan ; Replace vanilla extract with maple extract and double the pecans
- Pumpkin Spice ; Add 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice to your cinnamon sugar for fall flavors
- Cream Cheese Glaze ; Mix 4 oz softened cream cheese with powdered sugar and milk for a tangy topping
Ingredient Substitutes
Can't find refrigerated biscuit dough? Use pizza dough or even crescent roll dough cut into small pieces. Both work wonderfully! For a dairy-free option, substitute coconut oil for butter and use almond or oat milk in the glaze. The texture might be slightly different, but the monkey bread muffins recipe remains delicious.
Size Variations
Make mini versions using a 24-cup mini muffin pan; reduce baking time to 12-15 minutes. Or go jumbo with a 6-cup Texas-size muffin tin, increasing baking time to 25-28 minutes. These mini monkey bread muffins are perfect for parties and easier for little hands to manage!
Equipment Recommendations
Essential tools for making perfect monkey bread muffins:
- Standard 12-cup muffin tin ; Heavy-duty metal pans distribute heat better than silicone
- Kitchen scissors or sharp knife ; For quickly cutting biscuit dough into uniform pieces
- Two medium mixing bowls ; One for cinnamon sugar, one for butter dipping
- Small saucepan ; For preparing the buttery brown sugar glaze
- Pastry brush or spoon ; To apply glaze evenly over each muffin
- Oven thermometer ; Ensures accurate temperature for consistent results
- Cooling rack ; Allows air circulation and prevents soggy bottoms
- Non-stick cooking spray or butter ; For greasing the muffin tin thoroughly
Optional but helpful: A cookie scoop for portioning dough pieces evenly, parchment paper rounds for easier removal, and a silicone spatula for scraping every bit of that precious glaze!
Storage & Meal Prep Tips
Refrigerator Storage
Store monkey bread muffins in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Microwave for 15-20 seconds to restore that gooey texture.
Freezing Instructions:
- Freeze baked muffins in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months
- Wrap each individually in plastic wrap, then place in a freezer bag
- Reheat in microwave for 30-40 seconds or oven at 325°F for 10 minutes
Make Ahead
For make ahead monkey bread muffins, assemble unbaked muffins and refrigerate overnight. Add glaze in the morning and bake with 3-5 extra minutes.
The Game-Changing Secret
Here's what separates good monkey bread muffins from absolutely incredible ones: let your coated dough balls rest for 5 minutes before baking. This brief pause allows the butter to soak into the dough slightly, creating a more cohesive texture and helping the pieces bake together better. The result? Muffins that hold together when you remove them from the tin but still pull apart beautifully.
Another pro trick; reserve 2 tablespoons of your buttery brown sugar glaze. After the monkey bread muffins come out of the oven and cool for 3 minutes, brush this extra glaze over the tops for an extra shiny, bakery-style finish. This double-glaze method creates incredible visual appeal and adds an extra layer of sweetness. Your guests will think you spent hours on these when they took less than 30 minutes total!
FAQ
What are monkey bread muffins?
Monkey bread muffins are individual portions of cinnamon sugar-coated dough balls baked in a muffin tin with buttery glaze. Perfect pull-apart breakfast treats!
What is the most popular muffin in the world?
Blueberry muffins are most popular globally, but monkey bread muffins are gaining popularity for their fun pull-apart appeal.
How do monkey bread muffins differ from a cake?
Monkey bread muffins use biscuit dough instead of cake batter, creating a bread-like texture with signature pull-apart pieces.
What is the secret to making moist muffins?
Don't over-mix and use enough fat. For monkey bread muffins, the buttery brown sugar glaze keeps them moist. Serve warm!
Perfect Pairings for Your Breakfast Spread
Now that you've mastered monkey bread muffins, complete your brunch with these complementary recipes! Mini Pies in Muffin Tin offer a savory counterpoint to the sweet cinnamon treats. For more breakfast variety, Mini Pancake Muffins Recipe gives you another fun, portable option that kids and adults love equally.
These monkey bread muffins are guaranteed to become your go-to recipe for special mornings and holiday breakfasts. The combination of cinnamon sugar coating, gooey center, and buttery glaze creates pure breakfast magic. Try this monkey bread muffins recipe this weekend and watch them disappear before your eyes!
Emiy -
Pull apart happiness, one sweet bite at a time! 🍞✨
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with this Monkey Bread Muffins Recipe:
Monkey Bread Muffins
Equipment
- 12-cup Muffin tin
- 2 Mixing bowls
- 1 Saucepan
- 1 Pastry brush or spoon
- 1 Oven thermometer (optional)
- 1 Cooling rack
Ingredients
For the Cinnamon Sugar Coating
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup melted butter
For the Dough
- 2 cans refrigerated biscuit dough 16.3 oz each
- homemade dough optional substitute (flour, baking powder, salt, milk, butter)
For the Buttery Brown Sugar Glaze
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- ¼ cup melted butter
- 2 tablespoon heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Optional Toppings
- ½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts optional
- powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C) and grease a 12-cup muffin tin.
- Cut refrigerated biscuit dough into quarters (or prepare homemade dough).
- Dip dough pieces into melted butter, then roll in cinnamon sugar mixture.
- Place 5–7 coated dough balls into each muffin cup to fill ¾ full.
- In a saucepan, combine brown sugar, melted butter, heavy cream, and vanilla. Stir until smooth.
- Spoon about 1 tablespoon of glaze over each muffin.
- Bake for 18–22 minutes or until golden and bubbling.
- Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Serve warm.
Leave a Reply