Monkey Bread Muffins

There’s nothing better than starting the morning with a freshly baked pastry still warm from the oven. The downside of freshly baked pastries, though, is having to get up early to make them! This recipe for easy-to-make monkey bread muffins is the perfect compromise. Like many other monkey bread recipes, it calls for refrigerated biscuit dough from the grocery store. This shortcut gets these tasty treats on your breakfast or brunch table in less than 30 minutes.

Unlike traditional monkey bread baked in a Bundt or tube pan, these cinnamon sugar-coated dough balls are baked in a muffin tin. A drizzle of caramel sauce over the top ensures each muffin has the perfect sweet and buttery flavor. A great breakfast food for a crowd, they’ll be the hit at any brunch table, potluck or bake sale (so maybe double the recipe).

Ingredients for Monkey Bread Muffins

• Refrigerated buttermilk biscuits: Store-bought refrigerated biscuits make prepping these monkey bread muffins a breeze. Choose from the best canned biscuit brands.
• Cinnamon sugar: Cinnamon and sugar are key to flavoring the dough balls. Vietnamese or Saigon cinnamon is the best type of cinnamon for the boldest flavor.
• Caramel topping: Melted butter and brown sugar make a caramel topping to drizzle on top. In addition to giving the muffins plenty of sweet and buttery flavor, the caramel topping helps the dough balls stick together as they bake and contributes to the muffins’ gooey texture.

Directions

Step 1: Prep the muffin tin

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 22 muffin cups with foil liners.

Step 2: Make the muffins

Cut each biscuit into eight pieces.

In a large bowl or zip-top bag, combine the sugar and cinnamon.

Toss the biscuit pieces in the cinnamon sugar and evenly divide them into the prepared muffin tins. Sprinkle the muffins with the remaining cinnamon sugar.

Editor’s Tip: Lightly push down on the sugared dough pieces to help them stick together in the muffin tin.

Step 3: Drizzle with caramel

In a small bowl, combine the melted butter with the brown sugar, and pour the mixture over each muffin.

Step 4: Bake the monkey bread muffins

Bake the muffins until the dough is puffed and golden brown, 15 to 17 minutes. Cool them for five minutes before serving them.

Monkey Bread Muffins Variations

• Add a glaze: Make an easy confectioners’ sugar glaze to drizzle over the baked muffins. Simply stir together 2 cups confectioners’ sugar, 2 tablespoons water and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract. If the mixture is too thick, add more water in 1/2 teaspoon increments until the glaze reaches the desired drizzling consistency.
• Switch the spice: Replace the cinnamon with an equal amount of a sweet spice blend like pumpkin pie spice or apple pie spice.
• Fill with fresh fruit: To make lemon blueberry monkey bread muffins, use fresh grated lemon zest instead of the cinnamon. After filling each muffin cup 2/3 full with the dough pieces, sprinkle in a few fresh blueberries, then cover them with more dough.
• Go nuts: Sprinkle whole or chopped pecans over the muffins before baking them.

How to Store Monkey Bread Muffins

Monkey bread muffins are best eaten warm from the oven. If you have leftovers, place them in an airtight container and store them at room temperature. They’ll last up to four days, but they taste best when eaten within two days.

Can you freeze monkey bread muffins?

Yes, you can freeze muffins! After the muffins have cooled completely, transfer them to a baking sheet and place them in the freezer until they’re frozen solid, about 30 minutes. Transfer the frozen muffins to a freezer-safe zippered bag and remove as much air as possible. Place this freezer bag into another freezer bag, again removing as much air as possible to help prevent freezer burn. Freeze them for up to three months. Thaw the muffins before serving them. Remove the foil liner and heat them for 20 to 30 seconds in the microwave if you prefer warm monkey bread.

Can you make monkey bread muffins in advance?

Because these muffins are best served warm from the oven, bake them right before serving. However, you can prep the muffins in advance. Place the monkey bread in muffin tins as in Step 2. Loosely cover them with storage wrap and store the tin in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Just before baking, top the muffins with the melted butter and brown sugar mixture, then bake them as directed.

Monkey Bread Muffins Tips

Do you need liners for the muffin tin to make monkey bread muffins?

Liners help prevent the muffins from sticking to the tin. However, if you prefer, you could also thoroughly butter the sides and bottoms of each muffin cup before directly adding the dough balls. If needed, use an offset spatula or flat knife to cut around the side of the muffins to help remove them from the pan.

Can you make monkey bread muffins with homemade biscuit dough?

If you have the time, making homemade biscuits is great! Just be sure to double the recipe to ensure you have enough biscuit dough to make at least a dozen monkey bread muffins.