Make Slow Cooker Monkey Bread

You can make cinnamon monkey bread using homemade dough, or buy refrigerated, pre-packaged biscuit dough. Pumpkin monkey bread is stuffed with a gooey cream cheese filling, and you can use either cinnamon roll or biscuit dough from the store. If you make one of the monkey bread recipes using store-bought dough, the bread should be eaten warm once it’s finished cooking. Cinnamon monkey bread from scratch can be refrigerated for up to five days, however all monkey bread tastes best fresh.

Ingredients

Cinnamon Monkey Bread from Scratch

• 2 ½ teaspoons (12 mL or 1 packet) instant yeast
• 1/4 cup (60 mL) warm water
• 5 cups (600 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 ¼ cup (250 g) granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon (5 mL) salt
• 1 ¼ cup (310 mL) warm milk
• 1 cup (240 g) unsalted butter
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup (135 g) light brown sugar, packed
• 2 teaspoons (10 mL) ground cinnamon
• 1-2 teaspoons (5-10 mL) vanilla extract

Serves 3-4

Cinnamon Monkey Bread with Store-Bought Dough

• 1 tube of 8 refrigerated jumbo biscuits (16.3 oz or 462 g)
• 1 cup (200 g) granulated white sugar
• 1 cup (180 g) brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1 tablespoon (20 g) cinnamon
• 1 cup (227 g or 2 sticks) butter
• 1-2 cups (100 to 200 g) powdered sugar
• 1-2 teaspoons (5-10 mL) vanilla

Serves 14

Pumpkin and Cream Cheese Monkey Bread

• 2 cans (12.4 oz or 352 g each) refrigerated cinnamon rolls or biscuit dough
• 3/4 cup and 2 tablespoons (175 g) granulated sugar
• 3 ½ teaspoons (17 mL) pumpkin pie spice
• 1 teaspoon (5 mL) ground cinnamon
• 2/3 cup (160 g) unsalted butter, melted
• 1/3 cup (60 g) brown sugar
• 1/4 cup (40 g) chopped pecans (optional)
• 2 tablespoons (30 mL) canned pureed pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
• 3 ounces (85 g) cream cheese, softened
• Maple syrup, caramel sauce, or cream cheese glaze for topping

Serves 6-8

Steps

Making Cinnamon Monkey Bread from Scratch

1. Line your cooker with parchment paper. Spray a light coating of nonstick cooking spray onto the parchment paper.
2. Proof the yeast in sugar and warm water. Heat the water in a saucepan or microwave to about {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}}. Mix in the yeast and 2 tablespoons (25 g) of sugar. Allow it to sit for about five minutes.
   • The mixture is ready once it’s foamy and the yeast is dissolved.
3. Combine the dough ingredients. Add 2 cups (240 g) of the flour, 2 tablespoons (25 g) of sugar, salt, the yeast mixture, 1/4 cup (60 g) melted butter, vanilla, and milk warmed to about {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}}.
4. Mix the dough. Use a large bowl and mixing spoon, or a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment. Mix with the spoon or on low speed for ten to fifteen minutes, until the mixture becomes a soft dough.
   • When the dough is finished mixing, it should be soft without sticking to the sides of the bowl.
5. Take out the dough and allow it to rest. Dust a clean work surface lightly with flour. Let the dough rest on the floured surface for about ten minutes.
6. Put the topping ingredients in two small bowls. In one bowl, melt 3/4 cup (180 g) butter. In the other bowl, combine the brown sugar, a cup (200 g) of white sugar, and cinnamon.
7. Form and coat the dough balls. Pinch off 2 tablespoons (30 g) of dough at a time. Roll each piece in your hands to shape it into a ball. Dip the ball in the melted butter, then roll it in the sugar mixture to coat it evenly. Place the ball on the parchment paper in the bottom of the slow cooker.
   • The dough balls can be stacked; a single layer isn’t necessary.
   • Repeat this step until you’ve used all of the dough.
8. Cook the dough on high heat for two hours. Put a double layer of paper towels beneath the lid. This will prevent condensation from dripping onto the dough.
9. Serve and/or store the monkey bread. Turn off the slow cooker. Take the bread out by carefully lifting it along with the parchment paper. Alternately, you can dump it upside-down onto a serving platter. The bread will taste best the day it’s made, but you can store it in an airtight container for up to five days in the refrigerator.

Making Cinnamon Monkey Bread with Store-Bought Dough

1. Combine the sugars with cinnamon. Add the ingredients to a large, resealable plastic bag. Seal the bag securely. Shake the bag to mix the sugars and cinnamon together.
2. Coat pieces of biscuit in butter and the cinnamon mixture. Slice each biscuit into fourths, and melt 1/2 cup (120 g) of butter in a bowl. Dip each piece in melted butter, then put it into the bag with the cinnamon mixture. Once you’ve done this with all of the dough, close the bag. Shake the bag until the pieces are coated with the cinnamon and sugar.
3. Arrange the dough in a greased slow cooker. Spray a light coating of nonstick cooking spray in the bottom of the slow cooker. Place the pieces of dough in the bottom of the cooker. They can touch each other, but try to keep them in a single layer rather than stacked.
4. Cook the dough on high for two to three hours. Put a lid on the slow cooker. Once the biscuits are done, switch the heat to warm until you’re ready to serve them, or serve them right away.
5. Make the icing. Melt 1/2 cup (120 g) of butter in a saucepan. Slowly add the powdered sugar, stirring constantly. Cook until the icing is thick and smooth. Stir in the vanilla.
6. Serve monkey bread as soon as possible. Drizzle icing over the bread with a spoon. Keep the bread warm until you serve it. This recipe is best served right away, since the bread will harden when it cools.

Making Pumpkin and Cream Cheese Monkey Bread

1. Combine the filling ingredients. In a medium bowl, mix together the softened cream cheese, pumpkin puree, 2 tablespoons (25 g) white sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) pumpkin pie spice. Stir the ingredients until the mixture is smooth.
2. Mix the brown sugar with melted butter in a small bowl. In another small bowl or cup, set aside at least 2 tablespoons (25 g) of the butter and brown sugar mixture to drizzle on the rolls later.
3. Stuff bits of dough with filling. Pull the cinnamon rolls apart so that they’re separated, then slice each one in half. Press each piece down with your palm so that it’s somewhat flattened. Spoon a teaspoon (5 mL) of the cheese filling on top. Place another piece of dough on top. Press down on the sides to seal in the sandwiched filling, then roll the dough into a ball.
   • Repeat this step until you’ve used all of the dough.
4. Coat each ball with the butter and brown sugar mixture. Dip a dough ball into the mixture, rolling it for an even coating. Alternately, you can place the balls and butter/sugar mixture into a resealable bag, and shake until the dough balls are coated.
5. Arrange dough balls in the greased slow cooker. Spray a light coating of nonstick cooking spray inside the bottom of the cooker. After placing the balls inside in a single layer, pour the remaining butter on top. Sprinkle chopped pecans over the dough, if desired.
6. Cook the dough for 1 ½ to 2 hours. Cover the slow cooker with two paper towels, then put the lid on top. If your cooker tends to run hot, make sure to check the dough after one hour, and every half-hour after that.
   • The paper towels create a barrier so that condensation won’t drip onto the monkey bread.
   • The monkey bread is done cooking when its center isn’t doughy. Try inserting a knife or toothpick; it may come out with some filling on it, but it shouldn’t have any sticky dough.
7. Serve the monkey bread. Turn off the cooker and remove the lid. Let it sit for five minutes. Then take a knife and loosen the edges of the monkey bread. Use one or more spatulas or pie servers to transfer the monkey bread onto serving plates.
   • Top the servings with syrup or a cream cheese glaze, if desired.

Tips

• Serve coffee as a beverage, if desired; it pairs well with monkey bread!

Things You'll Need

Cinnamon Bread from Scratch

• Slow cooker
• Parchment paper
• Nonstick cooking spray
• Saucepan or microwavable bowl
• Cooking spoon
• Stand mixer with dough hook attachment, or large bowl and mixing spoon
• 2 small bowls
• Paper towels
• Serving platter

Cinnamon Bread with Store-Bought Dough

• Resealable plastic bag
• Knife
• Saucepan
• Nonstick cooking spray
• Whisk or cooking spoon

Pumpkin and Cream Cheese Bread

• 5-6 quart oval slow cooker
• Nonstick cooking spray
• Medium bowl
• Mixing spoon
• Knife
• Spatulas or pie servers

Sources and Citations

See also

• Shape and Decorate Bread Before Baking
• Make a Sourdough Starter Without Yeast
• Make Unleavened Bread
• Twist a Pretzel
• Freeze Bread Dough
• Bake Almost No Knead Bread
• Make Bread Without a Loaf Pan
• Work With Yeast in Bread Making
• Adjust Bread Recipes for High Altitude
• Create Yeast for Baking

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