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My classic monkey bread is one of the most popular recipes on Sugar and Charm, so I turned it into these easy Monkey Bread Muffins—and oh my goodness, we’re hooked! They’re gooey, pull-apart, cinnamon-sugar perfection baked into mini muffins in under 30 minutes!
Looking for more muffin recipes? Try my Pistachio Muffins, Blackberry Muffins, Orange Cranberry Muffins and Blueberry Banana Muffins! Or, explore all my favorite one bowl muffin recipes!
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“This recipe is so easy and delish. I love making it with the kiddos. I like that you can freeze them for later too.”
— Erin
Why You’ll Love These Muffins
- Perfect for brunches, Christmas mornings, or even an afternoon snack! These have become a favorite treat in our home and make the perfect breakfast when paired with a fresh fruit platter.
- It’s similar to cinnamon rolls but a lot easier to make. These cinnamon and sugar muffins are covered in brown butter icing, adding even more flavor. Add pecans or zest over the top for a festive taste! This recipe is perfect to make any time of year.
- Each muffin has layers of buttery dough that you can pull apart. The glaze seeps through the layers, creating the ultimate monkey bread muffin. The edges are golden brown and crispy, and the middle is a perfect, sweet, soft biscuit.
Monkey Bread Muffin Ingredients
Refrigerated Biscuits: I used Pillsbury Grand Flakey Biscuits. Canned biscuits make this one of our easy recipes!
Granulated Sugar: White sugar sweetens the recipe and is used to roll the dough.
Ground Cinnamon: Adds flavor and a little spice. It’s mixed with the sugar to roll the dough in. I love using cinnamon in my baked pumpkin donuts too!
Ground Cardamom: One of my favorite spices! I use it in my baked apple cider donuts and cranberry cornbread and it adds so much flavor!
Melted butter: Adds flavor and a super moist texture. It is used to roll the dough and make a brown butter glaze.
Confectioners Sugar: Also known as powdered sugar, it makes a sweet and creamy glaze.
How to Make Monkey Bread Muffins in 5 Steps
1. Prepare a muffin tin with liners. Then, cut each biscuit layer into 4 small biscuit pieces and roll each piece into small balls.
2. Dip one ball at a time in the butter first, then roll in cinnamon and sugar.
3. Add 5 small balls covered in sugar into each muffin tin, gently pressing down.
4. Bake in a 350-degree preheated oven for 10 minutes or until the muffins are done. Bake time will vary.
5. The tops of the muffins will be golden brown and have almost doubled in size
Brown Butter Glaze
I top these monkey bread muffins with a delicious, homemade brown butter glaze. It adds so much gooeyness and deliciousness to the muffins!
- Combine the sugar, vanilla, cardamom, and milk in a mixing bowl.
- In a small saucepan, brown the butter by letting it simmer for about 10 minutes until it starts to brown.
- Pour the browned butter over the sugar and whisk until it’s smooth as icing.
You can also make a caramel sauce to drizzle over the muffins.
Eden’s Monkey Bread Muffin Tips
Only add 4–5 little biscuit balls per muffin tin so they bake evenly.
I love cardamom, but you can swap in nutmeg or cinnamon for cozy fall vibes (like in my pumpkin bread).
Sprinkle in chopped pecans, walnuts, or even chocolate chips. Dried cranberries are amazing too
There is no need to shake the dough balls in a bag with the cinnamon and sugar; rolling them in the sugar mixture after dipping them in butter works perfectly.
To make ahead – assemble the muffins, cover the pan, and refrigerate overnight. Bake the next morning, whip up the glaze, and drizzle over warm muffins. (They’re at their best served fresh and gooey!)
How to Store Monkey Bread Muffins
At Room Temperature: Tuck them away in a tightly sealed container, where they’ll stay fresh for up to 48 hours.
In the Fridge: For a longer storage solution, place them in the refrigerator. They can last for up to four days, keeping their delightful flavors intact.
Warming Them Up: You can microwave for about 10 to 15 seconds, which brings back their warm, gooey goodness. Alternatively, you can warm them in an oven preheated to 350 degrees.
Frequently Asked Questions
Monkey bread is a sweet, gooey cinnamon roll-like bread made from balls of dough rolled in cinnamon sugar. It has biscuit dough, cinnamon, white sugar, and butter. It is baked to create a unique, sticky cinnamon bread for brunch.
The muffins will puff up and almost double in size. The tops will be golden brown, and the butter will be bubbly. Use a toothpick or fork to poke in the center of the muffin. You want to aim for the thicker parts. A clean toothpick means done, and a sticky one means the muffins need another minute.
Monkey bread muffins do not require a bundt pan. You can make them using a regular muffin tin or cupcake tin.
There are a few theories on why this treat is called monkey bread. Some think it’s because you must use your fingers to pull apart the pieces, similar to how monkeys eat. Others say it’s because the balls of dough resemble monkey brains. Regardless of the origin, one thing is for sure—it’s delicious!
More Muffin Recipes
If you bake these Monkey Bread Muffins, leave a review below! I love seeing your creations and hearing how they turned out!
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Monkey Bread Muffins
Ingredients
Monkey Bread Muffins
- 1 can biscuits , Pillsbury Grand (we used extra butter!)
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
Brown Butter Glaze
- 8 tbsp unsalted butter, browned
- 1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
- 1/4 tsp cardamom
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 6 tbsp milk
Instructions
Monkey Bread Muffins
- Prepare and muffin tin with liners. This recipe makes 6 muffins.
- Melt butter in one bowl and combine cinnamon, sugar and cardamom in another bowl.
- Pull apart the refrigerated biscuits.
- Cut each biscuit layer into four small pieces and roll each piece into small balls.
- Dip one ball at a time in the butter first and then roll in cinnamon and sugar.
- Add five small balls covered in sugar into each muffin tin, gently pressing down.
- Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes or until the muffins are done.
Brown Butter Glaze
- Combine sugar, vanilla, cardamom, and milk in a mixing bowl.
- In a small saucepan, brown the butter by letting it simmer for about 10 minutes until it starts to brown.
- Pour the browned butter over the sugar and whisk until it's smooth as icing.
- Drizzle the icing over the monkey bread muffins and serve while warm.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Can you not add the Ground Cardamom?
You don’t have to add the ground cardamom if you prefer not too 🙂
This is such an awesome muffin recipe. It brings together a classic monkey bread with a muffin, so easy to eat this way too, and perfect portions. So yummy and such a great idea!
This recipe is so easy and delish. I love making it with the kiddos. I like that you can freeze them for later too.