Introduction
Hey friend! Can you feel that crisp air? Hear the leaves crunching? Taste the pumpkin spice everywhere? Fall is officially here, and I couldn’t be more excited! And you know what else gets me excited this time of year? Cozy baking! But let’s be real, sometimes you want that amazing, smell-up-your-house, comforting baked good without spending hours in the kitchen, right?
Enter this Easy Pumpkin Spice Monkey Bread. Oh. My. Goodness. This recipe is an absolute dream. It uses a little shortcut (our secret!) that makes it SO simple, but the result is a gooey, pull-apart, spiced delight that tastes like you slaved over it all day. It’s perfect for a lazy weekend morning, a holiday brunch, or just because you need a little fall happiness in your life. Trust me, once you make this, it’ll be on repeat all season long!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Fast: Thanks to our little secret ingredient (canned cinnamon rolls!), prep time is minimal. You’ll be pulling this out of the oven in under an hour!
- Easy: If you can open a can, melt some butter, and shake some things in a bag (or bowl!), you can make this. Seriously, it’s practically foolproof.
- Giftable: Want to be the most popular person at the gathering? Bring this! Or wrap up a mini loaf for a sweet neighbor treat.
- Crowd-pleasing: Who can resist warm, sticky, pull-apart bread coated in pumpkin spice goodness? Kids and adults alike devour this!
Ingredients
Gather your ingredients, sweet friend! You don’t need much for this magic to happen:
- 1/2 cup Packed Brown Sugar: This is where we get that lovely, deep caramel-y flavor that makes Monkey Bread so irresistible. Make sure it’s packed down in your measuring cup!
- 1/4 cup Granulated Sugar: Just a little extra sweetness and structure for our coating mixture.
- 1 1/2 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice: The star of our fall show! This is what gives it that quintessential warm, autumnal flavor. If you don’t have a pre-made mix, you can make your own with cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves.
- 2 cans Pillsbury Grands! Cinnamon Rolls: Here’s our fantastic shortcut! Using pre-made dough saves so much time and effort, and these Grands rolls are just perfect for this. Don’t forget the icing packets that come with them – we’ll use those too!
- 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter: We’ll melt this down to create the luscious, gooey sauce that coats everything.
How to Make It
Okay, let’s get our hands a little messy (in the best way!). Follow these simple steps, and you’ll have warm, gooey Monkey Bread in no time.
First things first, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grab your trusty Bundt pan and give it a really good spray with non-stick cooking spray or grease it thoroughly with butter. Get into all those curves and crevices – this is key for easy release later!
Next, pop open those cans of cinnamon rolls. Unroll each one and cut it into about 4-6 pieces. You can use a knife or even kitchen shears, or just pull them apart with your fingers. It doesn’t have to be perfect!
In a medium bowl (or even a large zip-top bag, which can be fun and easy!), whisk together the packed brown sugar, granulated sugar, and pumpkin pie spice until everything is nicely combined.
Now, add those cut-up cinnamon roll pieces to the sugar-spice mixture. Toss them around until every single piece is beautifully coated. You can do this in batches if your bowl is too small, or shake them up in that zip-top bag!
Arrange the coated dough pieces evenly in your prepared Bundt pan. Just layer them in as you go. Don’t press them down too hard; we want room for the goo!
Melt the half cup of unsalted butter. You can do this in a small saucepan over low heat or in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second bursts until fully melted.
Carefully pour the melted butter evenly over the dough pieces in the pan. Try to get it all over!
Place the Bundt pan in your preheated oven. Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until the Monkey Bread is golden brown on top and the center looks cooked through and bubbly. If the top seems to be browning too quickly before the center is done, you can loosely tent the pan with aluminum foil for the remaining bake time.
Once it’s out of the oven, resist the urge to flip it immediately! Let the Monkey Bread cool in the pan for about 5-10 minutes. This resting time is important – it allows that delicious caramel-y sauce to set up just enough so it doesn’t all run everywhere when you flip it.
Okay, the moment of truth! Place a serving plate upside down over the top of the Bundt pan. Holding the pan and plate together firmly (use oven mitts, it’s still warm!), carefully but confidently flip the whole thing over. Give it a gentle shake if needed. The Monkey Bread should slide right out onto the plate in a beautiful, gooey ring.
Last step for perfection: Grab those little packets of icing that came with your cinnamon rolls. You can warm them slightly by placing the packets in a bowl of warm water for a few minutes or microwaving them for about 5 seconds. Snip off a corner and drizzle all that glorious icing over the warm Monkey Bread. Get it everywhere!
Serve immediately while it’s wonderfully warm and gooey! Let everyone pull off their own pieces. Enjoy!
Substitutions & Additions
Want to play around with this recipe? Here are a few delicious ideas to make it your own:
- Nuts: Add a layer of chopped pecans or walnuts to the bottom of the greased Bundt pan before adding the dough pieces. They toast up beautifully in the butter and sugar.
- Chocolate Chips: Toss in a handful of mini chocolate chips with the dough pieces when you’re coating them in sugar for a little extra treat.
- Caramel Drizzle: Before baking, drizzle a little extra store-bought caramel sauce over the dough after you’ve poured the melted butter. Yum!
- Homemade Glaze: If you prefer, skip the packet icing and make a simple glaze with powdered sugar and a splash of milk or cream and vanilla extract.
- Extra Spice: Love pumpkin spice? Add a tiny pinch more to the sugar mixture, or include a dash of ground ginger or cardamom.
Tips for Success
This recipe is pretty hard to mess up, but these little tips will ensure your Pumpkin Spice Monkey Bread is absolute perfection every time:
- Grease That Pan! I can’t stress this enough. A well-greased Bundt pan is your best friend for easy release.
- Coat Everything Evenly: Spend a minute making sure each dough piece gets a good covering of the sugar mixture. This guarantees maximum flavor and gooiness.
- Don’t Overbake: Keep an eye on the clock and look for that golden-brown color. Overbaking can lead to a drier Monkey Bread, and we want it gooey!
- Rest is Best: Letting the Monkey Bread cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes is crucial for that beautiful flip and to let the caramel set up a bit.
How to Store It
If by some miracle you have any leftovers of this delightful treat (seriously, good luck!), let it cool completely. Store it in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days. If you want to warm it up, just pop individual pieces in the microwave for a few seconds until they’re warm and soft again.
FAQs
Here are a couple of common questions I get about making Monkey Bread:
Can I use biscuits instead of cinnamon rolls?
Yes, you absolutely can! Canned biscuits (like Pillsbury Grands! Biscuits) work great too. You’ll just skip using the icing packets (or make your own glaze) and you won’t have the cinnamon in the dough itself, but the sugar and spice coating works just the same.
Can I make this recipe ahead of time?
While the baked Monkey Bread can be stored for a day or two, assembling it ahead of time and letting it sit uncooked isn’t usually recommended. The dough can get a bit soggy sitting in the sugar and butter mixture. It really is best assembled and baked fresh!
Easy & Irresistible Pumpkin Spice Monkey Bread (Your New Fall Favorite!)
Equipment
- Bundt pan Grease thoroughly with non-stick cooking spray or butter
- Medium bowl Or large zip-top bag
- Small saucepan Or microwave-safe bowl
- Oven mitts
- Serving plate
- bowl For warming icing packets (optional)
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 0.5 cup Packed Brown Sugar
- 0.25 cup Granulated Sugar
- 1.5 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice Or mix of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves
- 2 cans Pillsbury Grands! Cinnamon Rolls Includes icing packets
- 0.5 cup Unsalted Butter
Instructions
- First things first, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Grab your trusty Bundt pan and give it a really good spray with non-stick cooking spray or grease it thoroughly with butter. Get into all those curves and crevices – this is key for easy release later!
- Next, pop open those cans of cinnamon rolls. Unroll each one and cut it into about 4-6 pieces. You can use a knife or even kitchen shears, or just pull them apart with your fingers. It doesn't have to be perfect!
- In a medium bowl (or even a large zip-top bag, which can be fun and easy!), whisk together the packed brown sugar, granulated sugar, and pumpkin pie spice until everything is nicely combined.
- Now, add those cut-up cinnamon roll pieces to the sugar-spice mixture. Toss them around until every single piece is beautifully coated. You can do this in batches if your bowl is too small, or shake them up in that zip-top bag!
- Arrange the coated dough pieces evenly in your prepared Bundt pan. Just layer them in as you go. Don't press them down too hard; we want room for the goo!
- Melt the half cup of unsalted butter. You can do this in a small saucepan over low heat or in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second bursts until fully melted.
- Carefully pour the melted butter evenly over the dough pieces in the pan. Try to get it all over!
- Place the Bundt pan in your preheated oven. Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until the Monkey Bread is golden brown on top and the center looks cooked through and bubbly. If the top seems to be browning too quickly before the center is done, you can loosely tent the pan with aluminum foil for the remaining bake time.
- Once it's out of the oven, resist the urge to flip it immediately! Let the Monkey Bread cool in the pan for about 5-10 minutes. This resting time is important – it allows that delicious caramel-y sauce to set up just enough so it doesn't all run everywhere when you flip it.
- Okay, the moment of truth! Place a serving plate upside down over the top of the Bundt pan. Holding the pan and plate together firmly (use oven mitts, it's still warm!), carefully but confidently flip the whole thing over. Give it a gentle shake if needed. The Monkey Bread should slide right out onto the plate in a beautiful, gooey ring.
- Last step for perfection: Grab those little packets of icing that came with your cinnamon rolls. You can warm them slightly by placing the packets in a bowl of warm water for a few minutes or microwaving them for about 5 seconds. Snip off a corner and drizzle all that glorious icing over the warm Monkey Bread. Get it everywhere!
- Serve immediately while it's wonderfully warm and gooey! Let everyone pull off their own pieces. Enjoy!