You are going to love this soft, gooey, pull-apart Gluten-Free Monkey Bread. These bite-sized cinnamon buns are a heavenly dessert that I like to eat for breakfast too! From their warm, sticky, caramel glaze to the buttery cinnamon sugar to the easy way it all comes together in a bundt pan, this recipe is absolute perfection.
I don’t know why this delectable snack is called monkey bread, but I do know I love it. And all my monkeys, young or old, love it! The whole family dives into this dish with abandon just like I did as a kid.
We can probably finish the whole thing in about 20 minutes if compelled. Who am I kidding? We don’t need any more convincing to gobble this up. The sticky sweetness does that all on its own.
Why I Can’t Get Enough of This Monkey Bread and you won't either
It's shareable - I love recipes that I can share with everyone whether they are gluten free or not. Not only is this recipe designed to be pulled apart and eaten piece by piece with friends, ours is so soft and fluffy. We added an extra helping of sticky sweetness so everyone loves it and won't even miss the gluten. I love to serve it with our non alcoholic mimosas and gluten free breakfast casserole for a really inclusive meal.
Can be made allergen free - I’ve made this recipe dairy free a few times and it turns out great. Just use a dairy-free butter like Earth Balance and replace the milk with a good quality dairy free milk. I prefer coconut myself. The only nuts in this recipe are the ones I sprinkle on top at the end. So, be sure to leave those off if you are allergic to nuts.
So nostalgic - Our method of using a generous coating of butter on your bundt pan will help the yummy sticky bits to pop right out of the pan when you turn it onto a plate. This gives you that gorgeous monkey bread that you remember as a kid.
Ok here is what we use in the recipe
Gluten Free Flour: Make sure you use a gluten-free flour blend for this recipe. That means you don’t want to just use almond flour or something like it. You need a blend of flours and starches to make it stick together without the gluten and I have found this one to be the best as it also contains a bit of xanthan gum.
Fresh Yeast: Make sure your yeast is still good. If you had it for a while, there’s a chance it’s expired and you’ll need to replace it or your dough will not rise. I used to buy it in bulk at Costco but it went bad to fast so now I just buy small envelopes of it fresh.
Eggs: Making sure that your eggs are at room temperature will help with the best rise. I've used cold and they just don't work as well.
Wondering how to make it? Let me show you...
The long list of ingredients may seem daunting, but I promise you this recipe is easy!
A Note For Gluten-Free Newbies
Gluten-free baking can be a bit of a learning curve because dough just doesn’t behave the same way without that pesky gluten. So, be sure to give yourself some grace and remember that practice makes all the difference. I’ve got you! Just like our Gluten-Free Cinnamon Rolls (The best and fluffiest!) this recipe is tried and tested!
I hope you love this monkey bread as much as my family and I do. Let me know what you think!
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Soft Gluten-Free Monkey Bread
Ingredients
Dough
- 2 cups Milk lukewarm
- 4 ½ cups Gluten-free flour
- 2 ¼ teaspoon (1 packet) Instant yeast
- 1 teaspoon Baking powder
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 2 Eggs
- ¼ cup Sugar
- 5 tablespoon Butter softened
Coating
- ¾ cup Butter
- 1 cup Sugar
- 1 tablespoon Cinnamon
- ⅔ cup Brown sugar
Caramel
- ⅓ cup Brown sugar
- ⅓ cup Butter melted
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
Instructions
- Grease a standard bundt pan with softened butter.
- In a large mixing bowl with the paddle attachment add gluten-free flour, baking powder, instant yeast, salt and sugar. Mix to combine.
- Next, while the mixer is running on low, add the milk, eggs and softened butter.
- Turn the speed up to medium and mix for 3 minutes until very smooth. The dough will be thick but that is normal. Take an oiled spatula and scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let rise for 45-60 minutes, until doubled in size.
- While the dough is rising, prepare the coating.
- In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter.
- In another more shallow bowl, mix the white sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon.
- Once the dough has risen, pull small dough chunks and roll into 1-inch balls.
- Dip each ball, one by one, in the melted butter and then generously roll in the cinnamon-sugar mixture to coat them well. You may not use all of the cinnamon-sugar or you may need more cinnamon-sugar depending how heavy you coat each ball.
- Arrange the balls in the bundt pan as you go. Cover the pan with aluminum foil, plastic wrap, or a clean kitchen towel and allow the shaped monkey bread to rest for 20 minutes. The balls will slightly rise during this time.
- Adjust oven rack to a lower position and preheat oven to 350°F (177°C).
Caramel sauce
- In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter and add the brown sugar and vanilla extract.
- Mix to combine, and pour it over the shaped monkey bread.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown on top. Cover loosely with foil if the top is browning too quickly. Cool for 5-10 minutes, then invert onto a large serving plate or cake stand.
- Top with caramel and chopped pecans or walnuts.
Notes
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- Try bringing all your chilly items from the fridge to room temperature. This will help the yeast stay warm enough to activate and get that dough to puff up.
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- If the room you’re trying to raise the dough in is too cold, it may not rise very well. Make sure you have a warm, dry place.
Dana Alexander says
My dough rose beautifully but was more like puffed up batter. I couldn't roll it at all. Wasn't sure what to do so I made it into a layered coffee cake. Tasted delicious. My picky family didn't mind at all. I followed your recipe to the letter. I used Bob's Red Mill all purpose GF flour (don't know if you have used this one). Not sure if it was the flour being the issue or just my luck. Any advice would be helpful. I am still trying to figure out how to get good GF bakes.
Chandice Probst says
Hi Dana, I only use King Arthur gluten free all purpose flour so I haven't tried it with Bob's. You can also use a cookie scoop to scoop out the dough balls into the greased pan and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar if your dough is too sticky.
Kelly says
My dough is super sticky. Should I add more flour or grease my hands really well. Currently it is too sticky to make the balls. Please help!
Chandice Probst says
Yes, grease your hands really well and you can add a bit more flour if needed.
Ashley shake says
What is the consistency normal for this type of bread? Does it seem dense does it seem stiff? Is it pillowy and not grainy? Or is it more a bready crumble taste to the mouth?
Chandice says
It is a soft and not grainy with a bit of that bready crumble.
Amy says
Does this freeze well after baking if I need to make it ahead and defrost later?
Chandice says
Hi Amy, it can just make sure you don't dry it out reheating.
Sandy Sull says
Is it possible to prepare this ahead of time (night before) and bake in the morning? Has anyone tried this?
Chandice says
Yes, you can Sandy. Enjoy!
Alexandra Koons says
Hello! If I make this ahead of time (night before) do I leave it rising out at room temperature or put it in the fridge? Thank you!
Chandice Probst says
I would put it in the fridge then give it adequate time to rise fully before baking (extra since it will be cold).
Sandy Sull says
Is is possible to make this ahead of time and bake on the morning when it will be served?
Mare says
i have never baked with gluten free flour before.I am making this monkey bread recipe and the dough looks like cake batter!!! help
Chandice says
What flour did you use?
michelle botticelli says
Just curious about the caramel sauce. Do I cook the bread then add the caramel sauce or do I pour the sauce over the monkey bread then cook it as listed in your instructions? If so which sauce do I pour over it after I invert it? It seems that the sauce would pool in the bottom once inverted after it is cooked. Should I make more sauce or leave some sauce out to pour over it?
Chandice says
You can absolutely make more caramel sauce to top it with but you definitely use all of what is required to pour over the unbaked monkey bread.
Chandice Probst says
This recipe is as delicious as you remember from when you were a kid!
Carrie B says
Thoughts on an egg replacer?
Chandice says
Hmmmm I haven't tried it but maybe flax eggs??