Slow Cooker Monkey Bread

by Sabrina Snyder

Last Update:

16 Comments

4.34 from 6 votes
18 Servings
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 15 minutes
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Slow Cooker Monkey Bread has the same gooey goodness as the original, made in a crockpot. It only takes a few ingredients and easy prep!

This is a really easy recipe to make, and you’ll love how rich and gooey it turns out. Just like my original Monkey Bread, this is a perfect Breakfast Recipe for a crowd, especially on a busy holiday weekend. 

Finished monkey bread in a slow cooker

Sabrina’s Slow Cooker Monkey Bread Recipe

You may not immediately think that you can make breads in a crock pot, but you absolutely can, and Monkey Bread turns out amazing. I love a good slow cooker breakfast recipe, especially during the holidays where it never seems like the days are long enough.

Recipe Card

Dinner, then Dessert

Slow Cooker Monkey Bread Recipe

Slow Cooker Monkey Bread has the same gooey goodness as the original, made in a crockpot. It only takes a few ingredients and easy prep!
Yield 18 Servings
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 15 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Author Sabrina Snyder
Slow Cooker Monkey Bread
PrintRate

Ingredients
 

  • 1 cup unsalted butter
  • 1 cup brown sugar , firmly packed
  • 1 tablespoon cinnamon
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 cans refrigerated biscuits , (16 ounces)
  • 1/2 cup pecans , chopped

Instructions

  • Spray slow cooker insert with vegetable oil spray.
  • In a microwave safe bowl add the butter and brown sugar and microwave for 1 minute, then stir until well combined.
  • In a large bowl add the cinnamon and sugar and stir to combine.
  • Cut the each piece of biscuit dough into 6 pieces.
  • Toss the biscuit dough pieces in the cinnamon sugar.
  • Add half of the biscuit pieces to the slow cooker
  • Pour half the butter mixture over biscuit pieces along with half the pecan pieces.
  • Top with the remaining biscuit pieces, butter mixture, pecans and any leftover sugar.
  • Top the slow cooker insert with a clean dish towel then cover with the lid.
  • Cook on high for 3 hours.

Nutrition

Calories: 387kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 28mg | Sodium: 489mg | Potassium: 148mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 25g | Vitamin A: 319IU | Vitamin C: 0.05mg | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 2mg

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About this Recipe

This crowd pleasing dessert and breakfast is made so easily in the crockpot. Plus it tastes just like baked Monkey Bread without ever turning on the oven. It’s gooey, sweet, and makes a hearty main breakfast dish or a delicious side dish for a holiday brunch or potluck.

Like other slow cooker pull apart bread recipes, this recipe is easily adaptable to your family tastes. You can add fresh fruit, nuts, other sweeteners, just to name a few ways to make it your own. 

To make this breakfast even easier, you can prep your Slow Cooker Monkey Bread the night before. Place the biscuit dough pieces in a ziplock bag with the cinnamon sugar mixture and place in fridge. In the morning, microwave your butter and brown sugar to make assembly faster.

Baking Tips and Tricks

  • Use a kitchen towel over the bread to absorb the moisture and keep your bread from being soggy. Secure with the slow cooker lid.
  • Line your crockpot with parchment paper so that your bread doesn’t stick to the bottom. Plus this makes clean up a breeze!
  • Not all crockpots cook the same, so check your Monkey Bread every 30-45 minutes to make sure it cooks properly.

How to Serve and Store

  • Serve: This recipe stays good at room temperature for up to 2 days. Just keep it sealed up tight in a container that will keep moisture out and leave your Monkey Bread in a cool, dry place. 
  • Store: You can refrigerate for about 2 days. If you decide to keep it in the fridge, I recommend lining the container with a sheet of parchment paper to keep the bread from sticking to it. 
  • Freeze: Freeze Monkey Bread for up to 3 months in an airtight container.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you keep Monkey Bread soft?

Keep it stored in an airtight container at room temperature, out of direct sunlight. It will keep for 2 days

Why is it called Monkey Bready?

There are many explanations for why this could possibly be the name. My favorite comes from Nancy Reagan. Apparently, they enjoy monkey bread in the White House, and she said the reason for the name is Monkey Bread “because when you make it, you have to monkey around with it.”

How do you reheat?

The best way to reheat the recipe is to warm it up in an oven on a low temperature. Place in a preheated oven of 250 degrees F and heat until warm, about 5-8 minutes.

Variations

  • Toppings: Drizzle a handful of brown sugar mixed with melted butter over the top of the Monkey Bread to give it an extra sweet layer. Also, you can dust the top with ground cinnamon, or top with some caramel sauce.
  • Frosting: Topping with homemade Cream Cheese Frosting will turn your bread into the easiest cinnamon rolls ever.
  • Nuts: You don’t have to use walnuts for this recipe. Either leave the nuts out all together or swap in your favorites like pecans or hazelnuts. You can also toast your nuts to give added flavor,
  • Fruit: Add in some dried or fresh fruit to transform this dish. Try adding dried apples or cranberries for a festive breakfast.
  • Chocolate: Turn this into Chocolate Monkey Bread by adding your favorite chocolate chips between the layers. Push the chips between the dough pieces so each bite has a chocolatey goodness. 

Breakfast Recipes for a Crowd

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Crock Pot Monkey Bread collage

These photos have been used in a previous version of this post

Monkey Bread on a white plate
Crockpot Monkey Bread
Crockpot Monkey Bread before cooking

About the Author: Sabrina Snyder

Sabrina is a professionally trained Private Chef of over 10 years with ServSafe Manager certification in food safety. She creates all the recipes here on Dinner, then Dessert, fueled in no small part by her love for bacon.

Sabrina Snyder is a professionally trained personal and private chef of over 10 years who is the creator and developer of all the recipes on Dinner, then Dessert.

She is also the author of the cookbook Dinner, then Dessert – Satisfying Meals Using Only 3, 5 or 7 Ingredients, published by Harper Collins.

She started Dinner, then Dessert as a business in her office as a lunch service for her coworkers who admired her lunches before going to culinary school and becoming a full time personal chef and private chef.

As a personal chef Sabrina would cook for families one day a week and cook their entire week of dinners. All grocery shopping, cooking and cleaning was done along with instructions on reheating. As a private chef she cooked for private parties and cooked in family homes in the evenings for families on a nightly basis after working as a personal chef during the day.

Sabrina has been certified as a ServSafe Manager since 2007 and was a longstanding member of the USPCA Personal Chef Association including being on the board of the Washington DC Chapter of Chefs in the US Personal Chef Association when they won Chapter of the year.

As a member of the community of food website creators Sabrina Snyder has spoken at many conferences regarding her experiences as a food writer including the Indulge Food Conference, Everything Food Conference, Haven Food Conference and IACP Annual Food Professionals Conference.

Sabrina lives with her family in sunny California.

See more posts by Sabrina

Dinner, then Dessert, Inc. owns the copyright on all images and text and does not allow for its original recipes and pictures to be reproduced anywhere other than at this site unless authorization is given. Read my disclosure and copyright policy. This post may contain affiliate links.

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Comments

  1. The time listed on this is TOTALLY wrong. It took me over five hours for it to be cooked through and not a lump of dough. I realize that not all crock pots are the same, but this is a pretty significant difference and I have never had such a discrepancy before from recipes for the crock pot.

    Reply

  3. I don’t understand why the clean dish towel over top of crock before the lid? Does this help steam???

    Reply

    1. Yes, it absorbs the condensation and stops it from dripping on the bread while in the slow cooker. Enjoy!

      Reply

  4. What do you think is the best way to cook this ahead of time? Thinking Christmas Day. Should I bake it on Christmas eve and then put it on warm on Christmas Day for a hour or so? I don’t think we will have 3 hours before the kids start getting hungry! Thanks!

    Reply

  6. This recipe for monkey bread sounds so simple and yet so delish! Super excited to make it in the coming days. Bookmarking.

    Reply