Stuffed Monkey Bread Recipe with Pecan & Caramel | Bigger Bolder Baking (2024)

My homemade Monkey Bread recipe is made from scratch featuring sweet, cinnamon-dusted dough, toasted pecans, and a rich caramel sauce.

Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

proofing time 40 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Author: Gemma Stafford

Servings: 10

To Make the Sweet Dough:

• 3 1/4 cups (1 lb 1oz/461g ) all-purpose flour
• 2 1/4 teaspoon (6g/1/4 oz) active dried yeast
• 1/4 cup (2oz/57g) sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 cup (8floz/225ml) milk
• 1/3 cup (2 1/2floz/71ml) water
• 2 tablespoons (1oz/28g) butter , divided
• 1/2 cup (4oz/115g) cream cheese (for stuffing)
• 1 cup (5oz/142g) toasted pecan , chopped

To Make the Caramel Sauce:

• 1 cup (8oz/225g) butter
• 2 cups (12oz/340g) packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup (4floz/115ml) heavy cream
• pinch of salt

To Make the Cinnamon Sugar:

• ½ cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

To Make the Sweet Dough:

• Mix the flour, yeast, sugar and salt together in a standing mixer fitted with dough hook.

• In a microwavable measuring jug, heat together the milk, water, butter until luke warm and the butter is melted.

• Turn the machine on low and slowly add the milk mixture. Mix for 2 minutes to wake up the yeast.

• Increase the speed to medium and mix until the dough is shiny and smooth, 6-8 minutes. The dough is supposed to be saggy and on the wet side.

• Coat a large bowl with vegetable oil (or any flavorless oil). Place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat lightly.

• Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise until doubled, 1 ½ -2 hours.

To Make the Caramel:

• by combining the ingredients in a pot and heating until the sugar dissolves and the butter melts. set aside to cool.

• To form the bread, gently remove the dough from the bowl and knead lightly on a floured surface knocking out the air.

• Using a bench scraper or knife, cut the dough into big and small pieces, a nice mix.

• For the secret ingredient: Smear some cream cheese in the middle of some dough pieces (do as many as you want).

• Wrap the dough around the cream cheese sealing it in a ball. Pinch to secure closed.

• In a large bowl mix together the sugar and cinnamon and toss in your dough pieces covering each piece generously.

To Assemble the Monkey Bread:

• In a Bundt pan, Drizzle in a layer of the caramel sauce and ⅓ of the pecans.

• Layer in ½ of the dough pieces.

• Repeat the second layer by scatter on another ⅓ of the pecans and go another round with the caramel sauce.

• Top off with the remaining dough pieces, pecans and the last of the caramel sauce.

• Cover the Bundt pan tightly with plastic wrap and let the monkey bread rise at room temperature for 25-30 minutes or until puffy and they have risen 1-2 inches from the top of the pan(To make the day before refrigerate the bread once assembled, bake the next day)

• Heat the oven to 350oF (180oC).Unwrap the pan and bake for 35-40 minutes or until the top is beautifully brown and caramel begins to bubble around edges.

• Cool the monkey bread in the pan for 5 minutes (any longer and the bread will be too sticky and hard to remove!), then turn out on a platter or large plate and allow to cool slightly, about 10 minutes. Enjoy straight away!

• Store leftovers covered at room temperature for 3 days.