A delicious cinnamon pull-apart bread, or monkey bread, that is so easy even a beginner can make it! If you love the combo of cinnamon and sugar, then you are going to love this easy cinnamon pull-apart bread recipe. It’s perfect for a Mother’s Day brunch or anytime you’re craving something a little sweet!
Breakfast and brunch are probably my favorite meals. For me, there is something relaxed about a brunch, and it’s one of my favorite meals to host. I’m always looking for great, new brunch recipes and this bread would be fabulous for a Mother’s Day breakfast or brunch!
Cinnamon Pull Apart Bread
My recipe is a twist on this Beginner’s Cinnamon Pull-Apart Bread. In addition to being delicious, this bread is surprisingly quick and easy to make using Fleischmann’s® RapidRise™ Yeast, which only requires one rise.
If you haven’t done much baking with yeast, don’t worry, it’s super simple, I promise! The RapidRise™ Yeast is such an easy product to work with, and it yields such great results. The best part about this recipe, is you can put it together the night before and bake when ready if desired.
Looking for something a bit quicker and easier? I’ve got you covered, check out my Pillsbury Monkey Bread.
This delicious cinnamon and sugar-coated monkey bread bakes up in a Bundt style pan, and your whole family will quickly be pulling it apart in almost no time thanks to how quickly the RapidRise™ Yeast helps you get this on to your table. Taking a hint from cinnamon rolls, I added a cream cheese glaze that can be drizzled on or used as a dip. Or both!
How To Make Pull Apart Bread
To make these you combine flour, sugar, Fleischmann’s® RapidRise™ Yeast, salt, milk, water, butter and an egg. The dough comes together quickly and can be kneaded by hand or with a dough hook using your mixer.
Once your dough comes together, you cut it into 36 pieces which get bathed in melted butter and cinnamon and sugar.
You KNOW this is going to be delicious! Each piece gets added to your baking pan, which has been generously sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.
Once all of the pieces are in, it’s time to let them sit and rise for about 45 minutes. After that one rise, it’s time to bake our cinnamon monkey bread!
Not only do these taste incredible, but your house will smell amazing!
After cooling for five minutes in the pan, you’ll invert the pan onto a serving plate or stand, and out comes your pull-apart bread.
Warning: It was really hard to resist pulling it apart immediately!
At this point you can drizzle some glaze on, or not. Totally your call. I think cream cheese glaze is such a great compliment to the cinnamon and sugar flavor that I added some glaze to my pull-apart bread, and offered it for dipping as well.
These are so delicious! I’m serious when I say the hardest part of this recipe is not eating every bite on your own. Dare I say, this one is even simple enough that Dad and the kids could make it for Mother’s Day!
CINNAMON PULL-APART BREAD RECIPE
Ingredients
Bread
- 3-1/4 cups to 3-3/4 all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 packet Fleischmann's® RapidRise TM Yeast
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup milk (whole 2%, 1% OR skim)
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup butter OR margarine
- 1 egg
Filling
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon Spice Islands® Ground Saigon Cinnamon
- 1/2 cup butter OR margarine melted
Cream Cheese Glaze
- 3 oz cream cheese softened
- 6 TBSP butter softened
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 TBSP half and half milk can also be used
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- Optional - pinch of salt
Instructions
- Combine 2 cups flour, sugar, dry yeast and salt in a large mixer bowl and stir until blended. Combine milk, water and butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH in 15 second increments until very warm but not hot to the touch (120° to 130°F. Butter won’t melt completely). Add to flour mixture with egg.
- Beat 2 minutes at medium speed of electric mixer, scraping bowl occasionally. Add 1 cup flour; beat 2 minutes at high speed, scraping bowl occasionally. Stir in just enough remaining flour so that the dough will form into a ball.
- Knead on lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic and dough springs back when lightly pressed with 2 fingers, about 6 to 8 minutes. Cover with a towel; let rest for 10 minutes.
- For filling, combine sugar and cinnamon in a shallow bowl.
- Cut dough into 36 pieces. Dip each piece into the melted butter and then roll in the cinnamon sugar mixture. Place in fluted tube pan that has been generously sprayed with cooking spray. Combine any remaining butter and sugar and drizzle over rolls. Cover with towel; let rise in warm place until doubled in size, about 45 minutes .
- Bake in preheated 375ºF oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until rolls are golden brown. Cool 5 minutes in pan, then invert on serving plate.
- For glaze: Beat cream cheese and butter with a mixer until creamy. Stir in powdered sugar, milk, vanilla and salt. Mix until well combined. If a thinner consistency is desired, add additional milk, one tablespoon at a time. If a thicker consistency is desired, add more powdered sugar, one tablespoon at a time. Drizzle over bread or serve on the side for dipping. Store any remaining glaze in the refrigerator.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
I hope your family enjoys this delicious Cinnamon Pull-Apart Bread as much as my family did. Looking for another great brunch recipe? Try this Easy Streusel Coffee Cake!
Disclosure: As a Bake A Little Extra Blog Ambassador, I am compensated for my posts with Fleischmann’s®. All opinions however are mine and mine alone.
Crystal says
We love cinnamon pull-apart bread, but I have never even consider making my own dough. I usually buy biscuits to make it. Sunday is our brunch day. Thanks for the recipe!!
D says
How would I edit the recipe if I used Fleischmann’s dry yeast original instead of rapid rise
Christi says
You will need longer rise times, and take more care when proofing the yeast. Rapid Rise is not only quicker, but it’s a bit more forgiving with temperature in my experience.
Susan says
If I make it the night before, do I make it all the way up to baking and just put the bunt pan in the fridge? Do I need to let it sit out awhile before baking the next morning?
Christi says
Susan, since this is made with the ready made biscuit dough, I don’t know that I’d advise making it the night before. It really is pretty quick to make, so I’d probably go with making it the morning of. Otherwise I might suggestion seeking out a totally from scratch dough based recipe vs this one.