Crockpot Monkey Bread Made With Cinnamon Rolls

Turn cinnamon rolls into a sweet and delicious monkey bread, made right in your slow cooker. This crockpot monkey bread recipe is the perfect easy breakfast, ready when everyone wakes up! Refrigerated biscuit dough makes this recipe extra easy.

Why I Love This Recipe

As a kid I was always ecstatic when my stepmom made pull-apart bread. It was a rare treat! As an adult, here's what I love about slow cooker monkey bread:

• The best part by far about this indulgent breakfast is the satisfied looks on my kids' faces as they inhale my cinnamon roll monkey bread.
• It is a super easy recipe to make. We're talking 15 minutes of prep, tops.
• Slow cooker recipes like this one can easily be prepped the night before. You may need to set your alarm to get it started, but that is literally all you'll need to do. Then back to bed for a few more hours!
• I love that no serving plates are required for this crock pot cinnamon roll casserole. I literally pull the parchment straight from the slow cooker, smooth down the crinkles and let the wolves at their prey.
• It's the perfect recipe for an everyday breakfast any day of the week, but it's also a great brunch recipe and great for special occasions (think: Christmas morning!). It is one of my favorite breakfast recipes of all time!

Recipe Ingredients

Refrigerated Cinnamon Roll Dough - Place each dough disc on a cutting board and cut into quarters for the perfect size.

Sugars - Granulated sugar and light brown sugar are the perfect sweet combo, but feel free to use varying amounts of each, as long as the total equals 1 cup.

Spices - Recommended spices are: 1 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, but this can be altered depending on the flavors you and your family prefer. Consider adding allspice, apple pie spice or pumpkin pie spice to the mixture.

Butter - For an extra salty flavor to complement the sweetness, use salted butter. If you prefer to cut back on the salt, use unsalted.

How To Make Crockpot Monkey Bread

Step 1

Line the bottom of the slow cooker (6 quart or larger) with parchment paper. Place the biscuit pieces in an even layer on top of the parchment.

In a medium bowl, combine sugars, ground cinnamon, nutmeg and melted butter. Mix well and pour the cinnamon sugar mixture over the top of the biscuits in an even layer.

Step 2

Place lid on crockpot and cook on low heat for 3 to 3 1/2 hours, or until dough is fully cooked through. Remove from slow cooker by lifting up on the parchment.

Step 3

Drizzle the icing packets that came with the dough over the tops and serve!

Recipe Notes

• Lining the slow cooker with parchment paper or a liner made specifically for crockpots will ensure the dough does not burn. If you don’t have either, generously coat the crock pot with nonstick cooking spray first. The dough will cook more quickly without the parchment/liner.
• Keep a close eye on the rolls while cooking because depending on your crockpot and whether or not you are using a liner, cooking times can vary. Start checking for doneness just before the 3-hour mark.
• No need to pull out serving plates for this crock pot monkey bread, as it is the perfect little finger food!
• A cream cheese frosting would be a great replacement for the icing packet that comes along with the dough.

What Is Monkey Bread

Monkey bread refers to balls of dough being baked together along with sugar and butter. During baking, the dough balls stick together, making it possible to pull pieces away with your fingers. The term “monkey bread” comes from being a finger food, the same way monkeys eat their food.

Different Types of Monkey Bread

Branch out with your varieties of monkey bread! Consider making these variations that contain some hidden ingredients as well as tasty toppings:

• Apple monkey bread
• Go savory with garlic and parmesan
• Maple brown sugar
• Add pecans or walnuts
• Throw some bananas on top
• Add pumpkin puree for a fall treat
• Infuse it with caramel sauce

What Pans Can You Use For Monkey Bread

The rounded corners of a bundt pan allows for the most uniform baking, but if you don’t have a bundt pan a tube pan or angel food cake pan will work for monkey bread. If you don’t have any of these pans, a 9×9 or 9×13 pan or loaf pan will work, too!

Cooking time may vary when using anything but a bundt or tube pan, so start checking for signs that the bread is done when it has been in the oven for 30 minutes.

If you have a springform pan or a large round cake pan (9 inches), you can place an empty can in the center. Surround it with the dough and bake.

Why Is My Monkey Bread Doughy

If you pull a batch of monkey bread out of the oven and the center of the bread is still doughy, it needs to back into the oven. Pop it back in for 5-10 minutes, or until it is baked through uniformly.

How To Store Monkey Bread

Store leftover monkey bread in an airtight container in the fridge or at room temperature for up to 3 days for best results.