5 Ingredient Monkey Bread is an ooey-gooey pull-apart roll with a caramel glaze that is as easy to make as it is yummy! If you are so inclined, I also have a from-scratch Homemade Monkey Bread that you will definitely love!
5 Ingredient Monkey Bread
There are more names for monkey bread than there are ingredients in this recipe! This fun-to-eat bread is also known as monkey puzzle bread, monkey brains, sticky bread, Hungarian coffee cake, and a few more names that I can’t remember right now. No matter what you call it, you will pull off an ooey-gooey, caramel-like piece of bread every time. The secret ingredient is the butterscotch pudding mix!
Monkey Bread Ingredients
Rolls: There is no need to make your own homemade rolls; simply buy a package of Rhodes rolls. And, you don’t even have to thaw them ahead of time! Just look for the bake and serve dinner rolls.
Butterscotch Pudding Mix: Make sure you buy the COOK and SERVE pudding mix for the monkey bread, not instant.
Butter: Use a stick of unsalted butter, melted. (You can use salted butter.)
Brown Sugar: I prefer light brown sugar.
Nuts: Adding nuts is optional in this recipe. You could try adding walnuts or pecans if desired.
How to Make 5 Ingredient Monkey Bread
This recipe is super easy, but it does require the rolls to sit out overnight before baking, so keep that in mind. To get started, first, spray a 10-inch bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray. Next, add the rolls to the pan, spreading them around it. (If you are adding nuts, add them before adding the frozen rolls.)
Next, sprinkle butterscotch pudding mix (cook & serve only, not instant) over the rolls. In a separate bowl, combine melted butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Evenly pour the mixture over the rolls.
Leave the rolls on the counter, uncovered, overnight, or about 8-10 hours. If you prefer to cover the rolls, you can use a lightly sprayed piece of plastic wrap. When ready, bake the rolls for 25-30 minutes. If the tops of the rolls get too brown in that time, cover with aluminum foil.
Remove the monkey bread from the oven and carefully invert the rolls onto a plate. Be careful of the hot caramel glaze. Serve them warm.
Do the Rolls Have to Sit Out Overnight?
I found that letting the rolls rest for 8-10 hours was ideal. However, if a quicker rise is desired, you can put the frozen rolls in a warm place. Then, it takes about 4 hours for the rolls to rise to the top of the bundt pan and be ready to bake. If you let them sit out more than 12 hours, they can get a little too big that they start to deflate.
Can I Use a Different Pan?
Generally, monkey bread is made in a bundt pan. But, you can definitely use a different type of pan to get the same delicious pull-apart Monkey Bread. You could use a casserole pan. But, the cooking times could vary when you are using a different pan. Be sure to check the middle of the bread for doneness. A bread pan or springform pan would also work.
Looking for More Pull-Apart Bread Recipes?
5 Ingredient Monkey Bread is an ooey-gooey pull-apart roll with a caramel glaze that is as easy to make as it is yummy!
- 20 Rhodes dinner rolls, frozen
- 1 package (3.5 ounces) COOK & SERVE butterscotch dry pudding mix, do not use instant
- ½ cup (1 stick, 113g) melted butter
- ¾ cup (150g) brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- chopped nuts, optional
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Spray a 10-inch bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray.
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If adding nuts, sprinkle them in the pan.
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Add twenty frozen rolls around the pan.
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Evenly spread the dry pudding mix over rolls.
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In a medium bowl combine melted butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Pour evenly over rolls.
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Leave on the counter, uncovered, overnight. (If you want to cover the rolls, spray a piece of plastic wrap with non-stick spray and loosely place it over the pan.)
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When ready, preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake for 25-30 minutes. (If the top is getting too brown, loosely cover with aluminum foil.)
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Immediately invert rolls onto a large plate. Serve and enjoy!
What are Rhodes rolls?
It’s a frozen, pre-made roll found in the frozen food aisle.
This looks delicious I will definitely try this recipe thank you for sharing
I love your recipes and videos! Thank you🤶🎅🌲🌻
Thank you!
I love that you are a down to earth person, “human” you are delightful with your everyday life situations and demonstrate that this is a part of baking, hey life happens in between the love of baking! Lol I love your easy to follow recipes as well as the , hey do you believe I made this masterpieces! Congrats to you lady, you got this!
Thank you SO much, Cheryl! <3
Did it!! Great job and delicious too
My grandma has been making this exact recipe since I was a little girl. Now I make it for my kids every Christmas morning. I love it!
Question: I am making your five ingredient Monkey bread, and very excited to be doing so. I have a question. How do you store it? Can it be frozen after it’s baked? I have a small family and don’t want to waste a bit of it!
Hi Irene! I would place it in a Tupperware and you can store it on the counter or refrigerator. It should reheat well. I wouldn’t freeze it, the caramel will change consistency and might be weird!
We looked for cook and serve pudding but could not find it. What’s the difference? Also, what size pudding package? Thanks!
I love to learn you recipes to bake for my lil family thank you
what size pudding package. the small one or the large one?
Small
Can you use biscuits instead?
Easy to prepare monkey bread. So gooey and delicious. Family loves this one. Excited to try more of your recipes.
YUMMY!!! My Family LOVES this ANYTIME❤So easy to PLEASE😍
Small or big box of pudding
What size box cook n serve pudding.
Hi, Joan! I work with iambaker and am happy to help with questions. You will need a 3 ounce box of the cook and serve pudding. Have a great day!
How long did you bake the small one with only 12 rolls? I want to make a small one but I don’t have a mini bundt pan, so I’m going to use an 8″ cake pan. As long as the center cooks through it should be ok, right?
Ok I made this last night about 9pm it is now 530am and the dough is over the top. So I wonder what it would have looked like at 12 hours? Will this still be alright? I hope so. Seems I never have much luck with yeast made products. I feel it’s not going to turn out right. Ugh!!
Maybe you’re right about the 12 hrs. Or maybe I should have baked it 5-10 more min. Cause although the dough was up over the edges, which I punched down slightly, it was kinda doughy when baked. Great flavor and I will try again.
I’ve been making this recipe for over 20 years at Christmas will vanilla cook and serve pudding. This year I realized that I had accidentally bought instant and it truly make a a difference. No ooey gooeyness, it was really dry and just not the same. Won’t make that mistake again
I have been making the monkey bread with butterscotch pudding and it is good. Today I made it with your recipe adding the cinnamon, stirring in the melted butter instead of cooking the sugar and butter and instead of using 24 rolls in a pan I used 20. I also cut the rolls into four pieces each. I made 2 pans for brunch and they were delicious!
Think I could use vanilla pudding? I’m having a hard time finding butterscotch cook and serve.
Hi, Michelle! I work with iambaker and am happy to help with questions. Yes, you could use vanilla cook and serve; it will just alter the flavor. Have a great day!
What kind of Rhodes rolls do you use? I found white dinner rolls, artisan french rolls, and bake n serv soft white rolls.
My mom used to make these for us. Now, my girls insist on them for Christmas morning. This is exactly how we’ve made these for many, many years!
I’ve tried other recipes and they aren’t as good. This is the best. Been making it for a long time. So fast. Perfect to bring to any breakfast/brunch gathering. A big his with kids.