Easy Monkey Bread Muffins Made with Biscuit Dough
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Pull‑apart sweetness in every bite! These monkey bread muffins are made from biscuit dough, coated in cinnamon sugar, and drizzled in buttery caramel. Perfect brunch snack or bake‑ahead treat using pantry staples.
Monkey bread muffins are the bite‑sized, oven‑baked cousins of your favorite gooey pull‑apart treat. They are deliciously simple, fun to make, and perfect for breakfast, brunch, or snack time.
These sweet, cinnamon sugar‑coated morsels, made with pantry staples like jumbo buttermilk biscuits, come together fast yet feel indulgently special. They are perfect for when I’m prepping ahead for guests or a busy week. I love to pair these with make-ahead favorites like Breakfast Burrito Cups for a full, stress-free brunch spread.
Whether you’re craving something comforting, need a fun brunch option, or just something easy to share, monkey bread muffins hit the sweet spot.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Jumbo buttermilk biscuits – These are the base of the muffins. In a pinch, regular biscuits work; your money bread will just be a little smaller.
- Granulated sugar – Coats the dough with crisp sweetness.
- Cinnamon – Gives you that classic flavor.
- Dark brown sugar – For rich, molasses‑like caramel topping. You can substitute light brown sugar if needed.
- Butter (melted) – Binds and caramelizes with the sugar.
Step‑by‑Step Instructions
Step 1 – Preheat & prep pans. Preheat your oven to 350 °F (175 °C) and lightly grease a 16‑cup muffin pan. Pro Tip: line with silicone cups for easier clean‑up.
Step 2 – Cut the biscuits. Open the biscuit cans, separate each biscuit into 8 pieces. Fun tip: each bite becomes one “mini monkey bite” for that sweet pull‑apart experience. This is exactly how those monkey bread muffin cups come alive with flavor and texture.
Step 3 – Cinnamon‑sugar coating. Mix granulated sugar and cinnamon in a large resealable bag (or wide dish). Add your biscuit pieces and shake until each piece is coated in that classic blend.
Step 4 – Melting the caramel sauce. In a microwave‑safe dish, combine dark brown sugar and melted butter. Microwave for 30 seconds, stir, then do 15‑second bursts until smooth and melded.
Step 5 – Layering butter sugar & dough. Spoon about 2 teaspoons of the brown‑sugar mixture into each muffin cup. Then nestle in about 8 coated biscuit pieces per cup. Spoon the remaining butter mixture evenly over the top—this is your molten, gooey magic.
Step 6 – Bake. Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden on top and bubbly inside. Let muffins cool in the pan for 2–3 minutes, then turn out onto a rack. Tip: use a thin spatula to assist turning if they stick.
Step 7 – Serve. Eat them warm (highly recommended!) so the gooey center and cinnamon sugar are at peak deliciousness. Or let cool completely and store as needed.
Variations & Customizations
- Nutty crunch: Toss in chopped pecans or walnuts for a little textural contrast.
- Chocolate chip surprise: Press a mini chocolate chip into the top of each muffin for a gooey chocolate bite—think chocolate chip Oreo muffins style sweetness.
- Citrus twist: Add a teaspoon of lemon zest to your coating for a bright pop—similar bright notes as in blackberry muffins with lemon honey butter.
- Savory‑sweet combo: Scatter crumbled maple bacon air fryer donut bacon bits inside each muffin before baking for salty crunch meets sweet warmth.
- Breakfast crossover: Add sausage crumbles (think sausage biscuits and gravy casserole) into each cup before the final butter drizzle for a breakfast‑ready savory variation.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: Can I prep these the night before?
Yes! Assemble them in the muffin pan, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, let sit at room temperature for 10–15 minutes before baking.
Q: Can I freeze them?
Absolutely. Cool completely, place in an airtight container or zip‑top freezer bag, then freeze. Reheat in a 325 °F oven for about 10 minutes or until warmed through.
Q: Can I make these mini or large‑size?
Sure! Use a mini‑muffin pan to make mini monkey bread muffins, adjust bake time to 12–15 minutes. For jumbo, use a standard muffin pan, but risk underbaking. I don’t recommend going bigger.
Q: Are they too sweet?
You can dial down sweetness: reduce granulated and brown sugar by about ¼ cup each, or swap to lighter brown sugar for less intense sweetness.
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Monkey Bread Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 cans Jumbo Buttermilk Biscuits
- ⅔ cup Granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon Cinnamon
- 1/3 cup Dark Brown sugar
- 1/3 cup Butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 16 cup muffin pan.
- Open biscuits and pull them apart. Cut each individual biscuit into 8 pieces.
- Pour the granulated sugar and cinnamon into a large resealable bag or dish. Mix well, then add the biscuit dough and toss in the cinnamon sugar until coated.
- Place the dark brown sugar and the butter in a microwave-safe dish and then microwave for 30 seconds. Stop and stir, and microwave for 15 seconds at a time until the butter is melted.
- Add approximately 2 teaspoons of the butter and brown sugar mixture to each muffin cup.
- Place 8 pieces of dough in each muffin cup.
- Spoon the remaining butter and brown sugar mixture over each set of dough.
- Bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let cool for 2-3 minutes before turning them out of the pan.
- Enjoy warm or let cool completely before storing for later.
Nutrition
