These soft, pillowy gluten-free monkey bread bites are the ideal breakfast for Christmas morning!
Jump to RecipeWhat Is Monkey Bread?
I was introduced to monkey bread a few years ago and became instantly hooked! This delightful dessert consists of pillowy bites coated in cinnamon sugar, baked, and glazed with even more sugar. Typically baked in a bundt or loaf pan, monkey bread can be easily pulled apart, making it perfect for sharing.
Often served at festivals, many families enjoy it during the holidays. With the classic flavors of cinnamon rolls but less effort—no rolling or cutting required—monkey bread is a kid-friendly baking option for breakfast treats!
How Do We Make It Gluten-Free?
Creating this gluten-free monkey bread recipe involved multiple test runs. Key factors for achieving the perfect dough include:
- Flour: While I usually favor Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour, it wasn't suitable for this recipe. Instead, I opted for King Arthur Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour, which provides a denser texture ideal for monkey bread.
- Xanthan Gum: Since the King Arthur flour lacks xanthan gum, I added some to the dry ingredients for effective thickening and stabilization.
- Psyllium Husk Powder: Essential for gluten-free baking, this ingredient acts as a binder, giving the dough elasticity and flexibility.
- Yeast: I used Fleischmann's Active Dry Yeast, which is known for its rich flavor in bread recipes.
Active Dry Yeast vs. Other Yeast Forms
There are various types of yeast, but active dry yeast is the best choice for this recipe due to its suitability for sweet breads. Unlike rapid rise yeast, which is typically used for quick breads and cuts down on rise time but affects flavor, active dry yeast enhances the final taste. Fresh active yeast, while great for classic bread recipes, requires longer activation and multiple rises, making it less ideal for this sweet recipe. Thus, active dry yeast provides the perfect balance of flavor and function.
How To Activate The Yeast
To activate yeast successfully, the liquid temperature is crucial. For this recipe, almond milk should be between 105-115°F. Start by warming the milk in a glass container for about 40 seconds, then dissolve a tablespoon of sugar in it. Once cooled to the right temperature, add 2 ¼ teaspoons of active dry yeast and let it sit for 8-10 minutes.
Activated yeast will bubble and foam, emitting a wheat-like or beer-like aroma. If it doesn’t activate, it may be due to incorrect milk temperature. Using a thermometer can help ensure the milk is just right, as too hot will kill the yeast.
The Perfect Gluten-Free Dough
To make gluten-free dough, start by activating the yeast, which takes about ten minutes. While it sits, mix the dry ingredients in a bowl and transfer them to a stand mixer. Create a crater in the dry ingredients and add sugar, eggs, butter, and apple cider vinegar. Mix on medium speed for one minute, then add the activated yeast and mix for another five minutes until a soft dough forms. Switch to the dough hook and knead on medium-low speed for five minutes until the dough thickens and is slightly sticky.
Next, proof the dough by warming a medium glass bowl with warm water, greasing it to prevent sticking, and transferring the dough into it. Cover the bowl with a tea towel or plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm area for one hour.
Making the Monkey Bread
After one hour, the dough should have doubled in size. Dust a workspace with flour and oil your hands to prevent sticking. If the dough clings, add flour gradually until it reaches the right consistency. Divide the dough into 30-40 balls using a greased cookie scoop, then roll them into uniform shapes.
Melt a stick of unsalted butter and allow it to cool. Grease a bundt pan with some butter, then mix cane sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt in another bowl, sprinkling it over the greased pan. Dip each dough ball in melted butter, then roll in the cinnamon sugar mixture before placing them in the bundt pan. Drizzle any leftover butter and cinnamon sugar over the dough.
Cover the pan and let it rise for another thirty minutes in a warm spot. During the last ten minutes, preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake the monkey bread for 30-35 minutes once it has risen.
The Final Steps...
Once the monkey bread is baked, let it cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Run a knife along the edges to release it, then place a plate on top and invert the bundt pan to remove the bread.
For the final touch, make the glaze by sifting 1 cup of powdered sugar into a bowl, then adding a splash of milk and a dash of vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth and pour over the monkey bread.
Store any leftovers in an airtight container. To reheat, add a tablespoon of milk for every five pieces and microwave for 30 seconds to keep it soft.
Gluten-Free Monkey Bread
Course: Dessert, Breakfast, BrunchDifficulty: Medium8
servings20
minutes35
minutes1
hour30
minutesWith all the delicious flavors of cinnamon rolls in bite-size pieces!
Ingredients
- For the Dough
¾ cup warm almond milk
¼ cup + 1 tablespoon cane sugar
1 packet active dried yeast
2 ½ cups gluten-free all-purpose flour (I used this one from King Arthur), plus more for dusting
2 teaspoons psyllium husk powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon xanthin gum
¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
2 room temperature eggs
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- For the Cinnamon Sugar Coating
½ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
1 cup cane sugar
¼ cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt
- For the Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
2 teaspoons almond milk
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
- For the Dough
- Heat the almond milk in a glass container in the microwave for 40 seconds
- Pour one tablespoon of sugar into the warm almond milk and stir until dissolved
- When the milk is lukewarm, add the packet of active dried yeast and stir
- Allow the yeast mixture to sit for 8-10 minutes to activate. When activated, it will foam on the top.
- In a medium sized bowl, combine the flour, psyllium husk powder, baking powder, salt & xanthin gum
- Sift the dry ingredients to a stand mixer and create a crater in the flour
- Add the rest of the sugar, butter, eggs and apple cider vinegar to the crater
- Use a paddle attachment on medium-low speed for one minute to combine the ingredients
- Once the yeast mixture has activated, pour it into the stand mixer and increase the speed to medium
- Mix for five minutes until a smooth dough forms, then switch to a dough hook
- On medium-low speed, allow the dough hook to knead the mixture for five minutes
- Transfer the dough to a greased, warm glass bowl
- Cover with plastic wrap or a tea towel and allow to sit in a warm area to rise for one hour (the dough should double in size during this time)
- Dust a work surface with flour, then oil your hands and place the dough on the prepared surface
- If the dough is sticky, add one tablespoon of flour at a time until you can knead it without the dough sticking to your hands
- Knead the dough into a ball, then use a small cookie scoop to create 30-40 balls. Roll the scooped dough in your hands to create dough balls.
- For the Cinnamon Sugar
- In a shallow bowl, melt the butter and then allow it to reach room temperature
- In another shallow bowl, combine the sugars, cinnamon and salt
- Use a silicone brush to grease a bundt pan with the melted butter, then sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over the butter to coat the pan
- Then, take one dough ball at a time and dip it into the melted butter before rolling it in the cinnamon sugar
- Place the coated ball in the prepared pan and repeat this process with each dough ball
- Once all the dough balls are in the pan, you should have leftover butter and cinnamon sugar. Combine the two and pour over the dough in the bundt pan.
- Cover the bundt pan with a tea towel or plastic wrap and allow to rest in a warm spot for 30 minutes
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees while the monkey bread is rising
- Finally, bake for 30-35 minutes
- Once baked, allow to rest in the bundt pan for 15 minutes before carefully removing (to remove, run a clean knife along the edges. Then, place a plate on the top of pan and hold the plate to flip the pan upside down. The monkey bread should come out with no problem!)
- For the Glaze
- Combine the sugar, almond milk and vanilla extract in a small bowl
- Whisk until smooth
- Drizzle the glaze over the monkey bread and enjoy
Notes
- To warm up the monkey bread, pour a tablespoon of almond milk per 5 pieces of monkey bread and heat in the microwave for 30 seconds
[…] Monkey Bread: These soft, pillowy bites are the ideal breakfast for Christmas morning! These pillowy bites are coated in a cinnamon sugar mixture before being baked and glazed with (you guessed it) more sugar! The individual bite-size pieces make it the perfect pastry to share. […]