Homemade Monkey Bread Muffins (From Scratch, No Canned Biscuits)

Soft, sticky Monkey Bread Muffins made from scratch—no canned biscuits. Perfect for brunch, holidays, and baking with kids. Get the recipe!

Cook Time 30

Rising time 3

Total Time 3 30

Ingredients

Cinnamon Topping

▢ ¼ cup butter melted
▢ ½ cup sugar
▢ 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Optional Vanilla glaze

▢ ½ cup pecans or walnuts (optional). Allergens will contain: nuts if used
▢ ½ cup powdered milk
▢ ½ cup confectioners sugar
▢ 1-2 tablespoons milk
▢ ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

For bread machine

Add lukewarm milk, lukewarm water, melted butter, sugar, and salt to the bread machine pan. Add the flour on top of the liquids. Sprinkle the yeast over the flour.
1 cup milk, ⅓ cup water, 2 tablespoons butter, 3½ cup all-purpose flour, ¼ cup sugar, 2 teaspoons yeast, 1 teaspoon salt
Select the dough cycle and let the machine mix and rise the dough.

For stand mixer or hand method:

Add lukewarm milk, lukewarm water, sugar, and yeast to the bowl. Let it stand for about 5 minutes until lightly foamy.
1 cup milk, ¼ cup sugar, 2 teaspoons yeast, ⅓ cup water
Add melted butter, salt, and most of the flour. Knead with a dough hook (or by hand) until the dough is soft and elastic (about 10 to 15 minutes). Add extra flour 1 tablespoon at a time if the dough is very sticky.
2 tablespoons butter, 3½ cup all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon salt
Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl. Cover and let rise until doubled in size and puffy.

Preparing Monkey Bread Muffins

Grease a 12-cup muffin tin very well, including sides and edges.
Melt ½ cup butter in a small bowl for the coating. In another bowl, mix the brown sugar, granulated sugar, and cinnamon.
¼ cup butter, ½ cup sugar, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Punch down the risen dough gently. Tear off small pieces of dough and roll into balls (total 60 balls) about the size of a large marble or small walnut.
Dip each dough ball into the melted butter. Roll each buttered ball in the cinnamon sugar mixture.
Place the coated balls into the muffin cups, dividing them evenly (5 per muffin tin). Leave a little space at the top of each cup for rising. If using nuts, tuck small pieces of pecans or walnuts between the dough balls.
½ cup pecans
Cover the muffin tin lightly and let the dough rise again until puffy and close to the top of the cups.
Preheat the oven to 350 °F or 320 °F
Bake the muffins for 18–22 minutes, until the tops are deep golden brown and the sugar-butter mixture is bubbling at the edges.
Remove the pan from the oven and let stand for 5 minutes. Run a small knife around each muffin if needed to loosen the edges.
Carefully lift or invert the muffins out of the tin while still warm and sticky.

Vanilla glaze (Optional)

For the glaze, whisk powdered sugar, vanilla, and enough milk to make a smooth, pourable icing.
½ cup powdered milk, ½ cup confectioners sugar, 1-2 tablespoons milk, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Drizzle the glaze over the warm muffins if desired. Serve warm so you can pull them apart in soft, sticky bites.

NOTES

1. Can I make the dough the night before? Yes. Let the dough rise once in the fridge overnight. The next day, bring it to room temperature, shape it into balls, let them rise in the muffin tin, and then bake.

2. Do I have to add nuts? Not at all. They’re optional. The muffins are fantastic with or without pecans or walnuts.

3. Can I freeze them? Yes. Bake and cool completely, then freeze in an airtight container. Reheat in a warm oven until soft and fragrant again.

4. Can I skip the glaze? Absolutely, it's optional. They’re already sticky, sweet, and flavorful. The glaze is just an extra flourish.

5. Variations

Orange brunch twist: Stir orange zest into the cinnamon sugar and into the glaze for a bright holiday feel.
Extra glossy top: Use the vanilla glaze plus a tiny pinch of extra cinnamon on top.

6. Storage

Room temperature: Store in an airtight container for up to 1 day. Best fresh and warm.
Fridge: Up to 3 days; reheat briefly at 300°F (150°C) to refresh.
Freezer: Up to 1 month; thaw and warm in the oven for a soft center and sticky top again.

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