This Delicious Orange-Cranberry Monkey Bread is a quick and easy assembly for satisfying your cinnamon roll cravings in no time. And, crafted from crescent roll dough, butter, coconut sugar, orange-flavored cranberries, and Layers of golden dough smothered in rich caramel sauce. Yum!
What is Monkey Bread?
A wonderful cross between cinnamon buns and doughnut holes. Furthermore, these Crescent Cinnamon Rolls are truly irresistible and simple to prepare. Moreover, they are perfect for those moments when you crave the comforting combination of cinnamon and sugar but are short on time, this recipe is a wonderful choice. Although, I have a soft spot for cinnamon rolls and their indulgent, gooey sweetness.
Monkey bread (also known by other names including plucking cake, pull-apart bread, and bubble bread) is a soft, sweet, bite-sized sticky pastry served in the United States for breakfast or as a treat. Moreover, it consists of pieces of soft baked dough sprinkled with cinnamon. However, it is often a midmorning/breakfast food and usually served at fairs and festivals.
This Orange-Cranberry Monkey Bread dessert is ideal for sharing with a group, as everyone can tear off their own pieces of dough. Plus, it’s best enjoyed with company to avoid the temptation of indulging alone (not that I’ve experienced this firsthand, of course!). So, don’t hesitate to whip up this recipe as soon as possible. Not only is it a fantastic way to use up flour before Passover, but I’m confident it will quickly become one of your go-to desserts.
What does monkey bread taste like?
Every bite encapsulates the irresistibly sticky and flavorful essence found at the center of cinnamon rolls. However, Monkey bread is served in a pull-apart style, reminiscent of my cinnamon roll wreath, allowing everyone to tear off a piece—much like how monkeys forage for their food. Whether enjoyed for breakfast, brunch, or dessert, monkey bread offers versatile delight.
Fun Fact
Monkey bread and monkey tamarind are two of the common names that appear in published accounts of Africa’s well-known baobab tree {Adansonia digitata L.). These monkey names are generally assumed to be derived from the simple fact that monkeys eat the baobab’s fruit.
ORIGIN
What is commonly recognized as monkey bread in the United States actually originates from the Hungarian dessert aranygaluska, meaning “golden dumpling.” This delicacy dates back to the 1880s in Hungarian literature and was brought to America by Hungarian immigrants, who began integrating it into the country’s culinary landscape in the mid-twentieth century through Hungarian and Hungarian Jewish bakeries.
In Gil Marks’ Encyclopedia of Jewish Food, the entry detailing aranygaluska delves into the history of this Hungarian Jewish dessert and offers insight into why it’s commonly recognized as monkey bread today. The term aranygaluska translates to “golden dumpling,” and references to this dessert can be found in Hungarian literature dating back to the 1880s. However, Hungarian immigrants carried this culinary tradition with them to America, where it gradually became integrated into the country’s culinary scene through the offerings of Hungarian and Hungarian Jewish bakeries in the mid-twentieth century.
In 1972, Betty Crocker’s cookbook featured a recipe for aranygaluska, Hungarian Jewish dessert, which they referred to as “Hungarian Coffee Cake.” As its popularity grew in America, aranygaluska (pull apart cake) became associated with monkey bread, although the latter typically involves dipping dough balls only in butter rather than in cinnamon and sugar. Consequently, “monkey bread” eventually became the prevailing name for this Hungarian Jewish dessert in the United States.
The earliest recipes for monkey bread surfaced in American women’s magazines and community cookbooks during the 1950s. By the 1980s, monkey bread gained further prominence, especially during Christmas, thanks to Nancy Reagan, who made it a fixture of the Reagan White House holiday celebrations. However, Mrs. Reagan received the recipe from her fellow actress, Zasu Pitts. Food historian Gil Marks notes that she ensured monkey bread was served to President Reagan on the eve of his testimony before Congress during the Iran-contra hearings.
WHAT YOU WILL NEED
The addition of orange-flavored dried cranberries gives these cinnamon rolls a unique and delightful flavor twist.
- Bundt pan
- parchment paper or baking spray
- mixing bowls
- rubber spatula
- 2 crescent rolls
- Coconut palm sugar
- Allulose powdered sweetener
- Butter
- Cinnamon
- Orange Zest
- Vanilla extract
- Heavy whipping cream
- Orange-flavored dried cranberries (optional)
- Allulose brown sweetener
- Golden syrup
Now, Let’s Make Orange-Cranberry Monkey Bread
This sticky bread is wonderfully quick and simple to make! It requires far less time and effort compared to traditional monkey bread.
All you need to do is prepare the crescent dough, coat it in a delightful sugar and cinnamon spice mixture, roll in orange-flavored cranberries and drizzle a luscious caramel sauce over the top. Pop it in the oven until it turns a beautiful golden brown, and you’ll have the most delightful sweet treat ready in a jiffy!
First, Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Second: Open the can of crescent roll dough, but refrain from unrolling it into a large rectangle. Instead, slice the dough log into 9 even pieces, then halve each slice.
Third: In a small bowl, mix together the white sugar and cinnamon. Thoroughly coat each piece of dough in this cinnamon sugar mixture. Tip: Use a large plastic bag for easier coating.
Coating dough piece in cinnamon sugar
During the next step, when coating the dough balls with butter and the cinnamon sugar mixture, it’s helpful to have clean hands free of cinnamon and sugar residue to facilitate the process. Finally, when arranging the dough in the Bundt pan, ensure that the pieces are placed closely together to ensure they adhere and form a cohesive round loaf during baking, preventing them from separating when the bread is unmolded.
Fourth: Generously grease a Bundt pan with cooking spray. Arrange the coated dough pieces evenly in the pan, ensuring they are distributed evenly. Sprinkle any remaining cinnamon sugar mixture over the top.
Fifth: In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the light brown sugar and 1/2 cup of butter. Melt the butter and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer for 1-2 minutes. Reduce the heat and allow the mixture to thicken slightly.
Sixth: Drizzle the brown sugar butter mixture over the dough pieces in the Bundt pan, ensuring even distribution. Bake for 30 minutes.
Then: Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes, then carefully invert and remove the bread from the pan. Refer to the Expert Tips section for additional guidance!
Next: Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, then drizzle it over the baked monkey bread. Indulge and enjoy!
Orange-Cranberry Monkey Bread
Ingredients
- 2 crescent rolls
- 1/2 cup salted, softened
- 2/3 cup coconut palm sugar
- 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1/4 cup orange-flavored dried cranberries (optional)
- 1/4 cup pecans, chopped (optional)
MONKEY BREAD SAUCE
- 1 cup Allulose Brown sweetener
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/2 cup Golden syrup
- 2 tablespoon whipping cream
- Pecans or Walnuts (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- To Prepare Dough: Open the can of crescent roll dough and remove it out, carefully. But, refrain from unrolling it into a large rectangle. Instead, slice the dough log into 9 even pieces, then halve each slice.
- To make the cinnamon sugar mixture: In a small bowl, mix together the coconut palm sugar and cinnamon.
- Thoroughly, coat dough pieces in cinnamon sugar and orange-flavored dried cranberries and Pecans (optional)
- Generously grease a Bundt pan with cooking spray. Arrange the coated dough pieces evenly in the pan, ensuring they are distributed evenly. Sprinkle any remaining cinnamon sugar mixture over the top.
- To make the sauce: In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the light brown sugar and 1/2 cup of butter. Melt the butter and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer for 1-2 minutes. Reduce the heat and allow the mixture to thicken slightly.
- Drizzle the brown sugar butter caramel sauce mixture over the dough pieces in the Bundt pan, ensuring even distribution. Bake for 30 minutes.
- Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes, then carefully invert and remove the bread from the pan.
- Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, then drizzle it over the baked monkey bread.
- Indulge and enjoy!
NOTES
Press the dough firmly into the pan to ensure all pieces adhere together.
For a smooth release, when ready to remove the bread from the pan, place a cooling rack or serving plate face down on top of the Bundt pan. Flip the pan and serving surface together, then gently lift to remove the pan.
For an efficient coating process, place the dough in a plastic bag with the cinnamon sugar mixture. Shake the bag until all pieces are evenly coated, saving you time compared to coating each piece individually!
Ensure thorough greasing of the Bundt pan to prevent sticking and ensure easy removal of your monkey bread.
Spices: While I adore the traditional cinnamon flavor in this recipe, you could incorporate extra spices to elevate the taste further. Alternatively, you could tailor the spices to match specific holidays, such as pumpkin pie spice for autumn or gingerbread seasoning for Christmas morning.
To prevent the monkey bread from falling apart: Grease bundt pan generously, it will keep your bread from falling apart.
Best storing method: You can store the bread in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days!