This Dutch Oven Monkey Bread is great for satisfying sweet cravings! You’ll use canned dough, making the prep time almost non-existent. Take this monkey bread recipe on camping trips to help boost your energy after exploring nature.
This Dutch oven monkey bread is caramelized on the outside and pillowy on the inside. It’s sweet, decadent, and covered in an irresistible cream cheese glaze. You only need a few ingredients to whip up this camping-approved recipe.
Here are a few other sweet bread recipes you can make during the week: Easy Chocolate Olive Oil Zucchini Bread, Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Banana Bread, and Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bread.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Great for camping – The ingredients are minimal and easy to pack, making this a great option for campfire food.
- Made from canned biscuits – You can easily create the best Dutch oven monkey bread with canned dough, saving you prep time. Simply chop biscuits into quarters.
- Sweet – With a yummy caramelized outside and a creamy glaze, this recipe will be loved by anyone with a sweet tooth.
- Cream cheese – The cream cheese glaze perfectly complements the cinnamon coating.
- Browned butter – You’ll get a flavor boost from browning the butter first, making this recipe even more decadent.
- Easy – This yummy treat requires only five minutes of prep time.
- Decadent – With its cream cheese glaze and cinnamon sugar dusting, this rich monkey bread is a winner.
- Picky-eater approved – No one can resist this yummy Dutch oven monkey bread!
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Salted Butter: If you don’t have salted butter for this Dutch oven monkey bread, use unsalted butter and add a pinch of salt. It will provide a similar flavor.
- Canned Biscuits: Any canned biscuits will do. I prefer using flaky canned Pillsbury biscuits. Though, you can use other brands.
Complete list of ingredients and amounts is located on the recipe card below.
How to Make Dutch Oven Monkey Bread
Quick Overview
- Add sugar mixture to pan.
- Add biscuit dough.
- Bake.
Step by Step Instructions
Don’t skip the brown butter; it helps add flavor to the recipe.
Step 1: In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Bring the butter to a boil. The mixture should be rapidly bubbling. Whisk continuously until the butter begins to brown. There should be small brown bits on the bottom and sides of the pan. Remove from the heat immediately and set aside. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Step 2: In a shallow dish, whisk together the brown sugar, granulated sugar, and cinnamon. Generously grease a shallow 3.5 quart dutch oven or baking dish.
Step 3: Cut each biscuit into 4 pieces. Using your palms roll each piece into a ball. Roll each ball into the cinnamon sugar mixture.
Step 4: Place the biscuit balls in a single layer in the greased dish.
Ensure you drizzle the glaze on the monkey bread while it’s warm.
Step 5: Whisk together the brown butter and remaining cinnamon sugar mixture.
Step 6: Pour the butter and sugar mixture over the biscuits. Spread it into an even layer so it coats all of the dough balls.
Step 7: Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden.
Step 8: While the monkey bread bakes, make the glaze. Using an electric mixer, beat the confectioner’s sugar and cream cheese until well combined.
Step 9: Add the vanilla and mix until combined. Slowly add in the heavy cream while mixing until it is fully combined.
Step 10: Once the monkey bread is done baking, microwave the glaze in 10-second intervals, mixing in between, until it is super smooth and has a thinner consistency. Drizzle over the warm monkey bread. Reserve some glaze for dipping as well.
Recipe Serving Suggestions
Garnish this Dutch oven monkey bread with cool whip, vanilla ice cream, or a drizzle of caramel sauce.
I love serving Dutch oven recipes like this with other yummy finger foods, especially if I’m camping. Here are a few ideas:
Expert Tips
- Soften the cream cheese. Allow it to sit out of the fridge for 1-2 hours until softened. This step will make it easier to work with the cream cheese. It also helps you get rid of lumps when making the glaze.
- Use an electric mixer. Use an electric mixer for this Dutch oven monkey bread recipe for the best results. It makes the glaze smoother and lump-free. If you don’t have an electric mixer, you can make the glaze by hand, but there will likely be a few lumps throughout.
- Bring a plastic bag. If you’re using this recipe for camping, ensure you bring a plastic bag for leftovers. You can also put a small amount of cooking spray on the inside of the bag if you’re worried the leftovers will stick to the bag.
Additions & Variations
- Use pumpkin pie spice: You can also create seasonal Dutch oven monkey bread using 1/2 Tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice and only 1 Tablespoon of cinnamon. This will make the recipe feel more Fall-like.
- Add caramel sauce: If you prefer sweeter/richer desserts, you can drizzle caramel sauce on top of the glaze. Jarred or homemade will both work for this variation. Simply heat the caramel sauce slightly until it has a more liquid-like consistency. Then, drizzle it on top of the glaze.
- Try other warming spices: For a more complex flavor in this easy Dutch oven monkey bread, consider adding other warming spices like cardamom. It will help create an elevated feel to the dish.
Recipe FAQs
Monkey bread is a sweet dessert eaten by pulling apart pieces of the bread. It typically has a sticky consistency, cinnamon flavor, and sweet cream cheese glaze. The name’s origins are unknown, though there are multiple theories on why it’s called monkey bread. Some people believe the name comes from how it’s eaten since it’s consumed with your hands and pulled apart like a monkey might do.
Yes, you can use different pans for monkey bread. I recommend using a Dutch oven (like in this Dutch oven monkey bread dish), as it’s easy to take with and use to cook this recipe over a campfire/hot coals. However, if you’re baking monkey bread at home, you can also use a Bundt pan, a cast iron pot, or a tube pan.
You likely did not cook the quarter biscuit dough recipe enough if you have doughy monkey bread. If you’re unsure whether the monkey bread is fully cooked, use a thermometer to check the temperature in the center. It should be 190F when fully baked through.
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Easy Dutch Oven Monkey Bread
Ingredients
- 10 Tablespoons (142 g) salted butter*
- 3/4 cup (150 g) brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons cinnamon
- 15-16 (32 ounces) large flaky canned biscuits, like Pillsbury Grands Flaky Layers*
Cream Cheese Glaze
- 4 ounces full-fat cream cheese, room temperature
- 1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Bring the butter to a boil. The mixture should be rapidly bubbling. Whisk continuously until the butter begins to brown. There should be small brown bits on the bottom and sides of the pan. Remove from the heat immediately and set aside. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.10 Tablespoons (142 g) salted butter*
- In a shallow dish, whisk together the brown sugar, granulated sugar, and cinnamon. Generously grease a shallow 3.5 quart dutch oven or baking dish.3/4 cup (150 g) brown sugar, 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar, 1 1/2 Tablespoons cinnamon
- Cut each biscuit into 4 pieces. Using your palms roll each piece into a ball. Roll each ball into the cinnamon sugar mixture.15-16 (32 ounces) large flaky canned biscuits, like Pillsbury Grands Flaky Layers*
- Place the biscuit balls in a single layer in the greased dish.
- Whisk together the brown butter and remaining cinnamon sugar mixture.
- Pour the butter and sugar mixture over the biscuits. Spread it into an even layer so it coats all of the dough balls.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden.
- While the monkey bread bakes, make the glaze. Using an electric mixer, beat the confectioner’s sugar and cream cheese until well combined.4 ounces full-fat cream cheese, room temperature, 1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar
- Add the vanilla and mix until combined. Slowly add in the heavy cream while mixing until it is fully combined.1 teaspoon vanilla, 1/3 cup heavy cream
- Once the monkey bread is done baking, microwave the glaze in 10-second intervals, mixing in between, until it is super smooth and has a thinner consistency. Drizzle over the warm monkey bread. Reserve some glaze for dipping as well.
Notes
- Salted Butter: If you don’t have salted butter for this Dutch oven monkey bread, use unsalted butter and add a pinch of salt. It will provide a similar flavor.
- Canned Biscuits: Any canned biscuits will do. I prefer using flaky canned Pillsbury biscuits. Though, you can use other brands.
- Soften the cream cheese. Allow it to sit out of the fridge for 1-2 hours until softened. This step will make it easier to work with the cream cheese. It also helps you get rid of lumps when making the glaze.
- Use an electric mixer. Use an electric mixer for this Dutch oven monkey bread recipe for the best results. It makes the glaze smoother and lump-free. If you don’t have an electric mixer, you can make the glaze by hand, but there will likely be a few lumps throughout.
- Bring a plastic bag. If you’re using this recipe for camping, ensure you bring a plastic bag for leftovers. You can also put a small amount of cooking spray on the inside of the bag if you’re worried the leftovers will stick to the bag.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
