This Chocolate Monkey Bread recipe is a crave-worthy breakfast made with just 5 ingredients! Pillowy soft biscuit dough is dredged in cinnamon, cocoa, and sugar for a buttery, chocolatey treat.
This chocolate monkey bread is one of those fast, easy recipes that we all need in our recipe boxes. It’s a sweet, pull-apart pastry that takes just 15 minutes of effort—the rest of the time is in the oven! The sugary coating melts into a sticky glaze, making for a decadent breakfast.
Why You’ll Love This Chocolate Monkey Bread Recipe
- Just 5 ingredients. This isn’t one of those recipes that requires a long shopping list. You probably already have most of the ingredients in your pantry already!
- Quick and easy. This recipe takes just minutes to put together since it starts with store-bought biscuit dough. So simple!
- Chocolate for breakfast. Need I say more? While I do love traditional monkey bread, chocolate for breakfast is always a win in my book.
What You’ll Need
Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.
- Granulated sugar – The sugar is what transforms the coating into a sticky syrup while the chocolate monkey bread bakes.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder – I like to use natural cocoa powder for this recipe, but Dutch process will also work.
- Ground cinnamon – Learn more: Types of Cinnamon: A Home Baker’s Guide
- Unsalted butter – Using unsalted butter gives you more control over the flavor of the finished monkey bread. Learn more: Unsalted or Salted Butter: Which is Better for Baking?
- Refrigerated biscuits – Pull the rounds of dough apart, then cut each into quarters.
How to Make Chocolate Monkey Bread
- Prepare. Preheat your oven to 350°F and lightly grease a 10-cup Bundt pan.
- Make the coating. Whisk together the sugar, cocoa powder, and cinnamon.
- Dredge the dough. Dip the pieces of biscuit dough into the melted butter, then dredge each in the sugar mixture.
- Assemble. Arrange the coated dough into the prepared pan.
- Bake. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 1 hour, or until the biscuits are browned and baked through.
- Cool and serve. Set the pan on a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes, then carefully invert the chocolate monkey bread onto a serving plate. Drizzle any remaining chocolate from the bottom of the pan over the monkey bread, then serve.
Tips for Success
- Melt the butter in a saucepan. Okay, you can use the microwave if you’d like, but I prefer using the stovetop for a large amount of butter because it melts more evenly, with less chance of spatters.
- Use chopsticks. If you are adept with using chopsticks, they are wonderful for dredging the dough without also coating your fingers. Use them to dip the dough in butter and roll them in the sugar coating.
- Check on your chocolate monkey bread. Ovens can vary, so be sure to keep an eye on the bread as it bakes. If you see it getting too dark, cover it with aluminum foil to prevent excessive browning.
Variations
- Make it nutty by adding some chopped pecans to the bottom of the pan before layering in the dough. You can also scatter pecans between layers of dough pieces.
- Glaze the top of the monkey bread just before serving. You can also serve the monkey bread with a bowl of glaze for dipping. The brown butter glaze from my Spiced Oat Scones would be delicious here!
- Add some extra decadence by sprinkling chocolate chips into the pan as you layer in the dough.
How to Store Chocolate Monkey Bread
Store leftover chocolate monkey bread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerate it for up to 4 days. Warm it up in the microwave for 10 to 15 seconds before enjoying.
Can I Freeze This Recipe?
Yes, you can freeze this chocolate monkey bread for up to 2 months. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and then place it in a freezer-safe bag or container. Thaw it in the refrigerator before reheating according to the instructions above.
More Delicious Breakfast Recipes
- Cinnamon Breakfast Cake
- Cranberry Orange Scones
- Peanut Butter and Jelly Muffins
- Raspberry Coffee Cake
- Blueberry Breakfast Cake
Get the Recipe:
Chocolate Monkey Bread
This Chocolate Monkey Bread is a special breakfast made simple thanks to store-bought biscuit dough!
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups (350 g) granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, melted
- 2 12-ounce (340 g) cans refrigerated biscuits, each biscuit cut into quarters
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Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a 10-cup Bundt pan.
- Combine the sugar, cocoa powder, and cinnamon. Set aside.
- Dip the quartered biscuits into the melted butter. Then dredge each piece in the sugar mixture. Layer the biscuits in the prepared pan.
- Bake for 1 hour, or until the biscuits are browned and thoroughly baked. Cover with aluminum foil, if necessary, to avoid excess browning.
- Place the pan on a wire rack, and allow to cool for 5 minutes before inverting onto a plate. If there's any remaining chocolate mixture in the bottom of the pan, you can drizzle it over the bread.
Notes
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 days or in the refrigerator up to 4 days.
- Recipe slightly adapted from Paula Deen.
Show off your baking masterpiece!Snap a pic, tag @bakeorbreak, and use #bakeorbreak on Instagram. Can’t wait to see your creation!
43 Comments on “Chocolate Monkey Bread”
Monkey bread alone is awesome. I remember eating it for the first time in middle school and being strung out on sugar afterwords. Now you just upped the ante with the chocolate though 🙂
*slurp* drools on herself :p
Wow! this bread is fantastic and stunning photos indeed!
Have a perfect day!
Silvia
Hi there, I really want to try this recipe but I do not have a bundt pan (such is university student life!) Is it possible to use a cake pan instead? If so, what adjustments should I make to ensure the same results? Thanks in advance, I love this website!
Yes, any pan will do…just monitor youyr bake time and be sure to thoroughly butter the pan you are using as well as each BISCUIT section….
I LOVE chocolate with cinnamon. I have never made this, but I have made her blueberry coffee cake- which is essentially monkey bread with fresh blueberries- mmm!
I am definitely going to make this. My husband would eat this right up. Thanks.
Love these kinds of recipes, and you’re right… we do need a few of these in our recipe collections! Delicious!
Monkey bread is on my to bake list, but I am going to wait till my grandson visits. I will try this recipe on your recomendation (not a PD fan), thanks Jennifer.
WOW… this looks ao yummy. The combination of flavors look great!
Great work and thanks for sharing
zesty
Thanks, everyone!
kim, you can certainly use a cake pan. You might want to make half the recipe and put the biscuits in a single layer. You won’t need to bake as long either. Try cutting about 15 minutes off the baking time. Just keep an eye on them so they don’t get over-baked. Enjoy!
I have got to make this, Jen! As usual, your recipes are wonderful. I have tried another one on the weekend and my friends absolutely loved it! 🙂
Ok you just took it to a whole new level this looks so good!
Wow! That looks amazing!!
Oh no. Monkey bread is addictive, and the addition of chocolate might put me over the edge!
Jennifer–you, your recipes, what you make, and photos never cease to amaze me! YUM-O!
This looks heavenly! Thank you for sharing such a simple, delicious recipe. My husband and I are moving into a new apartment this weekend and I have a feeling this will be the first breakfast I throw together for us in our new home!
We have “regular” monkey bread every Christmas morning, I may have to convince my family that we need an update on our tradition. As far as Kim’s question about a cake pan, another option would be using a loaf pan, which my Mom, sister, and I frequently do.
Yes – chocolate for breakfast is a MUST!! 🙂
I’ve heard about monkeybread and all its goodness, but never eaten it. This looks so fantastic!
I never know what I love more, the name or the bread itself. Looking at your pic, I’d have to say the bread.
Monkey bread is good bbut this takes up a notch!
Delish! I love monkey bread, even better chocolate for breakfast! Why not? All the cereal Co. are adding it! 😉
Ohhh my…this looks delish. Brings me back to sixth grade home-ec. I may need to make this for Saturday morning breakfast…
Looks deceptively like donuts! And I like anything cinnamon too.. yumm!
Chocolate too? What a double treat!! YUM!
your photos are clearly an art form.
I love coming here. You have such wonderful talent for bringing out the best.
I’ve been drooling over this for several days since hitting this page on StumbleUpon a few days ago. 🙂 It’s bookmarked, and I will definitely be trying this!
This looks SO good. I’m making in tomorrow for some company we have staying over tonight. I can’t wait!
Can only think of one comment to make about this: WANT!
How much chocolate did you add? If we go by my measurement, it may all be chocolate.
Thanks for bringing back some great memories – I haven’t even thought of monkey bread in at least 12-15 years! I’m going to have to make this the next time I need something quick and fun to pop in the oven.
Katie, the chocolate is all cocoa powder. You can find the recipe here.
I’ve never heard of monkey bread before… I feel very deprived!! Is it made in a loaf tin? I’m really curious now! I’ve got to try these, could I have the recipe?
Oh, I just noticed to comment above.. tehe.
I mean I just noticed YOUR comment above. Woopsy…
Wow! I love your photos and your recipes have filled me with ideas for the holidays. I will be sure to come back and let you know how they went over!
My friend makes regular monkey bread frequently and it always brings rave reviews. I’m going to tell her about this recipe. It looks and sounds great!
Debbie
This sounds similar to something I had at camp a long time ago and has since become my standard for evilness. Screwballs are marshmallows and chocolate wrapped in biscut dough, fried and rolled in sugar. This recipie looks really good too, how do you think it would work with biscuts that have already been cooked? I need to think in terms of ingredients I can liberate from the cafeteria!
Rachel, I’m sure you could do something similar with pre-cooked biscuits. You wouldn’t need the cooking time to be as long – just enough to get them nice and warm.
Love chocolate cake, will mess around with it this weekend. yummy
hello there!
i’ve never heard of monkey bread before and the word caught my eye whilst i was browsing through your pictures.
i’d love to give this a go, but i was wondering what you meant in your recipe about cans of refrigerated cookies? are those pre-prepared cookie dough you buy at the supermarket? or can you make them yourself?
Great easy recipe. Made it with the 2 kids I watch. We all LOVE chocolate, so I changed it a little. I used grand biscuits and cinnamon rolls. Did not add coacoa powder, but used chopped up (halved) mini peanut butter cups. Also cut up a white cookies and cream chocolate bar. Took pieces of the dough before baking and “hid” the chocolate pieces in some of the dough. It was fun to find the chocolate after biting into the bread when it was done. After the bread was done, we added the icing from the cinnamom rolls. YUM! We’ll make it again. VERY easy for kids to help make.
I love Paula Deen’s “Gorilla Bread” and think this would “one up” that. If you haven’t heard of gorilla bread, you put cream cheese in the biscuits before you add them to the pan !!! Sooooo good it is hard to describe. The recipe is on the Food network site or in one of her books.