Microwave monkey bread is one of my favorite easy dessert recipes to share with friends. It takes just 20 minutes to whip up with simple ingredients like canned biscuit dough, butter, cinnamon, and sugar. No one ever believes me when I say I made this delicious monkey bread in the microwave!
These days, it seems like every other recipe involves a slow cooker, air fryer, or Instant Pot – where did the love for the microwave go?! Hopefully, this easy monkey bread recipe will remind you how much you love your trusty microwave. I sure love mine!!
What’s in This Microwave Monkey Bread Recipe?
- Sugar: Brown sugar creates a sticky-sweet glaze, while granulated sugar coats and sweetens the biscuits.
- Butter: Melts to create a sticky-sweet glaze that keeps the bread moist.
- Cinnamon: Adds warmth to the biscuits.
- Biscuits: I have used flaky and buttermilk biscuits, and they both work fine. The flaky are my favorite because they have the multiple layers when they are being peeled off the plate.
Email This Recipe
Enter your email and we’ll send the recipe directly to you!
How to Store and Reheat
This microwave monkey bread is best served while it’s warm and fresh. While it will stay fresh for up to 3 days in the refrigerator when stored in an airtight container, it will most likely dry out when reheated again in the microwave. If you do choose to reheat your monkey bread, consider making another brown sugar and butter mixture to drizzle on the bread. That will help it from drying out too much.
Tips for Success
- If anyone in your house has a nut allergy, don’t worry! The pecans can be omitted.
- All microwaves are a little bit different. So, once it hits the 5 minute mark, it’s important to keep an eye on the monkey bread. If you notice that the monkey bread has risen just a little bit, it’s most likely all done! Even if it’s finished at 5 minutes and you let it cook to 6, though, it should still be delicious. Just don’t allow it to cook for over 6 minutes, or you risk the monkey bread drying out.
- Let the bread cool for about 2 minutes before you flip it onto a pie plate! The plate will be very hot coming out of the microwave, so be careful not to burn your hands.
Microwave Monkey Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup brown sugar 142 grams
- ¼ cup butter 57 grams (½ stick)
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar 67 grams
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 6 grams
- 16 ounces flaky or buttermilk biscuits 453 grams, cut into bite-sized pieces (1 can)
- ½ cup chopped pecans 57 grams, optional
Equipment
- Kitchen Scale (optional)
- Pie Pan
Instructions
- Lightly butter a microwave-safe pie pan with a ramekin in the center or spray with nonstick spray. Set aside.
- In a medium microwave-safe bowl, combine the brown sugar and the butter. Melt them in the microwave for about 45-60 seconds. Remove from the microwave and stir together. Set aside.⅔ cup brown sugar, ¼ cup butter
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar and cinnamon. Roll each piece of the biscuit in the sugar mixture, making sure it is completely covered. You may coat 2 or 3 pieces at a time.⅓ cup granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 16 ounces flaky or buttermilk biscuits
- Place each dipped piece into the prepared pie pan. Surround the ramekin with the coated biscuits. Continue coating pieces until all of them are covered.
- Drizzle the melted butter mixture over the pieces of dough, trying to cover as much of the bread as possible. Sprinkle with chopped pecans, reserving 1 tablespoon of the pecans to top the bread before pulling them apart.½ cup chopped pecans
- Place the pie pan in the microwave and cook on high for 5-6 minutes. The bread will rise just a little bit while cooking. Remove from the microwave oven and allow the bread to cool for about two minutes.
- Before serving, place a plate over the pie pan and then flip it over onto the plate. Sprinkle the reserved pecans over the top of the bread and then use a large fork to spread the bites around the plate for easier serving.
Notes
How to Make Monkey Bread in the Microwave Step-by-Step
Melt the Butter: Lightly butter a microwave-safe pie pan with a ramekin in the center or spray with nonstick spray. Set aside. In a medium microwave-safe bowl, combine ⅔ cup of brown sugar and ¼ cup of butter. Melt them in the microwave for about 45-60 seconds. Remove from the microwave and stir together. Set aside.
Coat the Biscuits: In a medium bowl, whisk together ⅓ cup of granulated sugar and 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon. Roll each bite-sized piece of 16 ounces of flaky or buttermilk biscuit dough in the sugar mixture, making sure it is completely covered. You may coat 2 or 3 pieces at a time.
Place the Biscuits: Place each dipped piece into the prepared pie pan. Surround the ramekin with the coated biscuits. Continue coating pieces until all of them are covered.
Drizzle the Biscuits: Drizzle the melted butter mixture over the pieces of dough, trying to cover as much of the bread as possible. Sprinkle ½ cup of chopped pecans, reserving 1 tablespoon of the pecans to top the bread before pulling them apart.
Cook the Bread: Place the pie pan in the microwave and cook on high for 5-6 minutes. The bread will rise just a little bit while cooking. Remove from the microwave oven and allow the bread to cool for about two minutes. Before serving, place a plate over the pie pan and then flip it over onto the plate. Sprinkle the reserved pecans over the top of the bread and then use a large fork to spread the bites around the plate for easier serving.
I wonder if I could add butterscoth pudding mix instead of, or with, the cinnamon?
We haven’t tried that, Gail, but let us know how it goes if you do!