Pumpkin Spice Monkey Bread

pumpkin spice monkey bread | bread in 5

We’ve had a lovely Autumn here in Minnesota, with warm weather lasting far into October. However, November has brought about a winter chill, and, with it, the desire to head to the kitchen and bake with cinnamon and pumpkin. Often I turn to cinnamon rolls or caramel rolls, but I decided this time around to make Monkey Bread.

Monkey Bread is easy to make. It’s basically a pull-apart cinnamon roll baked in a Bundt or loaf pan. Zoë has posted a standard recipe before, but today I’m doing one made with pumpkin spices: cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves, and topped with a cream cheese icing. It’s the perfect way to celebrate the coming cold.

bread in 5

Brioche Monkey Bread

2 pounds brioche dough, from The New Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day (we test with Red Star Platinum Yeast)
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cloves
a good pinch of salt

Grease a 12-cup nonstick Bundt pan. In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and salt. Set aside.

pumpkin spice monkey bread | bread in 5

Sprinkle the surface of your dough with flour and take out a 2-pound piece. Roll the dough into a log, about 2-inches in diameter.  Cut the log into about 8 slices and then cut the slices into quarters, for a total of 32 pieces. Roll the dough into balls.

pumpkin spice monkey bread | bread in 5

Roll the balls (a few at a time) in the melted butter, and then in the sugar-spice mixture.

pumpkin spice monkey bread | bread in 5

Arrange the balls evenly into the Bundt pan. Sprinkle any left over butter and sugar over the top of the dough balls, and then cover the pan with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 1 to 1½ hours.

pumpkin spice monkey bread | bread in 5

Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350. When the dough has risen, bake the monkey bread until the top is golden brown, 30-40 minutes. Place the monkey bread on a wire rack and let cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Gently turn out the bread onto a serving platter, and let cool slightly, about 5 minutes. Cover the top of the Monkey Bread with cream cheese frosting:

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon bourbon
pinch of salt
1 cup of powdered sugar

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the butter and cream cheese. Beat until smooth and creamy, 2-3 minutes. Add the vanilla, bourbon, and salt, and mix to combine. Add the powdered sugar to the mixer and mix on low until combined, then increase the speed to medium and beat until smooth and creamy.

Lesaffre Yeast Corp. (Red Star) provided samples of yeast for recipe testing, and sponsors BreadIn5’s website and other promotional activities

7 thoughts to “Pumpkin Spice Monkey Bread”

  1. Can this be made the night before and set to rise in the fridge?

    It looks beautiful and I think I will test it out tomorrow for Thanksgiving 2015

  2. I’ve tried to make monkey bread for my egg & dairy allergic child before, and it was a failure every time. I think it’s failed due to the dairy free butter. If I want to use Earth Balance spread (dairy free) what else would I add to compensate?
    Many Thanks!
    I’ve made kneaded breads, bread machine breads, and “starter breads, ” but I love your method so much more than any other – especially with our busy family! Thank you for the books, website, & videos!

    1. Hi. I have actually made the brioche and challah with the Earth Balance and they were great. I would recommend using the challah recipe for the monkey bread.

      Thanks, Zoë

    1. Hi Barbara,

      This recipe uses just the pumpkin spice, but you can use the pumpkin brioche recipe if you want to introduce pumpkin.

      Thanks, Zoë

  3. Using the gf brioche based cinnamon roll recipe. Love the taste, but I can’t get them to seal tight. They unceremoniously unroll during baking. Book says pinch. I have used the pinch, but doesn’t hold. Any thoughts?

    Thanks,
    Neill

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